物理學向解釋宇宙構成又近一步

U.S. scientists released fresh data bolstering the case for the existence of the Higgs boson, a long-sought particle crucial to scientists' current understanding of how the universe is built.

美國的科學家公佈了支持希格斯玻色子(Higgs boson)存在的最新數據。希格斯玻色子是人類長期以來一直在尋找的一種粒子，它對於科學家目前對宇宙構成的理解非常重要。

The data, from the U.S. Department of Energy's Tevatron collider near Chicago, isn't enough on its own to confirm the existence of the Higgs particle. However, experimental results to be announced by European physicists on Wednesday will provide a stronger signal of where the Higgs is likely to be hiding.

這些數據來自於芝加哥附近的美國能源部正負質子對撞機。單憑這些數據並不能夠證明希格斯玻色子的存在。不過，歐洲物理學家週三即將公佈的實驗結果將爲希格斯玻色子可能隱藏在何處提供更多線索。

Proof that the particle exists would help explain a big puzzle: why some objects in the universe-such as the quark, a constituent of protons-have mass, while other objects-such as photons, the constituent of light-possess only energy.

希格斯玻色子存在的證據將有助於解釋一個重大疑問：爲什麼宇宙中的有些物質有質量，比如構成質子的單元夸克，而其他物質僅擁有能量，比如構成光的粒子光子。

By extension, its discovery would help explain the presence of stars, planets and humans, and thus rank as one of the biggest coups for modern-day physics.

進一步講，希格斯玻色子的發現將有助於解釋恆星、行星和人類存在的原因，因此被認爲將是現代物理學最重大的發現之一。

The officials at the European particle-physics laboratory CERN, meanwhile, are tight-lipped. "Whatever is announced on Wednesday will be interesting," said James Gillies, spokesman for the European lab. As to whether or not it might confirm the discovery of Higgs, "it's nature who will decide, not us," he added.

歐洲的粒子物理實驗室──歐洲核子研究組織(CERN)的官員目前仍保持着沉默。該組織發言人吉利斯(James Gillies)說，無論週三公佈了什麼消息，都會十分有趣。至於這些數據是否會證實希格斯玻色子的存在，吉利斯說，這要由自然來決定，不是我們。

Because nobody knows what the mass of a Higgs boson might be, the particle must be hunted indirectly, typically in giant machines that propel particles to near-light speed, then smash them together and generate an array of other subatomic particles.

由於沒有人知道一個希格斯玻色子的質量可能是多少，該粒子必須通過間接方式被得到。一般是通過龐大的加速器使粒子達到接近光速，然後讓這些粒子相互撞擊，從而製造出一系列其他的亞原子粒子。