A Designed Universe
被设计出来的宇宙
Since Darwin's Origin of Species (1859), many have felt "survival of the fittest'' is the source of apparent design in nature rather than God. Yet recently serious objections have been raised against the ability of evolution to explain either the origin of life or its diversity. (1) Consequently, the force of design as evidence for a supernatural alternative is strengthened.
自从达
尔文的《物种起源》（1859）一书问世以来，许多人把大自然中明显存在的设计的原因归咎于
Ò适者生存Ó，而不是上帝。然而最近出现了一些非常严肃的观点，认为进化论既没有能力解释生命起源，也无法解释生命的多样
性。(1) 因此，设计是超自然的选项的证据，这个论点的说服力得到加强。
In any case, biological evolution can hardly
explain design
in the nonliving part of nature. And it is just here that recent
advances in
science have uncovered far more evidence of design than was known in
Darwin's
time or even in the 1970s. Let us consider some of this evidence.
无论如
何，生物进化论几乎无法解释自然界无生命物中为何存在着设计。正是在这个领域，最近的科学发展揭示了更多设计的证据，远比达尔文时代甚至1970年代人
们所知道的证据为多。让我们来看看其中的一些证据。
The Right Chemistry
最合宜
的化学
All life on earth depends on the cooperation of
many complex
biochemicals, each containing thousands or even millions of atoms.
These
include DNA and RNA, which store and transmit information by which
living cells
operate; and proteins, which provide structural material and speed up
chemical
reactions so that plants and animals can respond quickly to external
changes.
These molecules are enormously complex and detailed structures carrying
on
particular, specialized tasks. Such organization presents a serious
challenge
to the idea that life arose by chance rather than design, but that is
not our
subject here. (2)
地球上
所有的生命都依赖多重复杂的生物化学物质之间的彼此合作，这每一种生物化学物质都包含着数以千计甚至百万计的微粒。这其中包含DNA（去氧核
糖核酸）和RNA（核糖核酸），它们存储并传递信息，靠着这些信息，活细胞才能运作；这其中也包含蛋白质，它的功能是提供结构性材料，加速化
学反应，使得植物和动物对外在的变化作出快速的反应。这些分子非常复杂，并具有详尽的结构来从事具体的专门的使命。这类组织结构对生命出自随机而非设计这
一观点提出严肃的挑战，但这不是我们此处要谈的主题。(2)
On a much simpler level, such chemicals as carbon,
phosphorus and water suggest that life didn't just happen. Carbon is
the only
element in existence which forms chains of almost unlimited length,
needed for
DNA, RNA and protein. All the carbon in our universe apparently formed
inside
stars and was scattered over space as stars exploded. Yet by two
coordinated
"quirks" carbon is a common element rather than a very rare one.
Carbon is formed by combining three helium nuclei; the element
beryllium (two
heliums) is so unstable inside stars that one almost needs a triple
helium
collision to get carbon. It happens that the temperature inside stars
is right
at a "resonance" for carbon, an energy level at which these nuclei
stick together unusually well. If this resonance energy were only 4%
lower,
carbon would be very rare. On the other hand, carbon easily combines
with
another helium nucleus to form oxygen. But it just so happens that the
energy
of the combination is just above an oxygen resonance, which is thus out
of
reach. If this resonance were only 1/2% higher, nearly all carbon would
convert
to oxygen. In either case, carbon would be very rare and life itself
rare or
nonexistent. (3)
从一个
非常简化的层面上看，像碳，磷，水这类化学物质提示，生命不可能自然而然产生出来。DNA，RNA和蛋白质都需要长度几乎无限的链，而碳是所有元素中唯一可以形
成这种链的元素。在我们所处的宇宙当中，所有的碳元素显然都产生于星体之内，在星体爆炸后散溢于空中。但由于两个彼此配搭的Ò巧合，
Ó碳成为一个非常普通的而非极为稀有的元素。碳由三个氦核联合而组成；铍元素（由两个氦组成）在星体内非常不稳定，以至于需要三个氦撞击才
能得到碳。碰巧星体内的温度正合适形成碳所需的Ò共振Ó，其能量大小使氦核超乎寻常地稳定地粘在一起。如果共振能量低 4% 的话，碳就会成为稀有元素。另一方面，碳很容易与另一个氦核组
合形成氧。然而，碰巧的是，碳氦结合的能量恰恰高过氧共振，使得它不可能发生。如果氧共振能量高 0.5% 的话，几乎所有的碳都转化成为氧了。上述两种情形中任何一种发
生的话，碳都会成为稀有元素，进而生命本身就变得稀有甚至不存在。(3)
Phosphorus is unique among the elements in forming
compounds
(ATP, ADP) which can store large amounts of energy. Without these
compounds,
there would be no higher animal life, since such an efficient method of
energy
storage is needed for mobility. Yet only phosphorus, of all the
elements, has
this capability. It looks like phosphorus was designed for this purpose.
磷是所有元素中很独特一种元素，它可以形成存储大量能量的化合物（比如：三磷酸腺苷，二磷酸腺苷）。没有这些化合物，就不会有更高等的生命，因为这等高效的能量存储方法是生命运动所必需的。然而，在所有元素中，只有磷元素
具有这种本领。磷似乎是特别为了这个目的而设计的。
Water is at least as unusual as carbon or
phosphorus. Its
molecule (two hydrogens and one oxygen) is lighter than molecules of
nitrogen
or oxygen, and thus should be a gas at temperatures suitable for life.
However,
water forms combinations of two or three water molecules loosely joined
together, so that actually it is a liquid at these temperatures. As a
liquid it
is the basic fluid of animal blood, tree sap and cell plasma. Yet when
water
evaporates, it no longer forms combinations. This allows it to diffuse
in the
atmosphere so it doesn't stifle life by lying on the earth's surface as
an
unbreathable gas.
水至少 和碳与磷一样不同寻常。它的分子（两个氢和一个氧）比氮分子和氧分子都轻，所以在适合生命存在的温度下应当是气体状态才对。但是，水是由松散结合在一起的 两个或三个水分子组合而成，这样使得它在通常温度下处在液体状态。作为液体，它是动物的血液，树木的体液，和细胞的浆液中最基本的液体。然而当水蒸发时， 它不再能形成组合。这使得它扩散在大气中，不至于集结在地的表面，形成使生物无法呼吸的气体，导致生命窒息。
Water is also a universal solvent, dissolving the
necessary
solid chemicals so they can circulate in the bloodstream, plant sap,
and living
cells. All other liquids which can dissolve a comparable number of
chemicals
are highly corrosive and deadly to living things.
水还是 一种普遍的溶剂，溶解某些必要的固体化学物，使得他们可以在动物血液中，植物体液中，和细胞浆液中循环流动。所有其它溶剂，如果能够溶解的化学物和水一样 多，那么这些溶剂通常都具有高腐蚀性，对生物是致命的。
Water is unusual in being able to absorb a large
amount of
heat for a given change in temperature. As a result it moderates the
climate of
the earth and helps stabilize the body temperature of animals. Like few
other
substances, it expands rather than contracting on freezing. This
prevents
oceans and lakes from freezing to the bottom (killing marine life), and
it aids
in the formation of soil by splitting up rocks. Truly water is a most
amazing
substance. Together with the thirsty traveler on a hot day, the chemist
can
say, "There's nothing like it!" (4)
水还具
有非凡的能力来吸收因温度变化而产生的大量热量。所以，它能调节地球的气候，有助于稳定动物的体温。很少有其它的物质象它那样，凝固时体积膨胀而不是收
缩。这一特征防止了海洋和湖泊的结冰下沉（从而导致海洋生物死亡），帮助裂解岩石，形成土壤。水确实是最令人惊叹的物质。在炎热的天气里，干渴的旅行者会
赞同化学家的话：Ò没有其它的物质象它那样伟大Ó(4)
The Right Environment
最合宜
的环境
The earth's environment is unique in the solar
system and at
least very rare in our galaxy. The temperature varies substantially
from pole
to equator, summer to winter, and from the Dead Sea to Mt. Everest. Yet
it
exceeds the boiling point of water only near volcanoes and geysers.
Temperatures below freezing are more common, yet our oceans never
freeze up
completely even in arctic regions. By contrast, the temperature on
Venus, our
nearest neighbor sunward, is about 900 degrees Fahrenheit. On Mars, the
planet
just beyond us, it barely gets above freezing even in midsummer at the
equator.
Earth alone has the right temperature range for life: warm enough for
water to
be liquid, cool enough that complex life molecules are not destroyed.
地球的
环境在太阳系中是独一无二的，在我们的银河系中也至少是非常罕见的。极地和赤道之间，夏季与冬季之间，死海与珠穆朗玛峰之间，温度的差异非常之大。除了在
靠近火山和间歇喷泉的地方, 但很少有超过水的沸点温度的。温度低于冰点的地方倒是比较普
遍，但是我们的海洋，即便在北极地区，从来都不会全部结冰。相对地，金星是在朝太阳的方向离我们最近的邻居，其上的温度可达华氏900度。火星
是我们另一侧的紧邻，它的温度在仲夏的赤道上也才刚刚超过冰点。只有地球具有适合生命的温度范围：足够暖和，使水处在液体状态；也足够寒冷，使复杂的生命
分子不至于被毁灭。
A substantial amount of water is needed to support
life,
though a few organisms have techniques for living in arid conditions.
For the
earth as a whole (center to surface), the fraction of water is small.
But this
is all concentrated at the surface, so that our globe is two‑thirds
covered by water at an average depth of three miles. The water on Venus
and
Mars is infinitesimal by contrast.
维持生
命需要大量的水，尽管有少数几种有机体具有在干燥状态下存活的技巧。地球作为一个整体（从地心到地表），水只占了一小部分。但水却集中在地球的表面，以至
于我们的地球表面三分之二被水所覆盖，平均的覆盖深度是三英里。相反，在金星和火星上，水是微乎其微的。
Earth has the right atmosphere. If there were a
few percent
less oxygen, animals would not have enough to breathe. If there were a
few
percent more, plant life would burn up. Mars and Venus have virtually
no free
oxygen, so necessary to most kinds of life.
地球拥
有合适的大气。如果氧气的百分比稍微低几点的话，动物就没有足够的氧气呼吸。如果氧气的百分比稍微高几点的话，植物生命会燃尽。事实上在火星与金星上没有
绝大多数生命种类所必需的无偿的氧气。
Earth's gravity is just right. If the earth were
only one‑fourth
as massive, the atmospheric pressure would be too small for life. If
the earth
were twice as massive, its atmosphere would work like a greenhouse in
summer,
raising the temperature enough to kill us all.
地球的 重量也恰到好处。如果地球的重量只有四分之一，那么大气的压力对生物就会太小。如果地球的重量是两倍大，那么它的大气在夏季会象一个温室，温度升高到足以 把我们都杀死。
Earth has the right kind of sun. A sun only 20%
larger would
burn up its fuel in just four billion years. By now, such a sun would
have
expanded into its "red giant" stage, and the earth would have burned
up in the sun's atmosphere. On the other hand, if our sun were only 20%
smaller, it would not produce enough blue light for plants to make
sugar and
oxygen efficiently. Both sugar and oxygen are needed by animals, and
they can
produce neither themselves. (5)
地球拥
有合适的太阳。如果太阳大 20%，它会在40亿年中燃尽它的所有燃料。若是这样，那么到现在，这个太阳已经
膨胀进入到它的Ò红巨星Ó的阶段了，而地球也已经在太阳的大气层中被燃烧净尽了。另一方面，如果我们的太阳小 20%，它就不能够产生足够的蓝光，让植物产生足够的糖和氧。糖和氧
对动物是必需的，而且是他们自身是无法产生的。(5)
The sun cannot vary much in brightness or life
will not
survive. In fact, our sun's luminosity already has varied "too much"
over the past four billion years, increasing in brightness by some 25%.
But the
creation of plant life appears to be timed just right to save the day.
As the
sun got hotter, plants removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
replacing it
by oxygen at just the right rate to turn down the greenhouse effect and
keep
temperatures in the range safe for life. (6)
太阳的
亮度也不可以变化太多，否则生命无法存活。事实上，我们的太阳发光度在过去的40亿年中已经变化的Ò太多Ó了，其
亮度增加了25%左右。但植物生命创造的时间点再恰当不过，刚好可以满足当天的需求。当太阳变得越来越热时，植物却从大气中除去了二氧化碳
气，代之以比例适度的氧气，刚好可以降低温室效应，保持了让生命安全的温度范围。(6)
This performance by the plants only worked because
the earth
was at the right distance from the sun. If it had been 5% closer, the
greenhouse
effect would have been too strong early in earth history, the plants
would
never have gotten started, and earth would now be a furnace like Venus.
But if
the earth had been only 1% further from the sun, the cooler
temperatures about
two billion years ago would have produced a runaway ice age, and the
earth
would now be like Antarctica everywhere. (7)
植物的
这一作为有效，是因为地球与太阳之间的距离恰到好处。二者之间的距离若近5%，在地球历史的幼年期，温室效应会太强，生物还来不及开始工
作，地球就已经象金星般成为一个火炉了。如果地球与太阳之间的距离远哪怕 1%，那么20亿年前地球
上较低的温度早就产生了一个无法控制的冰河期，地球到现在都还会处处象南极一样。(7)
The Right Universe
合适的
宇宙
Not only do we live in a universe having the right
chemistry
to support life, and on a planet with the right environment for life,
the basic
forces in our universe are just right. Without the precise balance
which exists
among these forces, life would be impossible anywhere in our universe.
我们居 住在其中的宇宙具有最合适的化学来支持生命，我们居住在其上的星球具有最适合生命的环境，在我们的宇宙中几种基本的作用力对生命也是最合适的。若没有这几 种力之间的精确的平衡，生命在我们的宇宙中任何地方都不可能。
There are just four basic forces presently known
to mankind:
gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. The
balances
between these forces are precise, making possible life as we know it.
Consider
the delicate balance between gravity and the expansion speed of our
universe.
Since the 1920s it has been known that our universe is expanding,
apparently
from an event known as the "big bang" which occurred some 15 to 20
billion years ago. Whether our universe will expand forever or
eventually
collapse is still debated among cosmologists. In either case, the
actual
density of matter in our universe is within a factor of 10 of the
so‑called
critical density, the point of exact balance between permanent
expansion and
eventual contraction. But to be so close to this critical density after
some 20
billion years of expansion, there must have been precise tuning in the
earliest
moments of the big bang. At 10 to the ‑43 seconds after the big bang,
for
instance ‑‑ the so‑called Planck time ‑‑ the
density must have been equal to the critical density to one part in 10
to the
60th. If it had been ever so slightly higher, the universe would have
collapsed
quickly and there would have been no opportunity for life to form. On
the other
hand, had the density been ever so slightly smaller, the universe would
have
expanded rapidly and no galaxies, stars or planets would have formed.
Again, no
life. Thus life is the result of fine tuning the density of
matter‑energy
at the Planck time to one part in 10 to the 60! (8)
人类迄
今所知的只有四种基本的作用力：重力，电磁力，强核力，和弱核力。这些力之间的平衡非常精确，才使得我们所知道的生命成为可能。让我们来思考一下重力与我
们的宇宙膨胀的速度之间的精妙平衡吧。自从 1920 年
代起，人们从一个发生在150亿到200亿年前的被称为Ò大爆炸Ó的事件
中，已经知道宇宙明显正在膨胀之中。我们的宇宙是否会继续不断膨胀下去，或是最终会崩溃，这在宇宙学学者中间还有争论。但无论哪种情形，我们的宇宙中物质
的实际密度落在与所谓的临界密度相差在十分之一内，而临界密度是介于永远膨胀和最终开始收缩之间精确的平衡点。但在经历了约200亿年的膨
胀之后，物质的密度与临界密度之间如此接近，那么在最早的大爆炸发生的时刻就必然已经有了精确的调控。在大爆炸发生后的10-43秒，即所谓的普朗克时间，宇宙的密度必需与临界密度之间相差不超过1060分之一。如果那时宇宙的密度哪怕稍微高了一点点，那么宇宙应当
很快就崩溃了，因此也就没有形成生命的机会了。另一方面，若密度稍微低一点点，那么宇宙本当快速膨胀，不会有诸多星系，恒星，和行星的产生了。因此，也就
没有生命可言。所以，生命是宇宙中物质能量的密度在普朗克时间点被精确调准到
1060 分之一！(8)
Life depends on a number of the heavier chemical
elements,
especially carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, but only hydrogen, helium and a
few of
the very lightest elements are formed in the big bang itself. The rest
are
formed inside stars. The strong and weak nuclear forces control how
stars
operate. If the strong force were weaker than it is, there would be no
life. If
it were only 50% weaker, not even iron and carbon would be stable. Even
if the
strong force were only 5% weaker, the element deuterium would not
exist, and
stars could not burn as they do. On the other hand, if the strong force
were
only 5% stronger, the diproton would be stable and stars would burn
catastrophically. The strong interaction has to be just the right size
to have
stable stars and stable elements for life chemistry.
生命依
赖好多个较重的化学元素，尤其是碳，氮，和氧，但只有氢，氦和其他几个最轻的元素在大爆炸事件本身中产生。其余的元素在恒星内产生。强核力与弱核力控制着
星球的运作。若强核力比现在弱的话，不会有生命。若它比现在弱 50%，连铁和
碳都不稳定。即便是强核力弱 5%，氘元素就不会存在，星体就不会象现在这样燃烧。另一方面，如
果强核力再强5%，那么双质子就会稳定，星体就会灾难性地燃烧。强作用力必须大小合适才能有稳定的星体以及生命赖以生存的稳定的化学元素。
The weak nuclear force is important, too. All but the lightest elements are formed inside stars as they grow old. Were it not for the weak force, these elements would remain trapped inside the stars, of no use for life. But when a star has used up its fuel, it begins to collapse, becoming very hot inside and producing large numbers of neutrinos. The neutrinos cause the star to explode and scatter its heavy elements through space. These elements later become part of the next generation of stars, forming planets which accompany such stars. As a result the earth has the heavy elements so necessary for life. If the weak force were much smaller than it is, the neutrinos would escape quietly, the star would not explode, and the heavy elements would stay inside. If the weak force were much stronger, the neutrinos themselves would not be able to escape from the star, we would again have no explosion and no heavy elements would escape. So if the weak force were much different than it is, there would be no heavy elements outside of stars.
弱核力
也是重要的。除了最轻的几种元素之外，所有化学元素都是在星体成长的过程中在其内部产生的。若没有弱核力，这些元素将永远藏在星体的里头，对生命的产生毫
无作用。但当一个星体用尽了它的燃料时，它就开始崩溃，内部非常灼热，产生大量的中微子。这些中微子促使星体发生爆炸，将其中的重元素散溢在空中。这些元
素后来成为下一代星体的一部分，形成行星伴随着这些星体。正因如此，地球才拥有生命必须的重元素。如果弱作用力比它现有的小得多，那么中微子就会悄然逃
离，星体就不会发生爆炸，重元素就会一直留在星体之内。如果弱作用力比它现有的大许多的话，中微子自己不会脱离星体，我们同样得不到星体的爆炸和重元素的
脱离。可见，如果轻作用力与它实际大小的差距很大时，在星体之外就不会有重元素。
Consider one more crucial balance. Gravity is much weaker than electromagnetism (by 37 powers of 10), yet gravity dominates in the realm of astronomical distances. Why is this, since both are long‑distance forces? The reason is that electromagnetic charges, negative and positive, occur in equal numbers, so that at large distances they cancel each other out. But why should they occur in equal numbers? Scientists don't know. The main negative charge is the electron, a very small particle compared to the proton, the main positive charge. In modern cosmological theory, as the universe cooled down from the big bang, protons would have "frozen out" much earlier than electrons, and there is no obvious reason why the two should be equal in number. (9) In fact, the number of electrons and the number of protons left over must have been the same to much better than one part in 10 to the 37th power. If this had not happened, our universe would be dominated by electromagnetism instead of gravity, and there would be no life as we know it.
再考虑
一个关键的平衡。重力比电磁力弱很多（相差 1037 倍），但是重力在天体距离的领域中起主导性作用。既然这两种力都是远程作用力，那么如何解释这一现象呢？原因是，因为电磁力
带着电荷，产生的负电荷和正电荷在数量上相同，所以在远距离情境中二者彼此抵消，电磁力就不对外显现了。但为什么他们产生的数量相同呢？科学家们并不知
道。主要的负电荷是电子，与主要的正电荷质子相比，它非常小。按照当代的宇宙学理论，大爆炸之后，随着宇宙的逐渐冷却，质子应当比电子更早就已经冷却而消
失掉了，二者在数量上保持相同并没有明显的原因。(9) 事实上，剩余的电子数与质子数必定是相同的，二者的差异率比 10-37 还要少得多。如果不是这样的话，我们的宇宙本当受电磁力主导，
而不是重力，那样的话也就不会有我们所知道的生命了。
In summary, it appears that very slight changes in the strength or balance of these forces gives a universe which will not support any life we can imagine. What are we to make of this? The simplest explanation is that we live in a designed universe.
总之，
看起来，这四种作用力中任何微小的在强度上或平衡上的变化，都会导致这个宇宙变成为不能支持我们可以想象到的任何生命。我们如何来解释这一切呢？最简单的
解释是，我们居住在一个被设计出来的宇宙中。
Explaining the Design
对设计
的解释
Scientists have been discussing this problem for several years now. As Stephen Hawking has pointed out, (10)
科学家
们讨论这个问题已经有一段时间了。正如斯蒂芬霍金斯所指出的，(10)
The odds against a universe like ours emerging out of something like the Big Bang are enormous.... I think there are clearly religious implications whenever you start to discuss the origins of the universe. There must be religious overtones. But I think most scientists prefer to shy away from the religious side of it.
对从诸
如大爆炸这等事件中浮现出来的我们的宇宙，各种可能性都是有的。É 我认为无论任何时候你开始讨论宇宙的起源时，都会具有明显的宗
教含义。必定会有宗教的联想。但我认为绝大多数科学家宁肯避开这个问题的宗教层面。
In shying away from religious explanations, some have suggested that this apparent design is merely an accident of observation. Admittedly, life would be impossible unless all the factors come out just right. But if life were impossible, then we wouldn't be here ourselves to observe such a universe! Conversely, there will only be observers in a universe where all these factors work out just right. This explanation, that the order in our universe is just an accident of observation, is called the anthropic principle (more precisely, the weak anthropic principle).
为了避
开宗教的解释，有些人已经建议，这一明显的设计只不过是观察的意外。不可否认，除非所有的因素都恰到好处地运作出来，否则生命是不可能的。但如果生命是不
可能的，那么我们自己也不会在这里观察这样的宇宙！反过来说，只有在所有这些因素都恰到好处的运作出来的宇宙中，才会有观察者。我们这个宇宙中存在的秩序
只不过是观察中的偶发事件，这种观点被称之为人择原理（更精确地说，是弱人择原理）。