人類之前地球上存在過文明嗎？⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com的《六分鐘英語》。

Hello.

大家好。

This is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

這裡是BBC Learning English的《六分鐘英語》。

I'm Beth.

我是貝絲（Beth）。

And I'm Phil.

我是菲爾（Phil）。

Phil, do you believe there's life on other planets? 文法

菲爾，你相信其他星球上有生命嗎？

Well, there's a lot of other planets.

嗯，有很多其他的星球。

So, yeah, I think there must be. 文法

所以，是的，我認為肯定有。

Yeah, I agree.

是的，我同意。

Well, it's a question that interests American astrophysicist Adam Frank, 講解

這也是讓美國天體物理學家亞當·弗蘭克（Adam Frank）感興趣的問題，

who discussed it with his colleague Gavin Schmidt,

他和他的同事加文·施密特（Gavin Schmidt）討論了這個問題，

director of NASA's Institute for Space Studies. 文化背景

加文是NASA太空研究所的主任。

Here Adam recalls their conversation for BBC World Service program CrowdScience. 用詞

以下是亞當在BBC世界頻道節目《CrowdScience》中回憶他們的對話。

We know that there's been no other civilization on Earth,

我們知道地球上沒有過其他文明，

and he stopped me and said, "How do you know that?" 語氣意圖

然後他打斷了我，說道：「你怎麼知道的？」

And my jaw just dropped down to the floor. 慣用語

我的下巴簡直掉到了地上（驚呆了）。

Adam's jaw dropped,

亞當的下巴掉下來了（jaw dropped），

an idiom for when someone looks shocked and surprised.

這是一個習語，用來形容某人看起來非常震驚和驚訝。

Could there have been a technologically advanced civilization before us here on Earth? 講解

在我們之前，地球上可能存在過一個技術先進的文明嗎？

It may sound weird, 表達脈絡

這聽起來可能很奇怪，

but this idea has a scientific name.

但這個想法有一個科學名稱。

Here is Caroline Steel,

這裡有請卡羅琳·史提爾（Caroline Steel），

presenter of BBC's CrowdScience, to explain.

BBC《CrowdScience》的主持人，來為大家解釋。

The Silurian hypothesis proposes that if there was a technologically advanced civilization hundreds of millions of years ago, 講解

志留紀假說（Silurian hypothesis）提出，如果數億年前存在一個技術先進的文明，

we wouldn't be able to find traces of it. 片語搭配

我們將無法找到它的痕跡。

A hypothesis is an idea which explains how something happens 用詞

假說（hypothesis）是一個解釋某事如何發生的想法，

and can be tested to find out if it's correct. 講解

並且可以透過測試來找出它是否正確。

In this episode, we'll be discussing the Silurian hypothesis, 文法

在本集節目中，我們將討論志留紀假說，

the idea that a technologically advanced civilization existed before us on Earth,

即在我們之前地球上曾存在過一個技術先進的文明，

but vanished without leaving a trace. 片語搭配

但卻消失得無影無蹤的想法。

As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and idioms. 片語搭配

像往常一樣，我們將學習一些有用的新單字和習語。

And remember, you'll find all the vocabulary on our website bbclearningenglish.com.

記住，你可以在我們的網站bbclearningenglish.com上找到所有的詞彙。

But first, I have a question for you, Phil. 表達脈絡

但首先，我有一個問題要問你，菲爾。

Human civilization is thousands of years old,

人類文明有幾千年的歷史，

but the planet itself is much older. 文法

但地球本身要古老得多。

So, how old do scientists think the Earth is?

那麼，科學家認為地球有多大歲數了？

Is it A, 3 and 1/2 billion years?

是A，35億年嗎？

B, 4 and 1/2 billion years?

B，45億年？

Or C, 5 and 1/2 billion years?

還是C，55億年？

I'm going to guess C, 5 and 1/2 billion years.

我猜是C，55億年。

Okay, well, we will find the answer out later in the program. 片語動詞

好的，我們會在稍後的節目中揭曉答案。

To believe a technologically advanced civilization existed on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, 文法

要相信數億年前地球上曾存在一個技術先進的文明，

most people would probably want evidence.

大多數人可能都需要證據。

We have evidence about other species from the past,

我們有關於過去其他物種的證據，

such as the dinosaurs, from fossils. 表達脈絡

比如恐龍，來自化石。

The remains of prehistoric plants or animals 用詞

史前植物或動物的遺骸，

that have been preserved in rock for a very long time. 文法

被長期保存在岩石中。

But according to Adam Frank, fossils won't help prove the Silurian hypothesis, 講解

但據亞當·弗蘭克說，化石並不能幫助證明志留紀假說，

as he explains here to BBC World Service program CrowdScience.

正如他在這裡對BBC世界頻道節目《CrowdScience》解釋的那樣。

Most things are not fossilized.

大多數東西都不會變成化石。

It's only a tiny fraction of Earth's life that has ever become fossilized. 講解

地球上只有極小一部分的生命曾變成過化石。

So, imagine that you have a 10,000 year long civilization, 表達脈絡

所以，想像一下你有一個持續了一萬年的文明，

which is a blink of the eye for geology, 慣用語

這對地質學來說只是眨眼之間，

that's too short to really create a lot of fossils. 文法

時間太短了，無法真正產生大量的化石。

Adam argues that only a tiny fraction,

亞當認為，只有極小一部分（a tiny fraction），

meaning a very small amount of life on Earth has turned into fossil. 片語動詞

意思是地球上極少量的生命變成了化石。

In geological time, 用詞

在地質時間中，

even a 10,000 year old civilization is the blink of an eye,

即使是一萬年的文明也只是眨眼之間（the blink of an eye），

an idiom meaning a very short period of time.

這個習語的意思是很短的一段時間。

In other words, older civilizations might have existed on Earth, 講解

換句話說，更古老的文明可能曾在地球上存在過，

but not for long enough to leave fossilized evidence.

但存在時間不夠長，無法留下化石證據。

However, not everyone is convinced by Adam's ideas. 語氣意圖

然而，並非所有人都被亞當的想法所說服。

Evidence of our own civilization, including plastics and man-made materials like concrete, 用詞

我們自己文明的證據，包括塑膠和像混凝土這樣的人造材料，

is already being layered into the Earth's crust, 文法

已經被層層堆積到地殼中，

and these are going to last a very long time.

這些東西將存在很長一段時間。

So, surely a technologically advanced civilization from prehistory would have left similar marks? 講解

所以，史前的一個技術先進的文明肯定也會留下類似的印記吧？

Well, here's Adam Frank again answering these objections on BBC World Service program CrowdScience. 表達脈絡

好了，下面又是亞當·弗蘭克在BBC世界頻道節目《CrowdScience》上回應這些異議。

What happens is somebody else will pick up on their work, 講解

接下來發生的事情是，其他人會關注他們的研究，

either affirming it and showing new evidence for it or pushing back on it. 講解

要么肯定它並提供新的證據，要么反駁它。

And once you get to like 20, 30, 40 papers, 文法

一旦你有了大約20、30、40篇論文，

then you have a consensus. 用詞

那麼你們就達成了共識。

You're like, "Okay, we've really really looked at this and now we know. 講解

你會覺得，「好吧，我們真的仔細研究過這個，現在我們知道了。」

Adam welcomes new evidence,

亞當歡迎新的證據，

even evidence which contradicts his ideas, 表達脈絡

甚至是與他的想法相矛盾的證據，

as part of the scientific method needed to prove a hypothesis right or wrong. 片語搭配

作為證明一個假說對錯所需的科學方法的一部分。

It's how scientists form a consensus,

這就是科學家形成共識（consensus）的方式，

meaning a general agreement about the issue.

意思是關於某個問題的普遍一致意見。

Personally, I think the idea of prehistoric civilizations on Earth is so mysterious, 語氣意圖

就我個人而言，我認為地球上史前文明的想法非常神秘，

it's okay to keep an open mind. 慣用語

保持開放的心態是件好事。

Now, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question, Beth? 語氣意圖

現在，是不是該揭曉你問題的答案了，貝絲？

I think it is.

我想是的。

I asked you how old do scientists think the Earth is?

我問你科學家認為地球有多古老？

You said 5 and 1/2 billion years,

你說是55億年，

and I'm afraid you were wrong, Phil. 語氣意圖

恐怕你錯了，菲爾。

It's 4 and 1/2 billion years.

是45億年。

Okay. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, 表達脈絡

好的。讓我們回顧一下我們學過的詞彙，

starting with the idiom "my jaw dropped",

從習語「我的下巴掉下來了（my jaw dropped）」開始，

which is used to say someone looks very shocked and surprised. 文法

它用來表示某人看起來非常震驚和驚訝。

A hypothesis is a suggestion that's proposed to explain something 文法

假說（hypothesis）是提出用來解釋某事的一個建議，

which can then be tested to see if it's true.

然後可以透過測試來看看它是否是真的。

Fossils are the remains of prehistoric plants or animals

化石（fossils）是史前植物或動物的遺骸，

that have been preserved in rock for a very long time.

長期保存在岩石中。

A tiny fraction of something is a very small amount of it.

某物的極小一部分（a tiny fraction）是它的極少數量。

The idiom "the blink of an eye" means a very short period of time.

習語「眨眼之間（the blink of an eye）」是指非常短的一段時間。

And finally, a consensus is a general agreement.

最後，共識（consensus）是普遍的一致意見。

Once again, our six minutes are up, 講解

我們的六分鐘又到了，

but if you're keen for more, then head over to our website bbclearningenglish.com, 講解

但如果你想了解更多，請造訪我們的網站bbclearningenglish.com，

where you'll find a worksheet and a quiz for this episode.

在那裡你會找到本集節目的工作表和小測驗。

See you again soon.

很快再見。

But for now, it's goodbye.

但現在，到了說再見的時候了。

Goodbye.

再見。

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com的《六分鐘英語》。