科學之戰：英語精讀講義

Science is everywhere.

科學無所不在。

In nature's beauty,

它存在於大自然的美麗之中，

in a laugh between friends,

存在於朋友間的歡笑中，

the buildings we build,

存在於我們建造的建築裡，

and the communities we form.

也存在於我們共同建立的社群中。

It's constantly wondering,

科學不斷思索，

asking why things are the way they are. 文法

追問萬物為何會是現在的樣子。

How can we make things better?

我們要如何讓一切變得更好？

What are we in the grand scheme of the universe? 慣用語

在宇宙的宏大格局中，我們究竟是什麼？

It spans from the depths of space 文法

它的範圍從太空深處，

to the device you're watching this video on right now.

一路延伸到你此刻用來觀看這支影片的裝置。

During the Enlightenment Era,

在啟蒙時代，

scientific revolution brought ideas around calculus,

科學革命將微積分、

atomic theory, and gravity to our world.

原子理論和重力等概念帶進了我們的世界。

The Industrial Revolution saw significant technological and manufacturing developments,

工業革命見證了科技與製造業的重大發展，

including the first cars,

包括最早期的汽車，

and in the digital age,

而到了數位時代，

scientists helped spur the formation of the internet as we know it, 片語搭配

科學家則推動了我們今天所熟知的網際網路成形，

as a means to share research and ideas. 片語搭配

使它成為分享研究與想法的工具。

Today, advances in medicine and agriculture

如今，醫學與農業的進步

have saved more lives than have been lost in all the wars in history. 文法

所拯救的生命，比歷史上所有戰爭奪走的生命還要多。

But despite these achievements,

然而，儘管有這些成就，

science and society are often at odds. 慣用語

科學與社會仍經常彼此衝突。

Scientific discoveries like the Earth is round,

像是地球是圓的、

that our planet revolves around the sun,

我們的星球繞著太陽運行，

or that diseases are spread through germs,

或疾病會透過病菌傳播等科學發現，

were all once ideas that were rejected by society.

都曾是遭到社會排斥的觀念。

So much so that Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for suggesting the Earth wasn't the center of the universe, 講解

社會的排斥甚至強烈到：焦爾達諾·布魯諾因提出地球並非宇宙中心，而被綁上火刑柱燒死，

and even Galileo was sentenced to house arrest for supporting the theory. 用詞

就連伽利略也因支持這項理論而被判居家軟禁。

Today, we see the rejection of scientific evidence for vaccinations,

如今，我們看到有人否定支持疫苗接種的科學證據，

leading to preventable diseases like measles coming back after being wiped out in the year 2000, 講解

導致麻疹等原本可以預防、且已在2000年根除的疾病捲土重來，

or the rejection of scientific evidence for climate change,

也有人否定氣候變遷的科學證據，

despite the vast consensus among scientists. 片語搭配

儘管科學家對此有壓倒性的共識。

As put by Carl Sagan, 文法

正如卡爾·薩根所說，

we live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, 用詞

我們生活在一個極度依賴科學與科技的社會，

in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. 文法

但幾乎沒有人真正了解科學與科技。

And yet, 表達脈絡

然而，

when we look to history,

回顧歷史，

we see that ignoring science has led to the crumbling of societies.

我們會發現，忽視科學曾導致社會崩解。

Ancient Greece was a time of great learning around ideas of space, time, and light,

古希臘時期，人們深入探索空間、時間與光等概念，

and during the subsequent Roman Empire,

在隨後的羅馬帝國時期，

these ideas were mostly embraced.

這些想法大多獲得了接納。

However, the Romans were complacent with the learnings of the Greeks,

然而，羅馬人滿足於希臘人的學術成果，

and little innovation or exploration of new ideas around science and knowledge took place during this era.

在那個時代，科學與知識領域幾乎沒有創新，也鮮少探索新觀念。

With shifting governments and values,

隨著政權與價值觀轉變，

emphasis on reason and science slipped away,

人們對理性與科學的重視逐漸消退，

and Rome eventually fell into the Dark Ages. 文化背景

羅馬最終墜入黑暗時代。

Today,

今天，

despite the voices of many supporting logic and reason,

儘管許多人仍為邏輯與理性發聲，

this war on science continues. 慣用語

這場反科學之戰仍在繼續。

In the UK,

在英國，

investment in publicly funded research has dropped to less than 0.5% of the GDP, 文法

對公帑資助研究的投資已降至GDP的0.5%以下，

the lowest it's been in two decades.

創下20年來的新低。

This year,

今年，

the US has cut at least 300 million dollars from NASA's Earth Science budget,

美國從NASA的地球科學預算中刪減了至少3億美元，

which just happens to include climate science. 語氣意圖

而這項預算恰好涵蓋氣候科學。

Not only does this mean that existing climate studies will be ignored, 文法

這不只意味著現有的氣候研究將遭到忽視，

but useful data won't even be collected in the future,

未來甚至連有用的資料都不會再蒐集，

all to serve ideological agendas. 片語搭配

而這一切都是為了服務意識形態議程。

But for what? 表達脈絡

但這究竟是為了什麼？

The bank bailout in America cost more money than NASA's entire 50-year running budget,

美國的銀行紓困案所花的錢，比NASA整整50年的全部營運預算還多，

a budget that stirs imagination and visions for the future of our world and universe.

而這筆預算能激發人們對我們的世界與宇宙未來的想像和願景。

And the military budget?

那軍事預算呢？

One month of spending is equivalent to NASA's entire annual budget. 片語搭配

一個月的軍事支出，就相當於NASA一整年的預算。

Here in our home of Canada,

在我們的家園加拿大，

the war on science is in full effect under Stephen Harper's Conservative government. 片語搭配

在史蒂芬·哈珀的保守黨政府治下，這場反科學之戰正全面展開。

Our science libraries dedicated to health, environment, fisheries, and oceans are being shut down. 片語動詞

我們那些致力於健康、環境、漁業與海洋研究的科學圖書館正遭到關閉。

Laws that were once in place to ensure the protection of endangered species have been gutted, 慣用語

原本用來確保瀕危物種受到保護的法律已被掏空，

with 80% of Canada's 71 freshwater fish species currently at risk of extinction. 片語搭配

加拿大71種淡水魚中，如今有80%面臨滅絕風險。

And not only has Prime Minister Stephen Harper eliminated the National Science Advisor role,

史蒂芬·哈珀總理不只撤除了國家科學顧問一職，

but some 2500 federal scientists have lost their jobs.

還讓約2,500名聯邦科學家失去工作。

In a recent survey,

最近的一項調查顯示，

90% of government scientists felt they could not speak freely about their research, 片語搭配

90%的政府科學家認為自己無法自由談論研究，

and roughly 25% say they've been forced by the government to change their research for non-scientific reasons. 文法

約25%的人表示，政府曾迫使他們基於非科學理由修改研究。

We're told that the remaining funds are geared towards science that has a clear commercial output, 片語動詞

我們被告知，剩餘資金將投入能產生明確商業成果的科學研究，

which at first glance may seem fair, 片語搭配

乍看之下，這似乎很公平，

research that isn't a waste of money, so to speak. 語氣意圖

也就是所謂不會浪費錢的研究。

But when Einstein constructed the theory of relativity,

但當愛因斯坦建構相對論時，

did he know that it would lead to the development of GPS, 文法

他知道這會促成GPS、

nuclear energy, or the original television?

核能或早期電視的發展嗎？

These industries are worth billions,

這些產業價值數十億美元，

but focusing on commercial output is short-sighted as science is often a slow, 慣用語

但只看重商業成果是短視近利的，因為科學往往是一個緩慢、

evolving, iterative process.

持續演進且反覆迭代的過程。

Science is much more than a body of knowledge and applications. 片語搭配

科學遠不只是一套知識與應用。

It's a way of thinking, 表達脈絡

它是一種思考方式，

a way to unravel the world's mysteries, 慣用語

一種解開世界奧祕的方法，

see its beauty,

讓我們看見世界之美，

where we can look at all the facts to make informed decisions 片語搭配

讓我們能審視所有事實，做出有充分依據的決定，

instead of relying on preconceived notions and biases. 講解

而不是依賴先入為主的觀念與偏見。

Science doesn't choose a political party. 表達脈絡

科學不會選擇任何政黨。

It simply adheres to evidence. 片語搭配

它只遵循證據。

But just like good policy is supported by science, 表達脈絡

正如良好的政策需要科學支持，

science is supported by funding and advocacy from our governments.

科學也需要政府的資金挹注與公開支持。

So, when you head to the polls to vote, 文化背景

因此，當你前往投票所投票時，

wherever you may be,

無論你身在何處，

remember that a vote for science 表達脈絡

請記得，投給科學的一票，

is a vote for knowledge and progress based in reality.

就是投給立足現實的知識與進步的一票。

Look at your party's policies on science and take a stand. 慣用語

請檢視你所支持政黨的科學政策，並表明立場。

If you believe in the message of integrating science successfully into our societies,

如果你認同讓科學成功融入社會的理念，

please share this video on Facebook,

請在Facebook上分享這支影片，

on Twitter, through email, in person,

也可透過Twitter、電子郵件或當面分享，

to remind the world how important science is.

提醒全世界科學有多麼重要。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也請訂閱，收看每週更新的更多科學影片。