如果世界变成了黄金会怎样？——黄金末日：英语精读讲义

Here in the Kurzgesagt Labs,

在Kurzgesagt实验室这里，

we only work on the most important scientific problems

我们只研究最重要的科学问题

like what if we nuke stuff? 語法

比如如果我们用核弹炸东西会怎样？

Or how about we make this elephant explode?

或者我们把这头大象炸掉如何？

Or who could forget?

或者谁能忘记这个？

Look at this thing.

看看这东西。

It's really big.

它真的很大。

Continuing this proud tradition,

秉承这一光荣传统，

let's explore the scientific mystery of what would happen to you

让我们探索一下如果发生以下情况会有怎样的科学奥秘

if Earth suddenly turned into gold. 短語動詞

如果地球突然变成了黄金。

The Midaspocalypse,

迈达斯末日，

based on the ancient tale of King Midas, 文化背景

灵感来自迈达斯国王的古老传说，

who was cursed so everything he touched turned into gold.

他被诅咒，凡是他触碰的东西都会变成金子。

Before we can explore this scenario with science, 表達脈絡

在我们用科学探索这个场景之前，

we'll first define the premise.

我们先来定义一下前提。

Midas's curse is a very special phenomenon called magic,

迈达斯的诅咒是一种被称为魔法的非常特殊的现象，

which allows us to modify physics. 語法

它允许我们修改物理定律。

So, what happens when Midas touches something and it turns to gold?

那么，当迈达斯触碰某物使其变成金子时，会发生什么呢？

An atom of gold has 79 protons and 118 neutrons in its nucleus.

一个金原子的原子核里有79个质子和118个中子。

The electric force of the protons on the electrons around them shapes the atom

质子对周围电子的电场力塑造了原子

and gives gold its chemical properties

并赋予了黄金化学性质

like that it doesn't rust and that it's kind of shiny and bendy.

比如它不会生锈，而且有点光泽和延展性。

So, to make not gold into gold,

所以，要把非黄金变成黄金，

we have to change atoms.

我们必须改变原子。

Let's say Midas touches a duck.

假设迈达斯摸了一只鸭子。

All the light elements

所有的轻元素

like hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen

比如氢、碳和氧

gain electrons and protons

获得了电子和质子

and neutrons to become gold.

还有中子，从而变成了黄金。

Not only is the duck suddenly 33 times more massive, 語法

鸭子不仅突然变得重了33倍，

it's also much too dense.

它也变得太密实了。

The gold atoms are far closer together than they like

金原子的间距比它们所能容忍的要近得多

and repel each other violently,

并相互剧烈排斥，

causing the golden duck to explode 語法

导致金鸭子爆炸

with the energy of half a ton of TNT,

释放出相当于半吨TNT的能量，

leaving only gold dust and a very dead Midas.

只留下金粉和一个死透了的迈达斯。

This is clearly not a very good way for Midas's power to work.

显然，这对于迈达斯的力量来说并不是一个好方式。

So, what if instead Midas's power uses the atoms that are already present 表達脈絡

那么，如果迈达斯的力量利用了已经存在的原子

and simply rearranges all particles in the matter he touches into gold?

只是将他触碰物质中的所有粒子重新排列成金子呢？

No matter is created or destroyed, 用詞

没有物质被创造或毁灭，

instead atoms dissolve

相反，原子解体了

and the protons, neutrons, and electrons are reassembled to make gold.

质子、中子和电子被重新组装成金子。

However, gold is very dense,

然而，金子密度很大，

about 20 times denser than a duck.

密度大约是鸭子的20倍。

Without adding any matter, 語法

在不增加任何物质的情况下，

the gold duck would be a very awkward kind of foamy gold

这只金鸭子会变成一种非常奇怪的泡沫状黄金

with lots of tiny microscopic gaps.

里面有许多微小的显微级空隙。

This is funky and doesn't explode,

这很古怪，但不会爆炸，

which is progress. 語氣意圖

算是一种进步。

Now that we've established a sort of magic that works, 語法

既然我们已经确立了一种行得通的魔法，

what would happen if Midas stumbles?

如果迈达斯摔了一跤会怎样？

What if he touches Earth itself?

如果他碰到了地球本身呢？

Let's freeze time for just a moment 習語

让我们把时间暂停片刻

and rearrange all the matter in the Earth.

然后重新排列地球上的所有物质。

Just like the duck, 表達脈絡

就像那只鸭子一样，

the Earth is now solid gold,

地球现在变成了纯金的，

but with many tiny atomic-scale gaps.

但有许多微小的原子级空隙。

While these gaps weren't a huge deal for the duck, 習語

虽然这些空隙对鸭子来说不是什么大问题，

they're a big problem for the Earth.

但对地球来说却是个大问题。

A spongy planet is not a thing that can exist

一个海绵状的行星是不可能存在的

as gravity compresses Earth,

因为引力会压缩地球，

squeezing it together to close up the gaps. 短語動詞

将其挤压在一起以闭合那些空隙。

As a result, the Earth contracts, 表達脈絡

结果，地球收缩了，

shrinking to two-thirds of its radius.

缩小到原来半径的三分之二。

If you're standing on Earth's surface,

如果你站在地球表面，

you'll suddenly find yourself in free-fall, 語法

你会突然发现自己在自由落体，

like on a roller coaster,

就像坐过山车一样，

as the ground sinks away beneath you.

因为你脚下的地面在下沉。

But since the ground is falling too,

但由于地面也在坠落，

it doesn't move away from you.

它并没有离你远去。

It feels like someone turned off gravity, 短語動詞

感觉就像有人关闭了重力，

and you and everything else would begin to float.

你和其他所有东西都会开始漂浮。

But the ride doesn't last forever. 習語

但这段旅程不会永远持续下去。

It takes only 10 minutes for everything to crash down, 語法

只需10分钟，一切就会坠毁，

and a weird 10 minutes it is indeed. 語法

这确实是诡异的10分钟。

And then, as abruptly as it started, 語法

然后，就像它开始时一样突然，

it stops.

它停止了。

The collapsing Earth has reached its desired size

坍缩的地球已经达到了它想要的大小

and gravity is suddenly turned back on for you.

对你来说，重力突然又恢复了。

Hopefully you enjoyed your minutes of floating

希望你享受了这几分钟的漂浮

because the ground and you with it

因为地面和你一起

crash into the planet at 30,000 km/h,

以3万公里/小时的速度撞击地球，

making your body spatter like a water balloon as it hits. 表達脈絡

让你的身体在撞击时像水气球一样溅射开来。

In one instant,

在一瞬间，

basically all of humanity gets smashed into red puddles.

基本上全人类都被砸成了红色血泊。

This is only the start of our problems, though, 表達脈絡

然而，这只是我们问题的开始，

since Earth imploded supersonically.

因为地球进行了超音速内爆。

The kinetic energy of the implosion

内爆的动能

is basically equivalent to detonating a planet made of TNT. 短語搭配

基本上等同于引爆一个由TNT构成的行星。

Crushed together under incredible forces,

在难以置信的力量下被挤压在一起，

Earth's core reaches a million degrees Celsius,

地球的核心达到了一百万摄氏度，

a temperature closer to the core of a star 語法

这一温度更接近恒星的核心

than anything we're used to finding on Earth.

而不是我们在地球上习惯看到的任何东西。

As the Earth crashes into itself,

当地球向内撞击自身时，

it generates an enormously powerful shockwave,

它产生了一股极其强大的冲击波，

which plows upwards,

这股冲击波向上推进，

catapulting the atmosphere up and off.

将大气层向上弹射出去。

The Earth's surface temperature reaches hundreds of thousands of degrees,

地球表面的温度达到数十万度，

and everything on it is instantly vaporized

上面的一切都瞬间蒸发

to a fluffy plasma cloud that starts to expand,

变成一团开始膨胀的蓬松等离子云，

but not by much.

但膨胀得并不多。

Many of the atoms that may have been you

许多可能曾是你身体一部分的原子

get mixed into this cloud,

混入这团云中，

while others boil off, 短語動詞

而其他的则沸腾着蒸发掉，

escaping from the atmosphere.

从大气层中逃逸。

The golden plasma outshines the sun,

金色的等离子体光芒盖过了太阳，

while the enormous radiation lifts tons of material off into space.

同时巨大的辐射将成吨的物质抬升到太空中。

Over the coming days, 表達脈絡

在接下来的几天里，

the plasma cloud cools

等离子云冷却

and eventually freezes into a shiny little golden ball.

最终冻结成一个闪闪发光的小金球。

Okay, maybe this type of magic doesn't work.

好吧，也许这种魔法行不通。

So, if replacing atoms made the Earth so overdense that it exploded 語法

那么，如果替换原子使地球密度过大而爆炸

and disassembling and reassembling atoms made the Earth so underdense that it imploded,

而拆解和重组原子使地球密度过低而内爆，

there must be a sweet spot where the Earth does neither. 習語

那必定存在一个折中点，使地球两者都不发生。

What if Midas's power is such that an object is suddenly replaced 語法

如果迈达斯的力量是让一个物体突然被替换

by an object with the same volume made from solid gold?

替换为一个体积相同、由纯金构成的物体呢？

That magic is a little bit more magic

这种魔法就更有魔法色彩了

and cuts a few extra corners, 習語

并且走了点捷径，

but let's see where this leads us. 習語

但让我们看看这会带来什么结果。

So, Midas stumbles again.

于是，迈达斯又摔倒了。

Even though our new pure gold Earth is not expanding or contracting, 語法

尽管我们新诞生的纯金地球既没有膨胀也没有收缩，

it's suddenly much more massive.

它的质量却突然变得大得多。

The density of gold is three and a half times greater than the Earth, 語法

黄金的密度是地球的三倍半，

meaning the Earth is going to get three and a half times more massive.

这意味着地球的质量将增加三倍半。

For starters, everyone now has to contend 講解

首先，现在每个人都必须应对

with surface gravity that is more than three times stronger.

超过三倍以上的表面重力。

So, if you're not a champion weightlifter

所以，如果你不是举重冠军

who's used to carrying around a few times your body weight on your shoulders, 語法

习惯于肩上扛着几倍于自身体重的东西，

you're probably going to be slammed to the ground by your own weight.

你很可能会被自己的重量猛摔在地。

Depending on where you were when Earth turned into gold, 語法

根据地球变成黄金时你所在的位置，

this alone could seriously hurt or even kill you.

单凭这一点就可能严重伤害甚至杀死你。

Trees and artificial structures collapse under stress 短語搭配

树木和人造结构在它们从未被设计承受的

they were never meant to sustain,

压力下坍塌，

while birds and planes and all things that were able to fly or float

而鸟类、飞机以及所有能飞或漂浮的东西

splash to the ground all around you.

都纷纷坠落在你周围的地上。

And you're not the only thing weighed down by the greater gravity. 短語動詞

而且被更大重力压垮的不只是你。

The weight of the atmosphere and also atmospheric pressure nearly quadruples,

大气的重量以及大气压也几乎变成了原来的四倍，

which is a bad thing if you like living. 語氣意圖

如果你还想活命的话，这可不是件好事。

On its own, this won't kill you. 短語搭配

单凭这一点并不会要你的命。

Scuba divers can comfortably breathe air at these pressures for a while,

水肺潜水员可以在这种压力下舒适地呼吸一段时间，

but unfortunately squeezing the atmosphere this much

但不幸的是，将大气压缩这么多

raises its temperature to 150 degrees Celsius,

会使其温度升高到150摄氏度，

which is like the insides of an oven.

就像烤箱内部一样。

The entire Earth's surface bakes,

整个地球表面都在烘烤，

roasting anything and everything. 短語搭配

烤焦了所有的一切。

There is no escape.

无处可逃。

Gold may be a metal,

黄金可能是一种金属，

but it's about three times weaker than steel

但它比钢大约弱三倍

and also very malleable,

且非常具有延展性，

which makes it very bad mountain material. 語法

这使得它成为非常糟糕的山脉材料。

The tallest mountains that can be supported are now only about 2 km high,

现在能够支撑的最高山峰只有大约2公里高，

so whole ranges compress as their own weight basically crushes their base.

所以整个山脉都会因为自身的重量压碎底部而压缩。

It's hard to say what happens here.

很难说这里会发生什么。

We're probably in for giant earthquakes and landslides 短語搭配

我们可能会面临巨大的地震和山体滑坡

as the planet is squeezed into a new shape.

因为这颗行星被挤压成了一个新的形状。

And it's not just mountain ranges,

不仅仅是山脉，

the differences between the continents and the ocean floor level out, 短語動詞

大陆和洋底之间的落差被抹平，

causing the ocean basins to overflow,

导致海洋盆地溢出，

sending massive tidal waves over the Earth's surface.

在地球表面掀起巨大的海啸。

What remains is a planet made of gold, 語法

剩下的就是一颗由黄金构成的行星，

entirely covered by an ocean 3 km deep,

完全被3公里深的海洋覆盖，

a super hot atmosphere,

拥有超高温的大气层，

and a lot of dead people.

还有很多死人。

Hmm, okay.

嗯，好吧。

There may be a lesson to take away here, 短語搭配

这里或许有什么值得吸取的教训，

but we're not sure what it is.

但我们不确定它是什么。

We did all the math, though. 短語搭配

不过我们做了所有的数学计算。

It's in our sources document

它们在我们的资料文档中

if you want to take a look. 短語搭配

如果你想看看的话。

If you learned anything in this video,

如果你在这个视频中学到了什么，

let us know what it was.

请告诉我们那是什么。

So, as you might know, 表達脈絡

那么，你可能知道，

the things we sell in our shop

我们在商店里出售的东西

are the reason we're able to publish videos for free.

是我们能够免费发布视频的原因。

But it's way more than that for us. 用詞

但对我们来说，意义远不止于此。

Here's a short story and a making-of. 用詞

这是一个小故事和幕后制作。

A while ago, we posted this image on social media

不久前，我们在社交媒体上发布了这张图片

just to post something nice-looking.

只是为了发点好看的东西。

Immediately, a lot of people were quite upset about it

立即，许多人对此感到非常不满

because it was wrong

因为它有错误

and you guys take what we put out that seriously. 短語動詞

而你们对我们发布的内容是如此认真。

So, we deleted it

所以，我们删除了它

and contacted experts to make something new and better.

并联系了专家以制作一些全新且更好的东西。

We spent hundreds of hours on research and illustration 短語搭配

我们在研究和插画上花费了数百个小时

and created this new extensive map of evolution,

创造了这张全新的广泛的进化图，

a new visualization of the relationships between living things

这是一种关于生物之间关系的新型可视化效果，

that didn't exist before.

此前从未有过。

And while this was obviously a lot of work and stress,

虽然这显然带来了很大的工作量和压力，

it sort of exemplifies why working on this channel is so satisfying, 語氣意圖

但它在某种程度上证明了为什么在这个频道工作如此令人满足，

because you people care

因为你们关心

and this makes us work harder and learn things we didn't know before.

而这让我们更努力地工作并学习以前不知道的东西。

So, thank you for supporting our crazy ideas

所以，感谢你们支持我们疯狂的想法

and our sometimes crazy merch.

以及我们有时有些疯狂的周边商品。

Because of you,

因为你们，

we can continue to release our videos for free for everyone

我们才能继续为所有人免费发布视频

and drop hundreds of hours into new concepts. 短語搭配

并投入数百个小时来研究新概念。

We are super grateful for that.

我们对此非常感激。

You can check out the new evolution poster,

你可以看看这张新的进化海报，

among many other things,

以及其他许多东西，

made with love in our shop. 短語搭配

用心制作，尽在我们的商店。