TED演讲:树木之间如何交流(3)

 Trees in real forests might also share information below ground.  在真正的森林中，树木可能还会在地下交流信息。

But this was really controversial, and some people thought I was crazy, 但这个想法其实挺有争议的，一些人觉得我疯了，

and I had a really hard time getting research funding.  所以我筹集科研经费的那段日子真的很艰难。

But I persevered¹, and I eventually conducted some experiments deep in the forest, 25 years ago. 但我坚持了下来，而且我最终在森林的深处成功做出了一些实验，那是在25年前。

I grew 80 replicates² of three species: paper birch, Douglas fir, and western red cedar³. 那时我种了三种树，一共80棵：有纸皮桦、花旗松和西部红杉。

I figured the birch and the fir would be connected in a belowground web, but not the cedar. 我认为纸皮桦和花旗松在地下的网络中应该是能交流的，但是西部红杉应该是不行的。

It was in its own other world.  西部红杉比较“与世隔绝”。

And I gathered my apparatus⁴, and I had no money, so I had to do it on the cheap. 我收拾起我的设备仪器，我那时没钱啊，所以我决定得省着点。

So I went to Canadian Tire -- and I bought some plastic bags and duct tape and shade cloth, 所以我去了加拿大轮胎公司——我买了一些塑料袋、一些布基胶带和遮光布，

a timer, a paper suit, a respirator.  一个计时器、一件纸套装和一个呼吸器。

And then I borrowed some high-tech⁵ stuff from my university:  然后我又从我的大学借了一些高科技的东西：

a Geiger counter, a scintillation counter, a mass spectrometer, microscopes.  一个盖革计数器、一个闪烁计数器、一个质谱仪和几个显微镜。

And then I got some really dangerous stuff:  然后我又拿了一些非常危险的东西：

syringes full of radioactive carbon-14 carbon dioxide gas  几支充满了放射性碳14的二氧化碳气体的注射器，

and some high pressure bottles of the stable isotope⁶ carbon-13 carbon dioxide gas. 和几个高压气瓶，里面充满了稳定性同位素碳13的二氧化碳气体。

But I was legally permitted.  不过我这么做是合法的哦。

Oh, and I forgot some stuff, important stuff: the bug⁷ spray, the bear spray, the filters for my respirator. 哦对了，我还忘说了几样东西，很重要的东西：喷雾杀虫剂、防熊喷雾剂和我呼吸器的过滤网。

1 persevered   

v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She persevered with her violin lessons. 她孜孜不倦地学习小提琴。
• Hard as the conditions were, he persevered in his studies. 虽然条件艰苦，但他仍坚持学习。 来自辞典例句

2 replicates   

复制( replicate的第三人称单数 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• The bluetongue virus replicates in the insect. 蓝舌病病毒在这种昆虫体内繁殖。
• The chameleon's skin replicates the pattern of its surroundings. 变色龙的皮肤可随环境的模式而改变颜色。

3 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

4 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

5 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

6 isotope   

n.同位素

参考例句：

• The isotope ratio is directly used for comparing oils or gases.同位素比率直接用于比较各种石油或天然气。
• How to apply a radio isotope?如何运用放射性同位素？

7 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。