如果地球失去氧氣5秒會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe, 文法

氧是宇宙中含量第三高的元素，

allowing us to breathe, 文法

它讓我們能夠呼吸，

construct materials,

製造各種材料，

and do a lot more than you might realize.

還能做許多你可能意想不到的事。

So, what would happen if it disappeared from the Earth for 5 seconds? 文法

那麼，如果地球上的氧消失5秒鐘，會發生什麼事？

If we first look at the loss of atmospheric oxygen,

如果我們先看看大氣中的氧氣消失會怎樣，

as in oxygen in the air, 片語搭配

也就是空氣中的氧氣消失，

you may not want to be traveling. 語氣意圖

那你恐怕不會想在這時出門。

Without oxygen,

沒有氧氣，

the internal combustion engines 文法

內燃機——

found in 215 million vehicles in the US alone

光是在美國，就有2.15億輛汽車裝有這種引擎——

would be unable to turn heat into the work required

將無法把熱能轉化成

to push the piston inside.

推動內部活塞所需的功。

Cars would most likely not start,

汽車很可能無法發動，

and if already moving, 文法

即使已經在行駛，

would stop running immediately. 文法

也會立刻停止運轉。

Considering that an estimated 100 airplanes 表達脈絡

據估計，每分鐘有100架飛機

take off or land every minute, 片語動詞

起飛或降落，

the loss of oxygen could also cause some early crash landings

氧氣消失也可能很快導致一些飛機緊急迫降，

all over the world.

這種情況會發生在世界各地。

Although airplanes already in the air 文法

不過，已經在空中的飛機

could probably glide safely until oxygen returned.

或許能安全滑翔，直到氧氣恢復。

But would you suffocate?

但你會窒息嗎？

Oxygen does play a crucial role 講解

氧氣的確至關重要，

in one of the last steps of cellular respiration,

它參與了細胞呼吸接近尾聲的一個步驟，

but luckily our bodies have alternative pathways

但幸運的是，我們的身體還有其他代謝途徑，

that help us survive when we temporarily lack oxygen.

能幫助我們在暫時缺氧時存活。

For example,

舉例來說，

during intense exercise,

進行高強度運動時，

muscle cells will use up all of their oxygen 片語動詞

肌肉細胞會耗盡所有氧氣，

and switch to a process called lactic acid fermentation, 文法

轉而採用一種稱為乳酸發酵的過程，

which uses glucose to produce energy.

利用葡萄糖產生能量。

Cells lacking oxygen also have been shown to reprogram themselves 文法

研究也發現，缺氧的細胞會重新調整自身的運作方式，

to prioritize and make the most necessary proteins first.

優先製造最不可或缺的蛋白質。

All in all, 表達脈絡

總而言之，

if you can hold your breath for 5 seconds, 片語搭配

如果你能閉氣5秒鐘，

then you'll most likely survive the atmospheric oxygen apocalypse.

那你很可能就能撐過這場大氣氧氣消失的末日浩劫。

But when we take the question literally, 片語搭配

但如果我們照字面理解這個問題，

as in what would happen if we lost the oxygen atom completely,

也就是所有氧原子都徹底消失會怎樣，

obliterating it from compounds like water, quartz, and ozone,

連水、石英和臭氧等化合物中的氧也被徹底抹除，

then the results become more devastating.

後果就會慘烈得多。

If we consider non-living things alone, 表達脈絡

如果只考慮非生物，

then nearly everything in the material world

那麼物質世界裡幾乎所有東西

would turn into a metallic dust once oxygen is done. 片語動詞

都會在氧消失後化為金屬粉塵。

This includes buildings, cars, roads, clothes, furniture, and more,

這包括建築物、汽車、道路、衣物、家具等等，

as all our materials like concrete, wood, glass, stone, brick, and cotton,

因為我們使用的混凝土、木材、玻璃、石頭、磚塊和棉花等材料

all contain or are made up of an oxygen-based compound. 講解

都含有含氧化合物，或由這類化合物構成。

Without the oxygen bond, 文法

失去與氧形成的化學鍵後，

many of these compounds would be left with their elements unbound 片語搭配

許多這類化合物中的元素會彼此分離，

and in their simplest form.

以各自最簡單的形態存在。

And while all your favorite stores and possessions turn to dust, 慣用語

當你最喜愛的商店和所有財物都化為塵埃時，

they'll be simultaneously collapsing into the center of the Earth

它們也會同時向地心坍塌，

to be burned in a fiery oblivion.

最後在熊熊烈焰中化為烏有。

As oxygen makes up 46% of the Earth's crust, 講解

由於氧佔地殼的46%，

the ground beneath us would cease to exist. 用詞

我們腳下的大地將不復存在。

The ocean, 文法

至於海洋，

which covers about 70% of the Earth,

它覆蓋了地球約70%的表面，

would evaporate and become hydrogen gas,

將會蒸發並變成氫氣，

and upon the return of oxygen 5 seconds later, 用詞

而5秒鐘後氧重新出現時，

the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen would release mass amounts of heat

氫氣與氧氣的反應會釋放出巨量熱能，

as water is produced again.

因為水會再次生成。

So, the world would end all around us,

所以，我們周遭的整個世界都會毀滅，

but that's okay. 語氣意圖

不過沒關係。

You probably won't be around to witness any of this 慣用語

你可能根本活不到親眼看到這一切，

as all our living cells contain water and will,

因為我們所有的活細胞都含有水，也會

like the ocean,

像海洋一樣，

evaporate into space as hydrogen gas.

蒸發成氫氣，飄散到太空中。

The rest of us would be dead dust as well.

我們身體的其餘部分也會化為毫無生氣的塵埃。

With oxygen and hydrogen gone, 文法

氧和氫都消失後，

we've lost 75% of our elemental makeup, 用詞

我們身體的元素組成也就少了75%，

and only a pile of carbon, nitrogen, calcium,

剩下的只會是一堆碳、氮、鈣、

phosphorus, and other trace elements

磷和其他微量元素，

would be what's left of our bodies. 片語搭配

這就是我們身體僅存的一切。

Without oxygen,

沒有氧氣，

it's safe to say you wouldn't feel so good. 語氣意圖

可以肯定地說，你絕對不會好受。

Thank you guys so much for watching.

非常感謝大家收看。

If you love to hear about apocalypse type scenarios,

如果你喜歡聽這類末日情境，

then make sure to check out our newest podcast called Sidenote.

那一定要去聽聽我們名為 Sidenote 的最新 Podcast 節目。

It's about human extinction

它談的是人類滅絕，

and whether or not the world is ending and taking humanity with it. 講解

以及世界是否正在走向終結，並帶著人類一起毀滅。

I'll put a link in the description so you can listen to that.

我會把連結放在影片說明欄，方便你收聽。

You can find out whether we are optimistic

你可以從中了解我們究竟是否樂觀，

or whether or not we think things aren't looking so good.

還是認為情況看起來不太妙。

Make sure you subscribe on YouTube for more weekly videos,

記得訂閱我們的 YouTube 頻道，每週收看更多影片，

and we'll see you next week.

我們下週再見。

See you.

再見。