歷史之前發生了什麼？人類的起源：英語精讀講義

The world we live in feels normal,

我們生活的世界感覺很正常，

ordinary.

很普通。

It feels like this is just how humans exist

感覺好像人類就是這樣存在的，

and always existed.

並且一直都是這樣。

But it's not.

但並非如此。

Never before have we humans lived in a world 文法

我們人類以前從未生活在一個

as sophisticated

如此複雜

and engineered to our needs as today,

且如此貼合我們需求的現代世界中，

giving us the luxury to forget about ourselves 片語搭配

這讓我們有了忘記自我

and not worry about survival.

且無需擔心生存的奢侈條件。

Food,

食物，

shelter,

住所，

security,

安全，

all of this is more or less taken for granted. 慣用語

所有這些或多或少都被認為是理所當然的。

But we're a special few.

但我們是特殊的少數。

For more than 99.99% of human history,

在人類超過99.99%的歷史中，

life was completely different.

生活完全是另一番景象。

And there's no such thing as just one human history. 片語搭配

而且從來都不只有一部人類史。

Our story begins 6 million years ago,

我們的故事始於600萬年前，

when the tribe of hominini split

當時人族部落發生分裂，

and our relationship with the apes ended.

我們與猿類的關係就此結束。

2.8 million years ago,

280萬年前，

the genus of Homo,

人屬，

the first humans emerged.

即最早的人類出現了。

We like to think of ourselves as the only humans,

我們喜歡認為自己是唯一的人類，

but this is far from the truth. 慣用語

但這遠非事實。

When we,

當我們在

Homo sapiens sapiens,

20萬年前作為智人

came into existence 200,000 years ago, 片語搭配

出現時，

there were at least six other human species around.

周圍至少還有其他六種人類物種。

Cousins of comparable intelligence and ability,

那是些智力和能力相當的表親，

which must have been incredibly scary,

這一定非常可怕，

kind of like living with aliens. 表達脈絡

有點像和外星人住在一起。

Some of them were very successful.

他們中的一些非常成功。

Homo erectus,

例如，

for example,

直立人，

survived for 2 million years,

存活了200萬年，

10 times longer than modern humans have existed.

比現代人類存在的歷史長10倍。

The last of the other humans disappeared around 10,000 years ago.

最後的一些其他人類大約在1萬年前消失了。

We don't know what caused them to die out. 片語動詞

我們不知道是什麼導致了他們滅絕。

Modern humans have at least a few percent of Neanderthal and other human DNA,

現代人類擁有至少百分之幾的尼安德特人和其他人類DNA，

so there was some mixing,

所以存在一些混血，

but certainly not enough to be a merger between species.

但肯定不足以成為物種之間的融合。

So we don't know if our cousins went away because they lost the battle over resources

所以我們不知道我們的表親消失是因為在資源爭奪中敗北，

or because of a series of minor genocides.

還是因為一系列小規模的種族滅絕。

Either way, 表達脈絡

無論哪種方式，

only we remain.

只有我們存活了下來。

Back to the beginnings of humanity.

回到人類的開端。

2.8 million years ago,

280萬年前，

early humans used tools,

早期人類使用工具，

but did not make a lot of progress for nearly 2 million years

但在近200萬年的時間裡沒有取得太大進展，

until they learned to control fire.

直到他們學會了控制火。

Fire meant cooking,

火意味著烹飪，

which made food more nutritious, 表達脈絡

這使食物更有營養，

which contributed to the development of our brain.

從而促進了我們大腦的發育。

It also produced light and warmth,

它還產生光和熱，

which made days longer and winters less gruesome.

使白天變長，冬天不那麼可怕。

On top of that, 表達脈絡

最重要的是，

it not only scared predators away, 文法

它不僅能嚇跑掠食者，

it could also be used for hunting.

還可以可以用於狩獵。

A torched wood or grassland provided small animals,

被點燃的樹林或草地提供了小動物、

nuts and tubers

堅果和塊莖，

that were pre-roasted.

它們都被預先烤熟了。

From 300,000 years ago,

從30萬年前開始，

most of the different human species lived in small hunter-gatherer societies.

大多數不同的人類物種生活在小型的狩獵採集社會中。

They had fire,

他們擁有火、

wood and stone tools,

木製和石製工具，

planned for the future,

會為未來做計劃，

buried their dead,

埋葬死者，

and had cultures of their own. 文法

並擁有自己的文化。

But most importantly,

但最重要的是，

they spoke to each other,

他們互相對話，

probably in a kind of proto-language less complex than ours.

可能使用的是一種不如我們複雜的原始語言。

If we had a time machine, 文法

如果我們有一台時光機，

how far would we be able to go back,

我們能倒退到多遠，

steal a few babies,

偷走幾個嬰兒，

and raise them today without anyone noticing that they're a bit different? 文法

並在今天撫養他們而不被任何人發現他們有點不同？

There is much debate.

這存在很多爭議。

Anatomically modern humans emerged 200,000 years ago,

解剖學上的現代人類在20萬年前出現，

but probably 70,000 years is as far as we could travel back and still snatch a behaviorally modern human. 文法

但大約7萬年可能是我們能回到過去並仍然能帶回一個行為上現代的人類的極限。

Before that,

在此之前，

the babies would probably lack a few crucial gene mutations

嬰兒可能缺乏一些關鍵的基因突變，

necessary to build a brain with modern language and abstract thinking abilities.

這些突變對於建立一個具有現代語言和抽象思維能力的大腦是必不可少的。

At some point around 50,000 years ago,

在大約5萬年前的某個時候，

there was an explosion in innovation. 慣用語

出現了創新的爆發。

Tools and weapons became more sophisticated and culture became more complex,

工具和武器變得更加複雜，文化也變得更加複雜，

because at this point humans had a multi-purpose brain

因為此時人類擁有了一個多功能的大腦，

and a more advanced language to communicate information with each other effectively

以及一種更高級的語言，能夠彼此有效地交流信息，

and down to the last detail. 慣用語

甚至細緻到每一個細節。

This allowed much closer cooperation

這使得更緊密的合作成為可能，

and is what really makes us different from any other creature on Earth. 文法

也是真正使我們與地球上任何其他生物不同的原因。

Not our comparatively weak bodies and inferior senses, 表達脈絡

不是我們相對虛弱的身體和較差的感官，

but the ability to cooperate flexibly in large groups,

而是能夠在大型群體中靈活合作的能力，

unlike, for example,

不像例如

rigid beehives or intimate but tiny wolf packs.

僵化的蜂巢或親密但微小的狼群。

As our brain evolved,

隨著我們大腦的進化，

we became able to do something life had been unable to do up to this point.

我們變得能夠做一些生命在這一刻之前未能做到的事情。

One,

一，

expand knowledge quickly.

快速擴展知識。

Two,

二，

preserve the knowledge gained over generations.

保存幾代人積累的知識。

Three,

三，

build on past knowledge to gain even deeper insights. 片語動詞

在過去知識的基礎上獲得更深刻的見解。

This seems daft,

這看起來很傻，

but until then,

但在那之前，

information had to be passed on from generation to generation, 片語動詞

信息必須代代相傳，

mostly through genetics,

主要是通過基因，

which is not efficient.

這效率不高。

Still,

儘管如此，

for the next 40,000 years,

在接下來的4萬年裡，

human life remained more or less the same.

人類的生活基本上沒有什麼改變。

There was little to build upon.

幾乎沒有可以依靠的基礎。

Our ancestors were only one animal among many.

我們的祖先只是眾多動物中的一種。

Building a skyscraper without knowing what a house is is hard. 表達脈絡

在不知道什麼是房子的情況下建造摩天大樓是很困難的。

But while it's easy to be arrogant in our attitude to our ancestors, 文法

但是，雖然我們很容易對祖先持傲慢的態度，

this would be ignorant.

但這將是無知的表現。

Humans 50,000 years ago were survival specialists.

5萬年前的人類是生存專家。

They had a detailed mental map of their territory,

他們對自己的領地有一張詳細的心智地圖，

their senses were fine-tuned to the environment, 片語搭配

他們的感官對環境高度敏感，

they knew and memorized a great amount of information about plants and animals.

他們了解並記住了大量關於動植物的信息。

They could make complicated tools that required years of careful training and very fine motor skills.

他們能製作複雜的工具，這需要數年的仔細訓練和非常精細的運動技能。

Their bodies,

他們的身體，

compared to our athletes today,

相比於我們今天的運動員，

just because of their daily routines.

僅僅是因為他們的日常作息就如此強健。

And they lived a rich social life within their tribe.

他們在部落內過著豐富的社會生活。

Survival required so many skills that the average brain volume of early modern humans 文法

生存需要如此多的技能，以至於早期現代人類的平均腦容量

might even have been bigger than it is today. 文法

甚至可能比今天還要大。

As a group, 表達脈絡

作為一個群體，

we know more today,

我們今天知道的更多，

but as individuals,

但作為個體，

our ancestors were superior to us.

我們的祖先遠勝於我們。

But then,

但後來，

around 12,000 years ago in multiple locations,

大約在1.2萬年前的多個地方，

humans developed agriculture.

人類發展了農業。

Everything changed very quickly.

一切都很快改變了。

Before,

以前，

survival as a hunter and forager required superb physical and mental abilities in all fields from everybody.

作為獵人和採集者生存需要每個人在各個領域都具備卓越的身心能力。

With the rise of the agricultural age, 片語搭配

隨著農業時代的興起，

individuals could increasingly rely on the skills of others for survival. 片語搭配

個體可以越來越依賴他人的技能來生存。

This meant that some of them could specialize.

這意味著他們中的一些人可以專業化。

Maybe they worked on better tools. 表達脈絡

也許他們致力於製造更好的工具。

Maybe they took time to breed more resistant crops or better livestock.

也許他們花時間培育更有抵抗力的作物或更好的牲畜。

Maybe they started inventing things.

也許他們開始發明東西。

As farming got more and more efficient, 文法

隨著農業變得越來越高效，

what we call civilization began. 文法

我們所稱的文明開始了。

Agriculture gave us a reliable and predictable food source,

農業為我們提供了可靠和可預測的食物來源，

which allowed humans to hoard food on a large scale for the first time, 片語搭配

這讓人類首次能夠大規模地儲存食物，

which is much easier to do with grains than meat.

用穀物做到這一點比用肉類要容易得多。

A food stock required protection,

食物儲備需要保護，

which led to communities living together in tighter spaces.

這導致社區生活在更緊湊的空間裡。

First,

首先，

early defense structures were built.

建立了早期的防禦結構。

The need for organization grew.

對組織的需求增加了。

The more organized we got, 文法

我們越有組織，

the faster things became efficient.

事物變得高效的速度就越快。

Villages became cities, 表達脈絡

村莊變成了城市，

cities became kingdoms,

城市變成了王國，

kingdoms became empires.

王國變成了帝國。

Connections between humans exploded,

人與人之間的聯繫呈爆炸式增長，

which led to opportunities to exchange knowledge.

這帶來了交流知識的機會。

Progress became exponential.

進步呈指數級增長。

About 500 years ago,

大約500年前，

the scientific revolution began.

科學革命開始了。

Mathematics,

數學、

physics,

物理學、

astronomy,

天文學、

biology,

生物學，

and chemistry transformed everything we thought we knew.

和化學改變了我們以為知道的一切。

The Industrial Revolution followed soon after,

工業革命緊隨其後，

laying the foundation for the modern world. 慣用語

為現代世界奠定了基礎。

As our overall efficiency grew exponentially,

隨著我們整體效率呈指數級增長，

more people could spend their lifetime contributing to the progress of humanity.

越來越多的人可以將一生奉獻給人類的進步。

Revolutions kept happening.

革命不斷發生。

The invention of the computer,

計算機的發明，

its evolution into a medium we all use on a daily basis,

它演變成我們日常都在使用的媒介，

and the rise of the internet shaped our world.

以及網際網路的崛起塑造了我們的世界。

It's hard to grasp how fast all of that happened.

很難理解這一切發生得有多快。

It's been about 125,000 generations since the emergence of the first human species.

自從第一個人類物種出現以來大約有12.5萬代。

About 7,500 generations since the physiologically modern humans saw the light of day. 慣用語

自從生理上的現代人類誕生以來大約有7500代。

500 generations ago,

500代之前，

what we call civilization began.

我們所稱的文明開始了。

20 generations ago,

20代之前，

we learned how to do science.

我們學會了如何做科學。

And the internet became available to most people only one generation ago.

而網際網路普及到大多數人，只是在一代人之前。

Today,

今天，

we live in the most prosperous age humanity has ever experienced. 文法

我們生活在人類經歷過的最繁榮的時代。

We have transformed this planet,

我們改變了這顆星球，

from the composition of its atmosphere, 表達脈絡

從大氣層的成分，

to large-scale changes in its landscape,

到其地貌的大規模改變，

and also in terms of the other animals in existence.

以及存在的其他動物方面。

We light up the night with artificial stars

我們用人造星星照亮了夜晚，

and put people in a metal box in the sky.

並把人裝進了天空中的金屬盒子裡。

Some have even walked on our moon.

有些人甚至在我們的月球上行走過。

We put robots on other planets.

我們把機器人放到其他星球上。

We've looked deep into the past of the universe with mechanical eyes.

我們用機械的眼睛深情地注視宇宙的過去。

Our knowledge and our way of acquiring and storing more of it has exploded.

我們的知識以及我們獲取和存儲更多知識的方式爆炸式增長。

The average high school student today knows more about the universe than a scholar a few centuries ago. 文法

今天普通的高中生比幾個世紀前的學者更了解宇宙。

Humans dominate this planet,

人類主宰著這顆星球，

even if our rule is very fragile. 文法

即使我們的統治非常脆弱。

We are still not that different from our ancestors 70,000 years ago,

我們與7萬年前的祖先仍然沒有太大區別，

but your lifestyle has existed for less than 0.001% of human history.

但你的生活方式存在的時間還不到人類歷史的0.001%。

From here on,

從這裡開始，

there's no saying what the future holds for us. 慣用語

無法預料未來會為我們帶來什麼。

We're building a skyscraper, 慣用語

我們正在建造一座摩天大樓，

but we're not sure if it's standing on a solid foundation

但我們不確定它是否建立在堅實的基礎上，

or if we're building it on quicksand.

或者我們是否把它建在流沙上。

Let's leave it with that for now. 語氣意圖

今天就先說到這兒吧。

The next time you miss your train, 文法

下次你錯過火車、

your burger is not hot enough,

你的漢堡不夠熱，

or someone cuts in line, 片語搭配

或者有人插隊時，

remember how special this made-up human world is.

記住這個由人類創造的世界是多麼特別。

Maybe it's not worth being upset about all those little things. 文法

也許為那些小事生氣並不值得。

Okay,

好了，

this was our first take on making a history-related video. 用詞

這是我們首次嘗試製作歷史相關的影片。

We'd love to make much more of them,

我們很想製作更多此類影片，

but they take even more time than our average video.

但它們比我們普通的影片需要更多的時間。

So we might do three or four a year.

所以我們可能一年只做三四個。

Your feedback's very welcome here.

非常歡迎你在這裡提出反饋。

Thank you so much for watching.

非常感謝你的觀看。

And if you want to support us directly,

如果你想直接支持我們，

you can do so on Patreon.

你可以在Patreon上支持。

It really helps us out. 片語動詞

這真的幫了我們大忙。

While you think about it,

在你考慮的時候，

here are more videos if you need more distraction.

如果你需要分心，這裡有更多影片。