離開
進入《中英對照讀新聞》Is ours a virtual reality? 宇宙一切僅是虛擬實境？
Is it all just a dream? Speculation that reality is nothing but an illusion, or simulation, or controlled environment, has been with us for thousands of years, most recently doled out as pop culture brain candy with the likes of the US film "The Matrix".
這所有的一切都只是場夢境而已？認為現實不過是幻境、虛擬實境、或受控制環境的推測，已經跟隨我們數千年了，最近則以流行文化產品的形式出現，如美國電影「駭客任務」之類的創作。
But now two respected British scientists, physicist Martin Rees and mathematician John Barrow, are questioning whether all matter and mind we know is not the creation of some mega-supercomputer somewhere.
但現在2名德高望重的英國科學家，物理學家瑞斯與數學家巴羅，質疑我們所知的一切物質與精神，是否不過是某處某部超大電腦的創造罷了。
"A few decades ago, computers were only able to simulate very simple patterns. They can now create virtual worlds with a lot of detail," Rees said.
瑞斯說：「幾十年前，電腦只能模擬一些很簡單的模式，但它們現在已能創造包含許多細節的虛擬世界。」
"In the future, we could imagine computers able to simulate worlds perhaps even as complicated as the one we think we’re living in."
「我們可以想像，未來電腦甚至能模擬出如我們認為所居之地一般複雜的地方。」
Barrow, who teaches at Cambridge, described in an academic article that it was long known that a civilization slightly more advanced than our own could simulate "universes".
在劍橋大學任教的巴羅，曾在一篇學術文章中描述，長久以來，我們知道，一個比我們稍稍先進的文明可能模擬出「宇宙」。
In a much more computer-savvy society with vastly more advanced technology, "instead of merely simulating their weather or the formation of galaxies, like we do, they would be able to go further and watch the appearance of stars and planetary system. Then, having coupled the rules of biochemistry into their astronomical simulations, they would be able to watch the evolution of life and consciousness," he added.
他補充，一個更懂電腦、科技進展極度先進的社會，「不像我們只是單純地模擬氣象或銀河系組成而已，他們能更進一步觀測星體與行星系統的外觀，並將生物化學的規則應用到天文模擬狀況裡，進而能觀察生命的演化與意識的發展」。
新聞辭典
speculation：名詞，推測，思索，臆測。動詞為speculate。例句：There have been speculations that she’s looking for a new job. 有人猜她正在找工作。
dole（something） out：發放（東西）。後接的pop culture brain candy （流行文化生產的思想糖果），即是和dole out「發放」一詞相互呼應。
like：相似的人（物）。例句：We won’t see his like again.我們不會再見到和他相似的人了。
