如果地球失去氧气5秒会怎样？：英语精读讲义

Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe, 語法

氧是宇宙中含量第三高的元素，

allowing us to breathe, 語法

它让我们能够呼吸，

construct materials,

制造各种材料，

and do a lot more than you might realize.

还能做许多你可能意想不到的事。

So, what would happen if it disappeared from the Earth for 5 seconds? 語法

那么，如果地球上的氧消失5秒，会发生什么？

If we first look at the loss of atmospheric oxygen,

如果我们先看看大气中的氧气消失会怎样，

as in oxygen in the air, 短語搭配

也就是空气中的氧气消失，

you may not want to be traveling. 語氣意圖

那你恐怕不会想在这时出行。

Without oxygen,

没有氧气，

the internal combustion engines 語法

内燃机——

found in 215 million vehicles in the US alone

仅在美国，就有2.15亿辆汽车装有这种发动机——

would be unable to turn heat into the work required

将无法把热能转化为

to push the piston inside.

推动内部活塞所需的功。

Cars would most likely not start,

汽车很可能无法启动，

and if already moving, 語法

即使已经在行驶，

would stop running immediately. 語法

也会立刻停止运转。

Considering that an estimated 100 airplanes 表達脈絡

据估计，每分钟有100架飞机

take off or land every minute, 短語動詞

起飞或降落，

the loss of oxygen could also cause some early crash landings

氧气消失还可能很快导致一些飞机紧急迫降，

all over the world.

这种情况会发生在世界各地。

Although airplanes already in the air 語法

不过，已经在空中的飞机

could probably glide safely until oxygen returned.

或许能安全滑翔，直到氧气恢复。

But would you suffocate?

但你会窒息吗？

Oxygen does play a crucial role 講解

氧气的确至关重要，

in one of the last steps of cellular respiration,

它参与了细胞呼吸接近尾声的一个步骤，

but luckily our bodies have alternative pathways

但幸运的是，我们的身体还有其他代谢途径，

that help us survive when we temporarily lack oxygen.

能帮助我们在暂时缺氧时活下来。

For example,

例如，

during intense exercise,

在剧烈运动时，

muscle cells will use up all of their oxygen 短語動詞

肌肉细胞会耗尽所有氧气，

and switch to a process called lactic acid fermentation, 語法

转而采用一种叫作乳酸发酵的过程，

which uses glucose to produce energy.

利用葡萄糖产生能量。

Cells lacking oxygen also have been shown to reprogram themselves 語法

研究还发现，缺氧的细胞会重新调整自身的运作方式，

to prioritize and make the most necessary proteins first.

优先制造最必需的蛋白质。

All in all, 表達脈絡

总而言之，

if you can hold your breath for 5 seconds, 短語搭配

如果你能憋气5秒，

then you'll most likely survive the atmospheric oxygen apocalypse.

那你很可能就能挺过这场大气氧气消失的末日浩劫。

But when we take the question literally, 短語搭配

但如果我们从字面上理解这个问题，

as in what would happen if we lost the oxygen atom completely,

也就是所有氧原子都彻底消失会怎样，

obliterating it from compounds like water, quartz, and ozone,

连水、石英和臭氧等化合物中的氧也被彻底抹去，

then the results become more devastating.

后果就会惨烈得多。

If we consider non-living things alone, 表達脈絡

如果只考虑非生物，

then nearly everything in the material world

那么物质世界里几乎所有东西

would turn into a metallic dust once oxygen is done. 短語動詞

都会在氧消失后化为金属粉尘。

This includes buildings, cars, roads, clothes, furniture, and more,

这包括建筑物、汽车、道路、衣物、家具等等，

as all our materials like concrete, wood, glass, stone, brick, and cotton,

因为我们使用的混凝土、木材、玻璃、石头、砖块和棉花等材料

all contain or are made up of an oxygen-based compound. 講解

都含有含氧化合物，或由这类化合物构成。

Without the oxygen bond, 語法

失去与氧形成的化学键后，

many of these compounds would be left with their elements unbound 短語搭配

许多这类化合物中的元素会彼此分离，

and in their simplest form.

以各自最简单的形态存在。

And while all your favorite stores and possessions turn to dust, 習語

当你最爱的商店和所有财物都化为尘埃时，

they'll be simultaneously collapsing into the center of the Earth

它们也会同时向地心坍塌，

to be burned in a fiery oblivion.

最终在熊熊烈焰中化为乌有。

As oxygen makes up 46% of the Earth's crust, 講解

由于氧占地壳的46%，

the ground beneath us would cease to exist. 用詞

我们脚下的大地将不复存在。

The ocean, 語法

至于海洋，

which covers about 70% of the Earth,

它覆盖了地球约70%的表面，

would evaporate and become hydrogen gas,

将会蒸发并变成氢气，

and upon the return of oxygen 5 seconds later, 用詞

而5秒后氧重新出现时，

the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen would release mass amounts of heat

氢气与氧气的反应会释放出巨量热能，

as water is produced again.

因为水会再次生成。

So, the world would end all around us,

所以，我们周围的整个世界都会毁灭，

but that's okay. 語氣意圖

不过没关系。

You probably won't be around to witness any of this 習語

你可能根本活不到亲眼看到这一切，

as all our living cells contain water and will,

因为我们所有的活细胞都含有水，也会

like the ocean,

像海洋一样，

evaporate into space as hydrogen gas.

蒸发成氢气，飘散到太空中。

The rest of us would be dead dust as well.

我们身体的其余部分也会化为毫无生气的尘埃。

With oxygen and hydrogen gone, 語法

氧和氢都消失后，

we've lost 75% of our elemental makeup, 用詞

我们身体的元素组成也就少了75%，

and only a pile of carbon, nitrogen, calcium,

剩下的只会是一堆碳、氮、钙、

phosphorus, and other trace elements

磷和其他微量元素，

would be what's left of our bodies. 短語搭配

这就是我们身体仅存的一切。

Without oxygen,

没有氧气，

it's safe to say you wouldn't feel so good. 語氣意圖

可以肯定地说，你绝不会好受。

Thank you guys so much for watching.

非常感谢大家观看。

If you love to hear about apocalypse type scenarios,

如果你喜欢听这类末日情景，

then make sure to check out our newest podcast called Sidenote.

那一定要去听听我们名为 Sidenote 的最新播客节目。

It's about human extinction

它讨论的是人类灭绝，

and whether or not the world is ending and taking humanity with it. 講解

以及世界是否正在走向终结，并带着人类一起毁灭。

I'll put a link in the description so you can listen to that.

我会把链接放在视频简介里，方便你收听。

You can find out whether we are optimistic

你可以从中了解我们究竟是否乐观，

or whether or not we think things aren't looking so good.

还是认为形势看起来不太妙。

Make sure you subscribe on YouTube for more weekly videos,

记得订阅我们的 YouTube 频道，每周观看更多视频，

and we'll see you next week.

我们下周再见。

See you.

再见。