经济学人251:海洋生态 欢迎来到塑料星球

 　　Science and technology

　　科学技术

　　Marine¹ ecology

　　海洋生态

　　Welcome to the plastisphere

　　欢迎来到塑料星球

　　What is pollution to some is opportunity to others

　　对一些人意味着污染对另一些人却意味着是机会

　　SINCE 2008 geologists² have been mulling over the idea of the Anthropocene, a proposed new epoch³ in the history of the Earth that would encompass⁴ the years in which people have had profound effects on the planet's workings.

　　自2008年以来,地质学家一直在研究人类纪这一理念，人类纪是在地球历史上提出的新纪元，其囊括了人们深刻地影响地球的运作的年代。

　　Most often, discussion of the Anthropocene revolves⁵ around how atmospheric⁶ chemistry has changed since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

　　大多数时候,人类纪的讨论大多是围绕着从工业革命开始大气化学有何种变化进行的。

　　Sometimes the effects of new terrestrial ecosystems⁸, in the form of fields, pastures and plantations⁹, are also considered.

　　有时新型陆地系统所产生的影响也考虑在内。

　　To date, though, how the Anthropocene has created new ecosystems in the oceans as well as on land has not been much examined.

　　到目前为止,然而人类纪是如何创造新型海洋及陆地生态系统并未做过多的研究。

　　Such ecosystems are, nevertheless, emerging—as Tracy Mincer¹⁰ of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,

　　不过这样的生态系统在《环境科技》杂志中有所描述，

　　in Massachusetts, and Linda Amaral-Zettler of the Marine Biological Laboratory, also in Woods Hole, describe in Environmental Science and Technology.

　　是由马萨诸塞州伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所的特蕾西·明瑟以及伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所海洋生物研究室的琳达阿玛拉尔-特勒联合提出的。

　　The malign¹¹ effect of floating plastic debris¹² on seabirds, turtles and other sea creatures is well known.

　　众所周知，漂浮的塑料碎片对海鸟海龟以及其他海洋生物有负面影响。

　　But, as Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler have discovered, plastic debris also provides a new habitat for organisms small enough to take advantage of it.

　　但是,正如明瑟及阿玛拉尔-特勒两位博士已经发现的一样，塑料碎片还给有机体提供了一个小型足以充分利用全新的栖息地。

　　The two researchers collected pieces of plastic from various sites in the North Atlantic.

　　两位研究员从北大西洋的不同地点收集塑料碎片。

　　They then examined each using DNA¹³ analysis, and also an electron microscope, to see what was living on it.

　　他们然后用DNA分析仪、电子显微镜检测每一个，观测其上生活着何种生物。

　　Lots of things were.

　　有很多生物。

　　Altogether, they discovered about 50 species of single-celled plant, animal and bacterial¹⁴ life.

　　总之,他们发现约50种单细胞植物、动物和细菌的踪迹。

　　Each bit of debris was, in effect, a tiny ecosystem⁷.

　　确切地说，每块碎片是一个小型的生态系统。

　　As with many ecosystems, the bottom of the food chain was occupied by things that photosynthesise.

　　正如诸多生态系统一样，食物链的底层被光合作用的生物占据着。

　　These included unicellular algae¹⁶ called diatoms and dinoflagellates, and photosynthetic¹⁷ bacteria known as cyanobacteria.

　　这些包括名为硅藻和甲藻的单细胞藻类和蓝藻的光合细菌。

　　Usually, such creatures swim freely in the ocean.

　　通常,这些生物在海洋里自由自在地游荡。

　　They therefore have to work hard to stay near the surface, where light for photosynthesis¹⁵ is abundant.

　　因此他们必须努力保持在表层水域，因为那里的进行光进行光合所需的阳光是充裕的。

　　By hitching¹⁸ a ride on a piece of floating plastic, they can stay near the surface without effort.

　　通过搭乘漂浮塑料这一顺风车,他们可以毫不费力地呆在表层。

　　Where plants abound¹⁹, herbivores will not be far behind.

　　植物比比皆是的地方食草动物的出现也不会落后。

　　These, Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler found in the form of dinoflagellates,some of which like to snack on smaller creatures to supplement their photosynthesis.

　　明瑟及阿玛拉尔-特勒两位博士以甲藻的形式发现了食草动物的存在,一些甲藻喜欢吃小型生物作为他们光合作用的补充。

　　They also found predators²¹ on the herbivores, in the form of ciliates and predator²⁰ bacteria, which feed on other bacteria.

　　他们还发现食草动物的捕食者，如纤毛虫以及以其他细菌为食的捕食细菌。

　　Except for top predators—the type that themselves prey²² on predators—the two researchers thus discovered a classic web of food chains of the sort familiar from ecology text books.

　　除了顶级捕食者外，两位研究人员发现了一个与生态学课本上相似的经典的食物网。

　　And they also, and perhaps most pertinently²³ from the human point of view, found evidence for one other part of such a food web: the decomposers.

　　或许从人类的观点来看最为适切的他们还发现了食物网的另一部分：分解者。

　　Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily.

　　塑料是能源丰富的物质,这就是为什么他们中的许多容易燃烧的原因。

　　Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene.

　　任何可以分解和使用那些能源的生物在人类纪将会取得先机。

　　Terrestrial bacteria and fungi²⁴ which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

　　掌握这种技能的陆地上的细菌及真菌是这个领域的专家。

　　Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler found evidence of them on their marine plastic, too.

　　明瑟及阿玛拉尔-特勒两位博士在海洋塑料上也发现了它们的踪迹。

　　They noticed many of their pieces of debris sported surface pits around two microns across.

　　他们发现很多塑料碎片的运动表面周围有大约两微米的凹坑。

　　Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria,

　　凹坑与细菌一般大小。进一步的研究显示这些凹坑中的一部分确实含有细菌，

　　and that in several cases these bacteria were dividing and thus, by the perverse²⁵ arithmetic of biological terminology²⁶, multiplying.

　　在部分状况下细菌正在分裂，因此根据生物学的反常计算其数量正在递增。

　　Though the two researchers have not yet proved the bugs²⁷ in the pits are actually eating the plastic, that hypothesis seems a good bet.

　　尽管两位研究员至今未找到凹坑中的细菌是以塑料为食的证据，那个假说就好像是一场赌博。

　　And if they are, it suggests plastic pollution in the ocean may not hang around as long as has often been feared.

　　如果假说是正确的，这就意味着海洋塑料污染可能不如担心的那么持久。

　　Less encouragingly, Dr Mincer and Dr Amaral-Zettler also found cholera²⁸-like bacteria in their tiny floating ecosystems.

　　令人扫兴的是，明瑟及阿玛拉尔-特勒两位博士在漂浮的小型生态系统中发现了类似于霍乱的细菌。

　　Both fish and seabirds act as vectors for cholera,so anywhere that such creatures might pick up cholera bugs is something worth keeping an eye on.

　　鱼类或者是海鸟都充当着霍乱病菌的载体，所以任何使这些生物可能携带霍乱病菌的地区都值得密切关注。

　　The researchers paint an intriguing²⁹ picture of the adaptability³⁰ of nature, and provide another piece of the jigsaw³¹ that is the Anthropocene.

　　研究者就大自然的适应性描绘了一幅耐人寻味的画面，并提供了人类纪的另一块拼图。

　　Conservationists intent on preserving charismatic megafauna have reason to lament³² the spread of plastics through the ocean.

　　致力于保护引人好奇的大型动物的环保人士有理由担心海洋塑料污染的蔓延。

　　But those interested in smaller critters have been given a whole, new sphere—the plastisphere—to study.

　　但是却给了那些对小型生物感兴趣的环保人士一个全新的视角——塑料星球。

　　1.industrial revolution n.工业革命

　　After china's industrial revolution comes the consumer revolution.

　　在中国的工业革命之后就会是消费者革命。

　　But 100 years later, the industrial revolution made mr. smith's vision seem quaint³³.

　　但一百年之后，产业革命的兴起让斯密的观点看上去有些不合时宜。

　　2.in the form of 用…的形式

　　Liverpool invented financial derivatives³⁴, in the form of cotton futures³⁵.

　　利物浦以棉花期货的形式，发明了金融衍生品。

　　Financial arrangements can also be in the form of ads and free trips.

　　金钱上的回报也可以通过做广告和免费旅行的形式来安排。

　　3.as well as 既…又…；除…之外

　　Yet they provoke fear as well as wonder.

　　然而他们也激起了恐惧以及困惑。

　　That implies criticism as well as support.

　　这句话暗示着夫妻间的相互支持以及相互批评。

　　4.provide for 为…作准备

　　There are no known laws that provide for public access to government information.

　　没有发现哪部法律规定了对政府信息的公开制度。

　　It takes a lot to provide for 7 billion humans.

　　地球为了供养70亿人口付出了很多代价。

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

3 epoch   

n.(新)时代；历元

参考例句：

• The epoch of revolution creates great figures.革命时代造就伟大的人物。
• We're at the end of the historical epoch,and at the dawn of another.我们正处在一个历史时代的末期，另一个历史时代的开端。

4 encompass   

vt.围绕，包围；包含，包括；完成

参考例句：

• The course will encompass physics,chemistry and biology.课程将包括物理、化学和生物学。
• The project will encompass rural and underdeveloped areas in China.这项工程将覆盖中国的农村和不发达地区。

5 revolves   

v.（使）旋转( revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想

参考例句：

• The earth revolves both round the sun and on its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

7 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

8 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

9 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

10 mincer   

n.粉碎机

参考例句：

• With a household food mincer, one can cook many kinds of food for immediate consumption. 有了家用食品粉碎机，很多食品都可以现做现吃了。

11 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

12 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

13 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。

14 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。

15 photosynthesis   

n.光合作用

参考例句：

• In apple trees photosynthesis occurs almost exclusively in the leaves.苹果树的光合作用几乎只发生在叶内。
• Chloroplasts are the structures in which photosynthesis happens.叶绿体就是光合作用发生的地方。

16 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

17 photosynthetic   

adj.光合的，促进光合作用的

参考例句：

• In some plants photosynthetic products are stored in the form polyfructosans. 在有些植物中，光合作用产物是以多聚果糖的形式储藏。
• Chlorotic or necrotic lesions were evidence of decreased photosynthetic tissues. 缺绿的或坏死的侵蚀斑便是减少了光合组织的证据。

18 hitching   

搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上

参考例句：

• The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。
• I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。

19 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

20 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

21 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

23 pertinently   

适切地

参考例句：

• It is one thing to speak much and another to speak pertinently. 说得多是一回事，讲得中肯又是一回事。
• Pertinently pointed out the government, enterprises and industry association shall adopt measures. 有针对性地指出政府、企业和行业协会应采取的措施。

24 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

25 perverse   

adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的

参考例句：

• It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。
• She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态，以使别人难堪来取乐。

26 terminology   

n.术语；专有名词

参考例句：

• He particularly criticized the terminology in the document.他特别批评了文件中使用的术语。
• The article uses rather specialized musical terminology.这篇文章用了相当专业的音乐术语。

27 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

29 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 adaptability   

n.适应性

参考例句：

• It has a wide range of adaptability.它的应用性广。

31 jigsaw   

n.缕花锯，竖锯，拼图游戏；vt.用竖锯锯，使互相交错搭接

参考例句：

• A jigsaw puzzle can keep me absorbed for hours.一副拼图就能让我沉醉几个小时。
• Tom likes to work on jigsaw puzzles,too.汤姆也喜欢玩拼图游戏。

32 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

33 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

34 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

35 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。