雙語新聞：九位科學家和哲學家提出一種新的“自然法則”

British naturalist Charles Darwin presented his theory of evolution in the 1859 book On the Origin of Species. He proposed that biological species change over time by gaining traits that help them survive and reproduce.
英國博物學家查爾斯·達爾文在1859年出版的《物種起源》一書中提出了他的進化論。他提出，隨著時間的推移，生物物種通過獲得有助于生存和繁殖的特征而發生變化。

Now 164 years later, nine scientists and philosophers propose a new "law of nature" that includes the biological evolution described by Darwin. They say Darwin's theory is a striking example of a much larger happening that appears at the level of atoms, minerals, planetary atmospheres, planets, stars and more.
164年后的今天，九位科學家和哲學家提出了一種新的“自然法則”，其中包括達爾文所描述的生物進化。他們說，達爾文的理論是一個引人注目的例子，說明在原子、礦物、行星大氣、行星、恒星等層面上發生了更大的事情。

"We see evolution as a universal process that applies to numerous systems, both living and nonliving, that increase in diversity and patterning through time," said Robert Hazen. He is a mineralogist and astrobiologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science based in Washington, D.C. Hazen is a co-writer of the scientific paper describing the new law in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“我們認為進化是一個普遍的過程，適用于許多系統，包括生物和非生物，隨著時間的推移，多樣性和模式會增加，”羅伯特·哈森說。他是華盛頓特區卡內基科學研究所的礦物學家和天體生物學家。哈森是《美國國家科學院院刊》上描述這一新規律的科學論文的合著者。

The scientists propose a rule called "the law of increasing functional information." It holds that evolving systems, biological or non-biological, always form from several interacting building blocks like atoms or cells. The process, they say, creates many different combinations. Evolution happens when these combinations are subject to selection for useful functions, or purposes.
科學家們提出了一個被稱為“功能性信息增加定律”的規則。它認為，進化的系統，無論是生物的還是非生物的，總是由原子或細胞等幾個相互作用的構建塊形成的。他們說，這個過程創造了許多不同的組合。當這些組合受到有用功能或目的的選擇時，進化就發生了。

"We have well-documented laws that describe such everyday phenomena as forces, motions, gravity, electricity and magnetism and energy," Hazen said. "But these laws do not, individually or collectively, describe or explain why the universe keeps getting more diverse and complex at scales of atoms, molecules, minerals and more."
哈森說:“我們有充分的法律文件來描述諸如力、運動、重力、電、磁和能量等日?，F象。”“但這些定律并沒有單獨或集體地描述或解釋為什么宇宙在原子、分子、礦物質等尺度上變得越來越多樣化和復雜。”

For example, scientists say just two elements, hydrogen and helium, made up the first generation of stars following the Big Bang at the beginning of our universe about 13.8 billion years ago.
例如，科學家們說，只有兩種元素，氫和氦，構成了大約138億年前宇宙大爆炸后的第一代恒星。

That first generation of stars created about 20 heavier elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in their centers, or cores. These elements exploded into space at the end of the stars' life cycles. The following generation of stars that formed from parts of the first generation then similarly created almost 100 more elements.
第一代恒星在其中心或核心產生了大約20種較重的元素，如碳、氮和氧。這些元素在恒星生命周期結束時爆炸進入太空。由第一代恒星的部分組成的下一代恒星同樣又創造了近100個元素。

But Hazen said only a small number of all possible combinations would "work." They have some useful level of function. So, nature just prefers them, he said.
但哈森表示，在所有可能的組合中，只有一小部分是“有效的”。它們有一些有用的功能。所以，大自然更喜歡它們，他說。

Hazen added that "function" might mean that a collection of atoms makes a stable mineral crystal that can survive, or that a star keeps its active structure, or that "a life form learns a new 'trick' that allows it to compete better than its neighbors," Hazen added.
哈森補充說，“功能”可能意味著原子的集合可以形成一種穩定的礦物晶體，可以存活下來，或者一顆恒星保持其活躍的結構，或者“一種生命形式學會了一種新的‘技巧’，使其能夠比鄰居更好地競爭，”哈森補充說。

The writers proposed three universal ideas about selection: the basic ability to last; the lasting nature of active processes that may enable evolution; and the development of new qualities as an adaptation to an environment.
作者提出了三個關于選擇的普遍觀點:基本的持久能力;可能使進化成為可能的活動過程的持久性;以及新品質的發展作為對環境的適應。

The scientists said some biological examples include organisms developing the ability to swim, walk, fly and think. Humans developed after their ancestors evolved from chimpanzees and gained traits including upright walking and increased brain size.
科學家們說，一些生物學上的例子包括有機體發展出了游泳、行走、飛行和思考的能力。人類是在他們的祖先從黑猩猩進化而來之后發展起來的，并獲得了直立行走和大腦體積增大等特征。

Michael Wong is the paper's lead writer and an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at the Carnegie Institution. He said, "I think this paper is important because it describes a view of the cosmos rooted in function."
邁克爾·王是這篇論文的主要作者，也是卡內基研究所的天體生物學家和行星科學家。他說:“我認為這篇論文很重要，因為它描述了一種基于功能的宇宙觀。”

Jonathan Lunine is chair of Cornell University's astronomy department. He is another of the paper's writers. He said the new law explains "why the diverse systems that make up the cosmos evolve the way they do."
喬納森·魯寧是康奈爾大學天文學系主任。他是該報的另一位作者。他說，新定律解釋了“為什么組成宇宙的不同系統會以這樣的方式進化”。