预言：富人将转化成新人类

 　　The rich are set to become God-like cyborgs in what could be the 'biggest evolution in biology' since life emerged.

　　富人们将变成会成为上帝般的电子人，这将可能是人类有史以来“在生物方面最大的进化”。

　　This is according to Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who believes the radical¹ shift will take place in the next 200 years.

　　这是来自耶路撒冷希伯来大学（Hebrew University of Jerusalem）的教授尤尔瓦?诺亚?哈拉里（Yuval Noah Harari）的预言，他相信这种巨变会在未来200年内发生。

　　Using biotechnology and genetic² engineering, Professor Harari claims the wealthy will transform into a new type of divine, immortal³ human with complete power over life and death.

　　哈拉里说，富人们使用生物技术和基因工程技术，能够转化成新人类——神圣，永恒，对生与死有完全的掌控权。

　　He argues that humans are unable to resist the temptation to 'upgrade' themselves, according to a report by Sarah Knapton in the Telegraph.

　　萨拉?卡普顿（Sarah Knapton）在《电讯报》（Telegraph）的报道称，哈拉里提出，人类无法拒绝“升级”自身的诱惑。

　　预言：富人将转化成新人类

　　'We are programmed to be dissatisfied,' said Professor Harari, during a recent speech at the Hay literary festival in Wales.

　　哈拉里教授最近在威尔士干草文学节发表演说，称，“我们已被设定为不满足现状。”

　　'Even when humans gain pleasure and achievements it is not enough. They want more and more.

　　“即使人类获得了快乐和成就，仍然感到不满足。他们想要更多。”

　　'I think it is likely in the next 200 years or so homo sapiens will upgrade themselves into some idea of a divine being, either through biological manipulation or genetic engineering or by the creation of cyborgs, part organic part non-organic.

　　“我认为在接下来的约200年里，现代人很可能会通过使用生物操控或基因工程，或通过创造半有机半无机的电子人，使自身升级为神人。”

　　'It will be the greatest evolution in biology since the appearance of life. Nothing really has changed in four billion years biologically speaking.

　　“这将是自人类生命诞生以来，在生物方面最大的进化。从生物学上来讲，400亿年来，人类的身体构造并没有真正发生变化。

　　'But we will be as different from today's humans as chimps⁴ are now from us.'

　　“就像猩猩已经离我们很遥远了，我们也将会与今天的人类截然不同。”

　　The technology to do this, however, will be restricted to the very wealthy, claims Professor Harari.

　　然而，哈拉里教授称，改造人类这一技术将只属于富人。

　　Up until now, he says society has been held together by inventing 'fictions', such as religion, money and the idea of fundamental human rights.

　　他说，在目前为止，社会被创造的“虚幻”团结在一起，如宗教，金钱，人权思想等。

　　As long as humans believed they relied more and more on these gods they were controllable, he said.

　　他说，只要人类相信这些，越来越依靠这些“神”，他们就是可控的。

　　'But what we see in the last few centuries is humans becoming more powerful and they no longer need the crutches⁵ of the Gods.'

　　但是我们在过去几个世纪里所看到的是，人类变得越来越强大，不再需要上帝的拐杖。

　　He added that the most interesting place in the world from a religious perspective is not the Middle East but Silicon⁶ Valley.

　　他补充道，从宗教的观点来看，世界上最有趣的地方不是中东，而是硅谷。

　　Here, people are developing what he describes as a 'techno-religion' in which they believe death is just a technological⁷ problem.

　　这里的人们发展出这样一种他称之为“技术宗教”的观念：他们相信死亡只是一个技术问题。

　　'Now we are saying we do not need God just technology,' he added.

　　他补充道，“现在我们不需要上帝了，只需要技术。”

　　Vocabulary

　　cyborg 电子人

　　homo sapiens 现代人

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 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。

3 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

4 chimps   

（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
• And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

5 crutches   

n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑

参考例句：

• After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
• When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。

6 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

7 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。