1000年后的新人类：英语精读讲义

The ability to drink milk throughout our lifetime,

这种终生都能喝牛奶的能力，

known as lactose tolerance, 語法

被称为乳糖耐受性，

evolved about 10,000 years ago.

大约在1万年前演化而来。

Over the last century and a half,

在过去一个半世纪里，

the average height of a human being has increased by roughly 10 cm, 短語搭配

人类的平均身高增加了约10厘米，

and within the last 6 and a half decades,

而在最近65年里，

the global lifespan has shot up nearly 20 years, 短語動詞

全球人均寿命猛增了近20年，

largely thanks to science. 短語搭配

这在很大程度上要归功于科学。

Breakthroughs in science have propelled our species forward.

科学突破推动着人类不断前进。

In fact, National Geographic and GE's new series Breakthrough

事实上，国家地理与GE推出的新系列节目《Breakthrough》

covers some cutting edge innovations that are happening today, 習語

聚焦当今正在涌现的一些尖端创新，

from biology and technology merging

从生物学与技术的融合，

to solutions for our water crisis.

到解决水资源危机的方案。

But, what will humanity look like in 1,000 years? 語法

但是，1000年后的人类会是什么样子？

It's already hard enough to remember a world without smartphones, 語法

如今，我们甚至已经很难记起没有智能手机的世界，

but scientists predict that within the next few decades,

但科学家预测，在未来几十年内，

computers will reach the computational speed of the human brain.

计算机的运算速度将达到人脑的水平。

Not only will they be able to speak and interact, 語法

它们不仅能够说话并与人互动，

but listen and remember.

还能倾听和记忆。

This also leads to a philosophy known as transhumanism. 文化背景

这也催生了一种名为“超人类主义”的哲学思想。

In the future, nanobots or tiny robots

未来，纳米机器人，也就是微型机器人，

will be subtly integrated into our bodies, 短語搭配

将悄然融入我们的身体，

enhancing our own abilities. 語法

增强我们自身的能力。

No longer will we be limited by our own physiology, 語法

我们将不再受自身生理结构的限制，

but truly become a mixture of biology and machine on the inside.

而会真正从内部成为生物与机器的混合体。

Ever heard of utility fog? 講解

你听说过“实用雾”吗？

Imagine a cloud of countless microscopic robots,

想象一团由无数微型机器人组成的云雾，

which can be rearranged into virtually any configuration 用詞

它们几乎可以重组为任何形态，

nearly instantaneously.

而且近乎瞬间完成。

Buildings could be constructed as necessary 短語搭配

建筑物可以按需建造，

and disassembled when space was needed for something else.

当空间另有用途时又可拆解。

Picture your house disassembling when you leave in the morning, 語法

想象一下，你早上出门时，房子会自行拆解，

so that space can be used for something else. 語法

这样那块空间就能用于其他用途。

With increased urbanization and globalization, 語法

随着城市化和全球化不断加速，

the 7,000 languages that are spoken globally today

如今全球使用的7000种语言

will likely dip under 100. 習語

很可能会减少到不足100种。

As we move even further into the future,

随着我们向更遥远的未来迈进，

the world's rising temperature and accompanying deterioration

全球气温上升，以及随之而来的

in the protective ozone layer will play a major role. 習語

具有保护作用的臭氧层退化，都将产生重大影响。

Added UV radiation reaching the planet

到达地球的紫外线辐射增加，

may create a scenario where darker skin becomes an evolutionary advantage, 短語搭配

可能会让较深的肤色成为一种进化优势，

as it protects against UV damage.

因为它能抵御紫外线伤害。

Increasing temperatures may also affect our size.

气温升高也可能影响我们的体型。

Taller and thinner bodies would be better at dissipating excess body heat 語法

更高、更瘦的身体更有利于散发多余热量，

as it creates the best body surface area to volume ratio.

因为这样的体表面积与体积比最为理想。

Of course, these types of changes take tens or hundreds of thousands of years 語法

当然，这类变化需要数万甚至数十万年，

and will depend on our ability to avoid or protect ourselves from nature. 短語搭配

而且还取决于我们能否避开大自然，或保护自己免受其伤害。

New traits from mutations may also arise,

突变也可能带来新的特征，

perhaps a new eye color or unique abilities.

比如新的眼睛颜色或独特能力。

Even today, one man has been documented 用詞

即使在今天，也已有记录显示，有一名男子

with the ability to consume and digest nearly anything,

几乎什么都能吃下并消化，

including metal, glass, and even toxic chemicals,

包括金属、玻璃，甚至有毒化学品，

due to a genetic mutation.

这是由基因突变造成的。

Others live with a condition called tetrachromacy, 短語搭配

还有一些人拥有一种名为“四色视觉”的特征，

where they can see 100 times more colors than the rest of us. 語法

他们能看到的颜色数量是普通人的100倍。

But these traits are only likely to persist 語法

但这些特征只有在

if they have some selective advantage.

具备某种选择优势时，才可能延续下去。

So, don't expect a mutant-like school for the gifted anytime soon. 講解

所以，短期内别指望会出现一所专收变异天才的学校。

But artificial selection or human influenced changes 用詞

但人工选择或人为造成的改变

will likely drive most of our evolution.

很可能会主导我们的大部分进化。

We'll modify our babies' genes before birth

我们会在婴儿出生前修改他们的基因，

to eliminate diseases they may carry

消除他们可能携带的疾病，

or include desirable traits for our offspring.

或为后代加入我们想要的特征。

But while it may make us smarter, stronger, and better looking, 語法

但即便这能让我们更聪明、更强壮、更好看，

such genetic similarity or lack of human diversity

这种基因上的相似性，或者说人类多样性的缺失，

leaves room for a single new disease 習語

仍会给某一种新的疾病留下可乘之机，

of the future to wipe out the entire human race.

让它在未来消灭整个人类。

In the words of Stephen Hawking, 表達脈絡

用斯蒂芬·霍金的话说，

sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision

迟早有一天，小行星撞击之类的灾难

or nuclear war could wipe us all out. 短語動詞

或核战争可能会把我们全部消灭。

But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, 語法

但一旦我们走向太空并建立起独立的殖民地，

our future should be safe.

人类的未来应该就安全了。

Space colonization, it seems, 語氣意圖

看来，太空殖民

is an inevitable part of our future.

是我们未来不可避免的一部分。

At the end of it all, we may even conquer death 習語

最终，我们甚至可能战胜死亡，

by scanning our brains atom by atom 短語搭配

方法是逐个原子扫描我们的大脑，

and transferring that information into computers.

再将这些信息传入计算机。

In this way, we could travel at the speed of light as information patterns, 表達脈絡

这样一来，我们就能化为信息模式，以光速旅行，

unrestricted by our bodies and requiring no food.

不受身体束缚，也不需要食物。

Where our current human generational cycle takes around 20 years, 語法

如今，人类一代人的更替周期大约需要20年，

a digital individual could replicate themselves in seconds or minutes. 語法

而数字个体几秒或几分钟内就能复制自己。

It's a brave new world out there, 文化背景

那将是一个前所未有的全新世界，

and yet you may be surprised by some of the incredible science 表達脈絡

然而，当今正在发生的一些不可思议的科学进展，

that is happening today.

也许同样会令你大吃一惊。

That's what the show Breakthrough,

而这正是《Breakthrough》这档节目

which airs on November 1st at 9:00 p.m., 用詞

——于11月1日晚9点播出——

attempts to highlight the science of today

力图重点展现的当代科学成果，

that tomorrow's future will be based upon. 短語搭配

未来世界将建立在这些成果之上。

It's a really fantastic series of six episodes

这是一部非常精彩的六集系列节目，

on the National Geographic Channel.

在国家地理频道播出。

Be sure to check it out

一定要去看看，

and let us know what you think.

再告诉我们你的想法。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也别忘了订阅，观看每周更新的科学视频。