大學英語（第五冊）複習（原文及全文翻譯）——Unit 8 - Roaming the Cosmos（遨遊宇宙）

Unit 8 - Roaming the Cosmos

A victim of an incurable disease, Stephen Hawking is almost completely paralysed, confined to a wheelchair, and unable to speak. Yet, he has overcome every obstacle and achieved far more than most able-bodied people ever dream of accomplishing and become one of the greatest physicists of our time.

Roaming the Cosmos

Leon Jaroff

Darkness has fallen on Cambridge, England, and on a damp and chilly evening king's Parade is filled with students and faculty. Then, down the crowded thoroughfare comes the University of Cambridge's most distinctive vehicle, bearing its most distinguished citizen. In the motorized wheelchair, boyish face dimly illuminated by a glowing computer screen attached to the left armrest, is Stephen William Hawking, 46, one of the world's greatest theoretical physicists. As he skillfully maneuvers through the crowd, motorists slow down, some honking their horns in greeting. People wave and shout hello.

A huge smile lights up Hawking's bespectacled face, but he cannot wave or shout back. Since his early 20s, he has suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive deterioration of the central nervous system that usually causes death within three or four years. Hawking's illness has advanced more slowly, and now seems almost to have stabilized. Still, it has robbed him of virtually all movement. He has no control over most of his muscles, cannot dress or eat by himself and has lost his voice. Now he "speaks" only by using the slight voluntary movement left in his hands and fingers to operate his wheelchair's built-in computer and voice synthesizer.

While ALS has made Hawking a virtual prisoner in his own body, it has left his courage and humor intact, his intellect free to roam. And roam it does, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, from the subatomic realm to the far reaches of the universe. In the course of these mental expeditions, Hawking has conceived startling new theories about black holes and the disorderly events that immediately followed the Big Bang from which the universe sprang. More recently, he has shaken both physicists and theologians by suggesting that the universe has no boundaries, was not created and will not be destroyed.

Most of Stephen Hawking's innovative thinking occurs at Cambridge, where he is Lucasian professor of mathematics, a seat once occupied by Isaac Newton. There, in the Department of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, he benevolently reigns over the relativity group, 15 overachieving graduate students from nine countries. On his office door is a small plaque irreverently reading QUIET, PLEASE. THE BOSS IS ASLEEP.

Hardly. From midmorning until he departs for dinner around 7 p. m., Hawking follows a routine that would tax the most able-bodied, working in his book-lined office, amid photographs of his wife Jane and their three children. When he rolled into the department's common room one morning last month, his students were talking shop around low tables. Maneuvering to one of the tables, Hawking clicked his control switch, evoking tiny beeps from his computer and selecting words from lists displayed on his screen. These words, assembled in sequence at the bottom of the screen, finally issued from the voice synthesizer: "Good morning. Can I have coffee?" Then, for the benefit of a visitor: "I am sorry about my American accent." (The synthesizer is produced by a California company.)

When the conversation shifted to creativity and how mathematicians seem to reach a creative peak in their early 20s, Hawking's computer beeped. "I'm over the hill," he said, to a chorus of laughter.

Hawking was born on Jan. 8, 1942-300 years to the day, he often notes, after the death of Galileo. As a small boy, he was slow to learn to read but liked to take things apart though he confesses that he was never very good at putting things back together. When he was twelve, he recalls humorously, "one of my friends bet another friend a bag of sweets that I would never come to anything. I don't know if this bet was ever settled and, if so, who won.

Fascinated by physics, Stephen concentrated in the subject at Oxford's University College, but did not distinguish himself. He partied, took a great interest in rowing and studied only an hour or so a day. Moving on to Cambridge for graduate work in relativity, he found the going rough, partly because of some puzzling physical problems; he stumbled frequently and seemed to be getting clumsy.

Doctors soon gave him the bad news: he had ALS, it would only get worse, and there was no cure. Hawking was overwhelmed. Before long, he needed a cane to walk, was drinking heavily and ignoring his studies. "There didn't seem to be much point in completing my Ph. D.," he says.

Then Hawking's luck turned. The progress of the disease slowed, and Einsteinian space-time suddenly seemed less formidable. But what really made the difference, he says, "was that I got engaged to Jane," who was studying modern languages at Cambridge. "This gave me something to live for." As he explains, "if we were to get married, I had to get a job. And to get a job, I had to finish my Ph. D. I started, working hard for the first time in my life. To my surprise, I found I liked it."

What particularly interested Stephen was singularities, strange beasts predicted by general relativity. Einstein's equations indicated that when a star several times larger than the sun exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses, its matter crushes together at its center with such force that it forms a singularity, an infinitely dense point with no dimensions and irresistible gravity. A voluminous region surrounding the singularity becomes a "black hole," from which -- because of that immense gravity -- nothing, not even light, can escape.

Scientists years ago found compelling evidence that black holes exist, but they were uncomfortable with singularities, because all scientific laws break down at these points. Most physicists believed that in the real universe the object at the heart of a black hole would be small (but not dimensionless) and extremely dense (but not infinitely so). Enter Hawking. While still a graduate student, he and Mathematician Roger Penrose developed new techniques proving mathematically that if general relativity is correct, singularities must exist. Hawking went on to demonstrate - again if general relativity is correct - that the entire universe must have sprung from a singularity. As he wrote in his 1966 Ph. D. thesis, "There is a singularity in our past."

Stephen later discerned several new characteristics of black holes and demonstrated that the amazing forces of the Big Bang would have created mini-black holes, each with a mass about that of a terrestrial mountain, but no larger than the subatomic proton. Then, applying the quantum theory (which accurately describes the random, uncertain subatomic world) instead of general relativity (which, it turns out, falters in that tiny realm), Hawking was startled to find that the mini-black holes must emit particles and radiation. Even more remarkable, the little holes would gradually evaporate and, 10 billion years or so after their creation, explode with the energy or millions of H-bombs.

Hawking has visited the U. S. 30 times, made seven trips to Moscow, taken a round-the-word journey, and piloted his wheelchair on the Great Wall of China. On the road, the activities occasionally deviate somewhat from physics. One night Stephen accompanied a group to a Chicago discotheque, where he joined in the festivities by wheeling onto the dance floor and spinning his chair in circles.

Recently, Hawking, who has no qualms about recanting his own work if he decides he was wrong, may have transcended his famous proof that singularities exist. With Physicist James Hartle. He has derived a quantum wave describing a self-contained universe that, like the earth's surface, has no edge or boundary. If that is the case, says Hawking, Einstein's general theory of relativity would have to be modified, and there would be no singularities. "The universe would not be created, not be destroyed; it would simply be," he concludes, adding challengingly, "What place, then, for a Creator?"

參考譯文——遨遊宇宙

斯蒂芬·霍金患了一種不治之症，幾乎完全癱瘓，離不開輪椅，而且不能說話。然而，他克服了一切障礙，取得了比大多數體格健全者想要取得的還要多得多的成就，成了我們時代最偉大的實體學家之一。

遨遊宇宙

利昂·賈洛夫

夜幕降臨，暮色籠罩着英格蘭劍橋市。在一個潮濕、寒冷的夜晚，“國王閱兵場”上到處是劍橋大學的師生。這時，沿着擁擠的大道駛來了校園内最有特色的一部車子，上面載着該校最著名的公民。在這輛機動輪椅上坐着的是世界上最偉大的理論實體學家之一，四十六歲的斯蒂芬·威廉·霍金。固定在輪椅左邊靠手上的一隻發光的計算機螢幕隐隐約約地照出了他那張孩子似的臉龐。當他熟練地駕着輪椅駛過人群時，開汽車的人都放慢車速，有的還揿揿喇叭向他緻意。人們揮着手，大聲跟他打招呼。

戴着眼鏡的霍金滿面閃露出笑容，但他既不能揮手，也不能回喊作答。他剛二十歲出頭時就患了肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化症（ALS）。這是一種使中樞神經系統日益退化的病症，患者一般在三四年内就會死亡。霍金的病情發展較慢，目前看來幾乎已經穩定。然而，這病仍使他失去了幾乎所有的活動能力。他已經不能控制大部分肌肉，不能自己穿衣進食，不能開口說話。現在他隻能依靠手和手指還剩下的一點随意運動的能力操縱裝在輪椅上的計算機和聲音合成器來“說話”了。

雖然ALS病症使霍金成了一個行動不便的殘障人士，但他的勇氣和幽默仍完整無損。他的智力仍在自由地漫遊。他的智力也的确是在漫遊，從無窮小漫遊到無窮大，從亞原子王國漫遊到宇宙的遙遠區域。在這些智力探索的過程中，霍金已構想出一些有關黑洞以及緊接着形成宇宙的“大爆炸”而産生的種種紛亂活動的驚人的新理論。最近，他又提出了宇宙沒有邊際，它既不是創造出來的，将來也不會毀滅的看法，進而使實體學家和神學家們都大為震驚。

斯蒂芬·霍金的大部分創見是在劍橋大學形成的。他現在是該校的盧卡斯數學教授，這是艾薩克·牛頓曾經擔任過的一個教職。在劍橋大學的數學和理論實體系，他仁慈地“統治”着相對論小組，組裡有來自九個國家的十五名出類拔萃的研究所學生。他的辦公室門上有一塊小飾闆，上面大不敬地寫着：請安靜，老闆在睡覺。

沒那回事兒。從上午九點到下午七點左右回家吃飯，霍金一直都在四壁排滿書、面前擺着夫人簡和三個孩子照片的辦公室裡工作，每日的工作量之大足以使身體最強壯的人也感到勞累不堪。上個月的某天上午，當他坐着輪椅來到系的師生公共休息室時，他的研究所學生正圍着矮桌子在三句不離本行地交談着。霍金熟練地操縱着輪椅來到一張桌子旁邊，咔哒一聲按了按控制開關，計算機便發出輕微的嘟嘟聲。他從顯示在螢幕上的詞表中選出了幾個單詞，這些單詞在螢幕下方按順序排列好以後，終于從聲音合成器中放了出來：“早上好。我可以來杯咖啡嗎?”接着，為了在座的一位來訪者，他又特意加了一句：“對不起，我的發音帶有美國腔。”（他用的聲音合成器是美國加州的一家公司制造的。）

當話題轉到創造力以及數學家似乎在二十幾歲就達到一個創造力的高峰時，霍金的計算機發出了嘟嘟聲。他說：“我已經在走下坡路了。”一句話引得衆人哈哈大笑。

霍金生于1942年1月8日，這一天——他常常提到——正好是伽利略逝世三百周年紀念日。小時候，他學習閱讀很遲鈍，但他喜歡把東西拆開，不過他承認自己從來不善于把拆開的東西再照原樣裝好。他幽默地回憶說，十二歲的時候，“我的一個朋友以一袋糖果跟另一個朋友打賭，說我永遠不會有什麼作為。我不知道這次打賭是不是已經了結，如果已經了結，也不知道是誰打赢了。”

斯蒂芬酷愛實體，曾在牛津大學的大學學院專攻這一學科，但成績并不突出。他參加各種社交聚會，對劃船特别感興趣，每天隻學習一個小時左右。進入劍橋大學作研究所學生攻讀相對論時，斯蒂芬發覺學習很吃力。造成這一情況的部分原因是他身體内出現的一些莫名其妙的症狀；他常常絆倒，而且手腳也似乎越來越不靈活了。

很快，醫生便向他報告了壞消息：他患了ALS症。這種病隻會惡化，而沒有辦法治愈。霍金悲傷之至。不久，他便需要拄着拐杖才能行走；他開始酗酒，置學習于不顧。他說：“在當時的情況下，完成博士學業似乎已沒有多大意義了。”

後來，霍金時來運轉。病情的發展慢了下來，而愛因斯坦的時空觀也突然顯得不那麼令人生畏了。但真正對他産生了重大影響的，他說，“是我與簡訂了婚。”當時她正在劍橋大學攻讀現代語言。“這使我有了一個生活目的。”正如他所解釋的那樣：“如果我們打算結婚，我就要找到一份工作。而要找到工作，我就得完成博士學位。于是我生平第一次開始刻苦學習了。出乎我的意料，我發覺我喜歡刻苦學習。”

使斯蒂芬特别感興趣的是奇點。這是廣義相對論所預言的一種怪物。愛因斯坦的方程式表明，當一個比太陽大數倍的星體耗盡了自身的核燃料而坍塌時，它的物質便以雷霆萬鈞之力在其核心部位擠在一起，進而形成一個奇點，這一奇點沒有次元，卻具有無限的密度和不可抗拒的引力。奇點周圍的廣大區域便成了一個“黑洞”，而由于那巨大的引力，任何東西都不能逃離黑洞，即使光也不能。

好多年以前，科學家們就發現了表明黑洞存在的有力證據，但對于奇點，他們都感到不安，因為在這些點上，所有的科學原理都失效了。大多數實體學家認為，在現實的宇宙中，黑洞中心的物體可能是微小的（但并非沒有次元），其密度也會是極高的（但并非無限髙）。這時候，霍金上場了。還在當研究所學生的時候，他就和數學家羅傑·彭羅斯一起設計出一些新的方法，從數學上證明：如果廣義相對論是正确的，那麼奇點就一定存在。霍金接着還證明：如果廣義相對論是正确的，那麼整個宇宙一定是從一個奇點中産生出來的。正如他在1966年的博士論文中所寫的那樣:“在我們的過去有個奇點。”

後來斯蒂芬又發現了黑洞的一些新的特點，并且證明：“大爆炸”的巨大力量可能造成了一些小黑洞，每個微小黑洞的品質大約相當于地球上一座大山的品質，而體積不會大于亞原子質子。接着，霍金在應用量子論而不是廣義相對論時——因為量子論精确地描述了那個不規則、不确定的亞原子世界，而廣義相對論卻在這個小小的領域中不起作用——驚奇地發現，那些微小黑洞一定在放射粒子與輻射線。更值得注意的是，那些微小黑洞竟會逐漸蒸發，并在它們形成後一百億年左右發生爆炸，釋放出相當于幾百萬顆氫彈的能量。

霍金曾三十次通路美國，七次通路莫斯科，作過一次環球旅行，還駕着輪椅遊覽了中國長城。在旅途中，他偶爾也參加一些與實體學并無多少關系的活動。一天晚上，他陪着一群人來到芝加哥的一家夜總會，在那兒他坐着輪椅進入舞池，駕着輪椅團團旋轉，與大家一起歡樂。

一旦認定自己錯了，霍金會毫不猶豫地放棄自己的成果。最近他也許已經超越了自己關于奇點存在的著名論證。他與實體學家詹姆斯·哈特爾合作，已經獲得了一種描述獨立宇宙的量子波，這一宇宙和地球表面一樣，也是無邊無際的。霍金說：如果情況果真如此，那麼愛因斯坦的廣義相對論就得修正，奇點也是子虛烏有的了。他推斷說：“那樣宇宙就不是創造出來的，也就不會被毀滅了；它隻是一直存在着。”他又帶着挑戰的口吻補充了一句：“果真如此，哪裡還有什麼造物主呢?”

參考資料：

1. 大學英語精讀第五冊 Unit 8_大學教材聽力 - 可可英語

2. 大學英語精讀(第三版) 第五冊: unit7A Roaming the Cosmos(1)_大學教材聽力 - 可可英語