TED演讲:论生物多样性(3)

 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。

Our lives depend upon these creatures.  我们的生命依赖于这些生物。

To take an example close to home: there are over 500 species of bacteria now known  举一个身边的例子：已知有500多种的细菌,

friendly bacteria-living symbiotically¹ in your mouth and throat probably necessary to your health for holding off pathogenic bacteria.  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。

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。

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。

And that may be just the beginning!  这也许还只是开始！

The viruses, those quasi-organisms among which are the prophages,  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，

the gene² weavers³ that promote the continued evolution in the lives of the bacteria,  它是基因编织师，正是它使得细菌的持续进化成为可能，

are a virtually unknown frontier of modern biology, a world unto themselves.  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。

What constitutes a viral species is still unresolved,  是什么构成了病毒还尚无定论，

although they're obviously of enormous importance to us.  虽然这对人类而言意义重大。

But this much we can say: the variety of genes⁴ 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。

Nowadays, in addressing microbial biodiversity,  今天，那些研究微生物多样性的科学家，

scientists are like explorers in a rowboat launched onto the Pacific Ocean.  就如乘着木船驶进太平洋的探索者。

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。

Already it is possible to sequence the entire genetic⁵ code of a bacterium⁶ 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。

1 symbiotically   

参考例句：

• Lichen is a form in which green or bluegreen algae and a fungus live together symbiotically. 地衣是一种绿藻或蓝藻与一种真菌共生的形式。 来自辞典例句
• Different populations living together and interacting. Populations can interact as competitors, predator and prey, or symbiotically. 不同生物族群生活之间的互动，以相互竞争、食或共生的方式生活著。 来自互联网

2 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

3 weavers   

织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Navajo are noted as stockbreeders and skilled weavers, potters, and silversmiths. 纳瓦霍人以豢养家禽，技术熟练的纺织者，制陶者和银匠而著名。
• They made out they were weavers. 他们假装是织布工人。

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

5 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。

6 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。