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EOWilson_2007-_论生物多样性_
I have all my life wondered what " mind-boggling " meant. 我整整一生都在想,“mind-boggling”（令人难以置信的）到底是指什么
mind-boggling:adj.令人难以置信的;令人惊异的;
After two days here, I declare myself boggled , and enormously impressed , and feel that you are one of the great hopes. 在这里呆了两天,我承认,我已经被深深感染 我感到,你们代表着伟大的希望
boggled:vi.犹豫,退缩;惊恐;vt.搞糟,弄坏;使…惊奇;使…困惑;n.犹豫,退缩;惊奇; enormously:adv.巨大地,庞大地;非常地,在极大程度上; impressed:adj.印象深刻; v.使钦佩; (impress的过去分词和过去式)
Not just for American achievement in science and technology , but for the whole world. 不仅仅是美国在科学技术上取得进步的希望 也是整个世界的希望
technology:n.技术;工艺;术语;
I've come, however, on a special mission on behalf of my constituency . 我今天来到这里,是代表我的 选民
mission:n.使命,任务;代表团;布道;v.派遣;向…传教; on behalf of:代表;为了; constituency:n.(选区的)选民;支持者;(一批)顾客;
Which are the 10 to the 18th-power -- that's a million trillion -- insects and other small creatures , and to make a plea for them. 它们的数量多达10的18次方 它们是昆虫以及其他的小动物,我是来为它们申张正义的
trillion:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿; creatures:n.生物;动物;(具有某种特征的)人(creature的复数) plea:n.请求;恳求;答辩;借口;
If we were to wipe out insects alone, just that group alone, on this planet -- which we are trying hard to do -- the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land. 假如我们要把昆虫从地球上消灭掉,就单单是昆虫 实际上我们也在努力这样做…… 那么剩下的生物包括人类也很可能从地球消失
wipe:v.擦;抹;拭;消除;n.擦;拭;揩;(湿)抹布; humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科; disappear:v.消失;失踪;不复存在;
And within a few months. 这只需几个月的时间
Now, how did I come to this particular position of advocacy ? 那我是怎么成为这样一个为昆虫辩护的斗士呢？
advocacy:n.主张;拥护;辩护;
As a little boy, and through my teenage years, 当我还是小孩子的时候,
I became increasingly fascinated by the diversity of life. 我就对生物之多样性感到越来越浓厚的兴趣
increasingly:adv.越来越多地;渐增地; diversity:n.差异(性):多样性:多样化:
I had a butterfly period, a snake period, a bird period, a fish period, a cave period and finally and definitively , an ant period. 我曾经对蝴蝶、蛇、小鸟、鱼以及洞穴感兴趣 最后,我对蚂蚁产生浓厚而长久的兴趣
finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地; definitively:adv.决定性地;最后地;
By my college years, I was a devoted myrmecologist, a specialist in the biology of ants. 读大学的时候,我对于蚂蚁研究很有热情 我是一位研究蚂蚁的专家
devoted:adj.专心致志; v.献身; (devote的过去分词和过去式) biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学;
But my attention and research continued to make journeys across the great variety of life on Earth in general . 我的关注点以及研究都 围绕地球上巨大的生物多样性而展开
variety:n.多样;种类;杂耍;变化,多样化; in general:总之,通常;一般而言;
Including all that it means to us as a species , how little we understand it and how pressing a danger that our activities have created for it. 包括这对我们人类意味着什么,以及为何我们对此所知甚少 还有人类活动正在对生物多样性构成的严重威胁
species:n.[生物]物种;种类;
Out of that broader study has emerged a concern and an ambition , crystallized in the wish that I'm about to make to you. 长期的研究使我产生一种对生物的关切以及一个宏愿 待会我会在叙述愿望的时候具体说明
emerged:v.(从隐蔽处或暗处)出现;暴露;露出真相;显现;(emerge的过去分词和过去式) concern:v.涉及,关系到;使担心;n.关系;关心;关心的事; ambition:n.追求的目标;野心;志向;抱负; crystallized:adj.裹有糖霜的;蜜饯的;v.结晶(crystalize的过去分词);
My choice is the culmination of a lifetime commitment that began with growing up on the Gulf Coast of Alabama , on the Florida peninsula . 我的这一选择是整个研究生涯之落脚点 我小时候在佛罗里达半岛的阿拉巴马湾度过
culmination:n.顶点;高潮; commitment:n.承诺;投入;保证;许诺; Gulf:n.海湾;深渊;分歧;漩涡;vt.吞没; Alabama:n.阿拉巴马州(美国州名); peninsula:n.半岛;
As far back as I can remember, I was enchanted by the natural beauty of that region and the almost tropical exuberance of the plants and animals that grow there. 从记事起,我就被那一带的自然美景深深陶醉 包括该地繁盛成长的接近热带的动植物
enchanted:adj.中魔法的;狂喜的;v.使着迷;对…用魔法;(enchant的过去分词和过去式) region:n.地区;范围;部位; tropical:adj.热带的;热情的;酷热的; exuberance:n.丰富,茂盛; (感情等的)过度(或极度)表现;
One day when I was only seven years old and fishing, 七岁那年,有一天我去钓鱼
I pulled a pinfish -- they're called, with sharp dorsal spines -- up too hard and fast . 我捉到一条免齿鲷——有尖利的背棘——猛然用力拉上来
sharp:锋利的,尖的 dorsal:adj.背部的;背的,背侧的; spines:n.[解剖]脊柱;棘状突起;体刺(spine的复数); hard and fast:adj.(船)牢牢搁浅的;必须遵守的;不可违逆的;固定的;
And I blinded myself in one eye. 并因此而弄瞎了其中一只眼睛
I later discovered I was also hard of hearing , possibly congenitally , in the upper registers . 另外,我后来还发现自己在听力方面也不是很好 也许是生来就有的缺陷
hard of hearing:adj.听力弱;耳背;n.听力弱的人;耳背的人; congenitally:adv.先天地;天生地; upper:adj.上面的;内陆的;n.靴面;兴奋剂; registers:n.登记; v.登记;
So in planning to be a professional naturalist -- 于是,为了成为一名职业的自然学家
professional:adj.专业的;职业的;职业性的;n.专业人员;职业运动员; naturalist:n.自然主义者; adj.自然的(等于naturalistic);
I never considered anything else in my entire life -- 我就决定只做一件事
I found that I was lousy at bird watching and couldn't track frog calls either. 要我观鸟,我不在行;要我追踪青蛙,我也不擅长于此
lousy:adj.非常糟的;极坏的;恶劣的; track:n.小道;足迹;车辙;轨道;v.追踪;跟踪;
So I turned to the teeming small creatures that can be held between the thumb and forefinger : the little things that compose the foundation of our ecosystems . 于是我决定做那些小动物的研究 它们大多可以放在我的拇指跟食指之间 而正是它们构建了我们整个生态圈的基础
teeming:adj.多产的,丰富的;热闹的;v.充满(teem的现在分词); thumb:v.翻阅;以拇指拨弄;作搭车手势;笨拙地摆弄;n.拇指; forefinger:n.食指; compose:v.组成;作曲;创作(音乐);撰写(信函、讲稿、诗歌等); foundation:n.基础;地基;基金会;根据;创立; ecosystems:n.生态系统(ecosystem的复数);
The little things, as I like to say, who run the world. 它们才是世界的主人
In so doing, I reached a frontier of biology so strange, so rich that it seemed as though it exists on another planet. 通过这样的方式,我来到一个非常古怪却又非常丰富的生物学领域 简直就像降临到别的星球一样
In fact, we live on a mostly unexplored planet. 事实上,我们就生活在一个很多地方皆未被研究的星球上
unexplored:adj.[地质]未勘查过的;
The great majority of organisms on Earth remain unknown to science. 科学家对于地球上大多数的有机体都是一无所知的
majority:n.大部分:大多数:多数票:成年人: organisms:n.[生物]生物体(organism的复数);[生物]有机体;
In the last 30 years, thanks to explorations in remote parts of the world and advances in technology, biologists have, for example, added a full one-third of the known frog and other amphibian species, to bring the current total to 5,400. 过去30年,人们去到了一些较为边缘的地区 也得益于科技的进步 生物学家使已知的青蛙以及两栖类物种数增加了三分之一 现在,两栖类生物物种总数为5400种
explorations:n.探索;探险(exploration的复数);勘查;[医]探察术; remote:adj.偏远的;偏僻的;遥远的;久远的; biologists:n.生物学家(biologist的复数); amphibian:n.[脊椎]两栖动物; adj.两栖类的;
And more continue to pour in. 并且还不断有新的物种被发现
pour:v.倒; n.流出; (已熔金属的)一次浇注量;
Two new kinds of whales have been discovered, along with two new antelopes , dozens of monkey species and a new kind of elephant. 也发现了两种新的鲸鱼种类,以及两种新的羚羊 还有几十个猴子的种类以及一种新的大象种类
antelopes:n.羚羊;羚羊皮革;
And even a distinct kind of gorilla ! 甚至还有一种新发现的大猩猩！
distinct:adj.明显的;独特的;清楚的;有区别的; gorilla:大猩猩
At the extreme opposite end of the size scale , the class of marine bacteria , the Prochlorococci -- that will be on the final exam -- although discovered only in 1988, are now recognized as likely the most abundant organisms on Earth. 而在生物体体型大小的另一端,我们发现了新的海洋细菌 原绿球藻,也许在你的期末考试出现过 虽说是1988年发现的,现在则被认为是地球上最繁盛的生物
extreme:adj.极端的;极度的;偏激的;尽头的;n.极端;末端;最大程度;极端的事物; scale:n.规模;比例;鳞;刻度;天平;数值范围;v.衡量;攀登;剥落;生水垢; marine:adj.海的;海产的;海生的;海船的;n.(尤指美国或英国皇家)海军陆战队士兵; bacteria:n.[微]细菌; recognized:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到;(recognize的过去分词和过去式) abundant:adj.丰富的;充裕的;盛产;
And moreover , responsible for a large part of the photosynthesis that occurs in the ocean. 这一生物为海洋里头发生的光合作用起到了很大的推动作用
moreover:adv.而且;此外; responsible:adj.负责的,可靠的;有责任的; photosynthesis:n.光合作用; occurs:v.重现(occur的第三人称单数);
These bacteria were not uncovered sooner because they are also among the smallest of all Earth's organisms -- so minute that they cannot be seen with conventional optical microscopy . 我们没能在更早的时候发现这些细菌 是因为它们也是地球上体型最小的生物之一 你用普通的光学仪器是难以看得到它们的
uncovered:adj.裸露的; v.揭开盖子; (uncover的过去式和过去分词) conventional:adj.符合习俗的,传统的;常见的;惯例的; optical:adj.光学的;眼睛的,视觉的; microscopy:n.显微镜检查;显微镜使用;显微镜学;
Yet life in the sea may depend on these tiny creatures. 但海底的生物却必须依赖它们才能生存
These examples are just the first glimpse of our ignorance of life on this planet. 这些都不过是一些例子,显示出我们对于地球上的生物是多么无知
glimpse:v.瞥见;[诗]闪现;n.领悟;概况;见识;一睹; ignorance:n.无知,愚昧;不知,不懂;
Consider the fungi -- including mushrooms, rusts , molds and many disease-causing organisms. 再看看真菌,包括蘑菇、锈菌、霉菌以及其他携带病原体的真菌
fungi:n.真菌;菌类;蘑菇(fungus的复数); rusts:n.锈菌类(rust的复数);v.生锈(rust的第三人称单数); molds:n.[机]模具;霉菌;鞋模(mold的复数); disease-causing:致病的;
60,000 species are known to science, but more than 1.5 million have been estimated to exist. 我们知道有6万种的真菌 但科学家估计,事实上有150万真菌存活于地球上
estimated:adj.估计的;预计的;估算的;
Consider the nematode roundworm , the most abundant of all animals. 再看看线虫,它们是所有动物家族当中最为繁盛的
nematode:adj.线虫类的;n.线虫,线虫类; roundworm:n.蛔虫;
Four out of five animals on Earth are nematode worms -- if all solid materials except nematode worms were to be eliminated , you could still see the ghostly outline of most of it in nematode worms. 地球上80%的动物都是线虫 假如地球上除了线虫以外所有的固态物质都消失 你还是可以从线虫身上看出曾经的地球痕迹
worms:n.蠕虫;寄生虫;幼虫;v.蠕动,曲折行进;(worm的第三人称单数和复数) eliminated:v.排除;清除;消除;(比赛中)淘汰;消灭;(eliminate的过去式和过去分词) ghostly:adj.幽灵的;可怕的;影子似的; outline:n.概述;轮廓线;梗概;略图;v.概述;略述;显示…的轮廓:勾勒…的外形;
About 16,000 species of nematode worms have been discovered and diagnosed by scientists; there could be hundreds of thousands of them, even millions, still unknown. 大约16000种线虫动物 已经被科学家发现并进行研究 而事实上,也许有数以千计甚至是数以百万计的我们还未曾知道
diagnosed:v.诊断(疾病);判断(问题的原因);(diagnose的过去分词和过去式)
This vast domain of hidden biodiversity is increased still further by the dark matter of the biological world of bacteria, which within just the last several years still were known from only about 6,000 species of bacteria worldwide . 还有另外一个生物群体 它们通常不被关注,但其蕴含的生物多样性却更多 单单是过去的几年 世界范围内就发现了6000例新的细菌物种
domain:n.领域;域名;产业;地产; biodiversity:n.生物多样性; dark matter:n.暗物质(根据一些理论,指太空中不反射光的物质); biological:adj.生物学的;生物的;与生命过程有关的;加酶的;n.[药]生物制品; worldwide:adj.全世界的;adv.在世界各地;
But that number of bacteria species can be found in one gram of soil, just a little handful of soil, in the 10 billion bacteria that would be there. 在一克的泥土里,就可以找出这一数目的细菌出来 一剖泥土,里面就有一百亿的细菌
It's been estimated that a single ton of soil -- fertile soil -- contains approximately four million species of bacteria, all unknown. 有人估计,单单是一吨沃土当中 就包含了近四百万种的细菌,并且我们对这些细菌一无所知
fertile:adj.富饶的,肥沃的;能生育的; approximately:adv.大约,近似地;近于;
So the question is: what are they all doing? 所以,我们要问:那些家伙到底在干嘛？
The fact is, we don't know. 答案是:我们根本不知道答案。
We are living on a planet with a lot of activities, with reference to our living environment, done by faith and guess alone. 我们对于这个地球上所发生的许多现象 都只是通过信念或猜测来认知
with reference to:关于(等于inreferenceto); faith:n.信心;信任;宗教信仰;
Our lives depend upon these creatures. 我们的生命依赖于这些生物
depend upon:依赖;取决于;
To take an example close to home : there are over 500 species of bacteria now known -- friendly bacteria -- living symbiotically in your mouth and throat probably necessary to your health for holding off pathogenic bacteria. 举一个身边的例子:已知有500多种的细菌—— 友好的细菌——正生活在你的口腔里 也许它们正在为你抵抗来自致病细菌的进攻
close to home:触及痛处; symbiotically:adv.symbiotic的变形adj.[生物学]共生的[亦作symbiotical]; pathogenic:adj.致病的;病原的;发病的(等于pathogenetic);
At this point I think we have a little impressionistic film that was made especially for this occasion. 说到这里,我想给大家放一个片子 就是为了这次演讲而准备的
impressionistic:adj.印象派的;印象主义的;给人深刻印象的; especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分;
And I'd like to show it. 现在请看屏幕
Assisted in this by Billie Holiday. 我们得到了Billie Holiday的帮助
(Video) （视频）
And that may be just the beginning! 这也许还只是开始！
The viruses, those quasi-organisms among which are the prophasias -- the gene weavers that promote the continued evolution in the lives of the bacteria -- are a virtually unknown frontier of modern biology, a world unto themselves. 病毒,也就是那些带有有机体特性的“准”生物,prophasias 就是其中一种 它是基因编织师,正是它使得细菌的持续进化成为可能 这一世界是现代生物学的一个待开垦的处女地,也是一个自我——的世界
weavers:n.编织者(weaver的复数); promote:v.促进;推动;促销;提升;晋升; evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进; virtually:adv.事实上,几乎;实质上; unto:prep.到,直到;向(等于to);
What constitutes a viral species is still unresolved , although they're obviously of enormous importance to us. 是什么构成了病毒还尚无定论 虽然这对人类而言意义重大
constitutes:v.被算作;组成;构成;(合法或正式地)成立,设立;(constitute的第三人称单数) viral:adj.滤过性毒菌引起的;滤过性毒菌的; unresolved:adj.未解决的;无决断力的;不果断的;
But this much we can say: the variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds or is likely to exceed that in all of the rest of life combined. 但是有一点可以肯定,病毒世界的基因多样性 远远大于所有其他生物的基因多样性之总和——至少科学家是这么认为的
genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) exceeds:v.超过;胜过;
Nowadays, in addressing microbial biodiversity, scientists are like explorers in a rowboat launched onto the Pacific Ocean. 今天,那些研究微生物多样性的科学家 就如乘着木船驶进太平洋的探索者
microbial:adj.微生物的;由细菌引起的; explorers:n.探险者;勘探者;考察者;(explorer的复数) rowboat:n.划艇;小船; launched:v.发射;发起;开展;开始;(launch的过去式和过去分词)
But that is changing rapidly with the aid of new genomic technology. 但是,随着新的基因组技术的发展,这一境况正得到改善
genomic:adj.基因组的;染色体的;
Already it is possible to sequence the entire genetic code of a bacterium in under four hours. 现在,我们已经可以用四个小时的时间完成对一个细菌进行基因测序
sequence:n.顺序; v.按顺序排列; genetic code:n.遗传密码; bacterium:n.[微]细菌;杆菌属;
Soon we will be in a position to go forth in the field with sequencers on our backs -- to hunt bacteria in tiny crevices of the habitat 's surface in the way you go watching for birds with binoculars . 不久的将来,我们还将可以通过便携式的测序机完成这样的操作 直接寻找到那些隐藏在细小的缝隙里的细菌 就像你用双筒望远镜来观鸟一样
sequencers:n.程序装置,[计]定序器; crevices:n.裂缝;裂隙; habitat:n.[生态]栖息地,产地; in the way:妨碍;挡道; binoculars:n.双筒望远镜;
What will we find as we map the living world, as, finally, we get this underway seriously? 那么,假如我们真的去对现实世界中的生物进行测序,将会带来什么？
underway:adj.进行中的;起步的;航行中的;n.[公路]水底通道;
As we move past the relatively gigantic mammals , birds, frogs and plants to the more elusive insects and other small invertebrates and then beyond -- to the countless millions of organisms in the invisible living world enveloped and living within humanity. 从大型哺乳动物到鸟类到青蛙到植物 一直到昆虫以及其他非脊椎动物 再到无数的肉眼不可见的生物 ——它们就在人体内发展、生存
relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地; gigantic:adj.巨大的,庞大的; mammals:n.哺乳动物;(mammal的复数) elusive:adj.难懂的;易忘的;逃避的;难捉摸的; invertebrates:n.[无脊椎]无脊椎动物(invertebrate的复数); countless:adj.无数的;数不尽的; invisible:adj.看不见的;n.看不见的人或物; enveloped:n.折叠条;v.包围(envelop的过去分词);
Already what were thought to be bacteria for generations have been found to compose instead two great domains of microorganisms : true bacteria and one-celled organisms the archaea , which are closer than other bacteria to the eukaryota , the group that we belong to. 过去科学家曾认定是细菌的生物 现在的发现则显示,它们实际上是由两种微生物组成的 即真细菌和单细胞的古细菌 它比其他的细菌更接近真核生物,人也是真核生物
domains:n.域,域名;领域;网域(domain的复数形式); microorganisms:n.[微]微生物,微生虫(microorganism的复数); one-celled:adj.单细胞的; archaea:n.古生菌; eukaryota:真核生物;
Some serious biologists, and I count myself among them, have begun to wonder that among the enormous and still unknown diversity of microorganisms, one might -- just might -- find aliens among them. 一些严肃的科学家,包括我 就开始怀疑,在多元与未知的微生物世界中 也许还能找到外星生物的存在
True aliens, stocks that arrived from outer space. 我说的是真正的外星生物,来自外太空的生物
stocks:n.[金融]股票; v.采购; outer:adj.外面的,外部的;远离中心的;n.环外命中;
They've had billions of years to do it, but especially during the earliest period of biological evolution on this planet. 它们有数十亿年时间到达地球 特别是地球上出现生物进化的原始阶段
We do know that some bacterial species that have earthly origins are capable of almost unimaginable extremes of temperature and other harsh changes in environment. 我们知道,有些发源自地球的细菌 竟然可以在极端的温度下生存 也能适应非常恶劣的环境变化
bacterial:adj.[微]细菌的; earthly:adj.地球的;尘世的;可能的; origins:n.起源; (origin的复数) capable:adj.能干的,能胜任的;有才华的; unimaginable:adj.不可思议的;难以想像的; extremes:n.极端不同的感情;极端;极度;极限;(extreme的复数) harsh:adj.严厉的;严酷的;刺耳的;粗糙的;刺目的;
Including hard radiation strong enough and maintained long enough to crack the Pyrex vessels around the growing population of bacteria. 包括经受足以穿透Pyrex玻璃箱的强辐射的作用 这个在细菌的家族里很常见
radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法; maintained:v.维持;维修;保养;固执己见;(maintain的过去式和过去分词) crack:v.使破裂;打开;变声;n.裂缝;声变;噼啪声;adj.最好的;高明的; Pyrex:n.派热克斯玻璃(一种耐热玻璃); vessels:n.血管(vessel的复数);船舶;容器;
There may be a temptation to treat the biosphere holistically and the species that compose it as a great flux of entities hardly worth distinguishing one from the other. 也许有些人会走捷径,用一种整体的视角来看待整个生物圈 将其中的物种看成是个体的流动 无须区分出它们之间的细微差别
temptation:n.诱惑;引诱;煽诱人的事物; treat:v.治疗;处理;招待;款待;n.款待;乐事;乐趣; biosphere:n.生物圈; holistically:整体论地; flux:n.[流][机]流量;变迁;不稳定;流出;vt.使熔融;用焊剂处理;vi.熔化;流出; entities:n.实体;存在(entity的复数形式);字符实体; distinguishing:v.区分;辨别;分清;看清;认出;听出;(distinguish的现在分词)
But each of these species, even the tiniest Prochlorococci, are masterpieces of evolution. 但是每一个这样的物种,即使是最细小的原绿球菌 都是进化之杰作
masterpieces:n.杰作;绝无仅有的人;
Each has persisted for thousands to millions of years. 它们都在地球上存活了千百万年
persisted:v.持续(persist的过去分词);坚持不懈;
Each is exquisitely adapted to the environment in which it lives, interlocked with other species to form ecosystems upon which our own lives depend in ways we have not begun even to imagine. 都能很好的融入到其生活环境当中 并且与其他的物种相互作用,构成我们赖以生存的生态系统 而这些我们十年前还未曾想象得到
exquisitely:adv.精致地;精巧地;敏锐地; adapted:adj.适于…的; v.使适应,使适合; (adapt的过去分词和过去式) interlocked:adj.联锁的;v.连锁(interlock的过去分词);连结;
We will destroy these ecosystems and the species composing them at the peril of our own existence -- and unfortunately we are destroying them with ingenuity and ceaseless energy. 假如我们破坏这些生态系统以及生活于其间的物种 我们终将自食其果 可悲的是,我们罔若无知,肆无忌惮的继续这样的行为
composing:n.组成;[印刷]排字;adj.起镇静作用的;v.组成;写作(compose的现在分词); peril:n.危险;冒险;vt.危及;置…于险境; unfortunately:adv.不幸地; ingenuity:n.心灵手巧,独创性;精巧;精巧的装置; ceaseless:adj.不断的;不停的;
My own epiphany as a conservationist came in 1953, while a Harvard graduate student searching for rare ants found in the mountain forests of Cuba. 我的灵光一现出现在1953年,那时我是哈佛大学的一位研究生 我去古巴的大山和森林里寻找罕见的蚂蚁种类
epiphany:对事物真谛的顿悟; conservationist:n.自然资源保护论者; Harvard:n.哈佛大学;哈佛大学学生;
Ants that shine in the sunlight -- metallic green or metallic blue and one species, I discovered, metallic gold. 这些蚂蚁在阳光照射之下会发光 金属绿、金属蓝,甚至是黄金的颜色
sunlight:n.日光; metallic:adj.金属的,含金属的;
I found my magical ants, but only after a tough climb into the mountains where the last of the native Cuban forests hung on, and were then -- and still are -- being cut back. 经过一段艰难的山地跋涉,我终于找到了我的神奇蚂蚁 那里也是古巴仅存的一块原始森林地带 但后来,直到现在,那片森林不断遭受砍伐
native:adj.本国的;土著的;天然的;与生俱来的;天赋的;n.本地人;土产;当地居民; Cuban:n.古巴人;古巴产雪茄;adj.古巴的;
I realized then that these species and a large part of the other unique , marvelous animals and plants on that island -- and this is true of practically every part of the world -- which took millions of years to evolve , are in the process of disappearing forever. 我意识到 像这些蚂蚁以及那个岛上生活的其他独特且多姿的动植物 这对于世界任何一个地方都是一样的 经过数百万年的进化,才有今天,但它们一旦消失,就有可能永远不会再次出现了
unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; marvelous:adj.了不起的;非凡的;令人惊异的;不平常的; practically:adv.实际地;几乎;事实上; evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成; in the process of:在…的过程中; disappearing:v.消失;不复存在;灭绝;丢失(disappear的现在分词)
And so it is everywhere one looks. 这一现象在世界各地都在发生
The human juggernaut is permanently eroding Earth's ancient biosphere by a combination of forces that can be summarized by the acronym " HIPPO ," the animal hippo. 人类正在以不可抗拒的力量,持续破坏着那些亿万年演化而成的生物系统 这些力量可以总结为“HIPPO”,原意是河马
juggernaut:n.世界主宰;强大的破坏力; permanently:adv.永久地,长期不变地; eroding:v.侵蚀;磨损(erode的ing形式);adj.侵蚀的; combination:n.结合;组合;联合;[化学]化合; summarized:v.总结,概括;概述(summarize的过去式及过去分词形式); acronym:n.首字母缩略词; HIPPO:河马(hippopotamus的简写)
H is for habitat destruction , including climate change forced by greenhouse gases. H是代表栖息地破坏, 这包括因为大量排放温室气体而产生的气候变化
destruction:n.破坏,毁灭;摧毁; greenhouse:n.温室;暖房;
I is for the invasive species like the fire ants, zebra mussels , broom grasses and pathogenic bacteria and viruses that are flooding every country at an exponential rate -- that's the I. I是代表入侵物种,包括红火蚁、 斑马贻贝等 以及那些正在以惊人速度在各个国家蔓延的病毒和致病菌
invasive:adj.侵略性的;攻击性的; mussels:n.[无脊椎]贻贝(mussel的复数);[水产]淡菜;双壳类; broom:n.扫帚;扫把;金雀花(野生,开小黄花);v.扫除; exponential:adj.指数的;n.指数;
The P, the first one in "HIPPO," is for pollution. P,第一个P是代表污染
The second is for continued population, human population expansion . 第二个是指持续的人口增长
expansion:n.扩张;膨胀;扩展;扩大;
And the final letter is O, for over-harvesting -- driving species into extinction by excessive hunting and fishing 而O则代表过度捕获 过度的狩猎和捕捞正使许多物种走向消亡
extinction:n.绝种; excessive:adj.过多的,极度的;过分的;
The HIPPO juggernaut we have created, if unabated , is destined -- according to the best estimates of ongoing biodiversity research -- to reduce half of Earth's still surviving animal and plant species to extinction or critical endangerment by the end of the century. 人类如果不减弱这些力量（HIPPO） 根据一直在进行的生物多样性研究的最乐观估计—— 也将使得地球现存的动植物种类中有一半 走向灭绝或走到濒危 的境地,也许就发生在本世纪末
unabated:adj.不减弱的,不衰退的; destined:adj.注定的;命定的;去往…的;v.注定;(destine的过去式和过去分词) according to:根据,据说; estimates:n.估计;估价;估计的成本;v.估价;估算(estimate的第三人称单数和复数) ongoing:n.发展; adj.持续存在的; critical:adj.鉴定的;[核]临界的;批评的,爱挑剔的;危险的;决定性的;评论的; endangerment:n.危害,受到危害;
Human-forced climate change alone -- again, if unabated -- could eliminate a quarter of surviving species during the next five decades 单单是人为引起的气候变化,假如不加以遏制 就将会在未来的半个世纪使得现存物种数目减少四分之一
What will we and all future generations lose if much of the living environment is thus degraded ? 假如地球环境真的这样恶化下去, 那么我们以及我们的后代将经受怎样的后果
degraded:adj.退化的; v.分解; (degrade的过去分词和过去式)
Huge potential sources of scientific information yet to be gathered, much of our environmental stability and new kinds of pharmaceuticals and new products of unimaginable strength and value -- all thrown away. 有大量的科学数据就藏在大自然当中等待我们去发掘 环境稳定性 还有许多价值非凡的新药物新产品 都会因此而被遗弃
potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的; sources:n.来源;出处;起源;根源;原因;v.(从…)获得(source的第三人称单数和复数) scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; stability:n.稳定性;坚定,恒心; pharmaceuticals:n.药物(pharmaceutical的复数);
The loss will inflict a heavy price in wealth , security and yes, spirituality for all time to come. 这样的损失也将 给我们的财富、安全以及精神生活带来巨大的冲击
inflict:vt.造成;使遭受(损伤,痛苦等);给予(打击等); wealth:n.财富;大量;富有; spirituality:n.灵性;精神性;
Because previous cataclysms of this kind -- the last one ended the age of dinosaurs -- take, or took, normally , five to 10 million years to repair . 我们知道,历史上曾出现过的类似这类灾难性事件 对上一次是数百万年前,使得恐龙走向灭绝 必须经过一千万年才能得到恢复
previous:adj.以前的;早先的;过早的;adv.在先;在…以前; cataclysms:n.灾难;大洪水,地震;(社会政治的)大变动; normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; repair:v.修理;修补;修缮;补救;n.修理;修补;修缮;
Sadly, our knowledge of biodiversity is so incomplete that we are at risk of losing a great deal of it before it is even discovered. 可悲的是,我们关于生物多样性的了解是如此之少 也许有许多知识未待我们发现就已经不复存在
incomplete:n.未完成;adj.不完整的;不完全的;不完善的; a great deal of:大量;
For example, even in the United States, the 200,000 species known currently actually has been found to be only partial in coverage; it's mostly unknown to us in basic biology. 比方说,在美国,我们知道有20万个物种 但我们发现这其实只是很小的一个部分 而我们学基础生物学的时候是没有学这个的
United:adj.联合的; v.联合,团结; (unite的过去分词和过去式) currently:adv.当前;一般地; partial:adj.部分的;不完整的;片面的;有偏见的;
Only about 15 percent of the known species have been studied well enough to evaluate their status . 只有15%的已知物种是有过深入研究,使得我们可以评估它们的境况
evaluate:v.评价;评估;估计; status:n.地位;状态;情形;重要身份;
Of the 15 percent evaluated , 20 percent are classified as "in peril." 在这15%的物种里,有20%是被列为“处于危险状态”
evaluated:v.估计;评价;评估;(evaluate的过去分词和过去式) classified:adj.机密的; v.将…分类; (classify的过去分词和过去式)
That is, in danger of extinction. 换言之,它们就在灭绝的边缘
That's in the United States. 这只是美国的故事
We are, in short, flying blind into our environmental future. 概而言之,我们就像盲人一样去迎接这样的未来环境
We urgently need to change this. 我们必须尽快改变这一现状
urgently:adv.迫切地;紧急地;急切地;
We need to have the biosphere properly explored so that we can understand and competently manage it. 我们需要对生物圈正确地进行探测 唯有如此,我们才能把握其秘密,并更好的加以保护
competently:adv.胜任地;适合地;
We need to settle down before we wreck the planet. 我们要知道我们的处境,而后才能对未来采取应对措施
settle:v.定居;结算;停留;确定;n.高背长椅(老式木家具,有扶手,座下多带柜); wreck:n.严重损毁人或物;沉船;v.破坏;损坏;毁掉;使遇难;
And we need that knowledge. 我们需要这样的知识
This should be a big science project equivalent to the Human Genome Project. 这将会是一个相当庞大的科学项目,堪与人类基因组计划相比
equivalent:adj.等价的,相等的;同意义的;n.等价物,相等物; Genome:n.基因组;染色体组;
It should be thought of as a biological moonshot with a timetable . 或者说是一次时间概念更强烈的生物学阿波罗项目
moonshot:n.月球探测器;对月球发射; timetable:n.时间表;时刻表;预定计划;vt.为…安排时间
So this brings me to my wish for TEDsters, and to anyone else around the world who hears this talk. 我接下来就 要宣布我的TED愿望 世界各地热爱科学的朋友也欢迎你们的聆听
I wish we would work together to help create the key tools that we need to inspire preservation of Earth's biodiversity. 我希望我们可以携手合作,创建一些工具 来鼓励保护地球生物多样性
inspire:v.激发;鼓舞;启示;产生;使生灵感; preservation:n.保存,保留;
And let us call it the " Encyclopedia of Life." 不妨将此项目称为“生命百科”
Encyclopedia:n.百科全书(亦是encyclopaedia);
What is the "Encyclopedia of Life" -- a concept that has already taken hold and is beginning to spread and be looked at seriously? “生命百科”的概念已经得到人们的认同 并且正在不断的传播与普及
It is an encyclopedia that lives on the Internet and is contributed to by thousands of scientists around the world. 这将会是一本在线的百科全书 世界各地的科学家都将参与其间
contributed:v.捐献,捐赠(尤指款或物); (contribute的过去式和过去分词)
Amateurs can do it also. 科学爱好者也能参与
Amateurs:n.业余爱好者;业余运动员;生手;外行;(amateur的复数)
It has an indefinitely expandable page for each species. 对于每个物种,都可以为其添加尽可能多的数据
indefinitely:adv.不确定地,无限期地;模糊地,不明确地; expandable:adj.可膨胀的;可张开的;
It makes all key information about life on Earth accessible to anyone, on demand , anywhere in the world. 可以使得地球上所有生物的信息向世人公开 何时何地都可查阅得到
accessible:adj.易接近的;可进入的;可理解的; on demand:请求即;按需;随选;随需应变;
I've written about this idea before, and I know there are people in this room who have expended significant effort on it in the past. 我曾为此写过文章 我知道这里也有人曾为同类项目作出巨大贡献
expended:adj.花费的;支出的;开支的;v.花费;耗尽(expend的过去分词); significant:adj.重大的;有效的;有意义的;值得注意的;意味深长的;n.象征;有意义的事物;
But what excites me is that since I first put forward this particular idea in that form, science has advanced . 但最让我兴奋的是,自从我产生这个想法之后 科学有了飞跃的发展
put forward:v.提出;拿出;放出;推举出; advanced:adj.先进的; v.前进; (advance的过去式和过去分词形式)
Technology has moved forward. 技术也有飞跃的发展
Today, the practicalities of making such an encyclopedia, regardless of the magnitude of the information put into it, are within reach. 今天,从技术上来说,我们完全有能力 去编制这样一部百科全书,不管当中包含的数据容量有多大
practicalities:实践性; regardless:adj.不管的; v.不顾后果地; magnitude:n.大小;量级;[地震]震级;重要;光度;
Indeed, in the past year a group of influential scientific institutions have begun mobilizing to realize this dream. 事实上,过去一年,有多家颇具影响力的科研机构 就已经着手将此设想变为现实
influential:adj.有影响的;有势力的;n.有影响力的人物; institutions:n.机构;慈善机构;风俗习惯,制度;(institution的复数) mobilizing:v.组织;鼓动;动员;调动;调用;(mobilize的现在分词)
I wish you would help them. 我希望你们能帮助他们
Working together, we can make this real. 携手合作,我们就可以实现目标
The encyclopedia will quickly pay for itself in practical applications. 项目本身很快就会得到回报,因为会有很多实际的用途
It will address transcendent qualities in the human consciousness , and sense of human need. 它也将为人类带来更深层次的精神维度,重新定义人类的需求
transcendent:adj.卓越的;超常的;出类拔萃的;n.卓越的人;超绝物; consciousness:n.意识;知觉;觉悟;感觉;
It will transform the science of biology in ways of obvious benefit to humanity. 它将改变生物学的面貌,这样的改变也将为人类带来福音
transform:v.使改变;使改观;使转换;n.[数]变换式;[化]反式; obvious:adj.明显的;显著的;平淡无奇的;
And most of all, it can inspire a new generation of biologists to continue the quest that started, for me personally , 60 years ago: 最重要的是,它将为年轻一代的生物学家带来启发 去继续我60年前开始的征途
quest:n.追求;寻找;vi.追求;寻找;vt.探索; personally:adv.个人;亲自;本人;就本人而言;
To search for life, to understand it and finally -- above all -- to preserve it. 去寻找生命,理解生命,最终守护生命
preserve:vt.保存;保护;维持;腌;禁猎;n.保护区;禁猎地;加工成的食品;
That is my wish. Thank you. 这就是我的愿望。谢谢大家。