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LisaNip_2015X-_人类会怎样进化去适应太空的环境_
So there are lands few and far between on Earth itself that are hospitable to humans by any measure, but survive we have. 其实,就连在地球本身, 也存在着一些不适宜人类居住的环境, 但是我们生存了下来。
few and far between:稀少;彼此相距很远;不常发生; hospitable:adj.热情友好的;(环境)舒适的;
Our primitive ancestors, when they found their homes and livelihood endangered , they dared to make their way into unfamiliar territories in search of better opportunities. 当我们的祖先发现他们的居住环境越来越恶劣的时候 他们鼓起勇气来到他们不熟悉的陌生环境 去寻找更宜居的地方。
primitive:adj.原始的,远古的;简单的,粗糙的;n.原始人; livelihood:n.生计,生活;营生; endangered:v.使遭危险;危及;危害;(endanger的过去分词和过去式) unfamiliar:adj.不熟悉的;不常见的;没有经验的; territories:n.地区;领土;边疆区(territory的复数);
And as the descendants of these explorers , we have their nomadic blood coursing through our own veins . 作为他们的后代, 我们血液中流淌着他们无畏的血统。
descendants:n.后裔;后代;子孙;派生物;(descendant的复数) explorers:n.探险者;勘探者;考察者;(explorer的复数) nomadic:adj.游牧的;流浪的;游动的; veins:n.[解剖]静脉(vein的复数); v.使有脉络;
But at the same time , distracted by our bread and circuses and embroiled in the wars that we have waged on each other, it seems that we have forgotten this desire to explore. 可是与此同时, 我们为食物和享乐而分心 我们被卷入战争,手足相残, 我们好像忘记了我们热衷探索的本性
at the same time:同时;另一方面;与此同时; distracted:adj.心烦意乱; v.转移(注意力); (distract的过去分词和过去式) circuses:n.马戏团;有趣但无意义的事(circus的复数); embroiled:adj.陷入的; v.使卷入(纠纷); (embroil的过去分词和过去式) waged:adj.有职业的;有工作的;支付工资的;v.进行;开始(wage的过去分词);
We, as a species , we're evolved uniquely for Earth, on Earth, and by Earth, and so content are we with our living conditions that we have grown complacent and just too busy to notice that its resources are finite , and that our Sun's life is also finite. 作为人类,我们进化的方式非常特殊 为了地球上,在地球上,被地球进化着 我们对自己的居住环境非常满意 以至于有些自负, 以至于忘记了我们的资源是有限的、 太阳的寿命也是有限的。
species:n.[生物]物种;种类; evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) uniquely:adv.独特地;珍奇地; content:n.内容,目录;满足;容量;adj.满意的;vt.使满足; complacent:adj.自满的;得意的;满足的; resources:n.[计][环境]资源; v.向…提供资金(resource的第三人称单数); finite:adj.有限的;限定的;n.有限之物;
While Mars and all the movies made in its name have reinvigorated the ethos for space travel, few of us seem to truly realize that our species' fragile constitution is woefully unprepared for long duration journeys into space. 火星本身和所有关于它的电影 重新勾起了人类对于星际旅行的畅想, 我们当中的一些人好像已经意识到很不幸的,我们脆弱的体质 无法支撑我们做长时间的星际旅行。
Mars:n.火星 reinvigorated:vt.使再振作;使复兴; ethos:n.民族精神;气质;社会思潮; fragile:adj.脆的;易碎的; constitution:n.宪法;构成;体质;组成; woefully:adv.悲伤地;不幸地;使人痛苦地; unprepared:adj.无准备的;即席的;尚未准备好的; duration:n.持续时间;期间;
Let us take a trek to your local national forest for a quick reality check . 让我们到附近的国家森林公园中走一走, 来看一下真实的情况。
trek:v.长途跋涉;远足,徒步旅行;n.长途跋涉(尤指在山区); reality check:n.(提醒人面对现实而不再想当然的)现实感检验;
So just a quick show of hands here: how many of you think you would be able to survive in this lush wilderness for a few days? 那么我先来问几个问题: 多少人认为自己可以在这样的完全野生的环境下 生存好几天？
lush:adj.丰富的,豪华的;苍翠繁茂的;vi.喝酒;n.酒;酒鬼;vt.饮; wilderness:n.荒野;(草木丛生的)荒地;荒芜的地方;杂草丛生处;
Well, that's a lot of you. 哇,很多人这么有自信呢
How about a few weeks? 那几周呢？
That's a decent amount. 不少人嘛。
decent:adj.正派的;得体的;相当好的;
How about a few months? 那几个月呢？
That's pretty good too. 还有很多人嘛
Now, let us imagine that this local national forest experiences an eternal winter. 那么,现在让我们再来想象一下,我们在这个国家森林公园里 经历着漫长的冬季
eternal:adj.永恒的;不朽的;
Same questions: how many of you think you would be able to survive for a few days? 同样的问题:多少人认为你可以在这样的环境下生存很多天？
That's quite a lot. 还是有不少人嘛
How about a few weeks? 那么几周呢？
So for a fun twist , let us imagine that the only source of water available is trapped as frozen blocks miles below the surface. 我们做一个有趣的改变,想象在这个环境中你只能从 几英里下的地下冰层中获得水资源。
twist:v.捻;扭转;曲折;扭动;n.捻;拧;扭动;搓; trapped:adj.受困的;受限制的;v.使落入险境;使陷入困境;(trap的过去分词和过去式)
Soil nutrients are so minimal that no vegetation can be found, and of course hardly any atmosphere exists to speak of. 土壤里几乎没有营养物质,自然也就找不到什么果蔬 当然大气层也就近乎不存在。
nutrients:营养盐;[食品]营养素; minimal:adj.最低的;最小限度的; vegetation:n.植被;植物,草木;呆板单调的生活; hardly any:几乎没有; atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格;
Such examples are only a few of the many challenges we would face on a planet like Mars. 这些仅仅是我们来到像火星这样的星球上后 所要面临的挑战中的几个
So how do we steel ourselves for voyages whose destinations are so far removed from a tropical vacation? 那么我们应当做什么去坚定自己的信心去到一个 比起热带小岛差如此多的目的地呢
voyages:n.[水运]航海(voyage的复数); v.航行; tropical:adj.热带的;热情的;酷热的;
Will we continuously ship supplies from Planet Earth? 难道我们依旧要从地球运输资源吗？
continuously:adv.连续不断地;
Build space elevators , or impossible miles of transport belts that tether your planet of choice to our home planet? 建太空电梯,或者不可能的连接着地球和 未来根据地的超长运输带？
elevators:n.电梯(elevator的复数形式);升降机; transport:n.运输;输送;运送;运输机;v.输送;传播;使产生身临其境的感觉;(旧时)流放; belts:n.皮带(belt的复数);带子;v.用皮带等围绕;用带扎牢(belt的三单形式); tether:n.范围;系链;拴绳;vt.用绳或链拴住;
And how do we grow things like food that grew up on Earth like us? 我们怎样能像在地球一样,在那里种出我们的食物？
But I'm getting ahead of myself. 其实我有些超前
In our species' journey to find a new home under a new sun, we are more likely than not going to be spending much time in the journey itself, in space, on a ship, a hermetic flying can, possibly for many generations. 在我们寻找新太阳系下的新家的旅程中, 我们很有可能会在这个旅程 花费很长的时间, 在太空中, 在向密封的飞行罐头一样的飞船里, 很有可能要度过几十年,几代更迭。
hermetic:adj.密封的;与外界隔绝的;不透气的;炼金术的;n.炼金术士;
The longest continuous amount of time that any human has spent in space is in the vicinity of 12 to 14 months. 人类在太空中度过的最长的时间 是差不多12到14个月。
vicinity:n.邻近,附近;近处;
From astronauts' experiences in space, we know that spending time in a microgravity environment means bone loss, muscle atrophy , cardiovascular problems, among many other complications that range for the physiological to the psychological . 从宇航员们对于太空飞行的回忆里, 我们了解到,长时间呆在微重力的环境中 会使人丧失骨密度,肌肉萎缩,引发心血管的问题, 还有很多其他的问题, 这些问题有生理的,也有心理的。
microgravity:n.[生理]微重力; muscle:n.肌肉;力量;v.加强;使劲搬动;使劲挤出; atrophy:n.萎缩,萎缩症;发育停止;vi.萎缩;虚脱; cardiovascular:adj.[解剖]心血管的; physiological:adj.生理学的,生理的; psychological:adj.心理的;心理学的;精神上的;
And what about macrogravity, or any other variation in gravitational pull of the planet that we find ourselves on? 如果我们找到的新家有着 超重力和重力不均的情况, 我们的情况又会怎样呢？
variation:n.变异;变体;变奏;变种; gravitational:adj.[力]重力的,[力]引力的;
In short, our cosmic voyages will be fraught with dangers both known and unknown. 简而言之,我们的星际旅行将会面临各种危险, 包括已知的和未知的。
cosmic:adj.宇宙的; fraught:adj.担心的,忧虑的;充满…的;
So far we've been looking to this new piece of mechanical technology or that great next generation robot as part of a lineup to ensure our species safe passage in space. 目前我们已经将问题转向新的工程学发明, 或者是下一代新型机器人 用这些来确保我们人类可以平安的度过这段旅程
mechanical:adj.机械的;力学的;呆板的;无意识的;手工操作的; technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; lineup:n.阵容;一组人;电视节目时间表; ensure:vt.保证,确保;使安全;
Wonderful as they are, I believe the time has come for us to complement these bulky electronic giants with what nature has already invented: the microbe , 尽管这些想法非常棒,我还是相信 我们可以用大自然已经创造出来的, 去补足那些笨重的机器, 微生物
complement:n.补语;余角;补足物;vt.补足,补助; bulky:adj.体积大的;庞大的;笨重的; electronic:adj.电子的;电子器件的;电子设备的; giants:n.巨人;大汉;巨兽;巨树;(giant的复数) microbe:n.细菌,微生物;
a single-celled organism that is itself a self-generating , self-replenishing, living machine. 一个单细胞的,自生自养的 活着的机器
organism:n.生物;有机体;有机组织;(尤指)微生物; self-generating:adj.自生的;
It requires fairly little to maintain , offers much flexibility in design and only asks to be carried in a single plastic tube. 不需要提供给它们什么, 又有大范围的想象空间去设计它们, 并且我们只需要一个简单的塑料盒去运输它们。
fairly:adv.相当地;公平地;简直; maintain:v.维持;保持;维修;保养;坚持(意见); flexibility:n.灵活性;弹性;适应性;
The field of study that has enabled us to utilize the capabilities of the microbe is known as synthetic biology . 更多关于这方面的知识让我们可以更好的了解微生物,更好地利用它们, 这个领域叫做合成生物学。
enabled:v.使得;授予…权力;(enabled是enable的过去式) utilize:v.利用;运用;使用;应用; synthetic:adj.综合的;合成的,人造的;n.合成物; biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学;
It comes from molecular biology, which has given us antibiotics , vaccines and better ways to observe the physiological nuances of the human body. 这个领域是微生物学的分支微生物学就是那个带给我们抗生素,疫苗 并给我们更好的途径去研究人体细微差别的领域。
molecular:adj.[化学]分子的;由分子组成的; antibiotics:n.抗菌素;抗生素(如青霉素);(antibiotic的复数) vaccines:n.[药][计]疫苗; observe:v.观察;看到;庆祝;监视; nuances:细微差别;
Using the tools of synthetic biology, we can now edit the genes of nearly any organism, microscopic or not, with incredible speed and fidelity . 应用合成生物学的方法, 我们几乎可以编辑所有生物的基因 微生物或非微生物, 非常快速并精准。
edit:v.编辑;剪辑;编纂;编选;n.编辑[校订]工作; genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) microscopic:adj.微观的;用显微镜可见的; incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的; fidelity:n.保真度;忠诚;精确;尽责;
Given the limitations of our man-made machines, synthetic biology will be a means for us to engineer not only our food, our fuel and our environment, but also ourselves to compensate for our physical inadequacies and to ensure our survival in space. 相比较人造机器带来的局限性, 合成生物学不仅仅带给我们设计 食物,燃料和环境的方法, 也包括设计我们自身, 让我们完善个体的不足, 并确保我们能在太空中生存。
limitations:n.局限性;(限制)因素;边界(limitation的复数形式); man-made:adj.人造的;人工的;合成的; compensate:v.补偿,赔偿;抵消; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查; inadequacies:n.不充分;不足;不够;弱点(inadequacy的复数) survival:n.幸存,残存;幸存者,残存物;
To give you an example of how we can use synthetic biology for space exploration , let us return to the Mars environment. 让我举一个 关于我们如何应用合成生物技术到探索宇宙的例子 让我们重新回到火星的环境中,
exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术;
The Martian soil composition is similar to that of Hawaiian volcanic ash, with trace amounts of organic material. 火星的土壤和夏威夷火山灰的组成类似 它们都有微量的有机物组成。
Martian:adj.火星的;n.火星人; composition:n.成分;作文;构成;创作; Hawaiian:adj.夏威夷的;夏威夷语的;n.夏威夷人;夏威夷语; volcanic:adj.火山的;猛烈的;易突然发作的;n.火山岩; trace:追溯,追踪 organic:adj.有机的;不使用化肥的;绿色的;有机物的;n.分子有机体;
Let's say, hypothetically , what if martian soil could actually support plant growth without using Earth-derived nutrients? 所以,不如我们假设一下, 如果火星的土壤不需要应用地球衍生的营养物质 就可以支持植物生长会怎样呢？
hypothetically:adv.假设地;假想地; what if:如果…怎么办?
The first question we should probably ask is, how would we make our plants cold-tolerant? 我们应该问的第一个问题是, 我们怎么能让我们的植物忍受寒冷？
Because, on average, the temperature on Mars is a very uninviting negative 60 degrees centigrade . 原因是,火星上的平均温度 是非常难以忍受的零下60摄氏度。
uninviting:adj.讨厌的,无吸引力的;无魅力的; negative:adj.[数]负的;消极的;否定的;阴性的;n.否定;负数;[摄]底片;v.否定;拒绝; centigrade:adj.摄氏的;[仪]摄氏温度的;百分度的;
The next question we should ask is, how do we make our plants drought-tolerant? 下一个问题是, 我们怎么能让我们的植物忍受干旱？
Considering that most of the water that forms as frost evaporates more quickly than I can say the word "evaporate." 因为大多数的水都以霜的形式存在 蒸发的速度甚至快过于我说出“蒸发”这个词。
evaporates:n.蒸发岩;蒸发盐;v.蒸发;消失;衰退(evaporate的三单形式);
Well, it turns out we've already done things like this. 其实,我们已经做到以上的这些要求了
By borrowing genes for anti-freeze protein from fish and genes for drought tolerance from other plants like rice and then stitching them into the plants that need them, we now have plants that can tolerate most droughts and freezes. 向鱼借用了他们抗冻的基因, 向水稻借用了他们抗旱的基因, 并把这些基因片段编辑到我们需要的植物上 我们现在拥有了抗旱抗冻的的植物,
anti-freeze:adj.防冻; protein:n.蛋白质; tolerance:n.公差;耐量;宽容;容忍; stitching:n.(一行)针脚;v.缝补;缝合(伤口);(stitch的现在分词) tolerate:v.容忍;忍受;容许;包容; droughts:n.[气候]干旱(drought的复数);旱灾灾情;
They're known on Earth as GMOs, or genetically modified organisms , and we rely on them to feed all the mouths of human civilization . 在地球上它们被称为GMO 或转基因生物, 我们已经用它们来补给人类的需求。
genetically modified:adj.(植物等)遗传修饰的; organisms:n.[生物]生物体(organism的复数);[生物]有机体; rely:vi.依靠;信赖; civilization:n.文明;文明社会;文明世界;(特定时期和地区的)社会文明;
Nature does stuff like this already, without our help. 大自然已经在没有我们的帮助下, 做出了这样的作品,
stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本:
We have simply found more precise ways to do it. 我们仅仅是找到了更好的方法去使用它们
precise:adj.准确的;确切的;精确的;明确的;
So why would we want to change the genetic makeup of plants for space? 那么为什么我们要为了探索宇宙去改变植物的基因组成呢？
makeup:n.化妆品;组成;补充;补考;
Well, to not do so would mean needing to engineer endless acres of land on an entirely new planet by releasing trillions of gallons of atmospheric gasses and then constructing a giant glass dome to contain it all. 是这样的,如果我们不这样做的话,我们就需要 在一个新星球上建出几英亩的农田 这需要上亿加仑的大气层气体, 不光如此,我们还需要一个巨大的玻璃圆顶去覆盖这片农田。
endless:adj.无止境的;连续的;环状的;漫无目的的; releasing:n.释放;松释动作;脱扣释放;v.释放;排放;(release的现在分词); trillions:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿; gallons:n.加仑;大量(gallon的复数);一加仑的容器; atmospheric:adj.大气的,大气层的; constructing:n.构造;v.构造(construct的现在分词); dome:n.圆屋顶;vi.成圆顶状;vt.加圆屋顶于…上;
It's an unrealistic engineering enterprise that quickly becomes a high-cost cargo transport mission . 这是一个不现实的工程计划 也很容易演变成高代价的运输任务。
unrealistic:adj.不切实际的;不实在的; engineering:n.工程;工程学;v.密谋策划;设计制造;改变…的基因;(engineer的现在分词) cargo:n.(船或飞机装载的)货物; mission:n.使命,任务;代表团;布道;v.派遣;向…传教;
One of the best ways to ensure that we will have the food supplies and the air that we need is to bring with us organisms that have been engineered to adapt to new and harsh environments. 确保我们拥有足够的 食物和空气供给的最佳方案之一 就是带着转基因生物和我们一起 去适应崭新并艰苦的环境
adapt:vt.使适应;改编;vi.适应; harsh:adj.严厉的;严酷的;刺耳的;粗糙的;刺目的;
In essence , using engineered organisms to help us terraform a planet both in the short and long term. 实质上,在短期和长期中,转基因生物都可以帮助我们 去使一个星球地球化
In essence:本质上;其实;大体上;
These organisms can then also be engineered to make medicine or fuel. 转基因植物同样可以帮助我们制造药品和燃料
So we can use synthetic biology to bring highly engineered plants with us, but what else can we do? 所以我们可以带着高度转基因化的植物和我们一起 但是我们还能做什么呢？
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地;
Well, I mentioned earlier that we, as a species, were evolved uniquely for planet Earth. 我已经在之前的演讲中提到了,人类,作为一个族群, 在地球上一种奇特的方式进化着。
That fact has not changed much in the last five minutes that you were sitting here and I was standing there. 这个并没有在你们坐在这里 的五分钟内有什么变化吧
And so, if we were to dump any of us on Mars right this minute, even given ample food, water, air and a suit, we are likely to experience very unpleasant health problems 既然如此,如果要让我们在此时甩掉我们其中的几个,把他们留在火星上, 给他们充足的食物,水和空气 还用一身宇航服 我们还是会因为地表辐射出的离子射线
dump:v.倾倒;抛售;抛弃;转存;n.垃圾场;转储;转存;废物堆; ample:adj.丰富的;足够的;宽敞的; unpleasant:adj.令人不快的;不舒服的;不客气的
from the amount of ionizing radiation that bombards the surface of planets like Mars that have little or nonexistent atmosphere. 面临很不舒服的健康问题 因为像火星这样的星球几近没有大气层
ionizing:adj.[化学][物]电离的;离子化的;v.电离;使离子化(ionize的现在分词); radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法; bombards:vt.轰炸;炮击;n.射石炮; nonexistent:adj.不存在的;
Unless we plan to stay holed up underground for the duration of our stay on every new planet, we must find better ways of protecting ourselves without needing to resort to wearing a suit of armor 除非我们计划在来到每个新星球时 躲在地下 我们必须要找到更好的方式来保护自己, 甚至不需要求助于
resort:n.度假胜地;诉诸;采取;旅游胜地;v.去;凭藉; armor:n.[军]装甲;盔甲;v.为…装甲;
that weighs something equal to your own body weight, or needing to hide behind a wall of lead. 和我们自身一样重的宇航服 或者躲在一墙铅的后面。
So let us appeal to nature for inspiration. 让我们来到大自然来寻求灵感。
appeal:n.上诉;吸引力;申诉;魅力;v.上诉;呼吁;申诉;恳求;
Among the plethora of life here on Earth, there's a subset of organisms known as extremophiles , or lovers of extreme living conditions, if you'll remember from high school biology. 在地球上这些丰富多彩的生物里 存在着一个小团体,叫做极端微生物 如果你们记得高中的生物课 你应该知道他们还叫做极端环境爱好者,
plethora:n.过多;过剩;[医]多血症; subset:n.[数]子集;子设备;小团体; extremophiles:n.极端微生物(extremophile的复数); lovers:n.情人(lover的复数形式); 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;
And among these organisms is a bacterium by the name of Deinococcus radiodurans. 在这些神奇的生物中还存在着耐辐射奇球菌
bacterium:n.[微]细菌;杆菌属; by the name of:名叫;以…的名义;
It is known to be able to withstand cold, dehydration , vacuum , acid, and, most notably , radiation. 它因其耐寒,耐旱,耐真空,耐酸而着名 更重要的是,它还耐辐射。
withstand:vt.抵挡;禁得起;反抗;vi.反抗; dehydration:n.脱水; vacuum:n.真空; adj.真空的; v.用真空吸尘器清扫; notably:adv.显著地;尤其;
While its radiation tolerance mechanisms are known, we have yet to adapt the relevant genes to mammals . 尽管我们了解到它的耐辐射功能, 现在的我们还不能将相关基因作用在哺乳动物身上
mechanisms:n.机制;[机]机构(mechanism的复数);机械;[机]机构学; relevant:adj.相关的;切题的;中肯的;有重大关系的;有意义的,目的明确的; mammals:n.哺乳动物;(mammal的复数)
To do so is not particularly easy. 想做到这个非常困难。
particularly:adv.特别地,独特地;详细地,具体地;明确地,细致地;
There are many facets that go into its radiation tolerance, and it's not as simple as transferring one gene. 我们真正能接触到抗辐射基因需要突破重重难关 并且也不仅仅是转移一种基因
facets:n.面状,[材]刻面;切面或瓣面(facet的复数形式); transferring:n.[计]转移,传递;v.移动,[计]转移(transfer的现在分词形式);
But given a little bit of human ingenuity and a little bit of time, 但是考虑到人类的创新能力, 再加上一点点时间
ingenuity:n.心灵手巧,独创性;精巧;精巧的装置;
I think to do so is not very hard either. 我认为达成目标也并不是很难。
Even if we borrow just a fraction of its ability to tolerate radiation, it would be infinitely better than what we already have, which is just the melanin in our skin. 尽管我们只是借用他耐辐射性能中的一小部分 那也要比我们现在拥有的, 皮肤中的黑色素,好很多倍
fraction:n.分数;小部分;小数;少量; infinitely:adv.无限地;极其; melanin:n.黑色素;
Using the tools of synthetic biology, we can harness Deinococcus radiodurans' ability to thrive under otherwise very lethal doses of radiation. 运用基因重组科技, 我们可以驾驭耐辐射奇球菌的耐辐射性能 进而可以在拥有致命辐射的环境下生存繁衍
harness:vt.治理; n.马具; thrive:v.繁荣;茁壮成长;蓬勃发展;兴旺发达; lethal:adj.致命的,致死的;n.致死因子; doses:v.服药(dose的三单形式);n.[药][核]剂量(dose的复数);
As difficult as it is to see, homo sapiens , that is humans, evolves every day, and still continues to evolve. 尽管很难发现 智人,也就是现在的人类, 每天都在进化 并且一直持续地在进化。
homo sapiens:n.智人(现代人类); evolves:v.进化,进展(evolve的第三人称单数形式);
Thousands of years of human evolution has not only given us humans like Tibetans, who can thrive in low-oxygen conditions, but also Argentinians, who can ingest and metabolize arsenic , the chemical element that can kill the average human being. 几千年来人类的进化 不光带给我们人类 像西藏人一样在低氧的条件下生存的能力 还有向阿根廷一样,消化并新陈代谢 砷这种对于正常人类致命的化学物质
evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进; ingest:vt.摄取;咽下;吸收;接待; metabolize:vt.使新陈代谢;使变形;vi.新陈代谢; arsenic:n.砷;砒霜;三氧化二砷;adj.砷的;含砷的; chemical:n.化学制品,化学药品;adj.化学的; element:n.元素;要素;原理;成分;自然环境;
Every day, the human body evolves by accidental mutations that equally accidentally allow certain humans to persevere in dismal situations. 每天,人类的身体都因为意外的变化而进化着 也以同样几率让一部分人 在不适宜的环境中生存下来
mutations:n.[遗]突变;变化;转变(mutation的复数形式); accidentally:adv.意外地:偶然,偶然地; persevere:vi.坚持;不屈不挠;固执己见(在辩论中); dismal:adj.凄凉的,忧郁的;阴沉的,沉闷的;n.低落的情绪;
But, and this is a big but, such evolution requires two things that we may not always have, or be able to afford , and they are death and time. 但是,这是一个很重要的但是 这种进化需要两种不常见的因素, 或者可以说是承受不起的因素, 那就是死亡和时间。
afford:v.给予,提供;买得起;
In our species' struggle to find our place in the universe, we may not always have the time necessary for the natural evolution of extra functions for survival on non-Earth planets. 在我们的种族挣扎着想要在宇宙中找到一片栖息之地的过程中, 我们等不起自然进化带给我们 更强大的能力 去生存在另一个星球上。
extra:adj.额外的:n.额外的事物:adv.额外:另外:
We're living in what E.O. Wilson has termed the age of gene circumvention , during which we remedy our genetic defects like cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy with temporary external supplements . 我们生存在被E.O.威尔逊称为基因规避的时代。 如今我们可以改变基因上的瑕疵,比如囊胞性纤维症或肌肉萎缩症 用一种暂时性外界供给。
circumvention:n.规避;陷害;绕行; remedy:vt.补救;治疗;纠正;n.补救;治疗;赔偿; defects:n.缺点;瑕疵;不合格品(defect的复数);v.叛变(defect的三单形式); cystic fibrosis:n.囊性纤维化; muscular dystrophy:n.肌营养不良症;肌肉萎缩; temporary:adj.暂时的,临时的;n.临时工,临时雇员; external:n.外部;外观;形式;外部情况;adj.外部的;外面的;外界的;外来的; supplements:n.补充品;增补物;[昆]补脉(supplement的复数);
But with every passing day, we approach the age of volitional evolution, a time during which we as a species will have the capacity to decide for ourselves our own genetic destiny . 一天天过去, 我们到达了有意识进化的时期, 在这个时期,我们作为一个种族 将拥有能力去决定我们自身的能力和先天的命运。
approach:n.方法;路径;v.接近;建议;着手处理; volitional:adj.意志的;凭意志的; capacity:n.能力;容量;资格,地位;生产力; destiny:n.命运,定数,天命;
Augmenting the human body with new abilities is no longer a question of how, but of when. 用新技术去操作人体的各个组成 将不再是一个“怎样去做”的问题, 而将变成“何时去做”。
Augmenting:v.增加;使扩张(augment的ing形式);
Using synthetic biology to change the genetic makeup of any living organisms, especially our own, is not without its moral and ethical quandaries . 运用基因重组科技, 去改变每一个生物体的基因组成。 特别是针对我们人体本身, 将不再被道德或伦理所诟病。
especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分; moral:n.寓意;品行;教益;adj.道德的;道义上的;道德上的;品行端正的; ethical:adj.伦理的;道德的;凭处方出售的;n.处方药; quandaries:n.困惑;窘境;为难;
Will engineering ourselves make us less human? 难道设计人体会让我们变得不是人类吗？
But then again, what is humanity but star stuff that happens to be conscious ? 但是再说了,人类是什么？ 不过就是碰巧有自主意识的宇宙组成。
humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科; conscious:adj.意识到的;故意的;神志清醒的;
Where should human genius direct itself? 人类的天赋又会引领人类到哪里呢？
genius:n.天才;天资;才能,本领;
Surely it is a bit of a waste to sit back and marvel at it. 只在这为一项项科技进步而惊叹但并不作出实际改变肯定是一种浪费。
marvel:n.奇迹;vt.对…感到惊异;vi.感到惊讶;
How do we use our knowledge to protect ourselves from the external dangers and then protect ourselves from ourselves? 我们该怎样运用我们的智慧 用来保护我们自己规避外在的危险？ 然后又避免自己成为现在的自己？
I pose these questions not to engender the fear of science but to bring to light the many possibilities that science has afforded and continues to afford us. 我提出这些疑问 并不是让大家生出对科学的恐惧, 却是想让更多人了解 科学已经给我们带来,并会持续给我们带来的更多的可能性。
pose:v.引起; n.装腔作势; (为画像、拍照等摆的)姿势; engender:vt.使产生;造成;vi.产生;引起; bring to light:揭露;发现;公开; afforded:vt.给予,提供;买得起;
We must coalesce as humans to discuss and embrace the solutions not only with caution but also with courage. 我们应该作为人类联合起来去讨论并应用那些解决方案, 并不仅仅需要小心, 还需要勇气。
coalesce:vi.合并;结合;联合;vt.使…联合;使…合并; embrace:n.拥抱,怀抱;v.拥抱;乐意采纳(思想、建议等);信奉;包括;
Mars is a destination, but it will not be our last. 火星是我们的一个目的地, 但这并不会是我们最后一个目的地。
Our true final frontier is the line we must cross in deciding what we can and should make of our species' improbable intelligence . 我们的最终的疆界将是我们跨出 决定我们能做什么和如何使用我们种族无与伦比的智慧。
improbable:adj.不大可能的,未必确实的;不可信的; intelligence:n.智力;智慧;才智;(尤指关于敌国的)情报;
Space is cold, brutal and unforgiving . 太空是冷酷的,残忍的,毫不留情的。
brutal:adj.残忍的;野蛮的,不讲理的; unforgiving:adj.不原谅人的;不宽恕人的;
Our path to the stars will be rife with trials that will bring us to question not only who we are but where we will be going. 我们通向其他星球的道路将会因为我们的数次尝试变得非常普通, 带给我们新的问题,不仅仅要问出“我们是谁” “我们的终点在哪里”
rife:adj.普遍的;流行的;盛传的;
The answers will lie in our choice to use or abandon the technology that we have gleaned from life itself, and it will define us for the remainder of our term in this universe. 答案就在我们的选择中,我们是会使用还是会放弃。 这项从生命本身拾起的科技, 它也会决定我们在这宇宙中的生存期限。
abandon:n.狂热;放任;v.遗弃;放弃; gleaned:v.四处搜集(信息、知识等);(glean的过去分词和过去式) define:v.定义;使明确;规定; remainder:n.[数]余数,残余; adj.剩余的; vt.廉价出售; vi.廉价出售;
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）