星际生活？

存在两种可能性：要么我们在宇宙中是孤独的，要么我们不是。两者同样可怕。阿瑟·C·克拉克

The search for extraterrestrial life has captivated humanity for centuries. As we continue to explore our solar system and beyond, recent discoveries have reignited the possibility of finding life on Mars and Venus.

几个世纪以来，对外星生命的探索一直吸引着人类。随着我们继续探索太阳系及更远的地方，最近的发现重新点燃了在火星和金星上寻找生命的可能性。

Mars, once thought to be a barren wasteland, has revealed signs of a potentially habitable past. Ancient water flows, minerals linked to biological activity, and intriguing atmospheric anomalies have fueled speculation. The Perseverance rover's findings, including veins of white calcium sulfate precipitate and mineral "leopard spots," suggest past environments conducive to life.

火星曾经被认为是一片贫瘠的荒地，现在已经显示出过去可能适合居住的迹象。古老的水流、与生物活动有关的矿物质以及有趣的大气异常现象都引发了人们的猜测。毅力号火星车的发现，包括白色硫酸钙沉淀物的脉络和矿物“豹斑”，表明过去的环境有利于生命存在。

The presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere, a gas typically associated with anaerobic fermentation by microorganisms on Earth, has also raised eyebrows. While geological activity could explain some methane production, its seasonal cycle and disappearance during the day hint at a biological origin.

火星大气中存在的甲烷（一种通常与地球微生物厌氧发酵有关的气体）也引起了人们的关注。虽然地质活动可以解释一些甲烷的产生，但其季节性循环和白天的消失暗示了生物起源。

Curiously, earlier NASA Viking landers detected signs of metabolism in Martian soil samples, an observation later dismissed by some scientists. However, researchers Gilbert Levin and Patricia A. Straat have argued that the experiments likely demonstrated the presence of life on Mars.

奇怪的是，早期的美国宇航局维京着陆器在火星土壤样本中发现了新陈代谢的迹象，但这一观察结果后来被一些科学家驳回。然而，研究人员吉尔伯特·莱文和帕特里夏·A·斯特拉特认为，这些实验很可能证明了火星上存在生命。

Venus, once considered too hostile for life, has surprised scientists with the detection of phosphine in its upper atmosphere. This compound is produced on Earth by decomposing organic matter and has been used as a theoretical biosignature.

金星曾经被认为对生命过于不利，但在其高层大气中检测到磷化氢令科学家们感到惊讶。这种化合物是通过分解有机物在地球上产生的，并已被用作理论上的生物特征。

Further analysis revealed the presence of ammonia in Venus' clouds, another potential biomarker. These discoveries have sparked excitement, as they could indicate lifeforms surviving in extreme conditions far from the planet's acidic surface.

进一步的分析揭示了金星云中存在氨，这是另一个潜在的生物标志物。这些发现引起了人们的兴奋，因为它们可能表明生命形式可以在远离地球酸性表面的极端条件下生存。

The presence of phosphine and ammonia in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus, respectively, challenges our understanding of inorganic chemical processes in oxygen-rich or hydrogen-rich atmospheres. While volcanoes or exotic UV-induced reactions could theoretically explain these molecules, their abundance suggests the involvement of lifeforms.

火星和金星大气中分别存在磷化氢和氨，挑战了我们对富氧或富氢大气中无机化学过程的理解。虽然火山或奇异的紫外线引发的反应在理论上可以解释这些分子，但它们的丰富程度表明生命形式的参与。

If confirmed, these atmospheric anomalies would have profound implications. Assuming a local origin, they could indicate the survival and adaptation of life to changing planetary conditions. Alternatively, panspermia theories propose that life originated elsewhere and was transported to these planets.

如果得到证实，这些大气异常现象将产生深远的影响。假设起源于当地，它们可以表明生命的生存和适应不断变化的行星条件。或者，有生源论认为生命起源于其他地方并被运送到这些行星。

Native life on Mars or Venus would increase the probability of finding life in other extraterrestrial environments, such as the underground oceans of Europa and Enceladus.

火星或金星上的本土生命将增加在其他地外环境中发现生命的可能性，例如木卫二和土卫二的地下海洋。