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One of the biggest secrets of physics is that we still don't fundamentally understand
物理学最大的秘密之一是，我们仍然无法从根本上理解
what happens when the smallest things interact with big things - that is, when quantum mechanics meets our everyday world.
当最小的物体与较大的物体相互作用时会发生什么，即当量子力学遇上我们的日常生活世界时会发生什么。
You've probably heard of the 'Schrodinger's Cat' experiment where a particle (in this case a cat)
大家应该都听过‘薛定谔的猫’，在这个实验中，一个粒子（在这个例子中是一只猫）
is in a superposition of two states (both dead and alive) at once, until it interacts with the outside world -
同时处于两种状态（死的和活的）的叠加状态，直到它与外部世界相互作用—
normally a photon of light that we send in to see what's going on (but it could also just be a random particle that has nothing to do with us).
通常情况下，我们会向内发射光子来观察发生了什么（但它也可以是一个随机且与我们无关的粒子）。
Upon interaction with the outside world, the cat is observed as being either dead, or alive, but not both.
一旦与外部世界接触，我们观察的这只猫不是死的就是活的，但不可能存在既死又活的猫。
The problem is, physics can't explain how the cat, or particle, goes from being in a combination of two states at once
问题是，物理学无法解释这只猫或粒子如何从同时处于两种状态的组合
to being in 'just one', or 'just the other'; nor do we know how the 'decision' is made.
变成了‘只有一种’或‘只有另一种’的状态；我们也不知道‘决定’是如何做出的。
This isn't just a problem with cats, either - it plagues every single quantum mechanics experiment, famous or otherwise,
这不仅仅是猫的问题——它困扰着每一个量子力学实验，无论著名与否，
from the double slit experiment and quantum teleportation to the Stern-Gerlach experiment and tests of the Bell inequalities.
比如双缝实验、量子隐形传态、斯特恩-革拉赫实验和贝尔不等式的验证。
In every case, we can predict how likely it is for a particle to be in one state or another,
在每种情况下，我们都可以预测一个粒子处于一种或另一种状态的可能性有多大，
but have no clue how it actually ends up that way.
但没有线索表明其结果到底如何。
That's where the many-worlds picture of quantum mechanics comes in -
因此就有了量子力学的多重世界图景—
basically, 'many-worlds' proposes the idea that the quantum system doesn't actually decide -
‘多重世界’提出了这样一个观点，即量子系统实际上并没有决定
rather, that at every junction where large everyday stuff interacts with a quantum system,
而是在每一个大型日常物体与量子系统相互作用的连接点上，
the timeline of history splits and both possibilities happen on different, alternate branches.
历史的时间轴分裂了，并且这两种可能性都会发生在不同且交替的分支上。
You know, a choose-your-own-adventure where every possible story happens.
要知道，在一个‘惊险岔路口’中，每种故事都有可能发生。
In this scenario, we'd think that only one possibility happened because we'd be stuck on one of the branches,
在这种情况中，我们会认为只有一种可能性发生，因为我们都被困在了一个分支上，
in a version of ourselves that only sees one possibility happen.
在我们自己的版本中，我们只看到了一种可能性的发生。
In some ways, this sounds pretty fishy - I mean, it's hard to test the reality of a universe
在某种程度上，这听起来很可疑—我的意思是，很难在不让我们进行测试
that hides its true nature from us by not allowing us to test or observe its true nature.
或观察其真实本质的情况下，测试宇宙隐藏的真实本质。
But anyway, in the many-worlds picture of quantum mechanics, 'branch-points' are predicted to happen all the time, everywhere.
但无论如何，在量子力学的多重世界图景中，‘分支点’预计随时随地都会发生。
Pretty much any time subatomic particles interact with each other, or with anything else, anywhere in the universe,
几乎在任何时候，亚原子粒子彼此或和任何其他物质在宇宙任何地方相互作用，
there are multiple possible outcomes. Which means a LOT of branching of history.
都有多种可能的结果。这意味着历史有很多分支。
There may even be infinitely many branches. So is the Many Worlds hypothesis true?
甚至可能有无穷多个分支。所以多重世界假说是真的吗？
We don't know - it hasn't yet been tested experimentally. There's a bit of mathematics that supports it,
我们不知道—该假说还没有经过实验测试。有一些数学模型支持这种假说，
and there are also a number of mathematical models that don't require such an extravagantly big & complex picture of the universe.
也有一些数学模型不需要如此庞大而复杂的宇宙图景。
But luckily, physics is science, not speculation, and eventually, someone, maybe even you,
但是幸运的是，物理学是科学而不是推测，最终会有人将进行一个实验，
will perform an experiment that helps us uncover the truth.
帮助我们发现真相，这个人甚至可能是你。
