TED演讲：细菌是怎样交流的(11)

 　　And what I would hope that I could further argue to you is that this is the invention of multicellularity. 我希望能进一步地说服你们的是，这就是多细胞生物的起源。

　　Bacteria have been on the Earth for billions of years; humans, couple hundred thousand. 细菌已经生存在地球上数十亿年了。人类只有数十万年而已。

　　So we think bacteria made the rules for how multicellular organization works. 我们认为细菌制定了多细胞的组织运作规则。

　　And we think, by studying bacteria, we're going to be able to have insight about multicellularity in the human body. 我们认为，通过研究细菌，我们将能够对人体内的多细胞系统有更进一步的认识。

　　So we know that the principles and the rules, if we can figure them out in these sort of primitive¹ organisms, 我们现在已经知道基本规则了，如果我们可以从这些原始生命体上进一步弄懂它们，

　　the hope is that they will be applied² to other human diseases and human behaviors as well. 这些规则也有希望能够应用到人类其它疾病与行为上。

　　I hope that what you've learned is that bacteria can distinguish self from other. 我希望你们已经学到细菌是可以区分你我。

　　So by using these two molecules³ they can say "me" and they can say "you." 使用这两种分子，它们可以表达“我”和“你”。

　　Again of course that's what we do, both in a molecular⁴ way, and also in an outward way, but I think about the molecular stuff. 当然，这就是我们所做的，不仅只在分子层面上，同样也在行为上，只是我在分子层次上想的多一点。

　　This is exactly what happens in your body. 这完全就是你们体内正在发生的事情。

　　It's not like your heart cells and your kidney cells get all mixed up every day, 你们的心脏和肾脏细胞不会每天混杂在一起，

　　and that's because there's all of this chemistry going on, 这是因为你体内有一大堆化学反应不断地进行着，

　　these molecules that say who each of these groups of cells is, and what their tasks should be. 这些分子能够区分不同的细胞群组，还有它们所应该执行的任务。

　　And so again, we think that bacteria invented that, and you've just evolved a few more bells and whistles, 再一次，我们认为细菌发明了这个机制，你只不过是多演化出了一些铃铛与哨子而已，

　　but all of the ideas are in these simple systems that we can study. 但是所有的概念都包含在这个我们所研究的简单系统中。

1 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

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 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。