The DAMPE satellite detected these signals in space which will help us to learn more about dark matter. CFP
中国经典名著《西游记》中的美猴王最近又上头条了。据新华社报道，11月30日，以美猴王之名“悟空”命名的中国暗物质粒子探测卫星在宇宙中探测到了多个奇异信号，或许有助于科学家更多地了解暗物质。
“This is the first time scientists have found such detailed and precise signals,” Chang Jin, vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua.
“这是科学家首次发现如此具体且精确的信号，”中国科学院紫金山天文台副台长常进在接受新华社采访时表示。
Dark matter is a type of hypothetical matter in the universe. Scientists believe that it influences the movement of galaxies. However, no one has ever directly observed it.
暗物质是宇宙中的一种假想物质。科学家们认为它影响了星系的运动。然而，目前还没有人能直接观测到它。
Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky first used the term “dark matter” in 1933, when he spotted something very unusual. Some galaxies that Zwicky saw were spinning so fast that they should have scattered into all corners of the universe, but they didn’t. He realized there must have been something else there that had a strong enough gravitational pull to hold everything together. He called it “dark matter”.
瑞士天文学家弗里茨·兹威基于1933年首次使用了“暗物质”一词，当时他发现了一些不同寻常的现象。兹威基观测到，一些星系旋转速度过快，理应分散在宇宙四处，然而它们却并没有解体。他意识到，一定还有什么物质用足够强的引力将一切牵引在一起。他称之为“暗物质”。
In one sense, dark matter is like the wind: we can’t see it, but we know it’s there.
某种意义上，暗物质就像风：我们看不见它，但我们知道它就在那儿。
Finding out more about dark matter could help us understand how the universe began, but being able to do so isn’t easy. Scientists believe that when two dark matter particles crash together, they form new particles and produce high amounts of energy and heat. This is why explorers like Wukong are sent to find such particles.
发现更多暗物质的信息有助于我们了解宇宙的起源，但做到这点并非易事。科学家们认为，当两组暗物质粒子发生碰撞时，会形成新粒子，并产生巨大的能量与热量。这也是人们发射“悟空”等探测卫星，去寻找这样的粒子的原因。
Indeed, “Wu” means “understanding” and “kong” means “void.” The nickname symbolizes the main goal of DAMPE’s mission, which is to understand dark matter better.
的确如此，“悟”意为“理解”，“空”表示“虚无”。这个名字象征着暗物质粒子探测卫星任务的主要目标 —— 更好地了解暗物质。
Since its launch in 2015, DAMPE has already recorded 3.5 billion high-energy particles, reported Newsweek. And according to Science, the satellite has a lifespan of five years, which means it still has three more years to “understand the void”. “DAMPE has opened a new window for observing the high-energy universe, unveiling new physical phenomena beyond our current understanding,” Chang told Xinhua.
据《新闻周刊》报道，自2015年发射以来，暗物质粒子探测卫星已经记录下了35亿个高能粒子。《科学》期刊称，该卫星的使用期限预计为5年，还有三年时间来“理解虚无”。“悟空’打开了观测高能宇宙的一扇新窗口，揭开了超出我们目前理解范围的新物理现象，”常进在接受新华社采访时表示。
