Government officials believe aliens may visit Earth and suggest harnessing UFO technology for UK defences, files say.
Documents from the Ministry of Defence classified archives show staff believed aliens could visit for “military reconnaissance”, “scientific” research or “tourism”.
In a 1995 briefing now published by the National Archives, a desk officer said the purpose of reported alien craft sightings “needs to be established as a matter of priority”, adding there did not appear to be “hostile intent”.
The unnamed official said it was “essential that we start with open minds”, explaining “what is scientific ‘fact’ today may not be true tomorrow”.
Clarifying he did not “talk to little green men every night”, he said: “We have a remit that we have never satisfied. That is, we do not now (sic) if UFOs exist.
“If they do exist, we do not know what they are, their purpose or if they pose a threat to the UK.
“If the sightings are of devices not of the earth then their purpose needs to be established as a matter of priority. There has been no apparent hostile intent and other possibilities are: 1) Military reconnaissance; 2) Scientific; 3) Tourism.”
He added that “if reports are taken at face value” they showed extraterrestrial vehicles had “a very wide range of speeds and are stealthy”.
Thus, he suggested, “we could use this technology, if it exists”.
His briefing document lists possible reasons for UFO sightings, including mass hallucinations, US aircraft, “atmospheric events” and hoaxes, but indicated none provide a fully convincing explanation.
It adds there are “some indications that the reported incidents are only the tip of an iceberg and many people do not wish to risk embarrassment and so do not report sightings”.
He also noted that the number of reports of “strange objects in the skies” increased dramatically after the Second World War, with most sightings coming from “farmers, policemen, doctors and lovers”.
在英政府公布的一批有关UFO的机密文档中，英政府官员称外星人可能造访地球，并提议利用外星人高超的飞行器技术为英国国防服务。
国防部机密档案的文件显示，有官员认为外星人造访地球可能是为了进行军事侦察，科学研究，或者度假观光。
在国家档案馆公布的一份1995年的简报中，一名事务员称应首先确认报告中的外星人乘飞行器到地球的目的，并称他们看起来并无“敌意”。
这位匿名官员还说：“重要的是，我们要有开放的思想，”并解释道“今天的科学‘事实’，到了明天可能并不正确。”
他澄清他从未“夜夜与小绿人谈话。”他说：“有一项工作我们一直没能实现。那就是，我们不知道UFO是否存在。”
“如果他们确实存在，我们也并不知道他们是什么物种，有什么目的，或是否会对英国造成威胁。”
“如果这些目击事件所观测到的装置不是地球上的，那么应首先确认这些外来者的目的。目前并未发现他们有明显的敌意，其他的可能目的有：1)军事侦察；2)科学研究；3)度假观光。”
他还说“若从表面上来看报告的内容”，外星人使用的交通工具速度奇快，而且应该具有隐形功能。
因此，他提议：“如果这种交通工具存在，我们可以利用它的技术。”
他在简报文件中列出了出现UFO目击事件的几种可能，其中包括集体幻觉，可能看到的是美国飞行器，可能是某种大气现象，甚至可能是恶作剧，但都没有做出能够完全令人信服的解释。
报告中还“暗示报告上来的UFO目击事件只是冰山一角，因为怕尴尬等原因，许多人并没有对政府报告自己的‘发现’。”
他还指出，在二战之后，报告“天空中出现奇异物体”的事件出现了迅猛增长，大部分报告者为“农民、警察、医生以及情侣”。
Vocabulary:
harness: 利用；驾驭，控制
reconnaissance: 侦察；勘察
remit: 提交审议的事项；委托研究的课题
take at face value: 根据外表（或表面价值）判断；从表面上看问题
