万物简史 第335期:美丽而危险(18)（在线收听） |
It's a kind of genetic photocopying, and it became the basis for all subsequent genetic science, from academic studies to police forensic work. 这一种复制基因的方法后来成了遗传科学的基础，无论是对于学术研究，还是对于警方的法医工作。 It won Mullis the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1993. 穆利斯因此获得了1993年的诺贝尔化学奖。
Meanwhile, scientists were finding even hardier microbes, now known as hyperthermophiles, 与此同时，科学家们正发现更耐热的微生物。现在，它们被称之为超喜温微生物，
which demand temperatures of 80 degrees centigrade (176 degrees Fahrenheit) or more. 要求80摄氏度以上的温度。
The warmest organism found so far, according to Frances Ashcroft in Life at the Extremes, is Pyrolobus fumarii, 弗朗西丝·阿什克罗夫特在《极端条件下的生命》一书中写道，迄今为止发现的最喜温的微生物是延胡索酸热球蛋白菌，
which dwells in the walls of ocean vents where the temperature can reach 113 degrees centigrade (235.4 degrees Fahrenheit). 它们生活在海洋喷气孔的岩壁里，那里的温度高达113摄氏度。
The upper limit for life is thought to be about 120 degrees centigrade (248 degrees Fahrenheit), though no one actually knows. 生命的上限被认为是120摄氏度左右，虽然实际上谁也不知道。
At all events, the Brocks' findings completely changed our perception of the living world. 无论如何，布罗克夫妇的发现完全改变了我们对生物界的看法。
As NASA scientist Jay Bergstralh has put it: 美国国家航空和航天局的科学家杰伊·伯格斯特拉尔说：
"Wherever we go on Earth——even into what's seemed like the most hostile possible environments for life, “在地球上，我们无论走到哪里——即使进入看来对生命最不利的环境里，
as long as there is liquid water and some source of chemical energy we find life." 只要那里有液态水以及某种化学能，我们就能发现生命。”
Life, it turns out, is infinitely more clever and adaptable than anyone had ever supposed. 原来，生命比任何人想像的要聪明得多，在适应能力方面要强得多。
This is a very good thing, for as we are about to see, we live in a world that doesn't altogether seem to want us here. 我们马上就会明白，这是一件很好的事，因为我们所生活的世界，似乎并不完全希望我们待在这里。 |
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