你无法真正触摸任何东西：英语精读讲义

Hey Vsauce, Michael here

嘿，Vsauce，我是 Michael。

and today we're going to get close,

今天我们要靠得很近，

like really close.

非常、非常近。

In fact, I want to answer the question,

事实上，我想回答一个问题：

what's the closest we can get to other objects and other people? 語法

我们究竟能离其他物体和其他人多近？

Now, it might sound like a kind of simple easy question,

这个问题听上去可能很简单，

but when you get down to the atoms of it, 習語

但如果深入到原子层面，

it's quite complex and might leave you feeling a little bit alone. 語法

它就相当复杂了，甚至可能让你感到有点孤单。

When I go like this,

当我像这样做时，

my fingers for all intents and purposes are touching, 習語

无论怎么看，我的手指都算是碰在一起了，

but at an atomic level they're not. 短語搭配

但在原子层面上，它们并没有接触。

That's right.

没错。

In fact, if you're sitting in a chair right now,

事实上，如果你现在正坐在椅子上，

your body is technically not touching the chair at all.

严格来说，你的身体根本没有碰到椅子。

Instead, you are hovering above the chair

相反，你其实悬浮在椅子上方，

by some tiny tiny atomically sized gap,

中间隔着一道极其微小、只有原子尺度的缝隙，

something too small for us to even see, 語法

小到我们根本看不见，

but it's there.

但它确实存在。

And it's caused by the fact that your butt and the chair are made out of atoms. 語法

这是因为你的屁股和椅子都是由原子构成的。

Now, as we all know, 語氣意圖

大家都知道，

the matter that we deal with every day is made out of atoms.

我们每天接触的物质都是由原子构成的。

And an atom is a nucleus surrounded by an outer shell of orbiting electrons. 語法

原子由原子核和环绕在外层轨道上的电子构成。

Now, when two atoms get close to each other

当两个原子彼此靠近时，

that aren't going to bond or chemically react,

如果它们不会形成化学键或发生化学反应，

they have trouble touching each other. 語法

就很难真正碰到彼此。

Why?

为什么？

Because electrons repel one another because they have the same charge. 用詞

因为电子带有相同的电荷，会相互排斥。

And because of a fancy thing called the Pauli Exclusion Principle, 文化背景

而且，由于一个叫作“泡利不相容原理”的高深理论，

we also know that all of an atom's electrons

我们还知道，一个原子里的所有电子

cannot be all pushed down to the same energy level

不可能全被压到同一个能级，

all together on the same shell. 用詞

一起挤在同一个电子层上。

So, what this means is that if I touch something, 表達脈絡

所以，这意味着当我触摸某样东西时，

I'm technically not really touching it.

严格来说，我并没有真的碰到它。

The atoms are getting quite close together,

原子之间确实靠得很近，

but the electromagnetic repulsion between electrons is saying, 表達脈絡

但电子之间的电磁斥力会说：

"No, no, no, no closer."

“不，不，不，不能再近了。”

Now, of course,

当然，

the nerves in my skin can feel that repulsive force,

我皮肤里的神经能感受到这种斥力，

and that's what I call the texture or the feeling of the object.

我把这种感觉称为物体的质地或触感。

If I push hard enough, of course,

当然，如果我用足够大的力气，

I can break or poke into or cut something,

就能弄破、戳穿或剪开某样东西，

but I'm not touching any of its matter.

但我仍没有碰到它的任何物质。

I'm just pushing it out of the way 短語搭配

我只是在把它推开，

using the electron-electron repulsion forces.

靠的是电子之间的斥力。

Even though, so you can cut things really easily like this,

即便如此，你还是可以像这样轻松地剪开东西，

the scissors never touch the card.

但剪刀从未真正碰到这张卡片。

This is where it gets depressing. 表達脈絡

接下来就让人沮丧了。

What all of this means is that when you kiss your girlfriend or pet your dog or hug your grandmother,

这意味着，当你亲吻女朋友、抚摸小狗或拥抱祖母时，

you're not actually making contact with their matter. 短語搭配

你其实并没有接触到构成对方的物质。

You're not technically touching them.

严格来说，你并没有碰到对方。

You're just feeling the repulsive force of their electrons.

你感受到的，只是对方电子产生的斥力。

But maybe there's hope. 表達脈絡

不过，也许还有希望。

Let's just avoid electrons altogether and ask ourselves, 用詞

我们不妨完全绕开电子，问问自己：

what can we do to affect the nucleus of someone else's atoms?

我们能做些什么来影响别人原子的原子核？

Maybe we can do that?

也许真能做到？

You're going to have to be a little bit radioactive if you're going to want to do this. 語法

如果想这么做，你就得带一点放射性。

And luckily, people are a little bit radioactive.

幸运的是，人本身确实带有一点放射性。

In fact, if you sleep in a bed with another person for an entire year,

事实上，如果你和另一个人同床睡整整一年，

your body is actually exposed to 1 millirem more radiation than someone who sleeps alone. 短語搭配

你的身体受到的辐射会比独自睡觉的人多1毫雷姆。

Now, we are talking about tiny tiny amounts that really don't affect your body at all. 語氣意圖

当然，我们说的是极其微小的剂量，完全不会影响身体。

But still, they're there.

但它们仍然存在。

How did they get there?

它们是从哪里来的？

Well, carbon 14 is in the air and potassium 40 is in bananas. 文化背景

空气中有碳-14，香蕉中则有钾-40。

That's right.

没错。

Bananas have a really high potassium content. 短語搭配

香蕉的钾含量非常高。

In fact, any food that has a lot of potassium in it like Brazil nuts

事实上，任何富含钾的食物，比如巴西坚果，

is going to act the same way.

都会产生同样的效果。

All that potassium's fine and dandy, 習語

这些钾本身都没什么问题，

but about one out of every 8,000 or so potassium atoms 語法

但大约每8000个钾原子中，就有一个

is a radioactive isotope of potassium.

是钾的放射性同位素。

In fact, if you were to eat 600 bananas, 語法

事实上，如果你吃下600根香蕉，

it would be the equivalent of getting a chest X-ray. 短語搭配

所受辐射就相当于做一次胸部X光检查。

Okay, cool.

好吧，挺酷的。

So, I am a little bit radioactive.

所以，我确实带有一点放射性。

Does that mean that if I hug someone really close that

那是不是意味着，如果我紧紧抱住某个人，

some sort of radioactive ray might come out of my body

某种放射线就可能从我的身体里射出，

and go into someone else's body

进入对方的身体，

and get absorbed into a nucleus of one of their atoms

再被对方某个原子的原子核吸收，

and then we can really finally say that we touched on a fundamental level? 短語搭配

这样我们终于能说，彼此在最根本的层面上真正接触过了？

Maybe.

也许吧。

The radiation that comes out of us is very unlikely to hit someone else's atoms. 語法

我们发出的辐射极不可能击中别人的原子。

And because people don't contain a lot of radioactive material in their bodies,

而且，由于人体内并没有多少放射性物质，

that energy is just going to get absorbed.

那些能量只会被吸收掉。

You're not going to really know that it happens,

你根本不会察觉这件事发生了，

and the chance, like I said, is super unlikely. 講解

而且正如我所说，它发生的概率低得惊人。

So,

所以，

maybe we should go back a little bit and talk about chemical reactions. 表達脈絡

也许我们该稍微退一步，谈谈化学反应。

Back when I mentioned that atoms have trouble touching,

刚才我说过，原子很难互相接触，

they are a little more friendly if they get together 短語動詞

但如果它们聚在一起，就会友好一些，

and, you know, share electrons.

还会，你懂的，共享电子。

Now, this kind of stuff is happening all the time.

这种事一直都在发生。

When I eat food,

当我吃东西时，

my body is chemically reacting with that food to take out the nutrients, 用詞

我的身体会和食物发生化学反应，从中提取营养，

get rid of the stuff I don't want. 短語動詞

再排出我不需要的东西。

But short of being a cannibal 短語搭配

但如果不去当食人族，

and eating someone's arm or being a zombie,

不吃掉别人的手臂，也不变成僵尸，

how can I get chemically reactionally close to a person? 用詞

那我怎样才能通过化学反应与另一个人亲密接触呢？

Well, luckily,

幸运的是，

there is a thing called birth.

世上还有一种事叫出生。

When you're growing inside your mother,

当你在母亲体内成长时，

your father and mother's DNA are all working together in chemical ways to create you.

父母的DNA会通过各种化学作用共同创造出你。

Because they're sharing electrons,

因为它们会共享电子，

it seems at least more like a touch.

所以这至少更像是真正的接触。

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in a way 表達脈絡

我想说的是，从某种意义上讲，

your parents and your children

你的父母和你的孩子

are the only people you can know for certain 短語搭配

是你唯一可以确定自己

you've come the closest to actually touching. 語法

曾经离真正触碰最近的人。

And that's touching. 習語

这就是接触。

And as always,

一如既往，

thanks for watching.

感谢观看。