氣候變遷與演化 - 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的 6 分鐘英語。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這裡是 BBC 英語教學的 6 分鐘英語。

I'm Rob.

我是 Rob。

And I'm Sam.

我是 Sam。

Now, when we think about famous figures in the history of science, 用詞

現在，當我們想到科學史上的著名人物時，

the name of Charles Darwin often comes up. 片語動詞

查爾斯·達爾文的名字經常被提及。

Darwin is most famous for his theory of evolution, 片語搭配

達爾文最著名的是他的演化論，

the idea that animals change and adapt in response to their environment. 講解

也就是動物會隨著環境的改變而發生適應性變化的觀點。

In the 1830s, he visited the Galapagos,

在 19 世紀 30 年代，他造訪了加拉巴哥群島，

a string of islands in the Pacific Ocean, 片語搭配

這是太平洋上的一串島嶼，

famous because of the unique animals living there.

因生活在那裡的獨特動物而聞名。

It was while in the Galapagos, 文法

正是在加拉巴哥群島，

observing small birds called finches,

透過觀察被稱作雀類的小鳥，

that Darwin started forming his theory of evolution.

達爾文開始形成他的演化論。

But today, the animals of the Galapagos

但是今天，加拉巴哥群島的動物

face the same pressures as animals across the world 片語搭配

面臨著與世界各地動物一樣的壓力，

because of the effects of man-made climate change. 講解

因為人為氣候變化的影響。

Warming sea waters and more frequent extreme weather events 用詞

海水變暖和更頻繁的極端天氣事件

are affecting animals as much as humans. 文法

正在影響動物，就像影響人類一樣。

So in this program, we'll be asking, 表達脈絡

所以在本期節目中，我們要問，

can animals evolve to deal with climate change? 片語動詞

動物能演化以應對氣候變化嗎？

But first, I have a question for you, Sam, 語氣意圖

但首先，Sam，我有一個問題要問你，

and it's about Charles Darwin's trip to the Galapagos.

是關於查爾斯·達爾文的加拉巴哥之旅。

In 1831, Darwin set sail around the world 片語搭配

1831 年，達爾文揚帆環遊世界，

collecting samples of flora and fauna, 用詞

收集了各個地方的 flora and fauna 的樣本，

the plants and animals of the places he visited.

也就是他所到之處的植物和動物。

But what was the name of the ship he sailed in? 文法

但他所乘的那艘船叫什麼名字？

Was it A, HMS Beagle,

是 A，HMS Beagle，

B, HMS Victory,

B，HMS Victory，

or C, SS Great Britain?

還是 C，SS Great Britain？

Hmm.

嗯。

Maybe it was B, HMS Victory? 語氣意圖

也許是 B，HMS Victory？

Are you sure? 語氣意圖

你確定嗎？

No.

不確定。

Okay.

好吧。

Well, I'll reveal the correct answer later in the program. 表達脈絡

稍後我會在節目中揭曉正確答案。

Now, it may have been the Galapagos finches 文法

也許正是加拉巴哥雀

that started Charles Darwin thinking about how animals adapt to their environment, 片語搭配

讓查爾斯·達爾文開始思考動物如何適應環境，

but as naturalist Kiyoko Gotanda explained 表達脈絡

但正如博物學家 Kiyoko Gotanda 所解釋的，

to BBC World Service program The Climate Question,

在接受 BBC 世界頻道節目《氣候問題》採訪時提到，

Darwin's first impression of the small birds wasn't very good. 片語搭配

達爾文對這種小鳥的第一印象並不太好。

When Darwin got to the Galapagos Islands, 片語動詞

當達爾文到達加拉巴哥群島時，

he actually wasn't that interested in the finches. 文法

他其實對這些雀並不那麼感興趣。

They were kind of a drab color 語氣意圖

牠們是那種單調的顏色，

and they didn't have a very interesting song.

而且叫聲也不是很有趣。

He sampled, though, the finches from different islands, 講解

不過，他採集了不同島嶼上的雀類標本，

and so when he got back to England 片語動詞

因此當他回到英國，

and he was looking at all the variation 片語搭配

看著所有這些變化時，

in beak shape and size and body size and shape,

包括鳥喙的形狀和大小，以及身體的大小和形狀，

and he was recalling how certain finches were found on certain islands, 文法

他回想起某些雀類是如何只在某些島嶼上發現的，

but not on other islands.

而在其他島嶼上卻沒有。

In contrast to more colorful birds like Galapagos parrots, 表達脈絡

與加拉巴哥鸚鵡等色彩斑斕的鳥類相比，

the finches Darwin observed were drab, 用詞

達爾文觀察到的雀類非常暗淡，

dull and boring looking with little color.

看起來乏味枯燥，幾乎沒什麼顏色。

Instead, what Darwin noticed 文法

相反，達爾文注意到的是

were variations in the finches' beak,

這些雀的鳥喙存在差異，

the hard pointed part of a bird's mouth.

也就是鳥嘴堅硬尖銳的部分。

Finches born with a beak that could help them get more food 文法

天生鳥喙有助於獲取更多食物的雀

were more likely to survive and have babies. 文法

更有可能存活下來並繁衍後代。

Over time, as the birds passed on their successful genes, 講解

隨著時間的推移，鳥類將牠們成功的基因遺傳下去，

they adapted to fit in with their environment, 片語動詞

牠們適應並融入了環境，

what we know as evolution. 片語搭配

這就是我們所說的演化。

So, if animals can evolve to survive their environment, 文法

所以，如果動物能夠為了在環境中生存而演化，

can they also evolve to cope with the impact humans are having on the climate? 片語動詞

牠們是否也能為了應對人類對氣候產生的影響而演化呢？

Well, there's already some evidence to show they can. 表達脈絡

好吧，已經有一些證據表明牠們可以。

Studies on birds in the Brazilian Amazon

對巴西亞馬遜地區鳥類

and red deer on the Isle of Rum in Scotland

和蘇格蘭魯姆島馬鹿的研究

show warmer temperatures have caused animals to evolve smaller bodies. 文法

表明，氣候變暖已導致動物演化出更小的體型。

It's easier to keep cool when you're small. 片語搭配

體型小的話，更容易保持涼爽。

American conservationist Thor Hanson records and measures anole lizards in the Caribbean. 講解

美國環保主義者 Thor Hanson 在加勒比海記錄和測量安樂蜥。

He wants to see how the effects of man-made climate change,

他想看看人為氣候變化的影響，

in this case hurricanes, is affecting the lizards. 表達脈絡

在這種情況下也就是颶風，是如何影響這些蜥蜴的。

Listen to what Thor found out 片語動詞

聽聽 Thor 發現了什麼，

as he speaks with presenters of BBC World Service's The Climate Question.

這是他在接受 BBC 世界頻道《氣候問題》主持人採訪時的發言。

But what you can see is that large toe pads 講解

但你可以看到，巨大的腳趾墊

and strong front legs give some lizards a tighter grip. 片語搭配

和強壯的前腿讓一些蜥蜴抓得更緊。

When they do start to let go 講解

當牠們真的開始脫手時，

and their body starts flapping in the air like a flag, 慣用語

身體就會像旗幟一樣在空中飄動，

smaller back legs reduce the drag 用詞

較小的後腿能減少阻力，

and allow them to cling on and survive the hurricane. 片語動詞

讓牠們緊緊抓住，從而在颶風中倖存下來。

So the survivors were those lizards with those characteristics,

所以倖存者就是那些具有這些特徵的蜥蜴，

and they passed those traits along to their offspring. 片語動詞

牠們把這些特徵傳給了後代。

Thor's lizards developed stronger front legs and smaller back legs, 文法

Thor 的蜥蜴演化出了更強壯的前腿和更小的後腿，

allowing them to cling on,

讓牠們能夠緊緊抓住，

hold on to something tightly,

也就是死死抱住某物，

when hurricanes pass through. 片語動詞

在颶風經過的時候。

It's this trait, a genetically determined characteristic, 用詞

正是這種 trait（特徵），一種由基因決定的特性，

that allows the lizards to survive

讓蜥蜴得以生存，

and is passed on to their babies. 片語動詞

並遺傳給牠們的幼崽。

Thor checked other areas of the Caribbean

Thor 檢查了加勒比海的其他地區，

where hurricanes were frequent

也就是颶風頻繁發生的地方，

and found the same traits in lizards there,

並在那裡的蜥蜴身上發現了相同的特徵，

proof of evolution in action. 慣用語

這是正在發生演化的證據。

But whereas we often think of evolution happening 表達脈絡

但是，儘管我們通常認為演化需要

over hundreds, even thousands of years, 片語搭配

數百年甚至數千年的時間，

the changes in the Caribbean lizards happened in around 40 years,

加勒比海蜥蜴的變化發生在大約 40 年的時間裡，

something that would have surprised Charles Darwin. 文法

這會讓查爾斯·達爾文感到驚訝。

Which reminds me of your question, Rob. 表達脈絡

這就讓我想起了你的問題，Rob。

Ah, yes.

啊，是的。

I asked you the name of the ship Darwin sailed around the world in.

我問你達爾文環遊世界所乘船隻的名字。

Darwin's ship was called the HMS Beagle,

達爾文的船叫做 HMS Beagle，

and appropriately enough, it was named after an animal. 講解

很恰當的是，它是以一種動物命名的。

A beagle is a type of dog. 片語搭配

Beagle（比格犬）是一種狗。

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary from this program about evolution, 表達脈絡

好了，讓我們來回顧一下本期節目中關於演化的詞彙，

the way living things adapt to their environment

生物適應環境，

and pass these adaptations onto their children.

並將這些適應性改變遺傳給下一代的方式。

Flora and fauna is another way of saying 片語搭配

Flora and fauna 是另一種說法，

the plants and animals of a place.

指一個地方的植物和動物。

Drab means dull and colorless in appearance.

Drab 的意思是外觀暗淡無色。

A bird's beak is the hard pointed part of its mouth.

鳥的 beak 是牠嘴巴堅硬尖銳的部分。

To cling on means to hold on very tightly.

To cling on 意思是抓得非常緊。

And finally, a trait is a genetically determined characteristic.

最後，trait 是一種由基因決定的特徵。

Once again, our 6 minutes are up. 表達脈絡

又一次，我們的 6 分鐘時間到了。

Join us again soon for more interesting topics

歡迎不久後再來加入我們，了解更多有趣的話題，

and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English.

和 6 分鐘英語的實用詞彙。

Goodbye for now.

暫且再見。

Bye.

拜拜。

6 Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的 6 分鐘英語。