导读:美国科学家不顾众多学者反对将募资向太空发射信息，主动寻找外星人，霍金极力反对，称人类和外星人的接触可能会想拿破仑发现美洲大陆一样，后者将迎来一场灾难，甚至威胁到人类的存在。
Scientists in the United States are looking to send out messages to aliens despite warnings that such efforts might lead to unthinkable consequences.
美国科学家们将向太空发射信息寻找外星人，尽管有警告说这样的行为可能引起不可估量的后果。
METI, standing for Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence and a startup in San Francisco, is scheduling its first message for some time in the next two years.
METI（向外星智慧生物发信息，旧金山一个组织）正在规划于未来两年内某时刻发射第一次信息。
The group plans to raise 1 million U.S. dollars for the project, with some of the money going toward building or borrowing a powerful transmitter. The initial message is likely to use basic mathematical and scientific concepts, according to The Independent.
该组织计划为这一项目募集100万美元，其中一部分资金将用于建造或者租借一个强力发射机。据《独立》报报道，最初的信息可能是基础的数学和科学概念。
However, it has been warned that sending out such signals could be dangerous, and even a threat to the existence of humanity. One of the most prominent scientists that have spoken against such efforts is Stephen Hawking.
然而，有人警告说发射这样的信号可能是危险的，甚至可能会威胁到人类的存在。反对这一行动的人中最杰出的科学家是霍金。
We should be "wary" of responding to any messages from aliens, for whom we are perhaps no more developed than bacteria, warned Hawking in September.
九月份霍金曾警告说，在回答任何来自外星人的信息的时候我们都应该“谨慎”，对他们来说，我们也许比细菌发达不了多少。
Contacts between humans and aliens would be like when Native Americans first met Christopher Columbus, as in both cases things "didn’t turn out so well" for the people being visited, he said.
霍金说道，人类和外星人之间的接触可能会像土著美国人第一次碰到哥伦布一样，因为对于那些被发现的人们来说，两种情况都“不太好”。
However, there are no regulations as to whether or not, and what kind of messages can be sent into space.
但是，没有规定说是否、或者哪种信息可以被发射到太空中。
