如果人類消失了會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

From damming rivers to changing the chemistry of the atmosphere, 表達脈絡

從築壩攔河，到改變大氣的化學成分，

humans have had a powerful impact on our planet. 片語搭配

人類已對地球造成巨大影響。

But what would happen if we suddenly disappeared? 文法

但如果我們突然消失，會發生什麼事？

The first few weeks would be chaotic.

最初幾週將一片混亂。

Within hours,

幾個小時內，

power plants would run out of fuel and shut down. 片語動詞

發電廠就會耗盡燃料並停止運轉。

As lights go out and electric fences lose their sting, 慣用語

隨著燈光熄滅、電圍籬失去威力，

over 1.5 billion cows,

超過15億頭牛、

nearly a billion pigs,

將近10億頭豬，

and more than 20 billion chickens will break out of their enclosures 片語動詞

以及超過200億隻雞都會逃出圍欄，

desperate for food.

拼命尋找食物。

Without any humans to feed them, 文法

沒有人類餵養牠們，

most of these livestock will starve or become food for over half a billion dogs and a roughly equal number of cats

這些家畜大多會餓死，或成為超過5億隻狗和數量大致相同的貓的食物，

who now have to fend for themselves. 片語搭配

而這些貓狗如今也得自力更生。

Of course,

當然，

many of our fancy breeds are ill-suited for life in the wild 用詞

許多由我們精心培育的品種並不適合在野外生存，

and will probably be outcompeted by hardier mutts, 用詞

很可能競爭不過適應力更強的米克斯犬，

not to mention wolves, coyotes and wildcats. 表達脈絡

更別提狼、郊狼和野貓了。

Other animals that depend on humans,

其他依賴人類生存的動物，

from rats to cockroaches,

從老鼠到蟑螂，

will suffer drastic population declines. 片語搭配

族群數量也會大幅減少。

Some,

有些物種，

like body lice and head lice,

比如體蝨和頭蝨，

will go extinct. 片語搭配

將會滅絕。

In the cities,

在城市裡，

many of our famous boulevards are now rivers.

許多著名的林蔭大道此時已變成河流。

Without electric pumps to keep them dry, 文法

沒有電動幫浦抽水保持乾燥，

underground subway tunnels will quickly fill with water.

地下的捷運隧道很快就會灌滿水。

Other streets will be overtaken with weeds and vines,

其他街道會被雜草與藤蔓占據，

followed by larger plants and trees. 表達脈絡

接著是更高大的植物和樹木。

But before that happens,

但在那之前，

most cities will be wiped out by fire. 片語動詞

大多數城市會被大火摧毀。

Modern houses,

現代住宅，

especially in the suburbs,

尤其是郊區住宅，

are still largely made of timber. 片語搭配

至今仍主要以木材建造。

With no firefighters around, 文法

沒有消防員，

a single lightning strike is all it takes to start a fire that could burn a whole subdivision to the ground. 講解

只要一道閃電，就足以引發大火，將整個住宅區夷為平地。

In the countryside,

在鄉間，

many wood structures will be destroyed within a few decades,

許多木造結構會在幾十年內遭到摧毀，

if not by fire, 文法

就算不是因為火災，

then by termites and other decomposers.

也會因白蟻和其他分解生物而毀壞。

After 100 years,

100年後，

most wood structures will be gone

大部分木造結構將不復存在，

and anything made of steel, 文法

而任何鋼製物品，

from apartment buildings to cars and even bridges,

無論是公寓大樓、汽車，甚至橋樑，

aren't far behind. 慣用語

也會在不久後消失。

Steel is mostly iron,

鋼的主要成分是鐵，

and without constant application of paints and coatings,

如果不持續塗上油漆與保護塗層，

it will quickly react with oxygen in the atmosphere 片語搭配

就會迅速與大氣中的氧氣發生反應，

and return to its native form of iron oxide or rust. 用詞

回到原本的氧化鐵形態，也就是鐵鏽。

By this time,

到了這時，

humans have been gone for a few hundred years, 文法

人類已經消失幾百年，

and most species of animals around the world,

世界各地的大多數動物物種，

at least the ones we haven't driven to extinction, 片語搭配

至少是那些尚未被我們逼至滅絕的物種，

will have bounced back to the levels they were at before we evolved. 講解

都會恢復到人類演化之前的數量水準。

But their distribution will remain forever altered.

但牠們的分布格局將永久改變。

Camels now roam Australia,

駱駝如今漫遊於澳洲，

while in North America,

而在北美洲，

dozens of species of songbirds imported from Europe will continue to thrive.

從歐洲引進的數十種鳴禽仍會繁衍興盛。

It's even possible that in some parts of the world, 文法

甚至有可能在世界某些地區，

escaped zoo animals could form new wild populations,

逃出動物園的動物會形成新的野生族群，

leading to the prospect of lions on the Great Plains 表達脈絡

於是大平原上可能會有獅子出沒，

or hippos in South American rivers.

南美洲的河流裡則可能出現河馬。

Forever proliferating through space 文法

永遠在太空中不斷擴散的，

will be the electromagnetic radiation we created from our radios,

將是我們的無線電設備、

satellites and phones.

衛星和手機產生的電磁輻射。

But if anything will outlast us on Earth, 表達脈絡

但如果地球上有什麼會比我們留存得更久，

it may be our trash.

那可能就是我們的垃圾。

The chemical bonds that hold together plastics or vulcanized rubber 講解

將塑膠或硫化橡膠結合在一起的化學鍵，

are immune to most of the digestive enzymes used by bacteria to break down natural polymers, 講解

能抵抗細菌用來分解天然聚合物的大多數消化酵素，

and unlike metals,

而且不像金屬，

plastics don't rust or corrode. 用詞

塑膠不會生鏽或腐蝕。

These microplastics escape into waterways or drift along in the ocean

這些微塑膠會流入水道，或在海洋中漂流，

and are eventually deposited in sediments. 用詞

最後沉積在沉積物中。

Hundreds of millions of years from now,

幾億年後，

alien geologists from outer space

來自外太空的外星地質學家

may be surprised to find sedimentary rocks full of tiny carbon-based particles

也許會驚訝地發現，沉積岩中充滿微小的碳基顆粒，

that were once part of rubber tires or plastic bags.

而它們曾是橡膠輪胎或塑膠袋的一部分。

Of course,

當然，

whether something survives depends greatly on the conditions. 文法

某樣東西能否留存，很大程度取決於環境條件。

Everything will last much longer in deserts

在沙漠裡，一切都能保存得更久，

where there's no moisture to speed up rusting 片語動詞

因為那裡沒有水分加速生鏽，

or support decomposing organisms.

也無法供分解生物生存。

And while the carbon cycle will return CO2 levels to equilibrium after a few thousand years, 講解

雖然幾千年後，碳循環會讓二氧化碳濃度恢復平衡，

local deposits of long-lived organic chemicals 用詞

但局部蓄積的長壽命有機化學物質

or radioactive material could persist for a very,

或放射性物質卻可能留存很久，

very long time.

非常非常久。

It's hard to know what alien paleontologists of the future will make of us, 講解

很難知道未來的外星古生物學家會如何看待我們，

how they'll explain our love of plastic

他們會如何解釋我們對塑膠的熱愛，

or the fact that within a geological eyeblink 慣用語

或如何解釋這項事實：在地質時間的一眨眼間，

we exploded out of Africa 慣用語

我們從非洲迅速擴散，

to colonize virtually every inhabitable space on Earth. 用詞

幾乎遍布地球上每一處宜居之地。

But they'll definitely wonder why,

但他們一定會想知道，

if we were so successful for so long, 表達脈絡

既然我們曾長久如此成功，

we disappeared so quickly.

為何又如此迅速地消失。

This episode is brought to you by squarespace.com. 片語搭配

本集節目由 squarespace.com 贊助播出。

If you've ever wanted to make your own website, 文法

如果你一直想建立自己的網站，

Squarespace recently launched the latest version of their platform,

Squarespace 最近推出了最新版平台，

Squarespace 7,

Squarespace 7，

which has a completely redesigned interface,

擁有全面重新設計的介面、

integrations with Getty Images and Google Apps,

Getty Images 與 Google Apps 的整合功能、

new templates,

全新範本，

and an incredible feature called Cover Pages.

以及一項名為 Cover Pages 的驚人功能。

You can start a free trial at squarespace.com/asap, 片語搭配

你可以前往 squarespace.com/asap 開始免費試用，

and if you decide to sign up, 片語動詞

如果決定註冊，

use the offer code ASAP 文化背景

請使用優惠碼 ASAP，

at checkout to get 10% off. 片語搭配

結帳時即可享有九折優惠。

Thanks again to Squarespace for supporting our show.

再次感謝 Squarespace 支持我們的節目。

And if you haven't seen our latest AsapTHOUGHT video

如果你還沒看過我們最新的 AsapTHOUGHT 影片，

on why we mishear lyrics,

這支影片談的是我們為什麼會聽錯歌詞，

you can check that out with the link in the description as well. 片語動詞

也可以點擊說明欄裡的連結觀看。

It should give you a good laugh

它應該能讓你開懷大笑，

and hopefully solve some of the mysteries of your brain on music.

也希望能解開一些大腦聽音樂時的謎團。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

記得訂閱，每週收看更多科學影片。