现在的你与过去的你对比：英语精读讲义

Times feel rough with natural disasters,

如今，自然灾害频发，日子似乎很难熬，

major political conflicts,

重大的政治冲突不断，

and uncertainty about the future.

未来也充满不确定性。

But as the memes roll in about it being a horrible time to be alive, 短語動詞

但当“活在这个时代真是太糟了”之类的网络梗不断涌现时，

you might be surprised to see your life now

如果把你现在的生活

versus what it would have been in the past. 語法

和过去可能过的生活相比，结果也许会让你大吃一惊。

Much of history actually involves humans succumbing to malnutrition and hunger. 短語搭配

事实上，在漫长的历史中，人类常常因营养不良和饥饿而丧命。

In ancient Egypt,

在古埃及，

a severe drought could hit and 5 to 10% of the entire population would die. 語法

一场严重的干旱就可能导致总人口的5%到10%死亡。

Of course,

当然，

things aren't perfect today with 11% of even France suffering from food insecurity, 用詞

如今也并非尽善尽美，就连法国也有11%的人无法稳定获得足够的食物，

which means their diet is limited due to socioeconomic status, 講解

也就是说，他们的饮食会受到社会经济状况的限制，

and they eat less nutritious foods and excess amounts of carbohydrates and salt. 短語搭配

只能吃营养价值较低的食物，还会摄入过量的碳水化合物和盐。

But compare this to the years of 1692 to 1694, 表達脈絡

但再看看1692年至1694年，

when 15% of France's population

当时法国有15%的人口

literally died because food was simply too expensive. 用詞

真的就因为食物实在太贵而活活饿死。

Today,

如今，

while millions do suffer from malnutrition, 語法

尽管确实有数百万人营养不良，

advancements in technology,

但科技进步、

government agencies,

政府机构

and NGOs 文化背景

和非政府组织

help to ensure that most are not dying. 短語搭配

都有助于确保大多数人不会因此丧命。

In fact,

事实上，

for the first time in human history,

这是人类历史上第一次，

more people are overweight than suffering from malnutrition. 語法

超重的人比营养不良的人还多。

As Homo sapiens began to live in cities,

随着智人开始在城市中聚居，

there was a massive increase in disease.

疾病也大幅增加。

In the 1330s,

14世纪30年代，

a horrifying outbreak of what they believed were demons,

一场可怕的疫情暴发了，人们认为这是恶魔、

bad air,

污浊的空气

or angry gods killed 75 to 200 million people.

或愤怒的神明所致；它夺走了7500万至2亿人的生命。

We now realize it was the flea-dwelling bacterium Yersinia pestis, known historically as the Black Death. 講解

如今我们知道，真正的元凶是寄生在跳蚤体内的鼠疫耶尔森菌（Yersinia pestis），这场疫情在历史上被称为“黑死病”。

But at the time,

但在当时，

people really had no idea what was killing them. 語法

人们根本不知道究竟是什么在夺走他们的生命。

In 1520,

1520年，

a Spanish flotilla heading to Mexico 語法

一支驶往墨西哥的西班牙船队中，

had an individual on it carrying an early case of smallpox virus.

有一名天花病毒的早期感染者。

Within two months,

短短两个月内，

the disease had killed 1/3 of Mexico's population. 語法

这种疾病就导致墨西哥三分之一的人口死亡。

In the following years,

在接下来的几年里，

there were so many infectious disease outbreaks in Mexico 語法

墨西哥接连暴发了大量传染病疫情，

that the population fell from 22 million to 2 million over the course of only 60 years. 短語搭配

导致人口在短短60年间从2200万锐减至200万。

People were constantly dying of diseases, 用詞

人们不断死于各种疾病，

and nobody knew how to cure them.

却没有人知道该如何治愈它们。

Remedies at the time included praying, 語法

当时的疗法包括祈祷、

having cold baths,

洗冷水澡，

or rubbing black beetles on sores.

或用黑色甲虫摩擦疮口。

Even as recently as 1918, 短語搭配

即便是在相对较近的1918年，

the Spanish flu spread internationally,

西班牙流感仍席卷全球，

and within a few months,

短短几个月内，

1/3 of the entire world's population was infected,

全球三分之一的人口受到感染，

and 3 to 5% of the world died.

世界总人口的3%到5%因此死亡。

Today,

如今，

most of our flu worries are based around the pain of needles. 用詞

我们对流感的担忧，大多只剩下怕打针疼。

Modern medicine saves millions of lives.

现代医学挽救了数百万人的生命。

The smallpox vaccine fully eradicated the disease from our planet. 短語搭配

天花疫苗让这种疾病从地球上彻底绝迹。

When diseases like SARS or Ebola appear,

当SARS或埃博拉等疾病出现，

and the world prepares for a severe public health emergency, 用詞

全球为严重的突发公共卫生事件做准备时，

far fewer people die due to international organization, 語法

死亡人数会因国际协调、

modern technology,

现代科技

and continued advancements in medicine.

以及医学的持续进步而大幅减少。

When Europe colonized the Americas, 文化背景

当欧洲人殖民美洲时，

an estimated 100 million people died, 用詞

据估计，有1亿人因此死亡，

though pre-colonization populations of indigenous people is not well documented, 語法

不过，殖民前的原住民人口缺乏详实记录，

making some estimates millions higher. 語法

所以有些估算还要高出数百万。

As many as 85 million people died in World War II, 短語搭配

第二次世界大战造成多达8500万人死亡，

and in ancient agricultural societies,

而在古代农业社会，

human violence caused 15% of all deaths.

人类暴力导致的死亡占全部死亡的15%。

Today,

如今，

human violence accounts for around 1% of deaths. 短語搭配

人类暴力造成的死亡约占总死亡人数的1%。

In 2012,

2012年，

only 120,000 people died in war,

只有12万人死于战争，

whereas 1.5 million died of diabetes. 表達脈絡

而死于糖尿病的人却有150万。

For the first time in human history, 短語搭配

人类历史上第一次出现了这样的情况：

when most people consider the future,

大多数人在思考未来时，

they don't assume war.

不再想当然地认为战争必将发生。

As we look to this year,

再看今年，

while there is still starvation, 語法

尽管仍有人挨饿，

disease,

疾病、

war,

战争

and inequalities,

和不平等问题也依然存在，

it's drastically better than most of human history.

但情况已远胜人类历史上的大多数时期。

But we must continue to be critical of our governments, 短語搭配

但我们必须继续以批判的眼光审视政府，

challenge companies,

对企业提出质疑，

and rethink the way human society is structured in order to continue progress. 語法

并重新思考人类社会的组织方式，才能不断进步。

By acknowledging the successful human efforts in medical research, 語法

当我们看到人类通过医学研究、

economic reform,

经济改革、

peace initiatives,

和平倡议，

and governmental support to decrease starvation,

以及政府为减少饥饿、

disease,

疾病

and violence,

和暴力而提供的支持所取得的成果时，

we can find hope for the future.

就能从中找到对未来的希望。

Hope is a valuable notion to focus on

希望是一个值得我们关注的宝贵信念，

as we look for a way to be content in a world that,

因为我们正努力寻找一种方式，好让自己在这个世界中感到知足，

at times,

尽管这个世界有时

can seem so overwhelmingly bad.

会显得糟糕透顶，令人不堪重负。

If you could use a little lighthearted fun, 語氣意圖

如果你想来点轻松有趣的消遣，

check out our latest t-shirt design,

不妨看看我们最新的T恤设计：

The Rotation of the Earth Makes My Day, 習語

《地球自转让我的一天更美好》，

which we just launched and is available for the next two weeks only at asapscience.com/merch.

这是我们刚刚推出的新款，未来两周内仅在asapscience.com/merch有售。

We really appreciate all the support through the years and couldn't make these videos without you.

我们由衷感谢大家多年来的支持；没有你们，我们不可能制作出这些视频。

If you like our stuff,

如果你喜欢我们的内容，

be sure to give it a like,

记得点个赞、

comment,

留言、

subscribe,

订阅频道，

and hit that bell button.

再点一下小铃铛。

It all helps keep our channel going in the YouTube algorithm

这些互动都有助于我们的频道在YouTube算法中保持活跃，

and means a lot to us. 語氣意圖

对我们来说也意义重大。