万物简史 第538期:令人惊叹的细胞(2)

 But yeast¹ cells are as nothing compared with human cells, which are not just more varied² and complicated, 但是，与人体细胞比起来，无论其多样性还是其复杂性，酵母细胞简直不值一提。

but vastly more fascinating because of their complex interactions. 但是，酵母细胞有着复杂的互动性，因此更有意思。

Your cells are a country of ten thousand trillion citizens, 你的细胞是一个有着l亿亿个公民的国度，

each devoted³ in some intensively specific way to your overall well-being⁴. 每一个公民都以某种特有的方式全心全意地为你的整体利益服务。

There isn't a thing they don't do for you. 它们为了你什么都干，

They let you feel pleasure and form thoughts. 它们让你感觉快乐，产生思想。

They enable you to stand and stretch and caper⁵. 它们使得你能够站立、伸懒腰和蹦蹦跳跳。

When you eat, they extract the nutrients⁶, distribute the energy, and carry off the wastes 当你吃东西的时候，它们摄取养分，供给能量，排除废物，

all those things you learned about in junior high school biology, but they also remember to make you hungry in the first place 干所有你在高中生物学中所了解到的事情，而且它们还不忘记先使你有一种饥饿感，

and reward you with a feeling of well-being afterward⁷ so that you won't forget to eat again. 并使你在就餐后产生舒适的感觉，以后就不会再忘记吃东西。

They keep your hair growing, your ears waxed, your brain quietly purring. 它们使你的头发生长，耳朵产生耳垢，大脑悄无声息地运转。

They manage every corner of your being. 它们管理你身上的每一个角落：

They will jump to your defense⁸ the instant you are threatened. 当你受到威胁时，它们会挺身而出保护你。

They will unhesitatingly die for you—billions of them do so daily. 它们会毫不犹豫地为你而献身——每天有多达数十亿个细胞在这么做：

And not once in all your years have you thanked even one of them. 可是终其一生你从未向它们中的任何一个表达过谢意。

So let us take a moment now to regard them with the wonder and appreciation⁹ they deserve. 因此，现在就让我们肃立片刻，向它们表示我们的敬佩与赞赏之意。

We understand a little of how cells do the things they do, 细胞是怎样完成它们所做的一切，

how they lay down fat or manufacture insulin 它们怎样储存脂肪，怎样制造胰岛素，

or engage in many of the other acts necessary to maintain a complicated entity¹⁰ like yourself—but only a little. 怎样参与维持和你这样复杂的实体所必需的其他活动，我们也许了解一点点——但仅仅是一点点。

You have at least 200,000 different types of protein laboring¹¹ away inside you, 你的身体内活跃着至少20万种不同类型的蛋白质。

and so far we understand what no more than about 2 percent of them do. 可走到目前为止，我们对它们的了解不超过2%。

(Others put the figure at more like 50 percent; it depends, apparently¹², on what you mean by "understand.") （有人将这一数字调高到50%左右。显然，这取决于你如何界定“了解”这个词的含义。）

 

1 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。

2 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

5 caper   

v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏

参考例句：

• The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
• The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳，结果扭伤了脚踝。

6 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

10 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

11 laboring   

n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• The young man who said laboring was beneath his dignity finally put his pride in his pocket and got a job as a kitchen porter. 那个说过干活儿有失其身份的年轻人最终只能忍辱，做了厨房搬运工的工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• But this knowledge did not keep them from laboring to save him. 然而，这并不妨碍她们尽力挽救他。 来自飘（部分）

12 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。