I reported that we had discovered

兩年前在 TED 大會上，

at Saturn, with the Cassini Spacecraft,

我曾向各位報告我們藉由

an anomalously warm and geologically active region

卡西尼探測器於土星探測到了

at the southern tip of the small Saturnine moon

一個異常溫暖及地質活動頻繁的區域。

Enceladus, seen here.

這個區域位在土星其中一個小衛星（土衛二）的南端，

This region seen here for the first time

現在在投影片上可以看到。

in the Cassini image taken in 2005. This is the south polar region,

卡西尼探測器於 2005 年拍攝了這個區域

with the famous tiger-stripe fractures crossing the south pole.

的照片後，我們才得見其廬山真面目。這是其南極區域。

And seen just recently in late 2008,

有名的虎班裂痕遍佈南極區域。

here is that region again,

最近於 2008 下半年，

now half in darkness because the southern hemisphere

我們又再一次的看到了這個區域，

is experiencing the onset of August

現在有一半處於黑暗之中，

and eventually winter.

因為南半球正在邁入秋季，

And I also reported that we'd made this mind-blowing discovery --

冬季隨後即將來臨。

this once-in-a-lifetime discovery

我也曾經報告過，我們有一個驚人的發現 —

of towering jets

這個一生難得的發現，

erupting from those fractures at the south pole,

一個巨型風暴

consisting of tiny water ice crystals

從南極這些裂痕上噴發而出，

accompanied by water vapor

這風暴是由細小的水冰晶伴隨著

and simple organic compounds like carbon dioxide and methane.

水蒸氣所組成，

And at that time two years ago

其中還有像二氧化碳和甲烷等簡單有機化合物。

I mentioned that we were speculating

而在兩年前的那個時候，

that these jets might in fact be geysers,

我曾提到我們懷疑

and erupting from pockets

這些風暴其實是間歇性噴泉，

or chambers of liquid water underneath the surface,

從地表下方富含液態水的礦囊

but we weren't really sure.

或是密閉空間中噴發而出。

However, the implications of those results --

但是我們那時不是非常確定。

of a possible environment within this moon

然而，這些結果暗示著

that could support prebiotic chemistry,

在這個衛星上，存在著一個環境

and perhaps life itself --

可能可以維持生命起源前的化學反應，

were so exciting that, in the intervening two years,

甚至可能有生命存在，

we have focused more on Enceladus.

非常令人興奮的，在這兩年中

We've flown the Cassini Spacecraft

我們更關注在調查土衛二。

by this moon now several times,

我們已經使卡西尼探測器飛越

flying closer and deeper into these jets,

這顆衛星數次。

into the denser regions of these jets,

飛行與風暴更靠近，進入更深層的風暴中，

so that now we have come away with some

進入更濃厚的風暴中，

very precise compositional measurements.

因此現在我們得到了一些

And we have found

非常珍貴的組成探測資訊。

that the organic compounds coming from this moon

我發現了

are in fact more complex than we previously reported.

從這顆衛星上得到的有機化合物，

While they're not amino acids,

比我們之前所公佈的報告更為複雜。

we're now finding things like

它們還不是胺基酸，

propane and benzene,

我們現在可以發現像是

hydrogen cyanide, and formaldehyde.

丙烷、苯環、

And the tiny water crystals here

氰化氫和甲醛。

now look for all the world

而它的小水冰晶

like they are frozen droplets of salty water,

現在被世界公認為

which is a discovery that suggests

類似鹹水滴被凝結的狀態。

that not only do the jets come from

這個發現暗示著

pockets of liquid water,

這個風暴不只來自

but that that liquid water is in contact with rock.

液態水的礦囊空間，

And that is a circumstance

而且液態水與岩石是有接觸的。

that could supply the chemical energy

這是一個能夠

and the chemical compounds needed to sustain life.

提供化學反應能量

So we are very encouraged by these results.

及生命所需的化合物的環境。

And we are much more confident now than we were two years ago

我們受到這些調查結果鼓舞良多。

that we might indeed

而且我們現在比兩年前更有信心，

have on this moon, under the south pole,

在這個衛星

an environment or a zone that is hospitable to living organisms.

的南極下方

Whether or not there are living organisms there, of course,

可能真的有一個區域環境是適合生命生存的。

is an entirely different matter.

當然，不論是否真的已經有生命存在在那邊，

And that will have to await the arrival,

那是完全不同的課題。

back at Enceladus,

而那將會需要等到，

of the spacecrafts, hopefully some time in the near future,

配備能夠解答這個問題

specifically equipped to address that particular question.

特殊設備的探測器，再次回到土衛二，才能夠解答。

But in the meantime I invite you to imagine the day

希望這能在未來的數年中實現。

when we might journey to the Saturnine system,

在此同時，我請你們想像那一天，

and visit the Enceladus interplanetary geyser park,

當我們能夠旅行至土衛系統時，

just because we can.

並參觀土衛二星際間歇泉公園，

Thank you.

只因為我們有能力做到。

(Applause)

謝謝各位