又中又英 | Test of time | 褚简宁

　　There are numerous movies about aliens from outer space. Some of these movies instantly bomb but others stand the test of time. If a movie instantly bombs, it means it quickly fails completely. If something stands the test of time, it means it remains popular even after a very long time. The science fiction movie Avatar about aliens has stood the test of time. So has the 1979 movie Alien and the 1986 sequel Aliens. My favourite is the 1953 alien movie The War of the Worlds based on a novel by H.G. Wells about aliens from Mars invading Earth.

　　The possibility of aliens fascinates me. The universe is so vast that I believe aliens exist. Former President Barack Obama said the same thing during a recent podcast interview. He said aliens are real, but he hasn’t seen them. He said the US is not hiding aliens at Area 51, a highly classified air force site in Nevada. He made clear Area 51 does not have an underground facility hiding aliens unless there is a huge conspiracy to prevent him from knowing about it while he was president.

　　Obama’s comments caused such a media frenzy that he issued a statement hours later saying the universe is so vast that the odds are good aliens exist, but he saw no evidence during his presidency that aliens have contacted Earth. A media frenzy is an intense and often sensationalized media coverage of a single issue. The US Air Force uses Area 51 to test secretive aircraft, but many people continue to believe it also hides aliens underground. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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　　我们有无数关于外太空外星生物的电影，当中有一些instantly bomb，另一些则能stand the test of time。若一套电影instantly bombs，意即它很快便彻底惨败；若某事物能stands the test of time，意即它过了很久依然广受欢迎。关于外星人的科幻片《阿凡达》就是能经得起时间考验（test of time）的，1979年的电影《异形》以及1986年的续集《异形2》同样历久不衰（test of time）。我最爱的是1953年的外星生物电影《地球争霸战》，它是根据H.G.威尔斯那关于火星人侵略地球的小说改编而成的。

　　外星生物的可能性令我着迷。宇宙广阔得令我相信外星生物的存在。前总统奥巴马在最近一个播客访问中，也说了同样的说话。他说，外星人是真的，但他自己没有见过他们。他说，美国内华达州的高度设防空军基地51区内，并无隐藏外星人。他清楚表明，51区并无藏有外星人的地下设施，除非有很大的阴谋要阻止他在任总统的时候知悉。

　　奥巴马的言论引起了媒体争相报道（media frenzy），令他不得不在好几个小时后发表声明，说宇宙如此浩瀚，很大机会有外星生物的存在，但在其总统任期内，他看不见有任何证据显示外星人曾联络地球。A media frenzy是传媒在单一议题上密集而大肆渲染的报道。美国空军用51区来测试秘密的战斗机，但许多人继续相信它也在地下藏有外星人。恭喜发财！

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻