評論
打印
Cassini just a few months ago also flew through the plume, and it measured silicate particles.
卡西尼太空船幾個月前又從這些飛濺的水流中穿過，它檢測到了硅酸鹽顆粒。
Where does the silica come from?
這些硅從哪來的？
It must come from the ocean floor.
它肯定是從海底來的。
The tidal energy is generated by Saturn, pulling and squeezing this moon
土星產(chǎn)生的潮汐動能拉扯，擠壓著這個星球
is melting that ice, creating an ocean.
正融化那里的冰，形成著海洋。
But it's also doing that to the core.
這潮汐能同樣拉扯擠壓著硅酸鹽核心。
Now, the only thing that we can think of
我們唯一能想到
that does that here on Earth as an analogy are hydrothermal vents.
地球上類似的現(xiàn)象是深海熱泉。
Hydrothermal vents deep in our ocean were discovered in 1977.
深海熱泉在1977年的時候在海洋深處被發(fā)現(xiàn)。
Oceanographers were completely surprised.
海洋學(xué)家們對此非常驚訝。
And now there are thousands of these below the ocean. What do we find?
如今在海洋之下，有成千上萬這樣的深海熱泉。我們找到了什么？
The oceanographers, when they go and look at these hydrothermal vents, they're teeming with life,
當(dāng)海洋學(xué)家們研究這些深海熱泉時發(fā)現(xiàn)，那里有富饒的生命，
regardless of whether the water is acidic or alkaline -- doesn't matter.
不管水是酸性的還是堿性的--這不重要。
So hydrothermal vents are a fabulous abode for life here on Earth. So what about Enceladus?
地球上的深海熱泉是生命的絕佳住所。那么土衛(wèi)二呢？
Well, we believe because it has water and has had it for a significant period of time,
我們相信因為它有水，并且在相當(dāng)長的一段時間里擁有水，
and we believe it has hydrothermal vents with perhaps the right organic material,
加上我們認(rèn)為它有深海熱泉以及適合的有機(jī)物質(zhì)，
it is a place where life could exist.
那是一個生命可能存在的地方。
And not just microbial -- maybe more complex because it's had time to evolve.
并且不僅僅是微生物--可能存在更復(fù)雜的生命，因為它有足夠的時間去進(jìn)化。
