万物简史 第345期:孤独的行星(10)

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　　Collapsed¹ lungs were a routine hazard. 肺部坍缩是常有的危险，

　　Perforated eardrums were quite common, but, as Haldane reassuringly² noted³ in one of his essays, "the drum generally heals up; 鼓膜穿孔也是家常便饭，但霍尔丹在一篇论文中安慰别人说：“鼓膜一般来说会愈合。

　　and if a hole remains⁴ in it, although one is somewhat deaf, one can blow tobacco smoke out of the ear in question, which is a social accomplishment⁵." 要是留一个小孔，尽管你会有点儿耳背，但要是你抽烟，烟雾会从相关的耳朵里冒出来。这对社会是个贡献。”

　　What was extraordinary about this was not that Haldane was willing to subject himself to such risk and discomfort⁶ in the pursuit of science, 这件事的不平常之处，不在于霍尔丹本人为了从事科学研究愿意经受这样的风险或难受的感觉，

　　but that he had no trouble talking colleagues and loved ones into climbing into the chamber⁷, too. 而在于他能毫不费事地说服他的同事和亲人爬进减压室。

　　Sent on a simulated descent, his wife once had a fit that lasted thirteen minutes. 他的妻子有一次在进行模拟下降试验的过程中，痉挛了13分钟。

　　When at last she stopped bouncing across the floor, she was helped to her feet and sent home to cook dinner. 等她终于停止在地板上蹦来跳去，她被扶了起来，打发回家去做晚饭，

　　Haldane happily employed whoever happened to be around, including on one memorable⁸ occasion a former prime minister of Spain, Juan Negrin. 霍尔丹乐意利用任何恰好在场的人，包括有一次令人难忘地利用了西班牙的前首相胡安·内格林。

　　Dr. Negrin complained afterward⁹ of minor¹⁰ tingling¹¹ and "a curious velvety¹² sensation on the lips" but otherwise seems to have escaped unharmed. 内格林博士事后抱怨有点刺痛，“嘴皮上有点滑溜的感觉”，但除此以外安然无恙。

　　He may have considered himself very lucky. 他也许会为自己感到庆幸。

　　A similar experiment with oxygen deprivation¹³ left Haldane without feeling in his buttocks and lower spine¹⁴ for six years. 在类似的一次减氧试验中，霍尔丹的臀部和脊梁下部失去感觉达6年之久。

　　Among Haldane's many specific preoccupations was nitrogen intoxication¹⁵. 霍尔丹潜心研究许多问题，其中之一是氮中毒。

　　For reasons that are still poorly understood, beneath depths of about a hundred feet nitrogen becomes a powerful intoxicant. 由于至今仍不大清楚的原因，氮在30米以下的深处成了一种毒性很强的气体。

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