NASA的詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜证实宇宙持续膨胀
📖 逐句对照翻译
Data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed earlier information suggesting the universe is expanding at a faster rate than scientists had expected.
詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜收集的数据证实了早先的信息，表明宇宙的膨胀速度比科学家预期的要快。
The new finding is based on measurements collected by the Webb over the past two years.
这一新发现基于韦伯望远镜在过去两年中收集的测量数据。
The telescope is operated by the American space agency NASA.
该望远镜由美国航天局NASA运营。
Researchers say the new readings show that our universe is growing faster today than it did in the period after it first formed billions of years ago.
研究人员表示，新的读数显示，我们的宇宙今天的膨胀速度比数十亿年前刚形成后的时期更快。
The data suggests the distances between nearby stars and galaxies are increasing.
数据表明，邻近恒星与星系之间的距离正在增大。
This confirms earlier studies based on data collected by other telescopes.
这证实了此前基于其他望远镜收集数据的研究。
The finding that today’s universe is expanding faster than expected was first made in the 1990s by data gathered by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
今天宇宙的膨胀速度比预期更快的这一发现，最早是在20世纪90年代由美国宇航局哈勃太空望远镜收集的数据得出的。
In 1998, data examinations led a group of scientists to first conclude that our universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate.
1998年，通过对数据的审查，一组科学家首次得出结论：我们的宇宙正在以不断加快的速度膨胀。
That finding was based on studies of huge explosive events called supernovas.
这一发现是基于对被称为超新星的巨大爆炸事件的研究。
NASA describes a supernova as an “extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star.”
NASA将超新星描述为“恒星极其明亮、超强的爆炸”。
A supernova takes place at the end of a star’s life.
超新星爆发发生在恒星生命的末期。
The 1990s research on supernovas and the universe’s continued expansion resulted in three scientists winning the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
20世纪90年代对超新星及宇宙持续膨胀的研究，使三位科学家荣获2011年诺贝尔物理学奖。
One of the winners – Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland – was the lead writer of a study on the new data collected by the Webb telescope.
获奖者之一——马里兰州约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的亚当·里斯——是韦伯望远镜收集的新数据相关研究的主要作者。
The study notes the idea of the universe expanding at an unexpected rate – and the mysterious reasons behind the growth – has long been known as Hubble Tension.
该研究指出，宇宙以意想不到的速度膨胀这一观点——以及这种增长背后神秘的原因——长期以来被称为哈勃张力。
The Nobel winners were awarded the prize in part for showing evidence that Hubble Tension may be caused by forces they describe as “dark energy.”
诺贝尔奖得主获奖的部分原因是，他们提供了证据表明哈勃张力可能是由他们称之为“暗能量”的力造成的。
NASA says astronomers believe dark energy makes up about 68 percent of the universe, while dark matter makes up around 27 percent.
美国宇航局表示，天文学家认为暗能量约占宇宙的68%，而暗物质约占27%。
But beyond that, very little is known about these two “dark” elements.
但除此之外，人们对这两种“暗”元素知之甚少。
Riess – a professor of physics and astronomy – wrote about the new data produced by the Webb telescope observations.
里斯——一位物理学和天文学教授——撰文介绍了韦布望远镜观测产生的新数据。
He said in a statement, "The discrepancy between the observed expansion rate of the universe and the predictions of the standard model suggests that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete."
他在一份声明中说：“观测到的宇宙膨胀率与标准模型的预测之间的差异表明，我们对宇宙的理解可能并不完整。”
Riess noted that data from both the Webb and Hubble instruments had confirmed the earlier findings linked to the Hubble Tension problem.
里斯指出，韦伯和哈勃仪器的数据都证实了此前与哈勃张力问题相关的发现。
He said the ongoing mysteries of how dark energy might affect faster universe expansion presents a major “challenge” for scientists.
他说，暗能量可能如何影响宇宙加速膨胀这一持续存在的谜团，给科学家带来了重大“挑战”。
However, the new data also provides new possibilities “to learn more about our universe.”
然而，新数据也为“更多地了解我们的宇宙”提供了新的可能性。
The researchers used three different methods to measure a specific value – the distances from Earth to galaxies where a kind of pulsating star called a Cepheid had been identified.
研究人员使用了三种不同的方法来测量一个特定值——从地球到已识别出称为造父变星的一种脉动恒星所在星系的距离。
The universe's expansion rate is measured in kilometers per second as megaparsecs, a distance equal to 3.26 million light-years.
宇宙的膨胀速率以千米每秒每百万秒差距来衡量，一个百万秒差距相当于326万光年。
A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 9.5 trillion kilometers.
一光年是光在一年内传播的距离，约为9.5万亿公里。
The researchers said the Webb’s observations appear to rule out the idea that the earlier Hubble data might have returned false information because of possible instrument errors.
研究人员表示，韦布的观测结果似乎排除了这样一种可能：哈勃望远镜此前获取的数据或许因仪器误差而返回了错误信息。
The team’s findings recently appeared in a study in the publication The Astrophysical Journal.
该团队的发现最近发表在《天体物理学杂志》上的一项研究中。
Siyang Li is a doctoral student in astronomy at Johns Hopkins who was a co-writer of the study.
李思扬是约翰霍普金斯大学的天文学博士生，也是这项研究的合著者之一。
He told Reuters news agency the Webb results could mean “there may be a need to revise our model of the universe.”
他告诉路透社，韦伯望远镜的观测结果可能意味着“我们或许需要修正对宇宙的模型”。
However, Li added that such a revision would be very difficult to make currently with existing data.
然而，李补充说，目前利用现有数据进行这样的修订将非常困难。
Li also noted a great improvement in the Webb data compared to the older Hubble information.
李还指出，与较早的哈勃信息相比，韦伯数据有了很大的改进。
"The Webb data is like looking at the universe in high-definition for the first time and really improves the signal-to-noise of the measurements,” he said.
他说：“韦布的数据就像第一次以高清方式观察宇宙，确实提高了测量的信噪比。”
The researchers suggested more work is needed to possibly unlock the Hubble Tension mystery.
研究人员表示，还需要开展更多工作，才有可能解开哈勃张力之谜。
Riess said more data observations will be necessary to learn about what forces are continuing to drive expansion of the universe.
里斯说，需要更多的数据观测才能了解是什么力量在继续推动宇宙膨胀。
And the team will next try to capture more detailed data on the rate of expansion, as well as seek to establish timelines for the growth.
该团队接下来将尝试获取更详细的膨胀速率数据，并力求确定增长的时间线。
I’m Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·林恩。
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters, NASA and Johns Hopkins University.
布莱恩·林恩根据路透社、美国宇航局和约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的报道，为VOA慢速英语撰写了这篇报道。
