為什麼一位科學家要把350萬年前的細菌注射進自己體內？：英語精讀講義

Why would a man of sound mind and body 用詞

為什麼一個身心健康的人

decide to inject himself with a 3 and 1/2 million year old virus

會決定給自己注射一種有350萬年歷史的病毒，

that he found in the Siberian mountains?

那是他在西伯利亞山脈中發現的？

Not any man,

他不是一個普通人，

but a man of science and understanding.

而是一個懂得科學知識的人。

One day,

有一天，

this insane academic decided

這位瘋狂的學者決定

to load up a syringe of the ancient bacteria

裝滿一注射器的古老細菌

and inject himself with it.

並將其注射進自己體內。

Why?

為什麼？

What would compel such a person to do such a thing?

是什麼驅使這樣一個人做出這種事情？

Well,

嗯，

the scientist in question, 片語搭配

這位所提到的科學家，

Anatoli Bruskhov,

阿納托利·布魯什科夫，

figured that whatever had kept those bacteria alive 文法

認為無論是什麼力量讓這些細菌存活了

for 3 and 1/2 million years

350萬年，

might also keep human life alive just as long.

或許也能讓人類的生命延續同樣長的時間。

And since 2009,

自從2009年以來，

his plan has succeeded.

他的計畫已經奏效了。

And what's more, 表達脈絡

而且更重要的是，

Bruskhov has been in the best health he has ever been in. 文法

布魯什科夫的健康狀況達到了前所未有的最佳狀態。

Today,

今天，

we look deep into the science behind that old virus 片語搭配

我們將深入探討那種古老病毒背後的科學，

in order to find out exactly what is going on. 文法

以查明究竟發生了什麼。

In this episode of the Infographics Show,

在本期資訊圖解節目中，

why would a scientist inject himself

為什麼科學家要給自己注射

with a 3 and 1/2 million year old bacteria?

一種350萬年前的細菌？

Anatoli Bruskhov,

阿納托利·布魯什科夫，

head of the Geocryology Department

凍土學系主任，

at Moscow State University,

任職於莫斯科國立大學，

discovered the bacteria in 2009.

在2009年發現了這種細菌。

The virus was embedded in an ancient permafrost

該病毒嵌在一處名為

site called Mammoth Mountain in the Sakha Republic,

薩哈共和國猛獁山的古老永久凍土地帶，

otherwise known as the Yakutia region in Siberia. 片語搭配

該地也被稱為西伯利亞的雅庫特地區。

A similar bacterium was found by scientist Vladimir Repin

科學家弗拉基米爾·列賓

in the brain of an ice-preserved woolly mammoth.

在一隻冰封保存的猛獁象大腦中也發現了類似細菌。

Although the virus was trapped in the ice, 文法

儘管該病毒被困在冰中，

it was still alive after all those years.

但在經歷了漫長歲月後，它依然活著。

And this is of interest to many scientists. 片語搭配

這引起了許多科學家的興趣。

What has kept it alive for so long?

是什麼讓它存活了這麼久？

Bruskhov and his team were determined to find out. 片語搭配

布魯什科夫和他的團隊決心查明原因。

Experiments began.

實驗開始了。

Mice injected with Bacillus F

被注射了芽孢桿菌F的小鼠

were able to reproduce at an age older than regular mice typically reproduce,

能夠在比普通小鼠通常繁殖年齡更大的時候進行繁殖，

suggesting that Bacillus F may have potential as a longevity serum. 片語搭配

這表明芽孢桿菌F可能具有作為長壽血清的潛力。

But the experiments didn't stop with pregnant granny rodents. 表達脈絡

但實驗並未止步於懷孕的老年齧齒動物身上。

Oh no.

哦不。

Bruskhov also experimented with fruit flies

布魯什科夫還在果蠅身上進行了實驗，

with positive results.

並取得了積極的結果。

Even plants exposed to the bacteria

就連暴露在細菌下的植物

thrived for an unusually long length of time.

也能夠茁壯成長出乎意料的長久時間。

Bruskhov confirmed in an interview for Russian TV

布魯什科夫在接受俄羅斯電視採訪時證實，

that he needed to extend the experiment to human subjects,

他需要將實驗對象擴展到人類身上，

namely himself. 表達脈絡

也就是他自己。

Since injecting himself with the virus, 文法

自從注射了這種病毒後，

his general health and well-being have improved dramatically.

他的整體健康狀況和幸福感得到了顯著提升。

"I've started to work longer,"

"我開始能工作更長的時間，"

he said.

他說。

"I haven't had the flu for the last 2 years." 文法

"在過去兩年裡我都沒有得過流感。"

"After successful experiments on mice and fruit flies,

"在對小鼠和果蠅成功進行了實驗之後，

I thought it would be interesting to try the inactivated bacterial culture," 語氣意圖

我覺得嘗試這種滅活的細菌培養物會很有趣，"

the scientist continued.

這位科學家繼續說道。

"The permafrost is thawing,

"永久凍土正在融化，

and I guess these bacteria get into the environment,

我猜這些細菌進入了自然環境，

into the water,

進入了水中，

so the local population,

因此當地居民，

the Yakut people in fact,

實際上就是雅庫特人，

for a long time,

長期以來，

are getting these cells with water

一直透過飲水攝入這些細胞，

and even seem to live longer than some other nations.

而且似乎甚至比其他一些民族活得更長。

So there was no danger for me.

所以這對我來說沒有危險。

But we do not know how it works.

但我們不知道它的工作原理。

In fact,

事實上，

we do not know exactly how aspirin works,

我們並不完全了解阿斯匹靈的作用機制，

for example,

舉個例子，

but it does.

但它確實有效。

The same is true here. 表達脈絡

在這裡情況也是一樣的。

We cannot understand the mechanism,

我們無法理解機制，

but we see the impact.

但我們看到了效果。

Perhaps there were some side effects,

也許會有一些副作用，

but there should be some special medical equipment to spot them.

但這需要透過專門的醫療設備來發現它們。

Of course,

當然，

such experiments need to be conducted in a clinic 文法

這類實驗需要在診所內進行，

with special equipment and statistics.

配備專門的設備和統計數據。

Then we could say clearly about all the effects.

然後我們才能明確地說出所有的效果。

If we find how the bacteria stay alive,

如果我們弄清楚了細菌是如何存活的，

we probably would be able to find a tool

我們可能就能找到一種工具

to extend our own lives."

來延長我們自己的壽命。"

Yakut epidemiologist Dr. Viktor Cernyavsky added,

雅庫特流行病學家維克多·切爾尼亞夫斯基博士補充道，

"The bacteria gives out biologically active substances throughout its life, 片語動詞

"這種細菌在其一生中釋放出具有生物活性的物質，

which activates the immune status of experimental animals.

從而激活了實驗動物的免疫系統狀態。

If the same substance were to be given to people, 文法

如果給人類服用同樣的物質，

it could cause a significant improvement in their health,

可能會導致他們健康狀況的顯著改善，

leading to the discovery of an elixir of life." 講解

從而發現長生不老藥。"

So by making himself the human guinea pig in this experiment, 慣用語

因此，透過在這次實驗中把自己當成人類白老鼠，

Bruskhov hopes to find out more about longevity.

布魯什科夫希望能發現更多關於長壽的秘密。

And who knows,

誰知道呢，

in the process, 片語搭配

在這個過程中，

he may end up becoming one of the oldest scientists himself. 片語動詞

他自己最終可能成為最長壽的科學家之一。

Three different strains of bacteria exist in the permafrost,

永久凍土中存在著三種不同的細菌菌株，

and Bruskhov is determined to find out

而布魯什科夫決心要弄清楚

how the bacteria protect themselves against cell damage. 片語搭配

細菌是如何保護自己免受細胞損傷的。

Bruskhov speculates that immortal bacteria

布魯什科夫推測，不朽的細菌

probably exists somewhere in the world

可能就存在於世界上的某個角落，

and that such bacteria protect themselves from dying.

且這種細菌懂得如何保護自己免於死亡。

Somewhere within the virus,

在這個病毒深處的某個地方，

he feels,

他覺得，

the secret must be hidden.

秘密肯定就藏在其中。

His team has completed deciphering the Bacillus F DNA,

他的團隊已經完成了對芽孢桿菌F的DNA破譯工作，

but now faces the complicated task 片語搭配

但現在面臨著一項複雜的任務，

of figuring out which genes are responsible for the longevity of the virus. 片語搭配

那就是要找出究竟是哪些基因賦予了這種病毒長壽的特性。

The isolation of this gene would be the key to unlocking the puzzle, 慣用語

分離出這個基因將是解開謎團的關鍵，

perhaps to an eternal life.

或許也是通向永生的鑰匙。

But even if he doesn't find the secret of everlasting life, 文法

不過即便他沒有找到永生的秘密，

Bruskhov has stumbled into a remarkable new field. 片語動詞

布魯什科夫也已經偶然涉足了一個非凡的新領域。

Discovering the mechanism behind the vitality of the virus

揭開該病毒生命力背後的機制

could have significant health implications for humankind. 片語搭配

可能對人類健康產生重大意義。

"If we can find how the bacteria stays alive,

"如果我們能發現細菌是如何保持存活的，

then we will be able to find the cure to prolong our own life,"

那我們就能找到延長自身壽命的治療方法，"

Bruskhov concluded.

布魯什科夫總結道。

Bruskhov isn't the only scientist

布魯什科夫並非唯一一個

experimenting with ancient bacteria.

用古老細菌進行實驗的科學家。

For years,

多年來，

scientists have been examining the bacteria

科學家們一直在研究來自

from the Siberian mountains and beyond.

西伯利亞山區及其他地區的細菌。

There's still much to learn about viruses and the hundreds of protein-encoding genes.

關於病毒及其數百個編碼蛋白質的基因，仍有很多需要了解的地方。

Scientists are always looking to nature for clues as to how to improve human health. 片語搭配

科學家們總是在自然界中尋找改善人類健康的線索。

In February 2018,

在2018年2月，

an article published by the New Atlas Magazine looked at the mole rat.

《新阿特拉斯雜誌》上發表的一篇文章將目光投向了裸鼴鼠。

This mammal lives well into its 30s 片語搭配

這種哺乳動物可以活到三十多歲，

and it's pretty much immune to all types of cancer 用詞

並且對幾乎所有類型的癌症免疫，

and can do without oxygen for long lengths of time. 片語動詞

還能在沒有氧氣的情況下存活很長時間。

Perhaps if scientists can pull apart the cell structure of this mammal, 片語動詞

也許如果科學家能解開這種哺乳動物的細胞結構，

a secret to its longevity may be unraveled. 慣用語

它長壽的秘密就能被揭開。

There are bound to be, 文法

必定存在，

as Bruskhov suggests,

正如布魯什科夫所暗示的那樣，

many more secrets out there in nature.

大自然中的更多秘密。

These secrets may lead to humankind 文法

這些秘密可能引領人類

living a much longer and healthier life.

過上更長壽、更健康的生活。

So,

那麼，

what's the strangest and most unlikely cure

你聽過的最奇怪、最不可能的療法

that you have heard of?

是什麼呢？

Are there alternative treatments for cancer

是否有抗擊癌症的替代療法

that actually work?

是切實有效的？

Does the secret to longevity exist in a frozen virus

長壽的秘密究竟存在於冷凍的病毒中

or in a ground-dwelling rodent?

還是存在於生活在地下的齧齒類動物身上呢？

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

請在評論區告訴我們你的想法。

Also,

另外，

be sure to watch our other video called Horrible Things That Will Happen in 2019.

一定要看看我們的另一部影片，叫做《2019年將會發生的恐怖事情》。

Thanks for watching,

感謝觀看，

and as always,

一如既往，

don't forget to like,

不要忘記按讚、

share,

分享，

and subscribe.

以及訂閱。

See you next time.

我們下期再見。