时差N小时 假设有一天接收到外星人的信号(下)

Scientists would still have enough data to pinpoint¹ where in the sky the transmission is coming from.

科学家们将有足够的数据来确定传输的信号来自太空的哪个位置。

And any slow changes in the broadcast frequency would reveal information about the rotation² and movement of the aliens' planets.

广播频率的任何细微变化都会揭露外星行星旋转和运动的情况。

Okay, but how will we know if they are friendly?

好了，我们如何判断是不是友好的信号呢?

Well, If we ever do detect a transmission, this would be huge news.

如果我们发现了外来广播，那就是个爆炸新闻了。

The government would definitely allocate³ funds to building larger instruments capable of picking up signal modulations.

政府一定会拨款建造更大的仪器来接收信号变调。

However, even once scientists are able to measure the modulation⁴, it isn't certain that we'll be able to understand the message.

然而，即使科学家能够测量变调，也不能确定我们是否能明白这些信息。

I guess everyone's hoping that if the aliens are anything like us, they'll send simple pictures and easy-to-decode messages.

我想每个人都希望外星人与我们多少有点相似之处，他们会发送简单的图画和容易解码的信息。

1 pinpoint   

vt.准确地确定；用针标出…的精确位置

参考例句：

• It is difficult to pinpoint when water problems of the modern age began.很难准确地指出，现代用水的问题是什么时候出现的。
• I could pinpoint his precise location on a map.我能在地图上指明他的准确位置。

2 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

3 allocate   

vt.分配，分派；把…拨给；把…划归

参考例句：

• You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
• They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。

4 modulation   

n.调制

参考例句：

• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。
• Frequency modulation does not allow static to creep in. 频率调制不允许静电干扰混入。