万物简史 第537期:令人惊叹的细胞(1)

 24 Cells 第二十四章 令人惊叹的细胞

It starts with a single cell. 生命开始于一个细胞。

The first cell splits to become two and the two become four and so on. 第一个细胞一分为二，二又分为四，以此类推，

After just forty-seven doublings, you have ten thousand trillion (10,000,000,000,000,000) cells in your body 仅仅到第47次加倍以后，你就有了l亿亿（10000000000000000）个细胞，

and are ready to spring forth¹ as a human being. 并作好了最终形成一个人的准备。

Actually, quite a lot of cells are lost in the process of development, so the number you emerge with is really just a guess. 事实上，在你的一生中，有许多细胞中途离你而去，因此你身上的细胞数只是一种估计。

Depending on which source you consult the number can vary by several orders of magnitude. 根据资料来源的不同，这个数字可能相差好几个数量级。

The figure of ten thousand trillion (or quadrillion) is from Margulis and Sagan, 1986. 1亿亿这个数字取自马古利斯和萨根的《微观世界》。

And every one of those cells knows exactly what to do to preserve and nurture² you from the moment of conception to your last breath. 从卵子受精的那一刻起，一直到你离开人世，为了维持和保护你，这些细胞中的每一个都完全知道自己的职责。

You have no secrets from your cells. They know far more about you than you do. 对于你的细胞来说，你无任何秘密可言，它们对于你的了解，远远超过你对自己的了解。

Each one carries a copy of the complete genetic³ code, the instruction manual for your body, 每一个细胞都带有一整套基因密码，你身体的指令手册，

so it knows not only how to do its job but every other job in the body. 因此它不仅知道怎样做自己的工作，而且对于你体内的其他任何一项工作，它都了如指掌。

Never in your life will you have to remind a cell to keep an eye on its adenosine triphosphate levels 在你的一生中，你永远没有必要提醒任何一个细胞，要它随时注意其腺嘌呤核苷三磷酸盐的情况，

or to find a place for the extra squirt of folic acid that's just unexpectedly turned up. 或是找到存放不期然间出现的多余叶酸的地方。

It will do that for you, and millions more things besides. 它将会为你做这样的一些事，以及几百万件别的事。

Every cell in nature is a thing of wonder. 每个细胞都是自然界的一个奇迹。

Even the simplest are far beyond the limits of human ingenuity⁴. 即便是最简单的细胞，其构造的精巧程度也是人类的智慧所永远也无法企及的。

To build the most basic yeast⁵ cell, for example, 举个例子，即便是制造一个基本的酵母细胞，

you would have to miniaturize about the same number of components⁶ as are found in a Boeing 777 jetliner and fit them into a sphere just five microns across; 你所需要的零部件就和一架波音777喷气式飞机的一样多，而且还必须在直径仅有5微米的球体内将它们组装起来，

then somehow you would have to persuade that sphere to reproduce. 然后你还得以某种方式驱使那个球体进行繁殖。

 

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

4 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

5 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

6 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。