第2章 欢迎来到太阳系 Welcome to the Solar System · 第6讲S4

1. 老师，讲稿里提到 'space being spacious' 这个结构，它在这里起什么作用？为什么句子谓语还是 'is reckoned to be' 而不是 'being' 呢？
2. 为什么外星人看我们，看到的不是现在的我们，而是两百年前的事？这和光的传播速度有什么关系？
3. 文中说外星人可能看到法国大革命和托马斯·杰斐逊，而清朝看到的是乾隆。这两个例子在说明距离带来的时间滞后上有什么细微差别吗？
4. 既然琥珀（amber）摩擦产生静电，为什么 'electricity' 这个词的词源是希腊文的 'electron'（琥珀），而不是直接叫 'static' 呢？
5. 如果两百年后的外星人收到我们的信，开头恭维我们精通 'whale oil'（鲸鱼油），这除了幽默之外，还暗示了人类文明在宇宙尺度下可能存在的什么局限性？

1. Teacher, regarding the structure 'space being spacious' in the transcript, what is its function here? Why is the main predicate still 'is reckoned to be' instead of 'being'?
2. Why do aliens see events from 200 years ago instead of the present when they look at us? How does this relate to the speed of light?
3. The text mentions the French Revolution and Thomas Jefferson, while the Qing Dynasty saw Qianlong. What is the subtle difference between these two examples in illustrating the time lag caused by distance?
4. Since rubbing amber creates static electricity, why is the word 'electricity' etymologically derived from the Greek 'electron' (meaning amber) rather than just 'static'?
5. If aliens 200 years from now receive our letter and compliment our mastery of 'whale oil', besides being humorous, what does this imply about the potential limitations of human civilization on a cosmic scale?

1 00:00:05,970 --> 00:00:08,150 当然,总之,总统的想法正确, 2 00:00:08,550 --> 00:00:13,450 宇宙其他文化的可能性是很高的。 3 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:16,710 多么有趣和兴奋的想法! 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,010 我们可能只是数百亿的传统文化, 5 00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:22,870 我们并不孤独。 6 00:00:23,820 --> 00:00:27,490 不幸的是,宇宙是宇宙性的, 7 00:00:27,530 --> 00:00:31,090 宇宙性意味着宽广,很棒。 8 00:00:31,090 --> 00:00:31,810 the 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:37,280 average distance between and in two of these 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:37,700 civilizations 11 00:00:38,380 --> 00:00:43,960 is reckoned to be at least 200 light yearsreckoned 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,560 means estimated 13 00:00:46,220 --> 00:00:48,800 估计预计而 14 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:55,340 space being spacious 这个结构是一个独立组阁结构在 15 00:00:55,340 --> 00:00:58,080 它自己的这个小结构里边这是主语 16 00:00:58,180 --> 00:00:59,340 这是谓语 17 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:05,600 这是表语但是它又是从属于整个主句的因为这个 18 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:10,620 being be 动词加 ing 它只是一个现在分词它不能做谓语 19 00:01:10,620 --> 00:01:15,920 所以整个句子的谓语呢还是这里 is reckoned to be 因此 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:21,500 这个相对次要的成分它不是主干我们第一次看这个句 21 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:26,340 子的时候可以暂时把这个细节先拿掉那就是 unf 22 00:01:26,340 --> 00:01:28,540 ortunately the average distance 23 00:01:35,740 --> 00:01:36,340 但是 24 00:01:36,590 --> 00:01:42,930 把它插进来它起到了它补充了一个信息也就是由于空 25 00:01:42,930 --> 00:01:50,950 间如此广大任意两个文明之间的平均距离估计得至少 26 00:01:50,950 --> 00:01:52,830 要两百光年 27 00:01:58,650 --> 00:02:03,630 200 光年是什么概念呢 merely saying it 28 00:02:03,770 --> 00:02:05,930 指的是就那么一说 29 00:02:06,070 --> 00:02:09,330 简简单单的开口一说 200 光年 30 00:02:09,470 --> 00:02:12,090 听起来多不多呢好像不多 31 00:02:12,330 --> 00:02:18,290 因为 200200 is not a great number so saying it makes it 32 00:02:18,290 --> 00:02:21,410 sound 就是你光那么一说听起来不多 33 00:02:25,950 --> 00:02:28,430 听起来不多,可是实际上, 34 00:02:28,470 --> 00:02:30,290 这可是不得了的距离。 35 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:35,880 It means for a start that even if these beings know we are 36 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,460 here and are somehow able to see us in their telescopes, 37 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,040 they are watching light that left Earth two hundred 38 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:43,620 years ago. 39 00:02:43,980 --> 00:02:49,760 For a start means in the first place.首先它意味着即使 40 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,640 这些外星人知道我们在这儿他们知道我们的存在 and 41 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,300 somehow 而且呢也能够 able to see us in their 42 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:03,860 telescopes 能够用万远镜观察到我们他们 43 00:03:04,750 --> 00:03:10,450 实际上是在观看 200 年前离开地球的光 44 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,510 我们之所以能够看到东西是因为光打在那个物体上然 45 00:03:17,510 --> 00:03:22,720 后这个物体又把光折射到我们的眼睛里在平时的生活 46 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:27,280 中我们感觉不到光的传播需要速度那是因为它速度实 47 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:32,940 在太快了但是 between two civilizations 前面说了这 48 00:03:32,940 --> 00:03:38,100 二者之间的距离最少也要两百光年也就是光都要走上 49 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:44,440 两百年才能到达所以现在假如有一个外星人拿着望远 50 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:49,440 镜在看我们的话他们还能不能看到他们看到的是不是 51 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,240 现在的我们呢 52 00:03:53,350 --> 00:03:57,250 他们现在 53 00:03:57,950 --> 00:04:03,870 看到的是两百年前离开地球的光所以是两百年前从地 54 00:04:03,870 --> 00:04:09,390 球折射出去的光他们看不到现在的我们他们 55 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:16,160 看到的是法国大革命 This is a picture describing the 56 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:16,880 French Revolution 57 00:04:17,690 --> 00:04:24,390 法国大革命结束了法国的封建制度把国王都杀掉了 58 00:04:24,390 --> 00:04:28,970 And Thomas Jefferson 他们还看到 Thomas Jefferson 59 00:04:30,380 --> 00:04:37,480 托马斯杰斐逊他是美国的开国元勋美国原来是英国的 60 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:43,080 殖民地后来呢跟英国打了一仗宣布独立美国的独立宣 61 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,140 言是美国立国的重要文献很多人都会背这 62 00:04:48,620 --> 00:04:53,290 份文件呢就是由 Thomas Jefferson 起草的后来有其他 63 00:04:53,290 --> 00:04:59,100 的 Founding Fathers 就是美国的开国元勋共同签署这 64 00:04:59,100 --> 00:05:06,840 份文件是 1776 年的 7 月 4 日签署的所以这一天就被定为 65 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:14,380 美国的国庆节也就是说他们会看到美国的成立 and 66 00:05:16,980 --> 00:05:21,310 people in silk stockings and powdered wigs 他们还会看 67 00:05:21,310 --> 00:05:29,380 到穿着丝袜的人还有戴着涂了那个白粉的假发的人这 68 00:05:29,700 --> 00:05:37,180 些人是什么样的呢 wigs 假发 69 00:05:37,770 --> 00:05:42,170 European people in 18th century liked to wear wigs it 70 00:05:42,170 --> 00:05:47,570 was fashion of that time 这是当时的时尚他们戴假发假 71 00:05:47,570 --> 00:05:53,650 发是身份地位还有财富的象征但是做一个假发是价格 72 00:05:53,650 --> 00:05:54,970 不菲而且 73 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:02,140 他们还要把假发还要往假发上铺粉让它看起来更白一 74 00:06:02,140 --> 00:06:06,580 点比较喜欢这种白的或者灰色的灰白的颜色 75 00:06:06,770 --> 00:06:11,890 Silk stockingsstocking 是长筒袜当 76 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:19,780 时的人们还喜欢穿丝袜在哪呢男男女女都穿丝袜好了 77 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:27,900 这个时候是中国的清朝如果现在有一个外星人正拿着 78 00:06:27,900 --> 00:06:34,420 望远镜观察地球的话有可能就是看到乾隆皇帝下加拿 79 00:06:34,420 --> 00:06:35,460 People 80 00:06:36,420 --> 00:06:42,120 who don't know what an atom is 这些人不知道原子是什么 81 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:47,900 东西 Or a gene Gene 是基因我们汉语的基因这个字就是 82 00:06:47,900 --> 00:06:54,480 由 gene 翻译过来的音译我们现在常常听说的转基因食 83 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,300 物就是 genetically modified foodmodified means 84 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:02,600 changed 基因改变了的食物 85 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:08,000 那时候的人们不知道原子是什么也不知道什么是基因 86 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,240 and who make their electricity by rubbing a rod of ember 87 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,660 with a piece of fur I think that's quite a trick 88 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:23,540 A rod of emberrod 就是棍子一根棒子 ember this is an 89 00:07:23,540 --> 00:07:24,980 ember 琥珀 90 00:07:26,010 --> 00:07:31,210 他们常常会拿着一个琥珀的棒子然后拿 fur 91 00:07:31,370 --> 00:07:37,370 皮毛去跟它摩擦这样呢会产生静电产生一种 static 92 00:07:37,370 --> 00:07:38,070 electricity 93 00:07:38,790 --> 00:07:43,410 然后他们还洋洋自得觉得挺有意思的 quite a trick 94 00:07:44,710 --> 00:07:47,390 那个时候电还没有发现呢 95 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:53,650 为什么会用琥珀呢我们现在经常是塑料的东西你很容 96 00:07:53,650 --> 00:07:57,870 易感觉到它有静电他们为什么不用塑料呢因为那个时 97 00:07:57,870 --> 00:08:01,530 候塑料也还是没有被发明 Ember 98 00:08:01,730 --> 00:08:07,130 琥珀这个词跟 Electricity 跟电这个词有莫大的关系 99 00:08:07,130 --> 00:08:11,870 Electricity 这个词本身它的词源是来自希腊文 100 00:08:11,870 --> 00:08:18,160 Electron Electron 又是什么意思呢是琥珀的意思就这 101 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:22,920 个 Ember 在希腊文里面这个琥珀这个东 ……（后略，完整文稿见视频页字幕）