TED演讲：细菌是怎样交流的(1)

 　　Bacteria are the oldest living organisms on the earth. 细菌是地球上最古老的生物。

　　They've been here for billions of years, and what they are are single-celled microscopic¹ organisms. 它们已经存在数十亿年了，它们是单细胞微生物。

　　So they are one cell and they have this special property that they only have one piece of DNA². 它们特征是只有一个细胞，还有就是它们只有一份DNA。

　　They have very few genes³, and genetic⁴ information to encode all of the traits that they carry out. 它们只有少量基因和遗传信息，来编码它们表达的特性。

　　And the way bacteria make a living is that they consume nutrients⁵ from the environment, 细菌生存的方法，是不断从环境中吸取养分，

　　they grow to twice their size, they cut themselves down in the middle, and one cell becomes two, and so on and so on. 在成长到两倍的体积后，它们从中一分为二，分裂为两个细胞，如此循环。

　　They just grow and divide, and grow and divide -- so a kind of boring life, 它们不停得生长、分裂，然后再生长、再分裂--过着有点乏味的生活。

　　except that what I would argue is that you have an amazing interaction with these critters. 但是，今天我想告诉你，你与这些细菌有着惊人的互动关系。

　　I know you guys think of yourself as humans, and this is sort of how I think of you. 我知道你认为你自己是人类，而这可能也是我如何看你们的。

　　This man is supposed to represent a generic⁶ human being, and all of the circles in that man are all of the cells that make up your body. 在这里的是一个一般人类的代表，在他身上所有的圆圈代表着各个组成人体的细胞。

　　There is about a trillion human cells that make each one of us who we are and able to do all the things that we do, 每个人体大约是由一兆个人体细胞所组成，它们让我们能完成各种各样我们想做的事情，

　　but you have 10 trillion bacterial⁷ cells in you or on you at any moment in your life. 但是，你一生中的每时每刻，有大约十兆个细菌细胞生活在你的体内体表。

　　So, 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells on a human being. 所以，有十倍于人体细胞的细菌细胞生活在一个人身上。

　　And of course it's the DNA that counts, so here's all the A, T, Gs and Cs that make up your genetic code, and give you all your charming characteristics.  同理，我们要算一下DNA，这是所有的A, T, G和C(腺嘌呤, 胸腺嘧啶, 鸟嘌呤, 胞嘧啶)组成你的基因密码, 赋予你所有的魅力特征。

　　So you have about 30,000 genes. Well it turns out you have 100 times more bacterial genes playing a role in you or on you all of your life. 你有3万左右的遗传基因，而围绕你的细菌的遗传基因数量是你自己的100倍，它们在你的身体内部和表面上中始终扮演着重要的角色。

　　And so, at the best, you're 10 percent human, but more likely about one percent human, depending on which of these metrics you like. 最乐观的看法是: 你只是“10分之1人”, 事实上“100分之一人”更准确，取决于你更喜欢用哪个尺度来衡量。

　　So I know you think of yourself as human beings, but I think of you as 90 or 99 percent bacterial. 我知道你自认为是一个“人类”，但在我眼里你是90%~99%的细菌。

1 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。

2 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

3 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

4 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。

5 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

7 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。