万物简史 第340期:孤独的行星(5)

 　　If the pressure is changed too rapidly—as with a too-quick ascent¹ by a diver, 要是压力变化太大——比如潜水员上升太快，

　　the bubbles trapped within the body will begin to fizz in exactly the manner of a freshly opened bottle of champagne², 体内的气泡就会泛起泡沫，犹如刚刚打开的香槟酒瓶那样，

　　clogging³ tiny blood vessels⁴, depriving cells of oxygen, and causing pain so excruciating that sufferers are prone⁵ to bend double in agony—hence "the bends." 堵塞了细小的血管，造成细胞失氧，使病人痛得直不起腰。这就是“弯腰病”这个名字的由来。

　　The bends have been an occupational hazard for sponge and pearl divers⁶ since time immemorial,  自古以来，弯腰病一直是潜水采海绵人和潜水采珠人的职业病，

　　but didn't attract much attention in the Western world until the nineteenth century, 但在10世纪以前没有引起西方世界的重视；

　　and then it was among people who didn't get wet at all (or at least not very wet and not generally much above the ankles). 而且，还包括那些不湿身体（至少不会湿得很厉害，一般不会湿到脚踝以上）的人。

　　They were caisson workers. 他们是沉箱工人。

　　Caissons were enclosed dry chambers⁷ built on riverbeds to facilitate the construction of bridge piers⁸. 沉箱是密封的干室，建在河床，用于建造桥墩。

　　They were filled with compressed air, 沉箱里充满了压缩空气；

　　and often when the workers emerged after an extended period of working under this artificial pressure 当工人们在人造压力的条件下工作很长时间走出来的时候，

　　they experienced mild symptoms like tingling⁹ or itchy skin. 他们会经历轻微的症状，比如皮肤刺痛或发痒。

　　But an unpredictable few felt more insistent¹⁰ pain in the joints¹¹ and occasionally collapsed¹² in agony, sometimes never to get up again. 但是，无法预料的是，少数人会持续关节痛，偶尔痛得倒在地上，有时候再也爬不起来。

　　It was all most puzzling.  这一切都是很令人费解的。

　　Sometimes workers would go to bed feeling fine, but wake up paralyzed. 有时候工人睡觉时还感觉不错，醒来时却瘫痪了。

　　Sometimes they wouldn't wake up at all. 有时候，他们根本醒不过来了。

　　Ashcroft relates a story concerning the directors of a new tunnel under the Thames who held a celebratory banquet as the tunnel neared completion. 阿什克罗夫特讲了个在泰晤士河底下修建新隧道的故事。隧道快完工的时候，主管们举行了一个庆祝宴会。

　　To their consternation¹³ their champagne failed to fizz when uncorked in the compressed air of the tunnel. 他们在隧道的压缩空气里打开瓶盖，只见香槟有没有泛起任何泡沫，令他们大吃一惊。

1 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

2 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

3 clogging   

堵塞，闭合

参考例句：

• This process suffers mainly from clogging the membrane. 这种过程的主要问题是滤膜的堵塞。
• And you know that eyewitness that's been clogging up the airwaves? 你知道那个充斥着电视广播的目击证人？

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

6 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

7 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

8 piers   

n.水上平台( pier的名词复数 )；（常设有娱乐场所的）突堤；柱子；墙墩

参考例句：

• Most road bridges have piers rising out of the vally. 很多公路桥的桥墩是从河谷里建造起来的。 来自辞典例句
• At these piers coasters and landing-craft would be able to discharge at all states of tide. 沿岸航行的海船和登陆艇，不论潮汐如何涨落，都能在这种码头上卸载。 来自辞典例句

9 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 insistent   

adj.迫切的，坚持的

参考例句：

• There was an insistent knock on my door.我听到一阵急促的敲门声。
• He is most insistent on this point.他在这点上很坚持。

11 joints   

接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语）

参考例句：

• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on gas mains. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在煤气的总管道上了。
• Expansion joints of various kinds are fitted on steam pipes. 各种各样的伸缩接头被安装在蒸气管道上了。

12 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

13 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。