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MorganVague_2018X-_能吃掉塑料的细菌_
Plastics: you know about them, you may not love them, but chances are you use them every single day. 塑料——你们了解塑料, 你们也许不喜欢塑料, 但事实是你们每天都要用到它。
By 2050, researchers estimate that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. 据研究人员估计,到2050年, 海洋中塑料的数量将超过鱼类。
estimate:v.估计;估算;估价;n.估价;(对大小、数量、成本等的)估计;估计的成本;
Despite our best efforts, only nine percent of all plastic we use winds up being recycled . 尽管我们非常努力, 我们用过的塑料中 仅有9%被回收利用。
Despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; recycled:n.再生纸;回收站;adj.[环境]回收利用的;可循环再造的;
And even worse, plastic is incredibly tough and durable and researchers estimate to fully break down. 更糟糕的是, 塑料十分牢固,经久耐用, 据研究人员估计, 这些塑料才会分解。
incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地; durable:adj.耐用的;耐久的;长期的;长久的;n.耐久品;
It leaches harmful chemical contaminants into our oceans, our soil, our food, our water, and into us. 它释放有毒化学成分 进入海洋、土壤, 进入我们的食物、我们的水源, 最终被我们吸收。
leaches:n.(采灰汁用的)滤灰,滤汁;滤灰槽;过滤;(leach的复数) chemical:n.化学制品,化学药品;adj.化学的; contaminants:n.[环境]污染物;污垢物(contaminant的复数);
So how did we wind up with so much plastic waste? 那么我们是如何制造出 这么多塑料垃圾的呢？
Well, it's simple. 很简单。
Plastic is cheap, durable, adaptable , and it's everywhere. 塑料廉价耐用,用处广, 而且到处都是。
adaptable:adj.适合的;能适应的;可修改的;
But the good news is there's something else that's cheap, durable, adaptable and everywhere. 好消息是, 还有一样东西,同样廉价耐用, 用处广,而且到处都是。
And my research shows it may even be able to help us with our plastic pollution problem. 我的研究表明, 它也许可以帮助我们 解决塑料污染问题。
I'm talking about bacteria . 我要说的是细菌。
bacteria:n.[微]细菌;
Bacteria are microscopic living beings invisible to the naked eye that live everywhere, in all sorts of diverse and extreme environments, from the human gut , to soil, to skin, to vents in the ocean floor, reaching temperatures of 700 degrees Fahrenheit . 细菌是肉眼不可见的微生物, 它到处都是, 存在于多样和极端的环境中, 存在于人类肠道、土壤和皮肤, 存在于温度高达700 华氏度的海底火山口。
microscopic:adj.微观的;用显微镜可见的; invisible:adj.看不见的;n.看不见的人或物; naked:adj.裸体的;无装饰的;无证据的;直率的; diverse:adj.不同的;多种多样的;变化多的; 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; gut:n.勇气;肠道;内脏;v.损毁内部;取出…的内脏;adj.非理性的;本能的 vents:n.[矿业]通风孔(vent的复数);排空(气)阀;通风管;管乐类; Fahrenheit:adj.华氏的;华氏温度计的;n.华氏温度计;华氏温标;
Bacteria live everywhere, in all sorts of diverse and extreme environments. 细菌无处不在, 存在于多样和极端的环境中。
And as such, they have to get pretty creative with their food sources . 正因如此,它们的 食物来源同样丰富多彩。
creative:adj.创造性的; 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)
There's also a lot of them. 它们的种类也很丰富。
Researchers estimate that there are roughly five million trillion trillion -- that's a five with 30 zeros after it -- bacteria on the planet. 研究人员估计在地球上 有5百万兆兆—— 5后面有30个零—— 的细菌存在。
roughly:adv.粗糙地;概略地; trillion:n.[数]万亿;adj.万亿的;num.[数]万亿;
Now, considering that we humans produce 300 million tons of new plastic each year, 考虑到我们人类每年 都会生产3亿吨塑料,
I'd say that our plastic numbers are looking pretty comparable to bacteria's. 我想说我们生产的塑料数量 和细菌数量有的一拼。
comparable to:可比较的,比得上的;
So, after noticing this and after learning about all of the creative ways that bacteria find food, 所以,意识到这点, 以及学习了细菌的 所有食物来源后,
I started to think: could bacteria in plastic-polluted environments have figured out how to use plastic for food? 我开始想: 生活在塑料污染环境下的细菌, 是否进化出了吃塑料的能力呢？
Well, this is the question that I decided to pursue a couple of years ago. 几年前我决定仔细研究这个问题。
pursue:v.继续;从事;追赶;纠缠;
Now, fortunately for me, 幸运的是,
fortunately:adv.幸运地;
I'm from one of the most polluted cities in America, 我出身于美国污染 最严重的城市之一,
Houston , Texas. 德州休斯顿。
Houston:n.休斯顿(美国得克萨斯州港市);
(Laughs) （笑声）
In my hometown alone, there are seven EPA-designated Superfund sites . 仅仅在我家乡, 就有7所环境保护局指定的 超级基金污染场址。
sites:n.网站(site的复数);遗址,举办地点;v.使...位于(site的单三形式);
These are sites that are so polluted, that the government has deemed their cleanup a national priority . 这些场所的污染之严重, 政府甚至将对它们的清洁工作 列为全国优先项目。
deemed:v.认为;视为;相信;(deem的过去分词和过去式) cleanup:n.清除;暴利;清扫工作;第四防守位置;adj.第四位击球员的; priority:n.优先;优先权;[数]优先次序;优先考虑的事;
So I decided to trek around to these sites and collect soil samples teeming with bacteria. 我决定到这些场所去, 收集一些富含细菌的土壤样本。
trek:v.长途跋涉;远足,徒步旅行;n.长途跋涉(尤指在山区); teeming:adj.多产的,丰富的;热闹的;v.充满(teem的现在分词);
I started toying with a protocol , which is fancy science talk for a recipe . 我开始摆弄一个原型机, 它就等同于科学界的食谱。
toying:v.玩弄;调情;随随便便地对待(toy的现在分词) protocol:n.协议;草案;礼仪;vt.拟定;vi.拟定; fancy:n.幻想; adj.想象的; v.想象; recipe:n.食谱;方法;诀窍;烹饪法;
And what I was trying to cook up was a carbon-free media , or a food-free environment. 我想“烹饪”出的是无碳媒介, 或是没有食物的环境。
carbon-free:adj.不含碳的; media:n.媒体;媒质(medium的复数);血管中层;浊塞音;中脉;
An environment without the usual carbons , or food, that bacteria, like us humans, need to live. 一个没有常见的碳, 也没有食物的环境, 而细菌,像人类一样, 也需要生存下去。
carbons:n.[化学]碳;碳棒;复写纸;adj.碳的;碳处理的;
Now, in this environment, 在这个环境中,
I would provide my bacteria with a sole carbon, or food, source. 我将为细菌提供唯一的碳, 或者可以说食物、资源。
sole:n.鞋底; adj.仅有的; v.给(鞋)换底;
I would feed my bacteria polyethylene terephthalate , or PET plastic. 我将为它们提供 聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯, 也就是俗称的PET塑料。
polyethylene:n.[高分子]聚乙烯; terephthalate:n.对苯二酸盐;对苯二酸酯;
PET plastic is the most widely produced plastic in the world. PET塑料是世界上 产量最大的塑料。
It's used in all sorts of food and drink containers, with the most notorious example being plastic water bottles, of which we humans currently go through at a rate of one million per minute. 它被用于制作所有的 食物和液体容器, 最着名的例子莫过于塑料水瓶, 人类每分钟都要使用 一百万的塑料水瓶。
notorious:adj.声名狼藉的,臭名昭著的; currently:adv.当前;一般地;
So, what I would be doing, is essentially putting my bacteria on a forced diet of PET plastic and seeing which, if any, might survive or, hopefully, thrive . 我要做的事情, 是迫使细菌以PET塑料为食, 并且观察是否有细菌能活下来, 或者更进一步,繁荣生长。
essentially:adv.本质上;本来; thrive:v.繁荣;茁壮成长;蓬勃发展;兴旺发达;
See, this type of experiment would act as a screen for bacteria that had adapted to their plastic-polluted environment and evolved the incredibly cool ability to eat PET plastic. 这种实验 能给已经适应塑料污染场所 环境的细菌提供庇护所, 并且让它们发展消耗 PET塑料的能力。
adapted:adj.适于…的; v.使适应,使适合; (adapt的过去分词和过去式) evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式)
And using this screen, 利用这个场所,
I was able to find some bacteria that had done just that. 我发现了一些已经具备 这种能力的细菌。
These bacteria had figured out how to eat PET plastic. 这些细菌进化出了以 PET塑料为食的能力。
So how do these bacteria do this? 那么它们具体是怎么做的呢？
Well, it's actually pretty simple. 这其实很简单。
Just as we humans digest carbon or food into chunks of sugar that we then use for energy, so too do my bacteria. 如同人类消化碳或食物, 转化为能量来源葡萄糖那样, 我的细菌也是这么做的。
digest:n.摘要;文摘;概要;汇编;v.消化;领会;领悟;理解; chunks:n.厚块;大块;相当大的量;组块;(chunk的复数)
My bacteria, however, have figured out how to do this digestion process to big, tough, durable PET plastic. 不同的是,我的细菌进化出了 消化大型、牢固耐用的 PET塑料的方法。
digestion:n.消化;领悟; process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
Now, to do this, my bacteria use a special version of what's called an enzyme . 为了达成这点,我的细菌会 利用一个特殊的物品, 叫作酶。
enzyme:n.[生化]酶;
Now, enzymes are simply compounds that exist in all living things. 酶是一种简单的化合物, 存在于所有生命体中。
enzymes:n.[生化]酶(enzyme的复数);酶类,酵素; compounds:n.混合物,化合物;大院(compound的复数形式);
There are many different types of enzymes, but basically , they make processes go forward, such as the digestion of food into energy. 酶有很多种类, 但基本上,它们的功能是促进过程, 例如将食物转化为能量的过程。
basically:adv.主要地,基本上; processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式);
For instance , we humans have an enzyme called an amylase that helps us digest complex starches , such as bread, into small chunks of sugar that we can then use for energy. 举个例子,人体内有一种 叫作淀粉酶的东西, 能够帮助我们消化淀粉,如面包, 并转化为小分子葡萄糖, 用以提供能量。
instance:n.实例;情况;建议;v.举...为例; amylase:n.[生化]淀粉酶; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; starches:n.淀粉质食品;v.给…上浆;使浆硬(starch的单三形式);
Now, my bacteria have a special enzyme called a lipase that binds to big, tough, durable PET plastic and helps break it into small chunks of sugar that my bacteria can then use for energy. 我的细菌有一种特殊的酶, 叫作脂肪酶, 这种酶能附着在大型 牢固耐用的PET塑料上, 并且将它分解成小分子的葡萄糖, 我的细菌就可以将其作为能量来源。
lipase:n.[生化]脂肪酶;脂肪分解酵素; binds:v.约束;捆绑;系;装订;n.窘境;(binds是bind的第三人称单数)
So basically, 基本上,
PET plastic goes from being a big, tough, long-lasting pollutant to a tasty meal for my bacteria. PET塑料从大型、 牢固而持久的污染, 变成了我的细菌口中的美餐。
long-lasting:adj.持续时间长的; pollutant:n.污染物; tasty:美味的
Sounds pretty cool, right? 听起来很棒,不是吗？
And I think, given the current scope of our plastic pollution problem, 并且我认为,考虑到现在 塑料污染的规模问题,
scope:n.能力; v.仔细看;
I think it sounds pretty useful. 我认为这听起来非常实用。
The statistics I shared with you on just how much plastic waste has accumulated on our planet are daunting . 那些我分享给你们的 关于我们星球上有 多少塑料垃圾的数据 骇人听闻。
statistics:n.统计数字;统计资料;统计学;(statistic的复数) accumulated:v.积累;积聚;(数量)逐渐增加;(accumulate的过去式和过去分词) daunting:adj.令人生畏的:令人胆怯的:v.使胆怯:使失去信心;(daunt的现在分词)
They're scary. 它们让人感到害怕。
And I think they highlight that while reducing, reusing and recycling are important, they alone are not going to be enough to solve this problem. 并且我认为它们还指出, 尽管减少使用、再次利用 和回收非常重要, 但仅通过这些方法是 不足以解决这个问题的。
highlight:vt.突出;强调;使显著;加亮;n.最精彩的部分;最重要的事情;加亮区; recycling:n.(资源,垃圾的)回收利用;v.回收;再循环利用(recycle的现在分词);
And this is where I think bacteria might be able to help us out. 我认为细菌也许能够帮助我们。
But I do understand why the concept of bacterial help might make some people a little nervous. 但我能理解为什么 有些人听到利用细菌会紧张。
bacterial:adj.[微]细菌的;
After all, if plastic is everywhere and these bacteria eat plastic, isn't there a risk of these bacteria getting out in the environment and wreaking havoc ? 毕竟,如果塑料到处都是, 而这些细菌会吃塑料, 这些细菌会不会流入环境, 造成破坏呢？
wreaking:v.造成(巨大的破坏或伤害);(wreak的现在分词) havoc:n.大破坏;浩劫;蹂躏;v.严重破坏;损毁;
Well, the short answer is no, and I'll tell you why. 答案是否定的,让我来解释给你听。
These bacteria are already in the environment. 这些细菌本身就存在于环境中。
The bacteria in my research are not genetically modified frankenbugs. 我实验中使用的细菌 不是转基因的人造虫。
genetically modified:adj.(植物等)遗传修饰的;
These are naturally occurring bacteria that have simply adapted to their plastic-polluted environment and evolved the incredibly gnarly ability to eat PET plastic. 它们是自然存在的细菌, 只是它们适应了塑料污染的环境, 并且进化出了极端而不可思议的 消化塑料的能力。
naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地; occurring:n.事件;事故;事变; gnarly:adj.多瘤的;粗糙的;
So the process of bacteria eating plastic is actually a natural one. 所以细菌消化塑料 事实上是自然的过程。
But it's an incredibly slow process. 但这个过程非常缓慢。
And there remains a lot of work to be done to figure out how to speed up this process to a useful pace. 并且还需要投入大量工作, 研究如何加快进程速度, 让它能够发挥作用。
My research is currently looking at ways of doing this through a series of UV, or ultraviolet , pretreatments, which basically means we blast PET plastic with sunlight . 我的研究现在正通过进行 一系列紫外线预处理 来寻找这样的方法, 这基本上意味着我们将 PET塑料置于阳光暴晒下,
series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书; ultraviolet:adj.紫外的;紫外线的;n.紫外线辐射,紫外光; blast:n.爆炸; v.爆破; sunlight:n.日光;
We do this because sunlight acts a bit like tenderizer on a steak, turning the big, tough, durable bonds in PET plastic a bit softer and a bit easier for my bacteria to chew on. 我们这么做,就像把肉弄嫩一样, 阳光会使得PET塑料中 大块、坚硬耐用的联结软化,最终,我研究的目的, 方便我的细菌进食。
tenderizer:n.(肉类)嫩化剂;嫩肉粉;
Ultimately , what my research hopes to do is create an industrial-scale contained carbon-free system, similar to a compost heap, where these bacteria can thrive in a contained system, where their sole food source is PET plastic waste. 最终,我研究的目的, 是为了创造出产业级别的 独立无碳系统, 如同肥料堆那样, 在那里,细菌可以在 独立系统中繁荣发展, 它们的唯一食物是PET塑料垃圾。
Ultimately:adv.最终;最后;归根结底;终究; industrial-scale:n.大规模; compost:n.堆肥;混合物;vt.堆肥;施堆肥;
Imagine one day being able to dispose of all of your plastic waste in a bin at the curb that you knew was bound for a dedicated bacteria-powered plastic waste facility . 想象有一天,你可以 把你所有的塑料垃圾 扔进马路边的一个垃圾桶, 而你知道这个垃圾桶是专门的 细菌消耗塑料垃圾装置。
dispose:v.布置;安排;排列;使倾向于; curb:vt.遏制;控制,限定,约束;n.起控制(或限制)作用的事物 bound:n.跳跃:v.跳跃着跑:形成…的边界(或界限)adj.一定会:很可能会: dedicated:adj.献身的; v.把…奉献给; (dedicate的过去分词和过去式) facility:n.设施;设备;特别装置;特色;场所;天资;
I think with some hard work this is an achievable reality. 我认为通过努力, 我们可以实现这个目标。
achievable:adj.可完成的;可有成就的;做得成的;
Plastic-eating bacteria is not a cure-all . 以塑料为食的细菌并不能解决一切。
cure-all:n.万灵药;
But given the current statistics, it's clear that we humans, we could use a little help with this problem. 但考虑到现实状况,很明显我们人类 在这个问题上需要一些帮助。
Because people, we possess a pressing problem of plastic pollution. 因为对于我们人类而言, 塑料污染问题迫在眉睫。
possess:vt.控制;持有;迷住;具备;
And bacteria might be a really important part of the solution . 细菌也许能为解决问题 做出很大贡献。
solution:n.解决方案;溶液;溶解;解答;
Thank you. 谢谢你们。
(Applause) （掌声）