What would happen if our sun suddenly went out?

要是太陽突然消失後會發生甚麼事呢？

For an hour

一個小時

or for a month

或是一個月

or let's say even for a whole year?

或甚至假設一整年呢？

What would happen to mankind?

這對人類會造成甚麼影響？

The very last photons from the surface of our star and the last particles that make up the solar wind

太陽表面的形成太陽風的最後一個光子和分子

have started their final flight towards the Earth.

將最後的光傳至地球

No one yet suspects that the heart of our solar system has stopped functioning.

沒有人會發現太陽系的太陽已經停止運作

8 to 9 minutes later and the sky suddenly turns black.

8 到 9 分鐘後天空會突然變黑

Darkness descends upon the entire planet.

黑暗降臨整個地球

No matter whether at the moment it's the deep dark of midnight

無論是深夜時分

or a bright sunny noontime at your location,

或是陽光普照的中午時段

you can quickly and easily see the difference.

你都可以明顯看出區別

The stars are now all clearly visible against the sheer black backdrop of the sky.

所有星星在全黑的天空下顯得非常清晰

The Moon is not visible at all since there's no longer any sunlight were it to reflect

月亮也看不見了，因為沒有太陽反射它

A moment before the onset of the all and shrouding darkness

太陽消失不久後，地球籠罩在黑暗之中

bright Northern Lights may appear

北極光可能會出現

due to changes in the magnetic field around the Earth

因為地球的磁場改變

and the disturbances in the ionosphere.

及電離層的干擾

The most dreadful consequence of all

其中，最恐怖的結果就是

is the complete and utter cessation of the process of photosynthesis

光合作用完全停止

resulting in plants and cyanobacteria no longer producing oxygen.

造成植物以及藍菌門不再製造氧氣

This will soon lead to, how shall we say it,

這會導致，該怎麼說呢

difficulties for every living being.

對生物造成生存困難

After an hour, true panic reigns over the heretofore day times side of the earth.

一小時後，真正的恐慌將籠罩先前是白天面的地球

Power and communication outages propagate across the entire planet.

各地電力及通訊系統中斷

Temperatures everywhere drop by a several degrees

各地氣溫驟降好幾度

and the Earth surface begins to slowly cool.

而地球表面溫度開始緩慢降溫

But from the inside the planet is still heated by its molten core.

但地球中心的核心仍然持續加溫

24 hours in, dawn has not and will not arrive.

24 小時候，太陽沒有出現，且永遠不會出現

Panic and chaos are enveloping the entire world

恐慌及動亂籠罩整個地球

State authorities have almost zero control over the situation.

各地政府完全無法控制局面

Humankind is trying to figure out what the hell happened

人類嘗試了解到底是發生了甚麼事

while coping with massive power and water supply outages.

在對付大規模停電和水補給短缺時

The temperature on the surface falls to between 5° to 7 °C

地球表面溫度下降至攝氏 5 到 7 度

That's about 41° to 45 °F

也就是華氏 41 度 到 45 度

and has now decreased by about 15° to 20 °C.

溫度現在下降了攝氏 15 到 20 度

That's a drop of about 30 °F.

也就是華氏溫度 30 度

Some species of plants and microorganisms begin to die.

地球上一些品種的植物及微生物開始死亡

The inhabitants of the ocean for the time being

海洋中的生物

feel almost no changes.

則幾乎不會有影響

After 7 days, it's still dark.

7 天後，地球仍然黑暗

The average temperature on earth is now -17 °C.

地球現在的平均溫度是攝氏 -17 度

That's about 1 °F.

也就是華氏 1 度

In areas where there are tectonic faults,

在一些有板塊斷層的地方

it's still warm.

仍然保持溫暖

Thanks to geothermal energy

這都要感謝地熱

not letting the surface freeze over.

不讓表面結冰

Most plants have already died due to cold or lack of light.

大部分植物因為寒冷的天氣及缺少陽光曝曬而死亡

Herbivorous and heat loving animals also begin to die.

草食性動物以及喜愛陽光曝曬的動物也開始死亡

In the oceans, phytoplanktons begin to die as well.

海洋中，浮游植物也會開始死亡

The inhabitants of shallow waters

淺水區生物

suffer tremendously from the cold

承受極寒冷的溫度

and the surface of the ocean is beginning to turn to ice.

海洋的表面開始結冰

By now, scientists and other individuals have realized

到了現在，科學家及其他人開始了解

what has happened and rushed to organize and equip shelters.

太陽停止運作了，急速組織並成立避難所

One month in and the Earth is continuing to cool.

一個月後地球持續降溫

The average temperature on the surface

地球表面溫度

is now about -30 °C.

來到攝氏 -30 度

That's -22 °F.

也就是華氏 -22 度

And almost the entire planet is now coated with ice.

現在地球上幾乎都覆蓋著冰

Virtually all plants and cyanobacteria have perished.

實際上，所有植物和藍菌門幾乎都死亡了

Some species of trees, especially conifers, are still alive.

一些樹種，尤其是松柏科植物，還沒消失

But with the lack of sunlight,

但因為沒有日照

even they are not producing oxygen.

松柏科植物也不製造氧氣了

In fact, most of the earth living things have died.

事實上，地球上大多生物都已死亡

But..

但是...

some bacteria still carry on with their normal life activity.

一些細菌仍然繼續分裂生殖

Most of the remaining life on earth

地球上大多還活著的生物

is now found only near geothermal springs and under water.

只存在於地熱噴泉附近及水中

Interestingly, the layer of ice on the surface of the ocean

有趣的是，海洋表面的冰層

slows down their cooling.

降溫趨緩

And in the areas of oceanic tectonic faults

而靠近海洋板塊裂縫

and geothermal sources, the water is still warm.

和地熱來源的地方，水仍然是溫熱的

Obviously being naturally heated.

顯然，這是大自然能源加熱的

But even in the ocean

但即使是海洋

the drama of a mass extinction event

物種大規模滅絕的戲碼

begins to unfold.

也開始上演

One year in and the surface of the Earth and the oceans

太陽消失一年後，地球陸地及海洋表面

are covered with a thick layer of ice.

覆蓋厚厚一大層冰

According to professor David Stevenson at CalTech

根據美國加州理工學院教授 David Stevenson 述說

the temperature on the surface of the earth

地球表面溫度

should drop to about -40 °C and that's the same in Fahrenheit.

可能降到攝氏 -40 度，華氏溫度等同

Life endures now only deep in the earth oceans,

只有深海生物仍然生存

and perhaps some groups of humans

或可能某些人類族群

might be able to survive on the surface of the planet

能在地球表面

in places like Iceland and other areas with large amounts of geothermal activity.

像是冰島或其他有大量地熱活動的地區生存

Professor Stevenson believes that the Earth

Stevenson 教授認為地球

will continue to cool for another several thousand years.

會繼續降溫持續數千年

Until the surface temperature reaches approximately -160 °C.

直到表面溫度降至攝氏 -160 度

That's about -256 °F.

相當於華氏 -256 度

At that point, life on the planet

到了此時，地球上

in the usual sense of the word

任何生命體

will simply become impossible.

完全無法生存

And let's not forget about the gravity of the Sun.

別忽略了太陽的引力

After all, it's unlikely that the Sun could suddenly go out

畢竟，太陽突然消失後

without losing its gravitational pull.

引力也會跟著消失

If the Sun ceases to hold the planets

如果太陽不再維持行星

and other celestial bodies in their orbit

及天體在其軌道上運行

then the planets and asteroids will simply fly away into outer space.

行星以及小行星就會在外太空飄行

Some of them possibly even colliding with one another.

有些甚至會跟其他行星或小行星碰撞

The Earth for one will soar out into deep space

地球也會在外太空飄行

where it could get bombarded with asteroids, comets and radiation

可能會受到其他小行星、彗星撞擊以及放射線傷害

collide with another planet

和其他行星對撞

or even some day end up in the gravity well of a black hole.

甚至有一天會掉進黑洞的重力井裡

There's also a very small possibility that

也有很小機率

after wandering through space for a very long time,

地球在太空飄行非常久之後

the Earth would be able to integrate

會和另一個恆星系統接軌

into another stellar system and find a new sun.

找到另一個太陽

In the end, however,

然而，最後

it's important to realize that this scenario is just a fantasy.

很重要的是，這種情況只是種幻想

Or rather a thought experiment of sorts.

或是實驗性假設

As for the real future of our star,

至於未來星球

in a couple of billion years

在好幾十億年後的真正命運是

the sun will swell and turn into a red giant.

太陽會膨脹，變成巨大星體

Our star will swallow Mercury and Venus

太陽會先吞噬水星和金星

and Earth and Mars will become heated up to several thousand degrees.

而地球及火星上的溫度會上升至好幾千度

In five billion years,

五十一億年後

the Sun will explode and throw off its outer envelope.

太陽爆炸並將外層拋出後

Leaving at the center of the Solar System,

太陽系中央會剩下

a gradually cooling stellar core.

一個持續冷卻的星核

A white dwarf around which will orbit

一顆白矮星讓

whatever remains of the Solar System after the explosion.

任何在爆炸後還留存在太陽系的物體在其軌道上運行

Concerning humankind, its fate remains unknown

人類的命運仍然未知

Hopefully by that time

幸好到時候

we'll be able to fly to other planets and star systems.

我們能夠飛到其他行星或是其他星系去

But that is a story for another day.

但這又是另一段故事了