万物简史 第346期:孤独的行星(11)

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

　　It also produced wild mood swings. 它还会使情绪变得很不稳定。

　　In one test, Haldane noted², the subject "alternated between depression and elation³, 再有一次试验中，霍尔丹注意到，那个接受试验的人“时而情绪低落，时而兴高采烈；

　　at one moment begging to be decompressed because he felt ‘bloody awful'  一会儿觉得‘难受极了’，要求减压，

　　and the next minute laughing and attempting to interfere⁴ with his colleague's dexterity⁵ test." 一会儿哈哈大笑，想要干预他同事的灵敏度测试”。

　　In order to measure the rate of deterioration⁶ in the subject, 为了测量接受试验的人的情况变坏的速度，

　　a scientist had to go into the chamber⁷ with the volunteer to conduct simple mathematical tests. 科学家还不得不和志愿者一起爬进减压室，进行简单的数学计算。

　　But after a few minutes, as Haldane later recalled, 但是，几分钟以后，霍尔丹后来回忆说：

　　"the tester was usually as intoxicated⁸ as the testee, and often forgot to press the spindle of his stopwatch, or to take proper notes." “试验者和被试验者通常一样中毒，往往忘了让秒表停下来，或者忘记了适当的作笔记。”

　　The cause of the inebriation⁹ is even now a mystery. 即使到了现在，中毒的原因仍不清楚。

　　It is thought that it may be the same thing that causes alcohol intoxication¹⁰, 有人认为，这和酒精中毒是一回事。

　　but as no one knows for certain what causes that we are none the wiser. 但是，人家连酒精中毒的原因也说不准，我们绝不比他们聪明一点。

　　At all events, without the greatest care, it is easy to get in trouble once you leave the surface world. 无论如何，要是不小心翼翼，你一离开地面世界就很容易遇上麻烦。

　　Which brings us back (well, nearly) to our earlier observation that Earth is not the easiest place to be an organism, even if it is the only place. 说到这里，我们已经（哎呀，快要）回到原先的话题，即，活在地球这个地方并不那么容易，即使这是唯一可活的地方。

　　Of the small portion of the planet's surface that is dry enough to stand on, 这个星球上只有一小部分是干的，我们可以踩在上面，

　　a surprisingly large amount is too hot or cold or dry or steep or lofty to be of much use to us. 但其中极大一部分或太热，或太冷，或太干，或太陡，或太高，对我们没有多大的用处。

　　Partly, it must be conceded, this is our fault. 必须承认，这在一定程度上是我们自己的过错。

分享到：