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Good news this week for explorers seeking extraterrestriallife.

本周对于寻找外星生命的探险家来说是个好消息。

Scientists say they have detected a gas called phosphine swirling in the highly acidic clouds of venus.

科学家表示，他们在金星酸性极高的云层中探测到了一种名为磷化氢的气体。

But the European Southern Observatory's Itziar de Gregorio says it is probably too soon to say life exists on the planet.

但欧洲南方天文台的伊齐亚尔·德·格雷戈里奥表示，现在就说这颗行星上存在生命可能还为时过早。

This doesn't mean that we discovered extraterrestriallife on venus far from it.

这并不意味着我们在遥远的金星上发现了外星生命。

It is possible that we are unaware of a chemical that produces this phosphine and we have to investigate in that direction.

可能存在某种我们尚未发现的化学物质能产生这种磷化氢，我们必须朝这个方向展开调查。

The quest to study Venus began in 1960 with the Pioneer 5 space probe.

对金星的研究始于1960年的先驱者5号太空探测器。

But with this week's development, there's heightened interest in the planet.

但是随着本周的研究发展，人们对这颗行星的兴趣大增。

On earth, bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments like sewers and intestines produce the gas phosphine.

在地球上，细菌在缺氧环境中（如下水道和肠道）大量繁殖，会产生磷化氢气体。

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