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Biomimicry: From Spider Man to Spider Goat 生物模拟：从蜘蛛人到蜘蛛羊

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Joseph and Reyna come across a goat farm while riding their bicycles through the countryside:  约瑟夫和蕊娜在乡间骑脚车，偶然来到山羊农场：

J: Heard the latest buzz on genetic engineering? Biologists are tinkering with the genetic material of goats.

可听说基因工程又炒了新题材？生物学家正在变造山羊的基因组织。

R: Why? Wasn’t good ole Dolly cloned a long time ago?

为什么？那只宝贝桃莉老山羊不是早就被复制出来了？

J: For one thing, Dolly was a sheep; for another thing, I’m not talking about cloning. Eggs modified with the genes from spiders are being inserted into goats’ wombs.

先澄清一点，桃莉是只绵羊；另外，我不是在谈复制。他们正着手把蜘蛛的基因植入山羊的卵子里，再把卵子置进山羊的子宫里。

R: Spider-goats!? What’s next …. sea-monkeys?

蜘蛛羊！？再来是什么…海猴子？

J: Nothing like that. This is a new field of research called biomimicry.

不是这么回事。这称为生物模拟，是个崭新的研究领域。

R: Biomimicry, huh? Let me figure this out with etymology: bio means ‘life,’ and mimicry means ‘to imitate,’ so is it about imitating life?

生物模拟，呃？先让我搞清楚它前缀字尾的意义：bio是“生命”的意思，而mimicry意指“模拟”，所以它的意思是模拟生命？

J: Right! This emerging branch of science takes nature’s original ideas then tries to model them in ways that will benefit humans without exploiting nature in the process. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example of biomimicry.

没错！这个新崛起的科学分支采用大自然的原始创见，再尝试把它们模型化，在不剥削自然生态的过程中造福人类。研究树叶以制造太阳能电池就是一个生物模拟的例子。

R: It makes sense, given that nature is by Darwin’s definition the fundamental source of all adaptation.

如果大自然按达尔文所定义的是所有演化的基本来源，那你说的有道理。

J: Biomimicry is a real shift in science’s basic attitude to nature.

生物模拟是科学对大自然的基本态度真正的转变。

R: I can see that: it’s about learning from, rather than bettering, nature. I still hope scientists invent sea-monkeys, though.

我了解：我们得向大自然学习，而非改善它。不过，我还是希望科学家创造海猴子。

Vocabulary

单词发音

biomimicry 生物模拟

buzz [bʌz] n. 流言，谣言

tinker [ˋtɪŋkɚ] v. 粗劣的修补[S][（+with）]

ole [ol] adj. 老的〔英语书面语中用以表示一些人说old 的方式〕

clone [klon] v. 使…无性繁殖

womb [wum] n. 子宫

figure out【美】【口】想出, 理解, 明白

etymology [͵ɛtəˋmɑlədʒɪ] n. 词形变化；词源学

mimicry [ˋmɪmɪkrɪ] n. 模仿；模拟；学样

given [ˋgɪvən] prep. 如果有；假如；考虑到[+（that）]

adaptation [͵ædæpˋteʃən] n.【生理】适应性的变化，适应作用

better [ˋbɛtɚ] v. 改善；改进

Sentence of the Day

Don't play the goat.

不要耍白痴。

play the goat  做蠢事, 胡闹

课文讲解

The conversation between Joseph and Reyna continues:  约瑟夫和蕊娜的对谈继续：

R: I’m still not clear on the point of putting spiders’ genes into goats’ egg.

我还不是很清楚把蜘蛛基因植入山羊卵子的道理。

J: Spiders can produce a waterproof silk that completely out-performs steel in terms of weight, toughness and elasticity. Scientists hope to extract this silk from the milk of these genetically modified goats.

蜘蛛可以制造防水的蜘蛛丝，这种丝质就重量、韧度、及延展性来看，表现得比钢铁还好。科学家希望能从基因改造过的山羊奶水中萃取这种丝质。

R: And this process will produce spider’s silk without the unnecessary energy use and toxic by-products that result from manufacturing steel. A clever processing strategy indeed.

在这个过程中既可以生产出蜘蛛丝，也可以避免使用额外的能源，以及产生像冶炼钢铁所带来的有毒副产品。这种处理策略的确很聪明。

J: Now you’re onto it. Another example is mussels. It’s impossible to stick adhesive tape to a wet wall, but mussels stick to all kinds of wet surfaces. Something that’s 380 million years old can definitely teach us a few things!

你开始领悟了。另一个例子是河蚌。有黏性的胶带不可能附着在潮湿的墙上，但河蚌可以附着在各种不同的潮湿表面上。存活三亿八千万年的生物绝对可以教我们一些东西。

R: I get your point. If I understand correctly, the goal of biomimicry is to satisfy our needs for such things as materials, medicines, and energy by harnessing natural resources.

我懂你的意思。如果我没弄错的话，生物模拟的目的是藉由控制自然资源，以满足我们对诸如材料、药品、及能源等事物的需求。

J: It’s more than just the material outcome. Biomimicry represents a whole new philosophy of science.

不仅只是为了得到材料，生物模拟代表科学的一种全新哲学观。

R: The concept is good, but what if it turns into just another way of making a few bucks? Genetic modifications ought to be responsible. These are living, breathing creatures, after all.

这种想法很好，但它最后会不会变成只是营利的手段之一？基因改造应该要负责任。毕竟接受改造的都是有生命、会呼吸的生物。

J: Only time will tell what the real results will be.

只有时间才能证明结果会是如何。

－by Jonathan Aderman

Vocabulary

单词发音

waterproof [ˋwɔtɚ͵pruf] adj. 不透水的，防水的

out-perform [͵aʊtpɚˋfɔrm] v.（在操作或性能上）胜过

elasticity [ɪ͵læsˋtɪsətɪ] n. 弹性；弹力

modify [ˋmɑdə͵faɪ] v. 更改，修改

by-product [ˋbaɪ͵prɑdəkt] n. 副产品

onto [ˋɑntu] prep.【口】对……熟悉，对……了解

mussel [ˋmʌs!] n. 贻贝﹐壳菜﹐淡菜

adhesive [ədˋhisɪv] adj. 有黏性的

harness [ˋhɑrnɪs] v. 利用；控制

buck [bʌk] n.【美】【俚】元

Sentence of the Day

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

不要忘恩负义。