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TaraDjokic_2019X-_古老岩石带出生命起源的新理论_-
The Earth is 4.6 billion years old, but a human lifetime often lasts for less than 100 years. 地球的年齡是四十六億歲, 但人類的生命通常不到一百年。
So why care about the history of our planet when the distant past seems so inconsequential to everyday life? 所以,為什麼要在乎地球的歷史, 畢竟遙遠的過去對日常生活 似乎也無足輕重？
distant:adj.遥远的;远处的;久远的; inconsequential:adj.不重要的;不合理的;不合逻辑的;
You see, as far as we can tell, 要知道,根據可得資訊,
as far as:至于…;
Earth is the only planet in our solar system known to have sparked life, and the only system able to provide life support for human beings. 在我們的太陽系中,只有地球 擁有璀璨的生命, 也只有這個星球能提供 支持人類生命的系統。
solar system:[天]太阳系; sparked:v.点燃,发动(spark的过去式,过去分词);鼓舞; life support:adj.保障生命的,维持生命的;
So why Earth? 所以,為什麼是地球？
We know Earth is unique for having plate tectonics , liquid water on its surface and an oxygen-rich atmosphere . 我們知道地球獨一無二的 特徵包括它的板塊構造、 表面的液態水, 以及富含氧氣的大氣。
unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; plate tectonics:n.板块运动;板块构造学;大地构造学; oxygen-rich:富氧的; atmosphere:n.大气;气氛;气压;风格;
But this has not always been the case, and we know this because ancient rocks have recorded the pivotal moments in Earth's planetary evolution . 但並非一直都是如此的, 我們知道這一點, 是因為古老的岩石記錄了
pivotal:adj.关键的;中枢的;枢轴的;n.关键事物;中心事物; planetary:adj.行星的; evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进;
And one of the best places to observe those ancient rocks is in the Pilbara of Western Australia. 觀察這些古老岩石 最好的地方之一, 就是澳洲西部的皮爾布拉。
observe:v.观察;看到;庆祝;监视;
The rocks here are 3.5 billion years old, and they contain some of the oldest evidence for life on the planet. 這裡的岩石有三十五億年的歷史, 它們內含有地球上 最早的生命的證據。
evidence:n.证据,证明;迹象;明显;v.证明;
Now, often when we think of early life, we might imagine a stegosaurus or maybe a fish crawling onto land. 通常,當我們談到古老生命時, 我們會想像到劍龍, 或是某種魚類爬到陸地上。
stegosaurus:n.剑龙; crawling:v.爬行;匍匐行进;(crawl的现在分词)
But the early life that I'm talking about is simple microscopic life, like bacteria . 但我所談的古老生命 是簡單的微生命,比如細菌。
microscopic:adj.微观的;用显微镜可见的; bacteria:n.[微]细菌;
And their fossils are often preserved as layered rock structures , called stromatolites . 它們的化石通常會以層疊 岩石結構的形式保存下來, 稱為疊層石。
fossils:n.[古生]化石(fossil复数形式); preserved:v.保护;维护;保留;保存;保养;(preserve的过去式和过去分词) layered:adj.分层的;层状的;v.分层堆积;用压条法培植(layer的过去分词); structures:n.结构; v.建造(structure的第三人称单数形式); stromatolites:[地质]叠层石;
This simple form of life is almost all we see in the fossil record for the first three billion years of life on Earth. 在地球有生命出現起的 最初三十億年, 我們在化石記錄中,看到的 大部分是簡單形式的生命。
Our species can only be traced back in the fossil record to a few hundred thousand years ago. 化石紀錄只能追溯我們人類物種 到幾十萬年前。
species:n.[生物]物种;种类; traced:v.发现;追踪;追究;描绘;记述;(trace的过去分词和过去式)
We know from the fossil record, bacteria life had grabbed a strong foothold by about 3.5 to four billion years ago. 我們從化石記錄可以知道, 細菌生命在大約 三十五到四十億年前 就立下穩固的基礎。
grabbed:v.抓住;攫取;抓住,夺得;(grab的过去分词和过去式) foothold:n.据点;立足处;
The rocks older than this have been either destroyed or highly deformed through plate tectonics. 比這更古老的岩石 若不是被摧毀了, 就是因為板塊構造而嚴重變形。
highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; deformed:adj.畸形的; v.使...残缺,使...变形(deform的过去式和过去分词形式);
So what remains a missing piece of the puzzle is exactly when and how life on Earth began. 所以,拼圖仍然少了一片, 那片就是:地球是 何時、如何開始的？
puzzle:n.谜;疑问;智力游戏;不解之谜;v.迷惑;使困惑;
Here again is that ancient volcanic landscape in the Pilbara. 回到皮爾布拉的古老火山地景。
volcanic:adj.火山的;猛烈的;易突然发作的;n.火山岩; landscape:n.景观;乡村风景画;(文件的)横向打印格式;v.对…做景观美化;美化…的环境;
Little did I know that our research here would provide another clue to that origin-of-life puzzle. 我當時並不知道我們的研究 會提供另一條線索 來破解生命源頭之謎。
clue:n.提示;迹象;(纵横填字谜、游戏或问题的)提示词语;v.提示;为…提供线索; origin-of-life:un.生命起源;生命的起源;
It was on my first field trip here, toward the end of a full, long week mapping project, that I came across something rather special. 那是我第一次實地勘察, 在整整一週漫長的 製圖專案接近尾聲時, 我發現了一樣蠻特別的東西。
field trip:n.(常指学生进行的)野外考察;
Now, what probably looks like a bunch of wrinkly old rocks are actually stromatolites. 外表看起來像非常 古老的一堆岩石, 其實是疊層石。
a bunch of:一群;一束;一堆; wrinkly:adj.有皱纹的;易生皱纹的;n.老人(俚语);
And at the center of this mound was a small, peculiar rock about the size of a child's hand. 在這一堆奇怪的小岩石的中心, 大小接近孩子的手。
mound:n.小丘;小山岗;一堆;许多;大量; peculiar:adj.特殊的;独特的;奇怪的;罕见的;n.特权;特有财产;
It took six months before we inspected this rock under a microscope , when one of my mentors at the time, Malcolm Walter, suggested the rock resembled geyserite . 我們花了六個月的時間, 在顯微鏡底下觀察這塊岩石, 當時,我的導師之一, 麥爾肯華特, 覺得這塊岩石很像鈣礬石。
inspected:v.检查;查看;审视;视察;(inspect的过去式和过去分词) microscope:n.显微镜; mentors:n.导师,教练(mentor复数); resembled:像,类似(resemble的过去式); geyserite:n.[矿]矽[硅]华;硅华;矽华;沉积物;
Geyserite is a rock type that only forms in and around the edges of hot spring pools. 鈣礬石這種岩石
Now, in order for you to understand the significance of geyserite, 為了讓各位了解鈣礬石的重要性,
significance:n.意义;重要性;意思;
I need to take you back a couple of centuries. 我得帶各位回到幾世紀前。
In 1871, in a letter to his friend Joseph Hooker , 1871 年,達爾文寫給
Joseph:n.连帽大氅; Hooker:n.(橄榄球并列争球时的)钩球队员;卖淫者;妓女;
Charles Darwin suggested: " What if life started in some warm little pond with all sort of chemicals still ready to undergo more complex changes?" 他的朋友約瑟夫胡克的信上指出: 「有沒有可能生命始於 某個溫暖的小池子, 裡面有各種化學物質, 隨時蓄勢待發準備好要做出 更複雜的改變？」
What if:如果…怎么办? pond:n.池塘;水池(尤指人工的);v.把…挖成池塘;堵(溪流)水成池; chemicals:n.化学制品;化学品;(chemical的复数) undergo:vt.经历,经受;忍受; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施;
Well, we know of warm little ponds . We call them "hot springs." 我們熟識這些溫暖的小池子, 稱之為「溫泉」。
ponds:n.[水文]池塘(pond的复数);v.堵成池;筑成池塘(pond的三单形式);
In these environments, you have hot water dissolving minerals from the underlying rocks. 這些環境中有熱水 從底下的岩石溶解出礦物質。
dissolving:adj.消溶的;毁灭性的;v.使溶解(dissolve的现在分词); minerals:n.矿物;矿产,矿产品(mineral的复数);矿物质; underlying:adj.根本的; v.构成…的基础; (underlie的现在分词)
This solution mixes with organic compounds and results in a kind of chemical factory, which researchers have shown can manufacture simple cellular structures that are the first steps toward life. 這種溶液和有機化合物混合, 產生出了某種化學工廠, 研究者已經證明, 是生命的最初起源。
solution:n.解决方案;溶液;溶解;解答; mixes:n.混淆;调拌料(mix的复数);v.混合(mix的第三人称单数); organic:adj.有机的;不使用化肥的;绿色的;有机物的;n.分子有机体; compounds:n.混合物,化合物;大院(compound的复数形式); manufacture:v.(用机器)大量生产; n.大量制造; cellular:adj.细胞的;多孔的;由细胞组成的;n.移动电话;单元;
But 100 years after Darwin's letter, deep-sea hydrothermal vents , or hot vents , were discovered in the ocean. 但在達爾文的那封信之後一百年, 在海洋中發現了深海溫泉。
deep-sea:adj.深海的; hydrothermal:adj.[地质]热液的;热水的; vents:n.[矿业]通风孔(vent的复数);排空(气)阀;通风管;管乐类;
And these are also chemical factories. 它們也是化學工廠。
This one is located along the Tonga volcanic arc , 1,100 meters below sea level in the Pacific Ocean. 這個工廠的位置沿著湯加火山弧, 在太平洋海平面下一千一百公尺。
located:adj.位于; v.确定…的准确地点; (locate的过去分词和过去式) arc:n.弧;弧形;弓形;v.作弧形运动; sea level:海平面;
The black smoke that you see billowing out of these chimneylike structures is also mineral-rich fluid , which is being fed off by bacteria. 各位可以看到,從這些 像煙囪的結構噴出來的黑煙 也是富含礦物質的液體, 細菌會從這裡取食。
billowing:v.鼓起;(烟雾)涌出,汹涌向前;大量冒出(billow的现在分词) fluid:adj.流动的;流畅的;不固定的;n.流体;液体;
And since the discovery of these deep-sea vents, the favored scenario for an origin of life has been in the ocean. 自從發現了這些深海溫泉之後, 比較熱門的生命起源 說法就是海洋。
scenario:n.方案;情节;剧本;
And this is for good reason: deep-sea vents are well-known in the ancient rock record, and it's thought that the early Earth had a global ocean and very little land surface. 背後有很好的理由: 從古老的岩石記錄中就能 清楚知道深海溫泉的存在, 一般認為,早期的地球 有一個全球性的海洋, 陸地表面很少。
well-known:adj.著名的;众所周知的;清楚明白的; global:adj.全球的;总体的;球形的;
So the probability that deep-sea vents were abundant on the very early Earth fits well with an origin of life in the ocean. 所以,很有可能,古老的地球上 有很多深海溫泉, 這點非常符合生命 起源於海洋的說法。
probability:n.可能性;机率;[数]或然率; abundant:adj.丰富的;充裕的;盛产;
However ... 然而……
our research in the Pilbara provides and supports an alternative perspective . 我們在皮爾布拉的研究提供 且支持了另一種替代的觀點。
alternative:adj.供选择的;选择性的;交替的;n.二中择一;供替代的选择; perspective:n.观点;远景;透视图;adj.透视的;
After three years, finally , we were able to show that, in fact, our little rock was geyserite. 三年後,我們終於得以證明,事實上, 我們的岩石是鈣礬石。
finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
So this conclusion suggested not only did hot springs exist in our 3.5 billion-year-old volcano in the Pilbara, but it pushed back evidence for life living on land in hot springs in the geological record of Earth by three billion years. 所以,這個結論不只 意味著三十五億年前 溫泉存在於皮爾布拉的火山中, 也意味著,地質記錄中證明 生命存在於陸地溫泉的證據 被推回了三十億年。
conclusion:n.结论;结局;推论; volcano:n.火山; geological:adj.地质的,地质学的;
And so, from a geological perspective, 所以,從地質的觀點來看,
Darwin's warm little pond is a reasonable origin-of-life candidate. 達爾文的溫暖小池子
reasonable:adj.合理的,公道的;通情达理的;
Of course, it's still debatable how life began on Earth, and it probably always will be. 當然「地球的生命起源」 仍然有爭論空間, 可能永遠都會有。
debatable:adj.成问题的;可争论的;未决定的;
But it is clear that it's flourished; it has diversified , and it has become ever more complex. 但,很顯然,生命興起了, 生命變多樣了, 且生命也變得前所未有的複雜。
diversified:adj.多样化的; v.增加…的品种; (diversify的过去式和过去分词)
Eventually , it reached the age of the human, a species that has begun to question its own existence and the existence of life elsewhere : 最終,到了人類的時代, 當我們開始質疑自身的存在 以及其他地方是否有生命存在時,
Eventually:adv.最后,终于; elsewhere:adv.在别处;到别处;
Is there a cosmic community waiting to connect with us, or are we all there is? 不禁會問:是否有個宇宙群落 等著和我們連結, 或者宇宙中只有我們？
cosmic:adj.宇宙的; community:n.社区;[生态]群落;共同体;团体;
A clue to this puzzle again comes from the ancient rock record. 同樣的,這個謎題的一條線索 也來自古老岩石記錄。
At about 2.5 billion years ago, there is evidence that bacteria had begun to produce oxygen, kind of like plants do today. 大約二十五億年前, 有證據顯示細菌開始產生氧氣, 有點像現今的植物。
Geologists refer to the period that followed as the Great Oxidation Event. 地質學家把接在後面的時期稱為 大氧化事件。
Geologists:n.[地质]地质学家(geologist的复数形式); refer:v.参考;涉及;提到;查阅; Oxidation:n.[化学]氧化;
It is implied from rocks called banded iron formations , many of which can be observed as hundreds-of-meter-thick packages of rock which are exposed in gorges 源自所謂的帶狀鐵礦層, 許多帶狀鐵礦層看起來是 數百公尺厚的岩石組, 一路從澳洲西部的卡瑞吉尼國家公園
implied:adj.不言而喻的; v.含有…的意思; (imply的过去分词和过去式) banded:adj.有带子的;v.绑扎(band的过去式); formations:n.形成(formation的复数形式);形态;队形; observed:adj.观察的;观测的;v.观察;遵守;注意到(observe的过去分词形式); exposed:adj.无遮蔽的; v.暴露; (expose的过去分词和过去式) gorges:戈格斯;
that carve their way through the Karijini National Park in Western Australia. 縱切過來的峽谷中就可以看到。
carve:vt.雕刻;切开;开创;vi.切开;做雕刻工作; National Park:n.国家公园;
The arrival of free oxygen allowed two major changes to occur on our planet. 單體氧（游離氧）的出現, 在地球上帶來兩個重大改變。
occur:v.发生;出现;存在于;出现在;
First, it allowed complex life to evolve . 第一,它讓複雜的生命能夠演化。
evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
You see, life needs oxygen to get big and complex. 生命需要氧才能變大、變複雜。
And it produced the ozone layer , which protects modern life from the harmful effects of the sun's UVB radiation . 它能製造臭氧層,保護現代生命 不被太陽的中波紫外線輻射傷害。
ozone layer:n.臭氧层; radiation:n.辐射;放射线;放射疗法;
So in an ironic twist , microbial life made way for complex life, and in essence , relinquished its three-billion-year reign over the planet. 經過出乎意料的曲折發展, 微生物為複雜的生命開了一條路, 本質上,也交出了在地球上 三十億年的統治權。
ironic:adj.讽刺的;反话的; twist:v.捻;扭转;曲折;扭动;n.捻;拧;扭动;搓; microbial:adj.微生物的;由细菌引起的; in essence:本质上;其实;大体上; relinquished:v.(尤指不情愿地)放弃;(relinquish的过去分词和过去式) reign:vi.统治;支配;盛行;君临;n.统治;统治时期;支配;
Today, we humans dig up fossilized complex life and burn it for fuel. 現今,我們人類把這些 變成化石的複雜生命 挖出來將之燃燒成為燃料。
fossilized:adj.石化的;僵化的;老化的;v.石化(fossilize的过去式和过去分词);
This practice pumps vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and like our microbial predecessors , we have begun to make substantial changes to our planet. 這個做法將大量的 二氧化碳送入大氣中, 就和我們的微生物前輩一樣, 人類也開始在地球上 造成了實質的變化。
pumps:n.[机]泵; v.用泵送; carbon dioxide:二氧化碳; predecessors:n.前任(predecessor的复数); substantial:adj.大量的;实质的;内容充实的;n.本质;重要材料;
And the effects of those are encompassed by global warming . 那些改變的效應包含全球暖化。
encompassed:vt.包含;包围,环绕;完成; global warming:n.全球(气候)变暖;地球大气层变暖;
Unfortunately , the ironic twist here could see the demise of humanity . 不幸的是,這次 出乎意料的曲折發展
Unfortunately:adv.不幸地; demise:n.死亡,终止;转让;传位;vt.遗赠;禅让; humanity:n.人类;人道;仁慈;人文学科;
And so maybe the reason we aren't connecting with life elsewhere, intelligent life elsewhere, is that once it evolves , it extinguishes itself quickly. 所以,也許我們沒有 在其他地方找到生命的原因, 沒找到智慧生命的原因, 是因為一旦智慧生命演化之後 很快就會讓自己滅絕。
intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的 evolves:v.进化,进展(evolve的第三人称单数形式); extinguishes:vt.熄灭;压制;偿清;
If the rocks could talk, 如果岩石會說話,
I suspect they might say this: life on Earth is precious . 我猜它們可能會說: 地球上的生命是很珍貴的。
suspect:n.犯罪嫌疑人;v.怀疑;不信任;adj.可疑的; precious:adj.宝贵的;珍贵的;矫揉造作的;
It is the product of four or so billion years of a delicate and complex co-evolution between life and Earth, of which humans only represent the very last speck of time. 生命的誕生, 是生命和地球經歷了四十億年 細膩而複雜的演化共同形成的。 人類存在的時間只是這段 共同演化的最後一小截而已。
delicate:adj.精致的,微妙的,脆弱的,熟练的,柔和的; co-evolution:共同演化; represent:v.代表;表现;描绘;回忆;再赠送; speck:n.灰尘;污点;小颗粒;vt.使有斑点;
You can use this information as a guide or a forecast -- or an explanation as to why it seems so lonely in this part of the galaxy . 這些資訊可以拿來 當作指引或者預測—— 或者用來解釋為什麼地球上的生命, 在銀河系裡看起來是如此的孤單。
forecast:n.预测;预报;v.预测;预报; galaxy:n.银河;[天]星系;银河系;一群显赫的人;
But use it to gain some perspective about the legacy that you want to leave behind on the planet that you call home. 但,透過這些資訊想想, 在這個稱為「家」的地球上, 我們人類要留給後代的是甚麼。
legacy:n.遗赠,遗产; leave behind:留下,丢下
Thank you. 謝謝。
(Applause) （掌聲）