万物简史 第507期:丰富多彩的生命(3)

 We wandered through a confusion of departments where people sat at large tables doing intent, 我们漫步穿过一个又一个部门，只见人们坐在大桌子跟前，

investigative things with arthropods and palm fronds¹ and boxes of yellowed bones. 仔细研究着节肢动物、棕榈叶子和成箱的发了黄的骨头。

Everywhere there was an air of unhurried thoroughness, of people being engaged in a gigantic endeavor that could never be completed and mustn't be rushed. 到处可见人们在不慌不忙地从事一个宏大的事业，这个事业是永远也完不成的，因此没有必要匆匆忙忙。

In 1967, I had read, the museum issued its report on the John Murray Expedition, 1967年，博物馆发表了一份关于约翰·默里探险的报告，

an Indian Ocean survey, forty-four years after the expedition had concluded. 那是一次对印度洋的考察，这时候距离探险结束已经44年。

This is a world where things move at their own pace, 在那个天地里，人们是以自己的速度来办事的。

including a tiny lift Fortey and I shared with a scholarly looking elderly man 包括福泰和我乘坐的那部小小的电梯。电梯里有个学者模样的老头儿。

with whom Fortey chatted genially² and familiarly as we proceeded upwards³ at about the rate that sediments⁴ are laid down. 电梯以大约沉积物下落的速度慢腾腾地往上移动，福泰和老头儿亲切地聊开了天。

When the man departed, Fortey said to me: 那个人走了以后，福泰对我说：

"That was a very nice chap named Norman who's spent forty-two years studying one species of plant, St. John's wort. “他是个很可爱的家伙，名叫诺曼，42年来一直在研究一种名叫金丝桃的植物。

He retired⁵ in 1989, but he still comes in every week." 他于l989年退休，但仍然每个星期都过来。”

How do you spend forty-two years on one species of plant? I asked. “怎么研究一种植物要花42年？”我问。

It's remarkable⁶, isn't it? Fortey agreed. He thought for a moment. "He's very thorough apparently⁷." “有点儿不可思议，对吗？”福泰表示赞同，他想了片刻，“他显然研究得很透彻。”

The lift door opened to reveal a bricked-over opening. Fortey looked confounded. 电梯门开了，只见面前是一个用砖头砌成的出口，福泰显得有点不知所措，

"That's very strange," he said. "That used to be Botany back there." “这就怪了，”他说，“过去这儿是植物部。”

He punched a button for another floor, and we found our way at length to Botany by means of back staircases and discreet⁸ trespass⁹ 他按了按电钮再上一层楼。我们爬上后楼梯，小心翼翼地

through yet more departments where investigators¹⁰ toiled¹¹ lovingly over once-living objects. 穿过几个别的部，只见研究人员在不辞辛劳地研究曾经有过生命的物品，终于找到了通往植物部的路。

And so it was that I was introduced to Len Ellis and the quiet world of bryophytes—mosses to the rest of us. 于是，我被介绍给莱恩·埃利斯，以及那个静悄悄的苔藓世界。

 

1 fronds   

n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You can pleat palm fronds to make huts, umbrellas and baskets. 人们可以把棕榈叶折叠起来盖棚屋，制伞，编篮子。 来自百科语句
• When these breezes reached the platform the palm-fronds would whisper. 微风吹到平台时，棕榈叶片发出簌簌的低吟。 来自辞典例句

2 genially   

adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地

参考例句：

• The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳，真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你，"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

4 sediments   

沉淀物( sediment的名词复数 )； 沉积物

参考例句：

• When deposited, 70-80% of the volume of muddy sediments may be water. 泥质沉积物沉积后，体积的70-80％是水。
• Oligocene erosion had truncated the sediments draped over the dome. 覆盖于穹丘上的沉积岩为渐新世侵蚀所截削。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

9 trespass   

n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地

参考例句：

• The fishing boat was seized for its trespass into restricted waters.渔船因非法侵入受限制水域而被扣押。
• The court sentenced him to a fine for trespass.法庭以侵害罪对他判以罚款。

10 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。