現在的你與過去的你對比：英語精讀講義

Times feel rough with natural disasters,

天災頻傳，現在的日子似乎很不好過，

major political conflicts,

重大的政治衝突不斷，

and uncertainty about the future.

未來也充滿不確定性。

But as the memes roll in about it being a horrible time to be alive, 片語動詞

但當「活在這個時代真是太糟了」之類的迷因不斷出現時，

you might be surprised to see your life now

如果把你現在的生活

versus what it would have been in the past. 文法

和過去可能過的生活相比，結果或許會讓你大吃一驚。

Much of history actually involves humans succumbing to malnutrition and hunger. 片語搭配

事實上，在漫長的歷史中，人類經常因營養不良和飢餓而喪命。

In ancient Egypt,

在古埃及，

a severe drought could hit and 5 to 10% of the entire population would die. 文法

一場嚴重乾旱就可能造成總人口的5%至10%死亡。

Of course,

當然，

things aren't perfect today with 11% of even France suffering from food insecurity, 用詞

現在也不是一切都很完美，就連法國也有11%的人無法穩定取得足夠的食物，

which means their diet is limited due to socioeconomic status, 講解

也就是說，他們的飲食會受到社會經濟條件限制，

and they eat less nutritious foods and excess amounts of carbohydrates and salt. 片語搭配

只能吃營養價值較低的食物，還會攝取過量的碳水化合物和鹽分。

But compare this to the years of 1692 to 1694, 表達脈絡

但再看看1692年至1694年，

when 15% of France's population

當時法國有15%的人口

literally died because food was simply too expensive. 用詞

真的只因為食物實在太貴，就活活餓死。

Today,

如今，

while millions do suffer from malnutrition, 文法

儘管確實有數百萬人營養不良，

advancements in technology,

但科技進步、

government agencies,

政府機構

and NGOs 文化背景

和非政府組織

help to ensure that most are not dying. 片語搭配

都有助於確保大多數人不會因此喪命。

In fact,

事實上，

for the first time in human history,

這是人類史上第一次，

more people are overweight than suffering from malnutrition. 文法

體重過重的人比營養不良的人還多。

As Homo sapiens began to live in cities,

隨著智人開始聚居在城市裡，

there was a massive increase in disease.

疾病也大幅增加。

In the 1330s,

14世紀30年代，

a horrifying outbreak of what they believed were demons,

一場可怕的疫情爆發了，人們認為這是惡魔、

bad air,

汙濁的空氣

or angry gods killed 75 to 200 million people.

或憤怒的神明所致；它奪走了7500萬至2億人的性命。

We now realize it was the flea-dwelling bacterium Yersinia pestis, known historically as the Black Death. 講解

現在我們知道，真正的元凶是寄生在跳蚤體內的鼠疫桿菌（Yersinia pestis），這場疫情在歷史上被稱為「黑死病」。

But at the time,

但在當時，

people really had no idea what was killing them. 文法

人們根本不知道究竟是什麼奪走他們的性命。

In 1520,

1520年，

a Spanish flotilla heading to Mexico 文法

一支駛往墨西哥的西班牙船隊中，

had an individual on it carrying an early case of smallpox virus.

有一名天花病毒的早期感染者。

Within two months,

短短兩個月內，

the disease had killed 1/3 of Mexico's population. 文法

這種疾病就造成墨西哥三分之一的人口死亡。

In the following years,

接下來幾年裡，

there were so many infectious disease outbreaks in Mexico 文法

墨西哥接連爆發大量傳染病疫情，

that the population fell from 22 million to 2 million over the course of only 60 years. 片語搭配

導致人口在短短60年間從2200萬銳減至200萬。

People were constantly dying of diseases, 用詞

人們不斷死於各種疾病，

and nobody knew how to cure them.

卻沒有人知道該怎麼治好這些病。

Remedies at the time included praying, 文法

當時的療法包括祈禱、

having cold baths,

洗冷水澡，

or rubbing black beetles on sores.

或用黑色甲蟲摩擦瘡口。

Even as recently as 1918, 片語搭配

即使晚近如1918年，

the Spanish flu spread internationally,

西班牙流感仍蔓延全球，

and within a few months,

短短幾個月內，

1/3 of the entire world's population was infected,

全球三分之一的人口受到感染，

and 3 to 5% of the world died.

世界總人口的3%至5%因此死亡。

Today,

如今，

most of our flu worries are based around the pain of needles. 用詞

我們對流感的擔憂，大多只剩下怕打針會痛。

Modern medicine saves millions of lives.

現代醫學挽救了數百萬人的性命。

The smallpox vaccine fully eradicated the disease from our planet. 片語搭配

天花疫苗讓這種疾病從地球上徹底絕跡。

When diseases like SARS or Ebola appear,

當SARS或伊波拉等疾病出現，

and the world prepares for a severe public health emergency, 用詞

全球開始為嚴重的公衛緊急事件做準備時，

far fewer people die due to international organization, 文法

死亡人數會因國際協調、

modern technology,

現代科技

and continued advancements in medicine.

以及醫學的持續進步而大幅減少。

When Europe colonized the Americas, 文化背景

當歐洲人殖民美洲時，

an estimated 100 million people died, 用詞

據估計，有1億人因此死亡，

though pre-colonization populations of indigenous people is not well documented, 文法

不過，殖民前的原住民人口缺乏完整記錄，

making some estimates millions higher. 文法

所以有些估計還要高出數百萬。

As many as 85 million people died in World War II, 片語搭配

第二次世界大戰造成多達8500萬人死亡，

and in ancient agricultural societies,

而在古代農業社會，

human violence caused 15% of all deaths.

人類暴力造成的死亡佔全部死亡的15%。

Today,

如今，

human violence accounts for around 1% of deaths. 片語搭配

人類暴力造成的死亡約佔總死亡人數的1%。

In 2012,

2012年，

only 120,000 people died in war,

只有12萬人死於戰爭，

whereas 1.5 million died of diabetes. 表達脈絡

而死於糖尿病的人卻有150萬。

For the first time in human history, 片語搭配

人類史上第一次出現了這樣的情況：

when most people consider the future,

大多數人在思考未來時，

they don't assume war.

不再理所當然地認為一定會發生戰爭。

As we look to this year,

再看今年，

while there is still starvation, 文法

儘管仍有人挨餓，

disease,

疾病、

war,

戰爭

and inequalities,

和不平等問題也依然存在，

it's drastically better than most of human history.

但情況已遠比人類史上大多數時期更好。

But we must continue to be critical of our governments, 片語搭配

但我們必須繼續以批判的眼光檢視政府，

challenge companies,

對企業提出質疑，

and rethink the way human society is structured in order to continue progress. 文法

並重新思考人類社會的架構，才能持續進步。

By acknowledging the successful human efforts in medical research, 文法

當我們看見人類透過醫學研究、

economic reform,

經濟改革、

peace initiatives,

和平倡議，

and governmental support to decrease starvation,

以及政府為減少飢餓、

disease,

疾病

and violence,

和暴力而提供的支持所取得的成果時，

we can find hope for the future.

就能從中找到對未來的希望。

Hope is a valuable notion to focus on

希望是值得我們關注的寶貴信念，

as we look for a way to be content in a world that,

因為我們正努力尋找一種方式，好讓自己在這個世界中感到知足，

at times,

儘管這個世界有時

can seem so overwhelmingly bad.

會顯得糟糕透頂，令人難以承受。

If you could use a little lighthearted fun, 語氣意圖

如果你想來點輕鬆有趣的消遣，

check out our latest t-shirt design,

不妨看看我們最新的T恤設計：

The Rotation of the Earth Makes My Day, 慣用語

「地球自轉，讓我的一天更美好」，

which we just launched and is available for the next two weeks only at asapscience.com/merch.

這是我們剛推出的新款，未來兩週內只在asapscience.com/merch販售。

We really appreciate all the support through the years and couldn't make these videos without you.

我們由衷感謝大家多年來的支持；沒有你們，我們不可能製作出這些影片。

If you like our stuff,

如果你喜歡我們的內容，

be sure to give it a like,

記得按讚、

comment,

留言、

subscribe,

訂閱頻道，

and hit that bell button.

再按一下小鈴鐺。

It all helps keep our channel going in the YouTube algorithm

這些互動都有助於我們的頻道在YouTube演算法中保持活躍，

and means a lot to us. 語氣意圖

對我們而言也意義重大。