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Without a doubt, the most exciting scientific observation of 2012
毫无疑问，2012年最激动人心的科学发现
was the discovery of a new particle at the CERN laboratory that could be the Higgs boson,
是在CERN（欧洲核子研究中心）实验发现的一种新的粒子，这种粒子被大家认为极有可能是“希格斯玻色子”，
a particle named after physicist Peter Higgs.
它以物理学家彼得·希格斯命名。
The Higgs Field is thought to give mass to fundamental, subatomic particles
物理学家认为希格斯场给基本的亚原子性的粒子带来质量，
like the quarks and leptons that make up ordinary matter.
包括夸克、轻子这些构成日常事物的基本粒子。
The Higgs bosons are wiggles in the field, like the bump you see when you twitch a rope.
希格斯玻色子是希格斯场中的振动，就像当你猛拉绳子时绳子产生的晃动。
But how does this field give mass to particles?
但这个场是如何赋予粒子质量的呢？
If this sounds confusing to you, you're not alone.
如果这让你很困惑，其他人也一样。
In 1993, the British Science Minister challenged physicists to invent a simple way to understand all this Higgs stuff.
1993年，英国科技大臣要求物理学家们找出一个简单的方法来解释这一切与希格斯相关的结果。
The prize was a bottle of quality champagne.
给出的奖励是一瓶高品质香槟。
The winning explanation went something like this:
获奖的解释大致是这样的：
Suppose there's a large cocktail party at the CERN laboratory filled with particle physics researchers.
假想一个在CERN实验室举行的酒会，出席的人都是粒子物理学家。
This crowd of physicists represents the Higgs field.
这些物理学家代表了希格斯场。
If a tax collector entered the party, nobody would want to talk to them,
此时，一个收税员进入了聚会，显然从来没人愿意和征税的人谈话，
and they could very easily cross the room to get to the bar.
于是他们很轻松的穿过人群来到了吧台。
The tax collector wouldn't interact with the crowd in much the same way that some particles don't interact with the Higgs field.
征税者不会和物理学家们有互动，同样，有一些粒子也不会和希格斯场有相互作用。
The particles that don't interact, like photons for example, are called massless.
这些不受影响的粒子，比如光子，被称为零质量粒子。
Now, suppose that Peter Higgs entered the same room, perhaps in search of a pint.
现在，假设彼得·希格斯进入了这个房间，也许是为了喝一杯。
In this case, the physicists will immediately crowd around Higgs
这种情况下，物理学家们立即会聚到希格斯教授周围
to discuss with him their efforts to measure the properties of his namesake boson.
同他讨论交流那些他们为了测量希格斯粒子的属性所做的工作。
Because he interacts strongly with the crowd, Higgs will move slowly across the room.
由于希格斯教授和人群密切的互动，他在房间里会走得很慢。
Continuing our analogy, Higgs has become a massive particle through his interactions with the field.
和前面的类比相似，希格斯在与场的相互作用下成为了一个有质量的粒子。
So, if that's the Higgs field, how does the Higgs boson fit into all of this?
那么，如果那就是希格斯场的解释，希格斯玻色子又是怎么一回事呢？
Let's pretend our crowd of party goers is uniformly spread across the room.
现在假定聚会者均匀分布在房间各处。
Now suppose someone pops their head in the door to report a rumor of a discovery at some distant, rival laboratory.
现在假设有一个人在门口探头进来，说了一个传言，这个传言有关某个遥远的对手实验室的发现。
People near the door will hear the rumor, but people far away won't, so they'll move closer to the door to ask.
靠近门的人会听见，但离门稍远的就听不见了。于是这些离门稍远的人就会向门口靠近，以便询问那些听到的人。
This will create a clump in the crowd.
这会挤出一个密度大的人群。
As people have heard the rumor, they will return to their original positions to discuss its implications,
当这些人听了传闻后，他们会回来原来的位置来讨论这传闻的意义，
but people further away will then ask what's going on.
但更远的人这时会来问“发生了什么”。
The result will be a clump in the crowd that moves across the room.
这样又会形成一个密度很大的人群穿过房间。
This clump is analogous to the Higgs boson.
这一堆人形成的波动，与希格斯玻色子是相似的。
It is important to remember that it is not that massive particles interact more with the Higgs field.
需要记住的是，并不是有质量的粒子会与希格斯场有更多互相作用。
In our analogy of the party, all particles are equal until they enter the room.
在聚会的类比中，所有粒子在进入房间之前毫无差别。
Both Peter Higgs and the tax collector have zero mass.
彼得·希格斯教授与征税者都是零质量。
It is the interaction with the crowd that causes them to gain mass. I'll say that again.
是他们与人群的相互作用导致他们获得质量。我再讲一次。
Mass comes from interactions with a field. So, let's recap.
质量来自与场的相互作用。让我们概括一下。
A particle gets more or less mass depending on how it interacts with a field,
一个粒子获得多少质量，取决于它和场如何相互作用，
just like different people will move through the crowd at different speeds depending on their popularity.
就像不同人的穿过人群，行走的速度与他们（在人群中的）人气有关。
And the Higgs boson is just a clump in the field, like a rumor crossing the room.
希格斯玻色子是场中的一个波动，就像穿过房间的传闻。
Of course, this analogy is just that -- an analogy, but it's the best analogy anyone has come up with so far.
当然，这个类比仅仅是个类比，不过这是目前我们能想到的最好的类比了。
So, that's it. That's what the Higgs Field and the Higgs boson is all about.
这就是希格斯场和希格斯玻色子。
Continuing research will tell us if we found it, and the reward will probably be more than just a bottle of champagne.
人们正在研究我们是否真的找到了这个粒子，如果我们真找到了，奖品就不仅仅会是一瓶香槟了。
