TED演讲:如何把熟蛋变生(2)

 　　Here's the key part. 接下来是关键的部分。

　　The solution nearest the wall spins faster than the solution closer to the middle. 离试管壁最近的溶液，要比中间的溶液旋转得更快。

　　That difference in velocity¹ creates sheer stresses that repeatedly stretch and contract the proteins 这个速度上的区别产生了剪切应力，会重复拉伸和收缩蛋白质，

　　until eventually they snap back into their native shapes and stay there. 直到最后它们恢复成原始的形状，并稳定下来。

　　By the time the centrifuge stops spinning, the egg white is back in its original unboiled state. 当离心机停止旋转，鸡蛋白就恢复成了未被煮过的形态。

　　This technique works with all sorts of proteins. 这项技术适用于所有蛋白质。

　　Bigger, messier proteins can be more resistant² to being pulled apart, 更大和更混乱的蛋白质将会更难还原，

　　so scientists attach a plastic bead³ to one end that adds extra stress and encourages it to fold up first. 所以科学家会在蛋白质的一端黏上一个塑料珠，以此来产生额外的重量，并会加大收缩，促使其先折叠。

　　This unboiling method won't work with a whole egg in its shell 这个方法不适用于一个完整的带壳的蛋，

　　since the solution has to spread throughout a cylindrical⁴ chamber⁵. 因为溶液必须在圆柱体容器内展开。

　　But the applications go way beyond uncooking your breakfast, anyhow. 但这一实际应用远超出还原你的早餐。

　　Many pharmaceuticals⁶ consist of proteins that are extremely expensive to produce, 很多含有蛋白质的药物的生产费用非常高，

　　partly because they get stuck in tangled⁷ up aggregates⁸, 有些是因为他们卡在了聚集蛋白质中，

　　just like cooked egg whites and have to be untangled and refolded before they can do their jobs. 就像煮熟的蛋白，这些必须在他们开始工作前被打散和展开。

　　This spinning technique has the potential to be an easier, cheaper and quicker method than other ways to refold proteins, 这个旋转方法，相比于其他再折叠蛋白质的方式，能成为更简单、便宜、快速的方法。

　　so it may allow new drugs to be made available to more people faster. 所以，它可能会使新药物的出现变得更加快捷。

　　And there's one more thing you need to keep in mind before trying to uncook all of your food. 在还原你的食物之前，还有一件事情需要你记住。

　　Boiling an egg is actually an unusual cooking process 煮蛋实际上是个不寻常的过程，

　　because even though it changes the way proteins are shaped and bound together, 因为即使它使蛋白质的形状和连接方式发生了改变，

　　it doesn't actually change their chemical identity. 但它的化学性质并没有改变。

　　Most types of cooking are more like the famous Maillard reaction, which makes chemical changes 大多数烹饪过程类似着名的“梅拉德反应”，就是会发生化学变化，

　　that turn sugars and proteins into delicious caramel crunchiness and are a lot harder to undo⁹. 将糖分和蛋白质转换成美味的焦糖脆，这会非常难还原。

　　So you might be able to unboil your egg, but I'm sorry to say you can't unfry it...yet. 所以，你可以还原你的煮蛋，但很抱歉，到目前为止，你还不能还原你的煎蛋。

1 velocity   

n.速度，速率

参考例句：

• Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
• The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。

2 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

3 bead   

n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠

参考例句：

• She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.她不小心吞下了一颗玻璃珠。
• She has a beautiful glass bead and a bracelet in the box.盒子里有一颗美丽的玻璃珠和手镯。

4 cylindrical   

adj.圆筒形的

参考例句：

• huge cylindrical gas tanks 巨大的圆柱形贮气罐
• Beer cans are cylindrical. 啤酒罐子是圆筒形的。

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

8 aggregates   

数( aggregate的名词复数 )； 总计； 骨料； 集料（可成混凝土或修路等用的）

参考例句：

• Snowflakes are loose aggregates of ice crystals. 雪花是冰晶的松散凝结。
• Our airplanes based in Europe should be included in the aggregates. 我们驻欧飞机应包括在总数内。

9 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。