Are we alone in the universe? It’s a question astronomers have pondered ever since we discovered Earth was not the only planet in the cosmos.
我们是宇宙中唯一的智慧生命吗？自发现地球并非宇宙中唯一的星球以来，这个问题就一直盘桓在天文学家们的脑海之中。

But, while we conduct searches for habitable planets and even signals from an intelligent race, some experts have warned making first contact could be disastrous.
但是，当我们寻找可居住星球以及其他智慧生命时，一些专家警告道，尝试进行第一次接触可能引发灾难。

They say that if we were to broadcast our position, it could invite a hostile alien race to our doorstep - and ultimately spell the end of civilisation.
他们认为，如果我们公开了所处位置，就有可能把有敌意的外星生物引到家门口，最后导致人类文明的终结。

The latest data collected by Nasa and other space agencies suggests there could be as many as 40 billion potentially habitable planets in our galaxy, the Milky Way.
据美国国家航空航天局（Nasa）和其他宇航机构最新收集的数据表明，在银河系，有多达400亿个潜在的可居住星球。

Proponents of Seti (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) have said we should consider Active Seti - sending out messages, rather than just listening, in the hope someone is out there.
搜寻地外文明计划（Seti）的支持者说，我们应该启动搜寻地外文明计划，发出讯息，而不仅仅是接收，希望能够在浩瀚宇宙中找到其他智慧生命。

However, physicist and author Dr David Brin, was one leading the call for caution rather than contact.
然而，物理学家、作家大卫·布林博士是主张谨慎而非联络的代表之一。

‘Is there a chance, however small, that in making itself known to aliens, humanity could be about to make a colossal mistake?’ he said, according to The Times.
据《泰晤士报》报到，他说：“有没有这样的可能，哪怕可能性很小，人类让未知的外星生命得知自己的存在而犯下极大的错误？”

‘We live in this jungle neighbourhood where it’s quiet, and if you are a toddler, it’s best to talk it over with the other toddlers before screaming yoo-hoo!’
“我们生活在危险而安静的环境中，作为一个蹒跚学步的孩子，在跟成年人打招呼前，最好还是跟其他蹒跚学步的孩子多沟通沟通。”

His views follow similar cautionary tales from esteemed scientists such as Professor Stephen Hawking.
他的观点符合一些伟大科学家的警言，比如史蒂夫·霍金教授。

Last year, Professor Hawking warned against inviting an unwelcome visit from aliens, pointing out: 'The outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans.'
去年，霍金教授警告不应该贸然邀请外星生物来访，他说：“外星生物的到来很可能跟哥伦布踏上美洲大陆时的情形一样，对美洲原住民来说并不是什么好事。”