人類面臨的 11 大終極威脅：英語精讀講義

With devastating hurricanes,

面對破壞力驚人的颶風，

refugee crisis, and the real possibility of nuclear war,

難民危機，以及核戰爭真正爆發的可能，

it can sometimes feel like the end is near. 講解

有時會讓人覺得末日將近。

But what are the biggest threats to humanity

但人類面臨的最大威脅究竟是什麼

and is there anything we can do to stop them? 文法

我們又能做些什麼來阻止它們呢？

Experts all over the world

世界各地的專家，

from the Global Challenges Foundation in Stockholm

包括來自斯德哥爾摩全球挑戰基金會的專家

and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge

以及劍橋大學生存風險研究中心的專家，

consider this question yearly using scientific research.

每年都會運用科學研究來探討這個問題。

Some risks lay millions of years into the future, 文法

有些風險要到數百萬年後的未來才會出現，

like gamma ray burst caused by a star explosion,

例如恆星爆炸引發的伽瑪射線暴，

which would destroy our ozone layer,

它會摧毀我們的臭氧層，

or even the overexpansion or collapse of the entire universe.

甚至還有整個宇宙過度膨脹或塌縮的風險。

Closer to home, 慣用語

再看離我們更近的威脅，

we have our sun,

我們還有太陽，

which will eventually become a red giant as it ages

隨著它逐漸老化，最終會變成一顆紅巨星，

and engulf the entire planet.

並吞噬整個地球。

But even that isn't for another 5 billion years. 文法

不過，那也要再過50億年。

More imminent is an asteroid large enough to create a global catastrophe, 文法

更迫在眉睫的是一顆大到足以引發全球災難的小行星，

which is estimated to occur every 120,000 years. 文法

據估計，這種事件每12萬年會發生一次。

While none are currently expected to hit Earth soon, 表達脈絡

雖然目前預計近期不會有任何小行星撞上地球，

existing data is incomplete

但現有資料並不完整，

with a worldwide effort underway to search the skies. 用詞

全球各地正合力展開巡天搜尋。

Should it happen, 文法

一旦真的發生撞擊，

it could create a global cooling event like the Ice Age,

便可能引發類似冰河時期的全球降溫，

but even smaller asteroids could have a significant impact 片語搭配

但即使是較小的小行星，也可能造成重大影響，

on both natural and human ecosystems, too.

自然環境和人類社會也都會受到波及。

An even closer possibility is the supervolcano.

另一個更近在眼前的可能威脅是超級火山。

The devastation in Pompeii from Mount Vesuvius

維蘇威火山曾為龐貝古城帶來毀滅性災難，

released around 4 km cubed of magma,

當時噴出了約4立方公里的岩漿，

but the supervolcanoes can release more than 500 km cubed.

而超級火山噴出的岩漿可以超過500立方公里。

The real worry from this worldwide is the ash cloud,

真正令全世界擔憂的是它形成的火山灰雲，

which would block out the sunlight, 片語動詞

它會遮蔽陽光，

cooling the globe and crippling agriculture. 文法

導致全球降溫，並重創農業。

The last known eruption occurred around 25,000 years ago in New Zealand,

最近一次已知的噴發約發生在2萬5千年前的紐西蘭，

and researchers predict they occur every 30,000 to 50,000 years.

研究人員預測，這類噴發每3萬至5萬年會發生一次。

Scientists are currently monitoring Yellowstone in the US

科學家目前正監測美國的黃石國家公園，

as a future potential site.

認為那裡未來可能發生超級火山噴發。

But not all of our threats are natural. 文法

但威脅並不全都來自大自然。

Overpopulation can outstrip Earth's capacity to produce food and other resources 用詞

人口過多可能會超出地球供應食物和其他資源的能力，

and amplify the threat of infectious pandemics due to high densities, 片語搭配

而高人口密度也會加劇傳染病大流行的威脅，

perhaps with bioengineered diseases.

其中甚至可能包括經生物工程改造的疾病。

Conversely, evidence is already pointing to declining fertility rates. 講解

相反地，已有證據顯示生育率正在下降。

Will we see the human population gradually die out from lack of births, 片語動詞

人類會不會因為新生人口不足而逐漸滅絕，

or will climate change beat this concern?

還是氣候變遷會先一步成為更大的問題？

A rise of 3 degrees Celsius would be incredibly significant

氣溫上升攝氏3度，就會造成極其嚴重的影響，

with most of Florida and Bangladesh underwater,

佛羅里達州和孟加拉大部分地區將被淹沒，

while several coastal cities would become swamped.

多座沿海城市也會被洪水淹沒。

On top of this, 表達脈絡

除此之外，還有

longer and more damaging wildfire seasons,

更漫長、破壞力更強的野火季，

more destructive hurricanes,

更具毀滅性的颶風，

heatwaves, food insecurity, and drought,

熱浪、糧食短缺和乾旱，

all of which can impact and amplify incidences of violence 文法

這一切都可能促使暴力事件增多、升級，

with nations already suffering from water and climate conditions,

尤其是在那些已飽受缺水和惡劣氣候之苦的國家，

which ultimately impact deteriorating economic conditions.

最終還會讓持續惡化的經濟狀況雪上加霜。

Then there's nuclear war.

接著還有核戰爭。

Tensions over North Korea have brought this conflict to the forefront 片語搭配

圍繞北韓的緊張局勢，已讓這類衝突成為焦點，

with over 7,000 known warheads between Russia and the US

俄羅斯和美國已知擁有的核彈頭總數超過7,000枚，

and nukes within the UK, France, China,

英國、法國和中國也擁有核武，

India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.

印度、巴基斯坦、以色列和北韓也同樣如此。

The Doomsday Clock, 文化背景

「末日之鐘」

created by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,

由《原子科學家公報》創立，

represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe.

它代表人為全球災難發生的可能性。

Though the clock more recently included climate change

儘管近年來，這座鐘也將氣候變遷

and some other developments that put humanity at risk, 片語搭配

以及其他危及人類的發展趨勢納入考量，

emphasis is placed on nuclear war. 片語搭配

但關注的重點仍是核戰爭。

Since its creation in 1947,

自1947年創立以來，

the furthest we've been from midnight

我們距離午夜

or Doomsday is in 1991,

也就是「末日」最遠的一次是在1991年，

when the clock was 17 minutes to midnight.

當時距離午夜還有17分鐘。

Today in 2017,

如今，也就是2017年，

the clock sits at 2.5 minutes to midnight,

末日之鐘停在午夜前2.5分鐘，

the second closest it has ever been. 文法

這是它有史以來第二接近午夜的一次。

Even a small nuclear war could create a nuclear winter,

即使是一場小規模核戰爭，也可能造成核冬天，

which would cause global cooling and damage to the ozone layer

導致全球降溫並破壞臭氧層，

that may ultimately create droughts that last more than a decade.

最終可能引發持續超過十年的乾旱。

But the greatest threat of all,

但所有威脅中最大的一項，

researchers currently believe it's artificial intelligence.

研究人員目前認為，是人工智慧。

If growth continues to become comparable to the industrial and agricultural revolutions, 片語搭配

如果這種發展持續下去，規模變得足以媲美工業革命和農業革命，

experts predict autonomous machines will attain near-human-level intelligence by 2075. 用詞

專家預測，到2075年，自主機器將具備接近人類水準的智慧。

And even if these machines don't become malevolent or evil, 文法

即使這些機器不會心懷惡意或變得邪惡，

what happens when those programmed to kill fall into the wrong hands, 慣用語

如果那些被設定用來殺戮的機器落入壞人手中，會發生什麼事，

or when AI programmed to do something good go about it with a destructive method? 片語動詞

或者，如果被設定去做好事的AI採用了破壞性手段，又會怎樣？

Thank you all so much for watching this video.

非常感謝大家收看這支影片。

If you liked it,

如果你喜歡這支影片，

make sure that you subscribe

別忘了訂閱我們的頻道，

so you can see our videos that come out every Thursday.

這樣就能看到我們每週四推出的新影片。

And we're going to link some other videos over there

我們也會在那邊附上其他幾支影片的連結，

that are similar to this one

內容和這支影片很類似，

about how rich people are prepping for the apocalypse 用詞

講的是有錢人如何為世界末日做準備，

and how to survive a nuclear war.

以及如何在核戰爭中存活。

This year is almost over.

今年快要結束了。

Hang in there. 語氣意圖

大家撐住。

Peace, guys.

回頭見，各位。