TED演讲： 语言如何改变人类(10)

 　　Now I can't speak for you, 虽然我不能完全代表你们

　　but it seems to be the case that we don't have sex with people we can't talk to. 但可以这样说，我们不会跟无法交流的人去做爱

　　Now we have to counter that, though, against the evidence we've heard 不过也许现在得算上这种情况，基于已有证据表明

　　that we might have had some rather distasteful genetic¹ dalliances with the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. 我们曾与尼安德特人和丹尼索夫人有些不甚美好的浪漫史（早期现代人类与尼安德特人及丹尼索夫人杂交的科学发现）

　　Okay, this tendency we have, this seemingly natural tendency we have, 我们发现的趋势，这种看似自然的趋势

　　towards isolation², towards keeping to ourselves, crashes head first into our modern world. 即这种趋向分离，趋向自我孤立的势头，一头撞上了现代社会，就被击破

　　This remarkable³ image is not a map of the world. 这幅令人影响深刻的图片，并不是世界地图

　　In fact, it's a map of Facebook friendship links. 而是Facebook脸谱朋友群分布的一副地图

　　And when you plot those friendship links by their latitude⁴ and longitude⁵, it literally⁶ draws a map of the world. 当你把朋友的位置依照他们所在的经纬度连起来，就画出了一副世界地图

　　Our modern world is communicating with itself and with each other 现代社会在不停地与自身和其他人交流

　　more than it has at any time in its past. 这种交流比历史上任何时候都频繁

　　And that communication, that connectivity around the world, that globalization now raises a burden. 这种交流，这种世界性的连接，也就是全球化下正在渐渐浮起的隐忧

　　Because these different languages impose a barrier, as we've just seen, 因为这些不同的语言变成一道屏障

　　to the transfer of goods and ideas and technologies and wisdom. 阻碍了货物和思想的交流，技术和智慧的交流

　　And they impose a barrier to cooperation. 在合作上施加了障碍

　　And nowhere do we see that more clearly than in the European Union, 比起其他地方，这在欧盟尤为显著

　　whose 27 member countries speak 23 official languages. 欧盟有27个盟国、23种官方语言

　　The European Union is now spending over one billion euros annually⁷ translating among their 23 official languages. 欧盟现在每年要花费超过十亿欧元，用于互翻23种官方语言

　　That's something on the order of 1.45 billion U.S. dollars on translation costs alone. 这大约是十四亿五千万美元的翻译开销。

1 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

2 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 latitude   

n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区

参考例句：

• The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
• The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

5 longitude   

n.经线，经度

参考例句：

• The city is at longitude 21°east.这个城市位于东经21度。
• He noted the latitude and longitude,then made a mark on the admiralty chart.他记下纬度和经度，然后在航海图上做了个标记。

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。