经济学人248:植物机器人 落地生根

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　Robot plants Putting down roots

　　植物机器人 落地生根

　　A robotic model of what plants get up to under the surface

　　模仿植物根部工作的机器人模型

　　PEOPLE often forget, when looking at a garden, meadow or forest, that half of almost every plant in it is underground.

　　在人们望着花园，草原或者森林时，常常会忽略一点几乎所有生长于斯的植物的身体中有一半都长于地下。

　　Stems, leaves and flowers are pretty.

　　茎干，叶片和花朵都很美丽，

　　But plants' roots, though ugly and invisible, are probably their smartest parts.

　　但是既不露面又不好看的根部却很可能是植物身上最有智慧的部分。

　　They collect information on the physical properties and chemical composition of the soil they are growing through

　　它们在土壤中成长，并搜集土壤的物理性质及化学组分的信息，

　　and use that to decide in which direction to continue growing.

　　然后决定新的生长方向。

　　They can pierce the ground employing only a fraction of the energy that worms, moles¹ or man-made drills consume.

　　它们只耗用一点能量便能在土地中钻行，仅相当于蠕虫，鼹鼠或人造钻机所耗能量的一小部分。

　　Plant roots are thus the most efficient systems known for underground exploration.

　　因此植物的根可说是地下勘探中最有效率的系统。

　　But not, perhaps, for much longer.

　　但或许这个名头保持不了多久了。

　　Researchers working on the Plantoid project, led by Barbara Mazzolai of the Italian Institute of Technology, in Pontedera,

　　参与植物机器人计划的研究人员想要开发出至少与真正的根不相上下的机器根，

　　hope to develop robot plant roots that will be as good as the real things, if not better.

　　该计划的负责人是意大利理工学院的芭芭拉·玛佐莱。

　　In doing so, they seek to understand how real roots work and also to devise machines that might monitor soil pollution, prospect² for minerals and look for water.

　　在开发过程中，研究人员不仅要设法了解真正的根是如何工作的，还力图设计处可以监测土壤污染，勘探矿物及寻找水源的设备。

　　The plantoid, of which Dr Mazzolai plans to demonstrate a partial prototype on July 29th at a conference at the Natural History Museum in London, will have a central stem containing a reservoir of liquid plastic of a sort that can be frozen by ultraviolet light.

　　玛佐莱博士计划在7月29日于伦敦自然历史博物馆召开的会议上演示植物机器人非完全体原型，该机器人有一条主干，里面有一个装有液态塑料的储液囊，这种液态塑料受到紫外线照射时将会凝固。

　　Half a dozen cylindrical³ roots will branch off this stem, and the plastic will flow through these from the reservoir to the tip.

　　主干上分出六条柱状根，液态塑料从储液囊中流过这些柱状根，直至其顶端。

　　As in a real root, the tip will be a specialised structure.

　　和真的根一样，柱状根的顶端是一种特别的结构。

　　Instead of being a cone⁴ containing a meristem it will be a cone containing a motor, a light-emitting diode and a battery.

　　两者都是圆锥结构，不过前者里面有一个分生组织，而后者里面是电机，发光二极管和电池各一个。

　　The motor will suck liquid plastic through the root and push it to the periphery⁵ of the cone.

　　电机将液态塑料吸入根部再将之推至圆锥体表层。

　　Once there, the liquid will be solidified⁶ by ultraviolet rays from the diode, extending the cylinder⁷ and forcing the cone farther into the soil.

　　液态塑料到达该位置后马上会因二极管发出的紫外线照射凝固，使圆柱体增长，促使锥体在土壤中更进一步。

　　As in real life, the gentle but relentless⁸ pressure of the root's growth should be enough to make it advance through the soil, fractions of a millimetre at a time.

　　对真正的根来说，由根部生长带来的和缓但从不间断的压力足以使之在土壤中前进，一次能前进几丝米。

　　The researchers expect their prototypical robotic roots to be able to penetrate⁹ up to a metre of real soil.

　　研究人员希望自己的机器根原型最多可穿透1米深的真正土壤。

　　The direction of growth is controlled by a material known as an electro-rheological fluid, which is also stored in the cone.

　　生长方向是由一种叫做电力流变液的物质控制的，该物质也储存在圆锥中。

　　Such fluids become more viscous¹⁰ when an electric current is applied¹¹ to them, and changing the viscosity¹² on one side of a root but not the other,

　　当有电流通过时，该液体会变得更加粘稠，通过电池提供的电流改变根部一侧的粘稠度，而另一侧不变，

　　using current from the battery, causes the direction of growth to vary.

　　从而改变生长的方向。

　　One thing missing from the prototypes is a control system that responds to the root's environment.

　　该原型中缺少一套可以对根的外部环境产生响应的控制系统。

　　The plan is to fit the next generation of cones¹³ with sensors¹⁴ that look for whatever the root is designed to find, and control its growth accordingly.

　　计划是在下一代的圆锥体中装上传感器，用以根据机器根的设计目的进行勘探，并相应地控制其生长方向。

　　Writing the software for these sensors may illuminate¹⁵ how real roots work.

　　要为这些传感器编写软件，先得弄明白真正的根的工作原理。

　　According to Dr Mazzolai, the first person to ask about that was Charles Darwin.

　　据玛佐莱博士称，第一个论及此事的人是查尔斯·达尔文。

　　He could not come up with an answer, and 130 years later no one else has either.

　　达尔文没有找到答案，130年以后也还没人能找到这个答案。

1 moles   

防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• Two moles of epoxy react with one mole of A-1100. 两个克分子环氧与一个克分子A－1100反应。

2 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

3 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。

4 cone   

n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果

参考例句：

• Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
• The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。

5 periphery   

n.(圆体的)外面；周围

参考例句：

• Geographically, the UK is on the periphery of Europe.从地理位置上讲，英国处于欧洲边缘。
• The periphery of the retina is very sensitive to motion.视网膜的外围对运动非常敏感。

6 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

7 cylinder   

n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸

参考例句：

• What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
• The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

8 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

9 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

10 viscous   

adj.粘滞的，粘性的

参考例句：

• Gases are much less viscous than liquids.气体的粘滞性大大小于液体。
• The mud is too viscous.You must have all the agitators run.泥浆太稠，你们得让所有的搅拌机都开着。

11 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。

12 viscosity   

n.粘度，粘性

参考例句：

• The viscosity shows a rather pronounced variation with temperature.温度对粘度的影响十分明显。
• The reciprocal of viscosity is known as fluidity.粘度的反意就是流动性。

13 cones   

n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒

参考例句：

• In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
• Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句

14 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

15 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。