2020年经济学人 被时间遗忘的虫子(2)

The results shocked Dr Morono,

结果让Morono博士感到震惊，

"At first I was sceptical, but we found that up to 99.1% of the microbes in sediment¹ deposited 101.5m years ago were still alive."

“起初，我表示怀疑，但我们发现在1.015亿年前沉积物中，99.1%的微生物仍然存活着。”

And there was quite a variety of them, too. The team found representatives of phyla called Actinobacteria,

并且种类多样。该团队发现的门类有，放线菌、

Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, all of which are familiar to microbiologists.

拟杆菌、厚壁菌门和变形菌，所有这些都是微生物学家所熟悉的。

In one sample (admittedly from a mere² 13.5m years ago) they also discovered representatives of the archaea,

在一个样本中（无可否认，它来自1350万年前），他们也发现了古生菌的代表，

a group of organisms that resemble bacteria under a microscope,

这是一组有机体，在显微镜下看起来像细菌，

but have a biochemistry so different that they are regarded as a separate domain³ of life.

但在生物化学上却截然不同，因此被视为生命体的一个独立领域。

To find such living fossils from as far back as the Cretaceous is extraordinary.

能发现白垩纪的活化石是非同了不起的。

It is not possible to be sure, given the length of time involved, that they have undergone no growth and cell division whatsoever⁴.

鉴于所涉及时间的长短，无法肯定它们是否经历过任何生长和细胞分裂。

But if they have, it will have been minimal⁵ given the lack of nutrients⁶ in the ooze⁷ they were found in.

但如果有，那也只是最低限度的，因为它们所处的软泥中缺乏营养。

Nor is it likely that they migrated there from layers above.

它们也不可能是从上层迁移过去的。

The ooze in question was sealed off by a bacteria-proof layer of chert-like material called porcellanite.

上述软泥被一种类似硅质岩的材料——瓷状岩——的隔菌层所封闭的。

This discovery will therefore throw interesting light on the evolution of bacteria on Earth.

因此，这一发现将为地球上细菌的进化提供有趣的线索。

It will also raise the spirits of those who hope to find life elsewhere in the solar system.

它还将激励那些希望在太阳系其他地方找到生命的人。

The sediments⁸ that will be examined for signs of biology by Perseverance⁹,

“毅力”号火星探测器将检测一些沉积物中的生物迹象，

an American Mars rover which was awaiting lift-off from Cape¹⁰ Canaveral, in Florida, as The Economist¹¹ went to press,

本刊付印时，“毅力”号火星探测器正在佛罗里达卡纳维拉尔角等待发射

are 35 times older than those studied by Dr Morono and Dr D'Hondt,

这些沉积物比Morono博士和D'Hondt博士研究的那些还要古老35倍，

and have not had the protective shielding from environmental degradation¹²

并且没有因埋藏在海底许多米深深的覆盖层下

that comes from being buried at the bottom of the sea under many metres of overburden.

而出现的防止环境恶化的防护屏。

But future Mars rovers will drill beneath the planet's surface into strata¹³ that have had equivalent levels of protection from rock above them, if not from seawater.

但未来的火星探测器将深入地球表面，钻探到具有同等保护水平的地层，这些地层即使没有受到海水的保护，也会受到上面岩石的保护。

And a factor of 35, though large, does not sound insurmountable.

35倍差距的因素虽影响较大，但听起来并非不可克服。

1 sediment   

n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)

参考例句：

• The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。
• Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

4 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

5 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

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 ooze   

n.软泥，渗出物；vi.渗出，泄漏；vt.慢慢渗出，流露

参考例句：

• Soon layer of oceanic ooze began to accumulate above the old hard layer.不久后海洋软泥层开始在老的硬地层上堆积。
• Drip or ooze systems are common for pot watering.滴灌和渗灌系统一般也用于盆栽灌水。

8 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。

9 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

10 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

11 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

12 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

13 strata   

n.地层（复数）；社会阶层

参考例句：

• The older strata gradually disintegrate.较老的岩层渐渐风化。
• They represent all social strata.他们代表各个社会阶层。