TED演讲:如何把熟蛋变生(1)

 　　It's so obvious that it's practically proverbial. You can't unboil an egg. 很明显又众所周知的是。你不能把一个熟蛋变生。

　　Well, it turns out you can, sort of. 然而，其实在某种程度上你是可以的。

　　What thermal¹ energy does to the eggs' molecules³, mechanical energy can undo⁴. 热能对蛋的分子所做的事，可以依靠机械能将其还原。

　　Eggs are mostly made of water and proteins. 蛋主要是由水和蛋白质组成。

　　The proteins start off folded up into intricate shapes, held together by weak chemical bonds. 蛋白质最开始是折叠成一种复杂的形状，依靠弱的化学键连接在一起。

　　Adding heat disrupts those bonds, allowing the proteins to unfold, uncoil, unwind and wiggle freely. 加热能分解化学键，使蛋白质能够展开，松绕，分离，变得可以自由摆动。

　　This process is called denaturing. 这个过程被称为“变性”。

　　The newly liberated⁵ proteins bump up against their neighbors and start to form new bonds with each other, 新解放的蛋白质，会与邻近的相互撞击，并在其中形成新的化学键，

　　more and more as the heat increases, until finally, they're so entangled⁶ that they gel into a solid mass, a boiled egg. 当热量变得越来越多后，最后它们将形成一个固体，这就是煮熟的蛋。

　　That entanglement⁸ might look permanent, but it's not. 这个过程可能看起来不可逆，但其实不是的。

　　According to a chemical idea called the principle of microscopic⁹ reversibility, anything that happens, 根据一个叫做微观可逆原理的化学观点，任何已发生的事情，

　　like egg proteins seizing up, can theoretically unhappen if you retrace¹⁰ your steps. 比如说鸡蛋中的蛋白质变为固体的情况，如果你倒着做每一步，理论上应该可以将其还原。

　　But adding more heat will tangle⁷ the proteins further, and cooling them down will only freeze them, 但增加更多的热量，只会使蛋白质纠缠的更紧，而冷却只会冻住它们，

　　so here's the trick: spin them around ridiculously fast. 所以这里的秘诀是：将其极快的旋转。

　　I'm not kidding. Here's how it works. 我没在开玩笑。以下就是原理。

　　First, scientists dissolve boiled egg whites in water with a chemical called urea, 首先，科学家将煮熟的蛋白溶解，在水中加以一种名为尿素的化学物质，

　　a small molecule² that acts as a lubricant, coating the proteins' long strands¹¹ and making it easier for them to glide¹² past each other. 它是一个小分子，起到润滑剂的作用，附着在蛋白质较长的一股，使得它们更容易得滑过对方。

1 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

2 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

3 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。

4 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

5 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

6 entangled   

adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
• Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。

8 entanglement   

n.纠缠，牵累

参考例句：

• This entanglement made Carrie anxious for a change of some sort.这种纠葛弄得嘉莉急于改变一下。
• There is some uncertainty about this entanglement with the city treasurer which you say exists.对于你所说的与市财政局长之间的纠葛,大家有些疑惑。

9 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

10 retrace   

v.折回；追溯，探源

参考例句：

• He retraced his steps to the spot where he'd left the case.他折回到他丢下箱子的地方。
• You must retrace your steps.你必须折回原来走过的路。

11 strands   

n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。