一、官方资料翻译
1. What is Lightning Network?
1、什么是闪电网络？
Lightning Network -- Scalable, Instant Bitcoin/Blockchain Transactions
闪电网络——可扩展的、快速的比特币/区块链交易
Transactions for the Future 未来的交易
Instant Payments. Lightning-fast blockchain payments without worrying about block confirmation times. Security is enforced by blockchain smart-contracts without creating a on-blockchain transaction for individual payments. Payment speed measured in milliseconds to seconds.
快速支付 无需担心区块确认时间的快如闪电的区块链支付，通过区块链是能合约来加强安全性，无需要为单笔支付创建一个链上交易，支付速度以毫秒到数秒来计。
Scalability. Capable of millions to billions of transactions per second across the network. Capacity blows away legacy payment rails by many orders of magnitude. Attaching payment per action/click is now possible without custodians.
可扩展性 整个网络能每秒处理从数百万到数十亿的交易，具备多数量级的清除遗留支付轨道的能力，无需托管即可为每一个动作/点击添加支付。
Low Cost. By transacting and settling off-blockchain, the Lightning Network allows for exceptionally low fees, which allows for emerging use cases such as instant micropayments.
低费用 通过在链下进行交易和结算，闪电网络允许异常低的费用，这就使得当下新兴的使用案例比如即时小额支付能够实现。
Cross Blockchains. Cross-chain atomic swaps can occur off-chain instantly with heterogeneous blockchain consensus rules. So long as the chains can support the same cryptographic hash function, it is possible to make transactions across blockchains without trust in 3rd party custodians.
跨链交易 即便是在拥有不同共识规则的区块链之间，跨链原子交易也能够通过链下即时发生。只要相应的链能够支持相同的加密哈希函数，即便没有第三方托管机构，也能够实现跨链交易。
2. How it works? 它如何工作？
The Lightning Network is dependent upon the underlying technology of the blockchain. By using real Bitcoin/blockchain transactions and using its native smart-contract scripting language, it is possible to create a secure network of participants which are able to transact at high volume and high speed.
闪电网络依赖于区块链的底层技术。通过使用真实的比特币/区块链交易和它原生的智能合约脚本语言，创造一个让参与者能够实现高体积和高速度交易的安全网络。
Bidirectional Payment Channels. Two participants create a ledger entry on the blockchain which requires both participants to sign off on any spending of funds. Both parties create transactions which refund the ledger entry to their individual allocation, but do not broadcast them to the blockchain. They can update their individual allocations for the ledger entry by creating many transactions spending from the current ledger entry output. Only the most recent version is valid, which is enforced by blockchain-parsable smart-contract scripting. This entry can be closed out at any time by either party without any trust or custodianship by broadcasting the most recent version to the blockchain.
双向支付通道
Lightning Network. By creating a network of these two-party ledger entries, it is possible to find a path across the network similar to routing packets on the internet. The nodes along the path are not trusted, as the payment is enforced using a script which enforces the atomicity (either the entire payment succeeds or fails) via decrementing time-locks.
Blockchain as Arbiter. As a result, it is possible to conduct transactions off-blockchain without limitations. Transactions can be made off-chain with confidence of on-blockchain enforceability. This is similar to how one makes many legal contracts with others, but one does not go to court every time a contract is made. By making the transactions and scripts parsable, the smart-contract can be enforced on-blockchain. Only in the event of non-cooperation is the court involved – but with the blockchain, the result is deterministic.
