跟外星人說Hello會終結人類文明？

Are we alone in the universe? It’s a question astronomers have pondered ever since we discovered Earth was not the only planet in the cosmos.我們是宇宙中唯一的智慧生命嗎？自發現地球並非宇宙中唯一的星球以來，這個問題就一直盤桓在天文學家們的腦海之中。

But, while we conduct searches for habitable planets and even signals from an intelligent race, some experts have warned making first contact could be disastrous.
但是，當我們尋找可居住星球以及其他智慧生命時，一些專家警告道，嘗試進行第一次接觸可能引發災難。

They say that if we were to broadcast our position, it could invite a hostile alien race to our doorstep - and ultimately spell the end of civilisation.
他們認爲，如果我們公開了所處位置，就有可能把有敵意的外星生物引到家門口，最後導致人類文明的終結。

The latest data collected by Nasa and other space agencies suggests there could be as many as 40 billion potentially habitable planets in our galaxy, the Milky Way.
據美國國家航空航天局（Nasa）和其他宇航機構最新收集的數據表明，在銀河系，有多達400億個潛在的可居住星球。

Proponents of Seti (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) have said we should consider Active Seti - sending out messages, rather than just listening, in the hope someone is out there.
搜尋地外文明計劃（Seti）的支持者說，我們應該啓動搜尋地外文明計劃，發出訊息，而不僅僅是接收，希望能夠在浩瀚宇宙中找到其他智慧生命。

However, physicist and author Dr David Brin, was one leading the call for caution rather than contact.
然而，物理學家、作家大衛·布林博士是主張謹慎而非聯絡的代表之一。

‘Is there a chance, however small, that in making itself known to aliens, humanity could be about to make a colossal mistake?’ he said, according to The Times.
據《泰晤士報》報到，他說：“有沒有這樣的可能，哪怕可能性很小，人類讓未知的外星生命得知自己的存在而犯下極大的錯誤？”

‘We live in this jungle neighbourhood where it’s quiet, and if you are a toddler, it’s best to talk it over with the other toddlers before screaming yoo-hoo!’
“我們生活在危險而安靜的環境中，作爲一個蹣跚學步的孩子，在跟成年人打招呼前，最好還是跟其他蹣跚學步的孩子多溝通溝通。”

His views follow similar cautionary tales from esteemed scientists such as Professor Stephen Hawking.
他的觀點符合一些偉大科學家的警言，比如史蒂夫·霍金教授。

Last year, Professor Hawking warned against inviting an unwelcome visit from aliens, pointing out: 'The outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans.'
去年，霍金教授警告不應該貿然邀請外星生物來訪，他說：“外星生物的到來很可能跟哥倫布踏上美洲大陸時的情形一樣，對美洲原住民來說並不是什麼好事。”