評論
打印
Mars is also bathed in harmful radiation from the sun,
火星還沐浴在太陽的有害輻射中
even though it's further away,
即使它離太陽更遠
unlike Earth it has no
與地球不同的是，它沒有磁場
magnetic field and no ozone layer to protect it.
也沒有臭氧層的保護
Early explorers would
早期探索者們
have to be careful to minimize their exposure
必須小心讓自己的暴露面積減到最小
and perhaps they would have to live underground.
或許他們還要居住在地下
But one day, I think it will be possible
但我認為，未來某天
to drastically alter conditions on Mars,
我們很可能完全改變火星的生存條件
perhaps using space-bourne mirrors to supply warmth and power.
比如利用空間反射鏡供給熱能與動能
With perfectly foreseeable technology,
在勢必問世的更高科技出現后
much more could become possible.
更大的轉變也將成為可能
If we could erect giant domes made of glass and plastic
若我們能夠建造一個巨大的玻璃塑料拱頂
to block out the radiation,
來阻擋輻射
inside them we could enrich the atmosphere.
在拱頂之內，我們還能充實稀薄的大氣
500 years from now which really is a very short time indeed,
我相信，在未來短短500年之內
I think Mars will have its own language,
火星人就會形成自己的語言
its own currency, it's own cuisine.
貨幣，甚至烹飪之道
Although I'll bet you will still be able to get a hamburger somewhere.
不過我肯定你在那里仍舊能吃到漢堡包
But it's clear as the universe continues to age,
但隨著宇宙的不斷變老
even advances like these
即使是這樣的進展
will not be enough to guarantee humanity's existence for a very long time.
也無法保證人類能夠永久地繁衍生息
Look further into the future and ultimately our solar system
在更遠的未來，我們的太陽系最終
will follow the same path as countless billions of solar systems before it
將與之前無數其他太陽系一樣
and cease to exist.
不復存在
Right now the sun is in the middle of its life cycle.
現在的太陽正值壯年
During this phase, it is getting gradually hotter
這一階段，它將以每十億年6%的速度
and brighter all the time by about 6% every billion years.
逐漸地變熱，變亮
In about five billion years,
在約五十億年后
the sun's temperature will have grown to nearly 200 billion degrees.
太陽的溫度將增至近兩千億度
At this point
這時
the Earth will be an unrecognizable ball of molten rock.
地球將成為一顆難以辨認的熔巖球
All life having long since perished.
地球上的生命也早已不復存在
This is our planet's unavoidable destiny.
這是我們這個星球難逃的命運
But that's not all the sun has in store.
但太陽將要帶來的災難遠非如此
