It was designed back in 1947 by artist Martyl Langsdorf.

由 1947 年一位藝術家 Martyl Langsdorf 所設計

And the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sets the clock to show how much time we have

由《原子科學家公報》雜誌委員會設立這個鐘來讓我們人類知道離午夜零時

left until midnight.

還剩多少時間

Midnight in this case meaning nuclear armageddon and the end of humanity.

末日鐘的午夜零時象徵著核戰爆發和人類的末日

In January 2017, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists revealed that the clock ticked

在 2017年一月，《原子科學家公報》雜誌委員會表示末日鐘

30 seconds closer than last year to the end of times and cited, among other things,

較 2016年底往午夜零時調進了 30秒，由於

climate change, cyber security, nuclear weapons and Donald Trump as causes.

氣候變化、全球網路安全、核武和川普上任等因素

At the announcement, executive director of the Bulletin, Rachel Bronson, said there were

在這個宣告中，委員會執行長 Rachel Bronson 表示

two concerns that stood above the rest.

這些事件當中有兩個值得注意的隱憂

“The first has been the cavalier and reckless language used across the globe, especially

「第一個是傲慢魯莽的詞語已跨遍全球，

in the United States, during the presidential election and after.

尤其是在美國總統大選期間和之後，

And the second is a growing disregard of scientific expertise.”

第二個就是人們更加忽視科學專家的意見。」

Cold war and world conflict have influenced the clock’s time over the years, but disregard

冷戰以及世界的戰爭影響著全年末日鐘的設定，

for scientific expertise by global populist leaders, including an American president,

但忽視科學專家、全球的民粹領導者，包括美國總統的意見

has never been cited as a doomsday factor.

從來就不被視為末日來臨的原因

That said, the newest changes to the clock are the smallest in its history, meaning doomsday,

他們表示，末日鐘最近的變化在歷史上微不足道，

thankfully, isn't necessarily any more imminent.

意思是幸好末日不可能離我們更近了，

So how accurate is the Doomsday Clock, and why was it made in the first place?

那末日鐘到底多精準呢，為什麼我們需要重視它？

The “Doomsday Clock” first debuted in 1947 as a graphic on the cover of the first

「末日鐘」於西元 1947年的

edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ magazine.

第一期《原子科學家公報》雜誌封面上初次亮相

Artist Martyl Langsdorf was married to Alexander Langsdorf Jr., a Manhattan Project scientist.

藝術家 Martyl Langsdorf 與一位曼哈頓的工程科學家 Alexander Langsdorf 結婚

Langsdorf and other concerned scientists founded The Bulletin two years prior, feeling a responsibility

早期 Langsdorf 和其他相關的科學家創立了雜誌委員會，

to warn and educate the public about the possibly disastrous consequences of their creations.

意識到自己有責任警告和教育大眾人類活動可能會發生的災難後果

Atomic bombs had been used for the first time in 1945, killing 130,000 residents of the

原子彈首次在西元 1945 年被使用，

Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

造成日本廣島和長崎13萬居民的死傷

Initially, the time on the clock depicted the hour hand pointing straight at the zero

那時末日鐘的時針指在午夜零時的位置

hour, with the minute hand placed at just seven minutes before midnight.

分針則離午夜還有七分鐘

The time was completely arbitrary, though.

不過，這個時間是可以任意調整的

Langsdorf just thought “it seemed the right time.”

Langsdorf 想：「這時間看起來是對的。」

The graphic quickly adopted the name of The Doomsday Clock, and eventually gained world

這個圖很快就被稱為世界末日鐘，最後被世界認可為

recognition as a symbol for the threat of an impending nuclear apocalypse.

核戰即將爆發的威脅象徵

Since 1947, the Bulletin has regularly adjusted the clock face when they perceive a change

從 1947 年開始，當委員會察覺威脅程度有所變化時，他們便會定期調整鐘面

in threat level, also taking into account other, non-nuclear factors, like climate change,

也包括其他非核戰的威脅，像是氣候變遷

bio weapons and cyber threats.

生化武器和網路安全的威脅

Doomsday seems just a few ticks away now, but time on this clock doesn’t really reflect

目前末日的到來看起來只剩幾分鐘了，但鐘上的時間

actual time, nor is it particularly linear.

並不真正反應實際的時間，也不是線性計時

In 1949, the Bulletin set the clock to three minutes until midnight

西元1949年，因為蘇聯的核試爆

due to Soviet Union nuclear testing.

委員會將鐘調至離午夜剩三分鐘

“Truman’s dramatic announcement that Russia had the atom secret!” and to

「 杜魯門突然宣布俄國有核彈的秘密！」

two minutes until midnight in 1953 thanks to the US developing the hydrogen bomb.

以及1953年美國開始研發氫彈讓末日鐘離午夜剩下兩分鐘

But a decade later, the clock turned back to 12 minutes before midnight thanks to the US and

但十年過後，因為美國和蘇聯結束了他們的核武競賽，

Soviet Union ending atmospheric nuclear testing

末日鐘調回了離午夜還有12分鐘

“A milestone in ‘63.

「1963年的里程碑：

East and West ban the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.”

東方及西方國家禁止於大氣中進行核試爆」

The minute hand has continued to fluctuate through a range of minutes before midnight

之後末日鐘一直徘徊在距離午夜前幾分鐘

since then, from seven minutes ‘til in 1968 thanks to Vietnam,

因為越南簽署了戰略武器限制談判，末日鐘從1968年距離七分鐘

to 10 minutes ‘til in 1972 at the signing of the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty,

調到1972年的距離十分鐘

“This is not an agreement which guarantees there’ll be no war, but what this is is

「這並不是保證毫無戰爭的同意書，

the beginning of a process that is enormously important.”

但這是一個非常重要的開始。」

to three minutes ‘til in 1984 thanks to the heightened tensions between the US and

1984年，美國和蘇聯在冷戰時緊張的局面導致時間離午夜只剩三分鐘，

the Soviet Union during the Cold War, “None of the four wars in my lifetime came about

「到我死前，這四個戰爭沒有一個會開打

because we were too strong.

因為我們太強大了

It is weakness that invites adventurous adversaries to make mistake in judgements.”

邀請躍躍欲試的敵人在談判桌上犯錯是很懦弱的。」

and all the way back to 17 minutes ‘til in 1991 after the end of the Cold War and

直到1991年冷戰結束並簽暑 START 條約（第一階段削減戰略武器條約）

the signing of START, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

時間調回了離午夜還有17分鐘

“Whether about issues on which we agreed or disagreed, the spirit of candor and openness

「不管我們同不同意這些問題，我們展現了坦白和開放的精神

a desire not just to understand, but to build bridges has shown through.

以及不只要了解，還要搭起橋樑的渴望。」

In every case, dangerous or potentially dangerous events dictated whether the minute hand moved

在任何時候，危險或是潛在危險的事件都會影響末日鐘分針與午夜零時的距離

closer to or away from Doomsday, but 2017 is the first time since the Cold War that

但 2017年是自從冷戰以來，

the Bulletin expressed deep concern about the disposition of an American president toward

委員會首次對於美國總統處理科學及核子武器的態度

science and the nuclear weapons.

表達深切的關心

"First of all, you don't want to say take everything off the table, because you're a bad negotiator if you do that.

「首先，你不可能把檯面上的牌都拿走，因為這樣你就沒有籌碼可以協商

Look, nuclear should be off the table, but would there be a time when it could be used? Possibly."

聽著，核彈是不應該在檯面上，但有會使用到核彈的時候嗎？有可能啊。」

Even though the outlook seems grim, it’s important to remember what the time on the

雖然前景看起來殘酷，但記得鐘面上時間所真正代表的意義是很重要的：

clock is really meant to show: it’s not Doomsday yet, and on THIS clock,

世界末日還沒有來臨，

we can turn back time.

我們仍有機會調回鐘面上的時間