万物简史 第535期:丰富多彩的生命(31)

 They were living off the microbes in the surface scum of pools, which in turn were feeding on hydrogen sulfide from hot springs. 它们靠水塘浮渣里的微生物来维持生命，而那些微生物又以温泉里的硫化氢为食料。

Our instinct may be to see the impossibility of tracking everything down as frustrating¹, dispiriting, perhaps even appalling², 我们也许会本能地认为，我们不可能发现世界上的一切，这是一件令人泄气的事，甚至是一件令人可怕的事，

but it can just as well be viewed as almost unbearably³ exciting. 但这同样可以被看成是一件极其激动人心的事。

We live on a planet that has a more or less infinite capacity to surprise. 我们所生活的这颗行星，几乎有着给人惊喜的无限本事。

What reasoning person could possibly want it any other way? 哪个有理性的人不愿意这样呢？

What is nearly always most arresting in any ramble⁴ through the scattered⁵ disciplines of modern science 在浏览现代科学支离破碎的学科的时候，最引人注目的几乎总是

is realizing how many people have been willing to devote lifetimes to the most sumptuously⁶ esoteric lines of inquiry⁷. 发现许多人愿意花费毕生的心血来探索最花时间的冷门领域。

In one of his essays, Stephen Jay Gould notes how a hero of his named Henry Edward Crampton spent fifty years, 斯蒂芬·杰伊·古尔德在一篇散文中指出，他起名为亨利·爱德华·克兰普顿的主人公花了50年时间，

from 1906 to his death in 1956, quietly studying a genus of land snails⁸ in Polynesia called Par⁹ tula. 从1906年直到l956年去世，不声不响地研究波利尼西亚的一种名叫柄眼蜗牛的陆地蜗牛。

Over and over, year after year, Crampton measured to the tiniest degree — to eight decimal places 年复一年，克兰普顿把数不清的柄眼蜗牛的螺层、弧度以及和缓的弯曲度一遍又一遍地测量到最精细的程度——到小数点后面8位，

the whorls and arcs and gentle curves of numberless Partula, compiling the results into fastidiously detailed¹⁰ tables. 把结果编成了许多详详细细的表。

A single line of text in a Crampton table could represent weeks of measurement and calculation. 克兰普顿表格里的一行字都可能代表几个星期的测量和计算。

 

1 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

3 unbearably   

adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌

参考例句：

• It was unbearably hot in the car. 汽车里热得难以忍受。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She found it unbearably painful to speak. 她发现开口说话痛苦得令人难以承受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ramble   

v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延

参考例句：

• This is the best season for a ramble in the suburbs.这是去郊区漫游的最好季节。
• I like to ramble about the street after work.我下班后在街上漫步。

5 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

6 sumptuously   

奢侈地，豪华地

参考例句：

• The hall was sumptuously decorated. 大厅装饰得富丽堂皇。
• This government building is sumptuously appointed. 这座政府办公大楼布置得极为豪华。

7 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

8 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

10 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。