TED演讲:探索世界最深洞穴(1)

 First place I'd like to take you is what many believe will be the world's deepest natural abyss.  我要带大家去的第一个地方是一个天然的深渊，许多人相信它将会被证明为世界最深之渊。

And I say believe because this process is still ongoing¹.  我说相信是因为这个探索过程还未结束。

Right now there are major expeditions being planned for next year that I'll talk a little bit about.  明年有几个很大的探险活动正在策划中，关于这个我会做些介绍

One of the things that's changed here,  现在,变化之一是，

in the last 150 years since Jules Verne had great science-fiction concepts of what the underworld was like,  自从儒勒凡尔纳在科幻小说里描绘了地底世界的样子后,

is that technology has enabled us to go to these places that were previously² completely unknown and speculated about.  在过去的150年里，科技已使我们能够到达一些地方，这些地方是我们先前完全不知且不能想象的。

We can now descend³ thousands of meters into the Earth with relative impunity⁴.  而我们现在能相对安全得深入地球几千米。

Along the way we've discovered fantastic abysses and chambers⁵ so large  沿途我们发现了奇异的深渊和岩洞。

that you can see for hundreds of meters without a break in the line of sight.  那些岩洞大得异乎寻常，一眼望去能看到几百米。

When you go on a thing like this, we can usually be in the field for anywhere from two to four months,  当我们到了这样的岩洞时，我们经常会在那待二至四个月，

with a team as small as 20 or 30, to as big as 150.  我们的队伍规模小时二三十人，大时有一百五十人。

And a lot of people ask me, you know,  许多人问我，

what kind of people do you get for a project like this?  你们选什么样的人参加这样的项目？

While our selection process is not as rigorous as NASA, it's nonetheless thorough.  我们的筛选过程不是像NASA(美国航空航天局)那么严格，但它又是周详的。

We're looking for competence⁶, discipline, endurance, and strength.  我们寻找的是有能力胜任此工作，能严格约束自己，耐力长久而且体力充沛的人。

In case you're wondering, this is our strength test.  如果你想知道的话，这是我们的体能测试。

But we also value esprit de corps⁷ and the ability to diplomatically resolve inter-personal conflict while under great stress in remote locations. 但我们也重视团队精神和善于解决人际矛盾的能力。这些能力，在人们身处僻壤。

We have already gone far beyond the limits of human endurance.  压力巨大到远远超过人类耐力极限的时候尤其重要。

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

4 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

5 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

6 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

7 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。