美国国家公共电台 NPR The Extended Beauty Of Photosynthesis

 

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Adam Frank usually has his head in the sky. He's an astrophysicist. It's an occupational hazard. Right now, though, he is dazzled by the universe of green right here on Earth.

ADAM FRANK, BYLINE¹: Now that we're well past the start of spring, you're probably inured² already to all the green - well, not me, Pal³. See; this Spring, I've been digging in on photosynthesis⁴ for some research I'm doing. And I got to tell you. It's blowing my mind.

Now, for those of you who've been out of a bio class for a while, let's remember that photosynthesis is the molecular⁵-scale shenanigans plant use to create food from sunlight. See; when life first formed on Earth about 4 billion years or so ago, the only way single-cell critters could get energy was from chemistry. They had to find high-energy chemicals like methane⁶ and convert it into low-energy chemicals like carbon dioxide. What was left over they used for, you know, being alive. But times were tough. The chemical foodstuffs⁷ like methane were pretty limited. So from life's point of view, the situation back then was a little like trying to run a marathon on a diet of saltines.

But then evolution got creative, really creative. The sun sends the earth the energy equivalent of thousands of atomic bombs every second. Eventually life, through evolution, figured out how to directly tap the energy in all that sunlight. By combining light particles with molecules⁸ of carbon dioxide and water, photosynthesis opened the energy floodgates, and it freed life from its starvation diet. Don't care yet - well, take a deep breath.

The atmospheric⁹ oxygen you're sucking in is only there because of photosynthesis. If it stopped, the oxygen in the air would react away pretty quickly. And why is that oxygen so important for the Earth's history? Well, for starters, brains like ours could never have evolved without the high-powered biochemistry that oxygen allows.

So that means you can thank photosynthesis for even thinking about thanking photosynthesis. From ocean plankton¹⁰ to Venus flytraps, inside every plant, there is an insanely complex little molecular engine that turns sunlight into food and spits out oxygen. So take a moment to thank the next leaf you come across, and celebrate the glory that is photosynthesis.

SIEGEL: NPR blogger Adam Frank.

(SOUNDBITE OF ANDREW BIRD SONG, "TRUTH LIES LOW")

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 inured   

adj.坚强的，习惯的

参考例句：

• The prisoners quickly became inured to the harsh conditions.囚犯们很快就适应了苛刻的条件。
• He has inured himself to accept misfortune.他锻练了自己，使自己能承受不幸。

3 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

4 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。

5 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

6 methane   

n.甲烷，沼气

参考例句：

• The blast was caused by pockets of methane gas that ignited.爆炸是由数袋甲烷气体着火引起的。
• Methane may have extraterrestrial significance.甲烷具有星际意义。

7 foodstuffs   

食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Imports of foodstuffs accounted for a small proportion of total imports. 食物进口仅占总进口额的一小部份。
• Many basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk, are tax-free. 许多基本食物如牛奶和面包是免税的。

8 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

9 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

10 plankton   

n.浮游生物

参考例句：

• Plankton is at the bottom of the marine food chain.浮游生物处于海洋食物链的最底层。
• The plankton in the sea feeds many kinds of animals. 海的浮游生物成为很多种动物的食物。