They were proposed almost exactly 100 years ago by Albert Einstein based on his theory of general relativity but it was only in February 2016 that scientists proved the existence of gravitational waves. And now China is starting work on the world’s highest altitude telescope that can detect them.

确切地说将近100年前，爱因斯坦的相对论就提到了重力波。但是直到2016年的2月份科学家才证实了它的存在。现在中国开始建造世界最高重力波望远镜去探测它。

According to the Laser Gravitational-Wave Observatory¹ or LIGO whose scientists furnished the proof for the existence of the phenomenon²: “Gravitational waves are ‘ripples³’ in the fabric⁴ of space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the universe. … The strongest gravitational waves are produced by catastrophic events such as colliding black holes the collapse⁵ of stellar cores (supernovae) coalescing⁶ neutron⁷ stars or white dwarf⁸ stars the slightly wobbly rotation⁹ of neutron stars that are not perfect spheres and the remnants of gravitational radiation created by the birth of the universe itself.”

依据激光干涉引力波观测站（LIGO加州理工学院(Caltech)和麻省理工学院(MIT)的合作实验室)该实验室的科学家提供了引力波存在的现象：重力波在时空维度上给人逐步扩散的感觉，由一些最剧烈和最充满活力的宇宙进程所导致的。例如黑洞的对撞，星核（超新星）的崩塌，中子星或者白矮星的合并，非完美球体的中子星的歪斜旋转，宇宙大爆炸所产生的引力辐射残余。

Gravitational waves are completely different from electromagnetic radiation that is commonplace in the universe and they also interact very weakly with matter even as they travel through space at the speed of light. Studying them is a completely new way unhindered by cosmic noise to study the nature of space and time.

引力波与宇宙中普遍存在的电磁辐射完全不同，即使它们以光速穿过太空，它们与物质间的相互作用也非常微弱.。研究它们要用一种全新的方法，它不会被研究时空本质时的宇宙噪声干扰。

Located 5250 meters (over 17200 feet) above sea level in Tibet the Chinese telescope will be very well-placed to study the primordial¹⁰ phenomenon. The region has clear skies and minimal¹¹ human activity making it ideal for observing faint echoes from the earliest days of the universe soon after the Big Bang.

位于中国西藏海拔5250米（超过17200英尺 ）高度的望远镜是研究原初现象的一个绝佳去处。那里有清澈的天空和最少的人类活动，因而作为观察大爆炸之后最早期传来的微弱回声的地点很理想。

The first telescope code-named Ngari No. 1 is already under construction according toXinhua which cited Yao Yongqiang chief researcher with the National Astronomical¹² Observatories¹³ of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who added it will be operational by 2021.

新华社援引中国科学院国家天文台的首席研究员姚永强的话说第一台代号为阿里一号的望远镜已经在建中，他补充道到2021年它会开始运行。

The second phase of construction called Ngari No. 2 will involve a series of telescopes that will be constructed even higher at an altitude of about 6000 meters. No time frx has been given yet for completion of the second phase but the cost of building the two-phase observatory is estimated to be 130 million yuan (about $18.8 million).

第二阶段的建设名为阿里二号，它包含一系列会建在更高位置大约6000米海拔上的望远镜。第二阶段的完工时间没有给出但两阶段天文台的估价为1.3亿人民币(大约1880万美元)

Of the seven continents on Earth only Asia North America and South America have mountains higher than Ngari No. 2.

在地球上的七大洲中只有亚洲，北美洲和南美洲有比阿里二号所在位置更高的山峰。