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When I was in my 20s,
我二十多岁时
I did some of the basic mathematics of black holes,
对黑洞进行过一些基础演算
but few people shared my fascination.
但少有人与我志同道合
These days, they are a popular subject.
现今，黑洞成为流行的课题
Physicists all over the world are studying black hole behavior.
全世界的物理学家都在研究黑洞行为
We now know that black holes
现在我们知道黑洞
are not only fascinating in their own right,
不仅因它们自身的特点受到欢迎
but that they play a
还因为它们在星系形成过程中
fundamental role in the formation of galaxies.
起到至关重要的作用
They also give us a glimpse of how the universe may end.
同时让我们得以一窥宇宙可能的灭亡方式
A black hole forms when a large star,
当一颗比太阳大20倍的大恒星
one say, 20 times the mass of our sun, comes to the end of its life.
走向生命尽头时，黑洞就产生了
Such a star looks nothing like our sun
这样的恒星与太阳完全不同
because it's become unstable,
因为开始灭亡时
convulsing violently as its death throws begin.
它变得不稳定并剧烈震动
Finally it runs out of fuel and begins to shrink,
最终，它燃料耗尽，开始收缩
getting denser and denser, hotter and hotter.
密度越来越大，温度越来越高
But with a star this massive,
但对于如此巨大的恒星
there is no force in the universe
宇宙中没有任何力量
capable of stopping the collapse.
能够阻止恒星崩塌
The core is so heavy that it just keeps on falling in on itself.
内核太过沉重以至于不断坍缩
Gravity is running wild.
万有引力如脱缰之马
In just 15 seconds or so,
仅仅十五秒钟左右
the unstoppable force crushes the star from
这股无坚不摧的力量将此恒星直径
millions of miles in diameter to as little as 12 miles in diameter.
从数百万英里压至十二英里
All the mass that was in the star is still there,
恒星的质量没有发生改变
but its own weight keeps
但它自身的重量
forcing it down smaller and smaller still.
一直在迫使它变得越来越小
The temperature of the core sores to 100 billion degrees.
内核温度飙升至一千亿摄氏度
The outer layers are blasted away in a massive supernova.
恒星外层在剧烈的超新星爆炸中解体
But deep in the center, the core falls down
但在恒星中心深处，内核逐渐陷入
what we call a gravitational well.
所谓的重力势阱
It crushes itself into a single point.
它坍缩成一个点
A black hole is born.
黑洞便诞生了
Nothing nearby can escape its pull,
附近的一切都无法逃脱它的引力
not even light.
甚至光也难以幸免
It's hard to imagine just how dense a black hole can be.
黑洞的密度大到人类难以想象
But I'll try to put it into perspective using something familiar.
但我要借用大家熟悉的事物进行深入剖析
The Earth.
地球
