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There were two teams that didn't much like each other.
辩论分成2个组，二者都不太喜欢对方。
They were trying to measure the rate at which the universe has been expanding at different times in the past and compare it with the rate at which it's expanding now.
他们试图测量宇宙在过去不同时期膨胀的速率，然后与现在膨胀的速率相比较。
The way to check comes from Hubble.
这个证实的方法来自于哈勃。
It finds supernova explosions in remote galaxies and uses the light from the explosion as a yardstick to measure the distance from earth to the galaxy.
哈勃发现在遥远星系发生的超新星爆炸，再用爆炸发出的光做为量尺测量从地球到发生超新星爆炸的星系的距离。
But Hubble's findings do not fit the accepted model for the expansion of the universe.
但是哈勃的发现却不符合宇宙膨胀的常规结果。
The galaxies with supernovae are not just moving away.
发生超新星爆炸的星系不仅仅是在远离我们。
They are moving at an accelerated rate.
它们在加速远离我们。
Hubble's results convinces astronomers that they must think of the universe in an entirely new way.
哈勃的测量结果让天文学家们信服了他们必须得以全新的方式来看待宇宙。
You toss a ball up and it comes back down or slows down.
你向上抛出一个球，它会从空中落下来，或者减速。
What you don't expect is the ball to speed up and speed up and speed up more and more and more.
但是你料想不到的是，球加速向上飞不停加速、加速，越来越快，
It doesn't happen.
这不应该发生的。
But it does happen.
但是它的确发生了。
According to Hubble's evidence, the universe is expanding more and more quickly.
根据哈勃采集的证据，宇宙正在越来越快的膨胀。
The only explanation is as simple as it is unlikely.
对此唯一的解释简单到你不能相信。
Something is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.
有什么东西使宇宙的膨胀在加速。
An unseen force called, "Dark Energy".
一种看不见的能量，叫做“黑暗能量”。
Dark Energy is another manifestation of a familiar force.
黑暗能量是一种我们熟悉的能量的另一种展现形式。
So, gravity's a familiar force.
重力是一种我们熟悉的能量。
But we've never seen it act this way before.
但是我们从来没有见过重力以如此的方式运行。
But the darkest part of this mysterious force is its future.
但是这种神秘能量最黑暗的部分在其未来
Over time, it will grow in strength.
随着时间推移，它会越来越强。
This means that one day, Dark Energy will become stronger than gravity.
这意味着总有一天黑暗能量会强过重力。
Stronger than even the forces which bind atoms together.
甚至比将原子结合在一起的能量还强。
Every bound thing becomes unbound including, eventually at the most subatomic level.
所有结合而成的物体都会被分裂，最终亚原子层的物质都会被分裂。
Our universe, it seems, is living on borrowed time.
我们的宇宙看起来已经超期服役了。
The universe will one day end in a cosmic apocalypse that scientists call, "The Big Rip".
宇宙总有一天会在一场宇宙性的浩劫中被终结，这浩劫被科学家称做“大解体”。
It's what we get for daring to look at something.
这就是敢于探求真相的后果。
We're outside the envelope.
我们超越了传统思维，
We didn't expect this at all.
我们没想到会有这种结果。
It's a tremendous change in how we think about the universe.
这极大的改变了我们看待宇宙的方法。
Imagine we know nothing of the sea and one day we discover the ocean, we find to our surprise that three quarters of the world is covered by the ocean.
想象一下如果我们从来不知道海，而某一天却突然发现了大洋，更让我们惊奇的是这个世界3/4都被大洋所覆盖。
But we have no clue of what it is in the ocean or what the ocean does.
但是我们却对大洋里有什么毫无头绪，也不知道大洋能做什么。
This is where we are today with Dark Energy.
这就是今天我们面临的黑暗能量的困境。
The continued study of Dark Energy may be the single most important reason for keeping Hubble on orbit.
对黑暗能量的持续研究也许是让哈勃留在轨道上的最重要的原因。
But how much longer can we keep Hubble flying?
但我们还能让哈勃在那待多久呢？
