时差N小时 嘿!你伤到我的树叶了!

Don：Yael,the last time I was mown the lawn,I couldn't help thinking, it's lucky these grass plant don't feel pain.

唐：雅艾尔，上次我修理草坪的时候忍不住想，那些树木花草感觉不到疼痛是很幸运的。

Yael: Ture,Don. But did you know that scientists have discovered that plants use a form of electrical signaling that spreads throughout the plant when one of its leaves is injured.

雅艾尔：的确，唐。但你知道吗，科学家们发现有一种植物，一旦其树叶受伤，会立马向全身传导一种电子信号。

Don：Like the electric signals that spread through our nerves when we are injured?

唐：就像人类受伤后通过神经传导的电信号吗？

Yael: The electric signals in plants, called “system potentials”, are not exactly like the electric “action potentials” in the nervous systems of animals. But they do have certain similarities. Both kinds of electric signals travel very quickly from the site of the wound to distant parts of the organism.

雅艾尔：植物体内的电信号被称为“系统电位”，它与动物神经系统里的“动作电位”并不完全一样。不过它们的确有某些相似之处。这两种电信号都能很快地从受伤的部位传到生物远处的部位。

Don：Cool.

唐：酷。

Yael: The way these electric signals were discovered is pretty cool,too. A team of German scientists carefully inserted super thin, hair like electrodes through open stomata on the leaves. Stomata are tiny pores¹, found on the undersides of leaves, that open and close to control evaporation² and gas exchange for the plant. The tiny electrodes could then record activity from cells inside the leaf. Using these sensitive electrodes, the scientists were able to record changes in voltage as the electric signals spread from leaf to leaf across the entire plant. The system potentials in plants move much more slowly than the electric signals that run through our neurons, spreading at rates between two to four inches per minute.

雅艾尔：发现这种电子信号的方式也相当酷。一个德国的科学家团队通过叶子张开的气孔，仔细地植入了超薄、类似头发的电极。气孔是位于叶子下侧的微小毛孔，这些气孔的开放和关闭控制着植物水分的蒸腾和气体交换。这些小电极能记录叶片内细胞的活动。利用这些敏感电极，科学家能够记录电信号从一片叶子传到另一片叶子时电压的改变。植物体内的系统电位比在人体神经系统内流动的电信号要慢得多。人体内电信号传导速度为每分钟二至四英寸。

Don：So,can my grass feel pain?

唐：那么，草能感觉到疼痛吗？

Yael: No. Plants don't have brains or feelings the way animals do. But it is important for plants to detect damage from herbivores, insects or even lawnmowers. Electrical signaling is one way plants know there is damage and it's time to activate³ defense⁴ mechanisms⁵ or begin re growth in damaged areas.

雅艾尔：不能，植物并没有大脑，不能像动物一样有感觉。但是对植物来说，探测来自食草动物、昆虫甚至剪草机的伤害非常重要。电子信号是植物用来感知受伤部位，并抓紧时间激活防御机制，或修复受伤部位的方法。

1 pores   

（皮肤上的）毛孔，微孔( pore的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pores of your body secrete sweat. 身上的毛孔分泌汗液。
• Sweat exudes through the pores. 汗从毛孔中渗出。

2 evaporation   

n.蒸发，消失

参考例句：

• Be careful not to lose too much liquid by evaporation.小心不要因蒸发失去太多水分。
• Our bodies can sweat,thereby losing heat by evaporation.我们的身体能出汗，由此可以蒸发散热。

3 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

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。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》