The big bang theory 里 sheldon不惜与winkle决裂都要坚持的弦理论（string theory） 你知道是什么吗？

String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity

弦理论是粒子物理学中一个非常活跃的研究构架，目的在于能统一量子力学和广义相对论。

It is a contender for the theory of everything (TOE), a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system.

它是成为万物理论（大一统理论）的有力竞争者，一种在完全的数学系统中阐明基本力和物质的方式。

The theory has yet to make novel experimental predictions at accessible energy scales, leading some scientists to claim that it cannot be considered a part of science.

弦理论在可接近的能量尺度上作出了一些异常的实验预测，使得一些科学家断言弦理论并不能被看作科学的一部分。

String theory mainly posits that the electrons and quarks within an atom are not 0-dimensional objects, but rather 1-dimensional oscillating lines ("strings").

弦理论设定一个原子中的电子和夸克，并不是粒子态（零维）存在的物体，而是由一维的能量线条（“弦”）所组成的。

The earliest string model, the bosonic string, incorporated only bosons, although this view developed to the superstring theory, which posits that a connection (a "supersymmetry") exists between bosons and fermions.

最早的弦模型——玻色弦理论，仅仅包含了玻色子，尽管这种观点后期发展出了超弦理论，提出了在玻色子和费米子之间存在着某种联系（“超对称性”）。

String theories also require the existence of several extra, unobservable dimensions to the universe, in addition to the four known spacetime dimensions.

在已知的四个时空维度之外，弦理论还要求了宇宙中一些额外的，难以观测的维度（额外维）存在。

The theory has its origins in an effort to understand the strong force, the dual resonance model (1969).

弦理论最初是为了解释强相互作用力，也就是二次共振模型（1969）。

Subsequently five different superstring theories were developed that incorporated fermions and possessed other properties necessary for a theory of everything.

之后，五种不同的超弦理论被发展起来，包含了费米子并拥有了其他一些成为万物理论所必需的特质属性。

Since the mid 1990s, particularly due to insights from dualities shown to relate the five theories, an eleven-dimensional theory called M-theory is believed to encompass all of the previously-distinct superstring theories.

自上世纪九十年代中期以来，特别是由于对偶性（二重性）观点被证明可以联系这五种不同的理论，一种十一维的M理论被认为可以结合所有先前相互区别的超弦理论。

Many top theoretical physicists (e.g. Hawking, Witten, Maldacena and Susskind) believe that string theory is a step towards the correct fundamental description of nature.

很多顶尖的理论物理学家（e.g. Hawking, Witten(Fields奖获得者), Maldacena, Susskind）相信弦理论是通向正确的自然基本原理的阶梯。

This is because string theory allows for the consistent combination of quantum field theory and general relativity, agrees with general insights in quantum gravity (such as the holographic principle and Black hole thermodynamics), and because it has passed many non-trivial checks of its internal consistency.

这是因为弦理论考虑到了量子场论和广义相对论的统一结合，与通常的量子引力观点（全息理论和黑洞热力学等）相一致，而且它还经过了许多关于其内部连贯性的非平凡检查。（non-trivial checks 这个词实在是很难翻译 所以先翻译成数学上的非平凡检查 欢迎指正）

According to Stephen Hawking in particular, "M-theory is the only candidate for a complete theory of the universe."

尤其是斯蒂芬霍金提到，“M理论是完整的宇宙理论体系的唯一候选者。”

Nevertheless, other prominent physicists (e.g. Feynman and Glashow) have criticized string theory for not providing any quantitative experimental predictions.

然而，其他一些著名的物理学家（e.g. Feynman ang Glashow）却因为其难以提供任何定量的实验预测而批判过弦理论。

                                                   （from en.wikipedia.org  translated by Javi）