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NASA has discovered new evidence that Saturn's moon Enceladus holds material that is important to the early development of life.
美国航空航天局发现了新的证据，证明土星的卫星土卫二含有对生命早期发展至关重要的物质。
The American space agency said the new evidence came from observations made by its Cassini spacecraft.
美国航空航天局表示，新的证据来自其卡西尼号探测器的观测结果。
Cassini spent seven years observing seasonal changes around Saturn.
卡西尼号探测器花了七年时间观测土星周围的季节变化。
During that time, the spacecraft also collected data on Saturn's moons.
在此期间，该探测器还收集了土星卫星的数据。
Two of Cassini's discoveries involved Saturn's moons Titan and Enceladus.
卡西尼号探测器的两项发现与土星的卫星土卫六和土卫二有关。
In its observations of Titan, the spacecraft studied the moon's climate activity and recorded data on rivers, lakes and oceans.
在观测土卫六的过程中，该探测器研究了该卫星的气候活动，并记录了河流、湖泊和海洋的数据。
Cassini also found evidence of several Earth-like qualities of Titan that could support life.
卡西尼号探测器还发现了土卫六上存在一些类似地球特征的证据，这些特征可以支持生命。
Another Cassini discovery involved the observation of hydrogen molecules in ice particles and vapor shooting upward from the moon's surface.
卡西尼号探测器的另一项发现是观测到从该卫星表面向上喷射的冰粒和水蒸气中的氢分子。
Researchers announced that finding in 2017, the same year Cassini officially ended its mission.
研究人员在2017年宣布了这一发现，同年卡西尼号探测器正式结束了它的任务。
In announcing that discovery, NASA scientists said the presence of hydrogen molecules could signal deep-sea chemical reactions between water and rock that could create microbial life.
在宣布这一发现时，美国航空航天局的科学家们表示，氢分子的存在可能表明，可能会产生微生物的岩石和水之间存在深海化学反应。
Now, the space agency is sharing a new finding that supports the earlier discoveries.
目前，美国航空航天局正在分享一项支持早期发现的新发现。
Scientists examining Cassini data said they identified "strong confirmation" of the presence of another molecule seen as important for enabling life.
研究卡西尼号观测数据的科学家表示，他们“有力地证实”了另一种分子的存在，科学家认为，这种分子对生命的形成至关重要。
Evidence of the molecule – hydrogen cyanide – was found in data relating to the same shooting flows of ice and water vapor observed by Cassini on Enceladus.
分子——氰化氢——的证据是在与卡西尼号在土卫二上观测到的相同的冰和水蒸气喷射流有关的数据中发现的。
The team used data collected by an instrument aboard Cassini designed to measure the activity of gas, ions and ice particles around Saturn.
该团队使用了卡西尼号上的一台仪器收集的数据，该仪器旨在测量土星周围气体、离子和冰粒的活动。
The discovery process involved a lot of mathematics aiming to understand the newly examined data.
这一发现过程涉及大量旨在理解新检测数据的数学运算。
The new evidence is described in a study in Nature Astronomy by scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California.
来自加州美国国家航空航天局喷气推进实验室的科学家在《自然·天文学》杂志上发表的一篇研究论文中描述了这一新证据。
The lead writer of the study, Jonah Peter, is currently a doctoral student at Harvard University.
这项研究的主要作者乔纳·彼得目前是哈佛大学的博士生。
He called the discovery of hydrogen cyanide "particularly exciting," saying the molecule is "the starting point for most theories on the origin of life."
他称发现氰化氢“特别令人兴奋”，称该分子是“大多数生命起源理论的起点”。
NASA said in a statement that for life to exist in space, there must be collections of the right building blocks.
美国国家航空航天局在一份声明中表示，生命要在太空中存在，必须有合适的组成成分。
One of the most important of these is amino acids.
其中最重要的是氨基酸。
"Hydrogen cyanide is one of the most important and versatile molecules needed to form amino acids," NASA noted.
美国国家航空航天局指出：“氰化氢是形成氨基酸所需的最重要、最通用的分子之一。”
The researchers said hydrogen cyanide molecules can join together in many different combinations.
研究人员表示，氰化氢分子可以以多种不同的组合结合在一起。
They can also serve as a "precursor" for different kinds of amino acids.
它们也可以作为不同种类氨基酸的“前体”。
In addition, the latest examination of Cassini data suggested the underground ocean on Enceladus "holds a powerful source of chemical energy."
此外，对卡西尼号数据的最新研究表明，土卫二的地下海洋“拥有强大的化学能源”。
The ocean sits beneath the moon's icy surface.
海洋位于该卫星冰冷的地表之下。
"Unidentified until now, the energy source is in the form of several organic compounds, some of which, on Earth, serve as fuel for organisms," NASA said.
美国国家航空航天局说：“到目前为止，还没有发现这种能源是以几种有机化合物的形式存在的，其中一些在地球上是微生物的燃料。”
Astronomers involved in the research said that the discovery provides fresh evidence that there may be more chemical energy inside Enceladus than previously thought.
参与这项研究的天文学家表示，这一发现提供了新的证据，证明土卫二内部存在的化学能源可能比之前认为的要多。
The more energy that is available, the team said, the more likely it is that life can form and survive.
该研究小组表示，可利用的能源越多，生命形成和存活的可能性就越大。
"Not only does Enceladus seem to meet the basic requirements for habitability," said JPL's Jonah Peter, "we now have an idea about how complex biomolecules could form there, and what sort of chemical pathways might be involved."
喷气推进实验室的乔纳·彼得说：“土卫二似乎不仅满足了宜居性的基本要求，而且我们现在已经知道了复杂的生物分子是如何在土卫二上形成的，以及可能涉及的化学途径。”
The search for possible life on Titan will continue when NASA launches its Dragonfly exploratory mission in 2026.
当美国国家航空航天局于2026年启动蜻蜓探索任务时，对土卫六上可能存在生命的搜索工作将会继续进行。
Dragonfly is a drone, or pilotless aircraft.
蜻蜓是一种无人机，即无人驾驶飞机。
The vehicle is designed to capture images and also land on Titan to collect data.
该飞行器的设计目的是捕捉图像，并降落在土卫六上收集数据。
Tom Nordheim is a planetary scientist at JPL who helped lead the research.
汤姆·诺德海姆是喷气推进实验室的行星科学家，他帮助领导了这项研究。
He noted that although NASA purposely sent the spacecraft crashing into Saturn's atmosphere to end its service, Cassini is still proving to be a valuable research tool.
他指出，尽管美国国家航空航天局故意让卡西尼号探测器撞向土星大气层，以结束其探测任务，但事实证明，它仍然是一个有价值的研究工具。
"Our study demonstrates that while Cassini's mission has ended, its observations continue to provide us with new insights about Saturn and its moons..." Nordheim said.
诺德海姆说：“我们的研究表明，虽然卡西尼号探测器的任务已经结束，但它的观测结果继续为我们提供了关于土星及其卫星的新见解……”
I'm Bryan Lynn.
布莱恩·林恩为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
