Dark energy is a mysterious force that exists throughout the universe.
暗能量是一种遍布宇宙的神秘力量。
It is believed to make up about 68% of everything that exists, and it affects the way the universe is expanding.
人们普遍认为,暗物质构成了所有现存物质的68%,而且影响着宇宙膨胀的方式。
Scientists have known about the expansion of the universe since 1929.
自1929年以来,科学家们已经发现了宇宙的膨胀。
But for many years, most believed that the force of gravity would eventually slow down this expansion.
但多年来,大多数人都认为万有引力最终会减缓这种膨胀。
However, in the 1990s, a team of astronomers observed that the universe was actually expanding faster than it had been years before.
然而,在20世纪90年代,一个天文学家团队观察到,宇宙实际上比几年前膨胀得更快。
They came to the conclusion that there was another force, called dark energy, that was causing the expansion to accelerate.
他们得出的结论是,还有一种叫做暗能量的力正在加速宇宙膨胀。
Dark energy is even stronger than gravity, and scientists still don’t know much about it.
暗能量甚至比万有引力更强,科学家们对它仍然知之甚少。
It has often been called the universe’s greatest mystery.
暗能量经常被称为宇宙最大的谜团。