人類本質(zhì)
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語(yǔ)中占了40分，所以考研英語(yǔ)閱讀是英語(yǔ)科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過(guò)考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語(yǔ)的主要材料來(lái)源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語(yǔ)閱讀水平。 The nature of humanity 人類本質(zhì) What s a man? 什么是人類 Studies of brain genetics are starting to revealwhat makes humans human 大腦遺傳研究，為你解開人之所以為人的奧秘 THE problem with understanding human uniqueness is precisely that it is unique. 研究人類獨(dú)特性的難題在于這個(gè)獨(dú)特性本身就很獨(dú)特。 Though the proper study of mankind may be man, that study will yield little if there is noreference point to compare man with. 雖然人類研究的主體對(duì)象是人，但是如果沒有比照對(duì)象的參與，研究很難有所突破。 That, at least, is the philosophy of Svante Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for EvolutionaryAnthropology, in Leipzig. 至少，來(lái)自萊比錫馬克斯普朗克進(jìn)化人類研究所的斯萬(wàn)特帕珀是這樣認(rèn)為的。 Dr Paabo, whose work on fossil DNA was the inspiration for Jurassic Park, 帕珀博士主要研究化石的DNA，正是受到《侏羅紀(jì)公園》啟發(fā)， has since become interested in human evolution. 他對(duì)人類進(jìn)化史產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣。 To this end, he and his colleagues have sequenced the DNA of both Neanderthal man and anAsian species of prehistoric human, 為了一探究竟，他和同事將穴居人和史前亞洲人種, the Denisovians, which Dr Paabo s own work identified. 帕珀博士將其定義為丹尼索維亞人的DNA按序排列。 Now he has turned his attentions to modern Homo sapiens. 現(xiàn)在他又將注意力轉(zhuǎn)移到了現(xiàn)代智人身上。 In collaboration with a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 帕珀博士和同事菲利普卡托維奇與中國(guó)科學(xué)院的科學(xué)家們相互合作， Dr Paabo and his colleague Philipp Khaitovich have compared genetic activity over thecourse of a lifetime in the brains of humans, chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys. 將人類，猩猩，以及恒河猴有生之年的大腦遺傳活動(dòng)進(jìn)行了比對(duì)。 They have then matched what they found with what is known of Neanderthals, 隨后，他們將研究成果同穴居人研究成果相配對(duì)， and think they have thus discovered at least part of the genetic difference between Homosapiens and the others that creates human uniqueness. 并發(fā)現(xiàn)了智人和其他物種的差異，至少是部分差異。正是這些差異造就了人類獨(dú)一無(wú)二的特性。 Dr Paabo and his colleagues focused their examination, 帕珀博士和同事十分重視實(shí)驗(yàn)， just published in Genome Research, on two parts of the brain. 他們只在《基因研究》雜志上刊登了大腦兩個(gè)區(qū)域的研究成果。 One was the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 區(qū)域一是大腦背外側(cè)前額皮層， which is the seat of abstract reasoning and social behaviour,things that humans areparticularly good at. 主管抽象思考和社交行為一類人類尤為擅長(zhǎng)的活動(dòng)。 The other was the lateral cerebellar cortex, which is more to do with manual abilities. 區(qū)域二是同動(dòng)手能力聯(lián)系密切的外側(cè)小腦皮層。 They extracted cells, post mortem, from people, chimps and monkeys of many ages, andlooked at which genes had been active in these cells when the owners were alive. 他們從不同年齡層的人類，黑猩猩以及猴子尸體上提取相關(guān)細(xì)胞，然后觀察哪些基因在宿主存活時(shí)表現(xiàn)活躍。 The vortex of the cortex 皮層漩渦 They did this by examining the RNA in the cells. 他們通過(guò)檢驗(yàn)細(xì)胞中的RNA來(lái)進(jìn)行觀察。 RNA molecules are single-stranded copies of the double-helical DNA genes in the cellnucleus. RNA分子是細(xì)胞核內(nèi)的雙螺旋DNA基因的單鏈拷貝。 Their job is to carry instructions from the genes to a cell s protein-making machinery. RNA的工作是把基因的指令帶到細(xì)胞的蛋白質(zhì)形成機(jī)構(gòu)內(nèi)。 Most primate genes have now been identified, 現(xiàn)在大部分靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物的基因都已被識(shí)別出來(lái)， so it is possible to make chips covered with complementary strands to the RNA messengers, 所以人類可以制作一張芯片，在上面布滿結(jié)構(gòu)互補(bǔ)的單鏈RNA， to which these messengers will uniquely stick, and which thus act as probes for particularmessenger molecules. 因?yàn)樾攀筊NA會(huì)與其緊密結(jié)合，所以可以專門用該芯片來(lái)搜尋攜帶遺傳信息的分子。 Using such chips, Dr Khaitovich and Dr Paabo were able to find out when, during the course oflife, particular genes were active, 卡托維奇博士和帕珀博士計(jì)算出了不同年齡段的不同個(gè)體的大腦的特定區(qū)域內(nèi)每個(gè)基因細(xì)胞里的RNA數(shù)量， by working out how much RNA from each gene cells from particular parts of the brains ofindividuals of different ages contained. 并利用該芯片，找出了一生中表現(xiàn)活躍的幾個(gè)特定基因。 Their results fell into six categories. 以下是他們的六大發(fā)現(xiàn)。 First, they found some genes whose expression patterns over a lifetime were uniquelyhuman and others that were uniquely chimpanzee. 發(fā)現(xiàn)一，有的基因的表達(dá)方式為人類特有，有的為猩猩特有， Second, they discovered that there were more uniquely human expression patterns thanuniquely chimp ones. 發(fā)現(xiàn)二，人類特有的基因表達(dá)要多于猩猩。 Third, unique human expression patterns were more common in the prefrontal cortex thanin the cerebellum. 發(fā)現(xiàn)三，人類特有的基因表達(dá)多出現(xiàn)與前額葉皮層，而不是小腦。 Fourth, though these uniquely expressed genes were most active in the young of allspecies, 發(fā)現(xiàn)四，盡管這些物種特有的表達(dá)基因最活躍的時(shí)期都在青年期， their period of activity was several years longer in humans than in the others. 但是人類基因的活躍期較長(zhǎng)，能持續(xù)數(shù)年。 Fifth, the activities of a lot of the uniquely active genes seemed to be correlated: 發(fā)現(xiàn)五，許多活躍基因所進(jìn)行的活動(dòng)是相互聯(lián)系的: the researchers identified seven groups of genes which each seemed to be working as amodule. 研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)了七組基因，似乎每一組都是獨(dú)立的單元。 And sixth, these modular genes seem to be involved in the crucial job of linking nerve cellstogether through junctions called synapses. 發(fā)現(xiàn)六：這些單位基因組似乎在擔(dān)子不輕，它們要經(jīng)過(guò)各個(gè)樞紐將神經(jīng)細(xì)胞連接到一起，這些樞紐名叫突觸。 To summarise, human beings have suites of genes that probably cause their brains to beplastic, 總之，人類特有的一套套基因讓大腦具備了可塑性， and thus receptive to change far longer than is true for chimps or monkeys. 而且應(yīng)變能力的維持時(shí)間要遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)長(zhǎng)于猩猩和猴子的大腦。 Moreover, Dr Khaitovich was able to work out how the expression of these modules of geneswas co-ordinated, 另外，卡托維奇博士通過(guò)觀察控制基因單位的開關(guān)， by looking at the switches, known as transcription factors, that turn them on and off. 也就是眾所周知的轉(zhuǎn)錄因子，已經(jīng)能夠解答各個(gè)基因單位的表達(dá)是如何協(xié)調(diào)的問(wèn)題。 Indeed, by comparing modern genomes with their discoveries about Neanderthals Dr Paabo sgroup has found that the regulatory process for one of the modules came into existence afterthe modern human and Neanderthal lines separated from one another, about 300,000 yearsago. 的確，通過(guò)比對(duì)現(xiàn)代人基因組和穴居人研究成果，帕珀博士一行人已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了某組基因的調(diào)節(jié)過(guò)程，早在30萬(wàn)年前，當(dāng)現(xiàn)代人類從穴居人家系中分離出來(lái)時(shí)，該組基因就已存在。 Unfortunately, it is not possible to look at the expression pattern of genes in Neanderthals,and it probably never will be. 然而不幸的是，現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)無(wú)法觀察穴居人的基因表達(dá)方式，而且可能再也看不到了。 But it might be possible, as knowledge advances, to reconstruct part of it from a betterunderstanding of that extinct species s DNA. 但是隨著知識(shí)的積累，科學(xué)倒是家可以憑借對(duì)已消亡的物種的DNA更深入的了解，將穴居人的部分基因重現(xiàn)出來(lái)。 Pleistocene Park, anybody? 拍一部《更新世公園》，怎么樣? 詞語(yǔ)解釋 1.compare with 與...相比較 Life isn t fair-don t compare with or be jealous ofothers. 生活并不是公平的不要比較也不要嫉妒別人。 Atheists have precious little to compare with this. 相比之下，無(wú)神論者的資源就少得可憐。 2.interested in 對(duì)感興趣 Perhaps you d be interested in red roses. 也許你會(huì)對(duì)紅玫瑰感興趣。 How did you first become interested in chinese? 您是怎么開始對(duì)中文產(chǎn)生興趣的? 3.turn to 變成,求助于 For evidence that this is possible, turn to sweden. 至于這方面成功的案例，請(qǐng)把目光轉(zhuǎn)向瑞典。 In previous downturns chinese steelmakers could turn to export markets. 在以往的低迷期，中國(guó)鋼鐵制造商可以求助于出口市場(chǎng)。 4.seem to 似乎 Financial markets seem to agree. 金融市場(chǎng)似乎也證實(shí)了這一點(diǎn)。 Investors seem to have noticed. 投資者似乎也注意到了。
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語(yǔ)中占了40分，所以考研英語(yǔ)閱讀是英語(yǔ)科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過(guò)考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語(yǔ)的主要材料來(lái)源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語(yǔ)閱讀水平。 The nature of humanity 人類本質(zhì) What s a man? 什么是人類 Studies of brain genetics are starting to revealwhat makes humans human 大腦遺傳研究，為你解開人之所以為人的奧秘 THE problem with understanding human uniqueness is precisely that it is unique. 研究人類獨(dú)特性的難題在于這個(gè)獨(dú)特性本身就很獨(dú)特。 Though the proper study of mankind may be man, that study will yield little if there is noreference point to compare man with. 雖然人類研究的主體對(duì)象是人，但是如果沒有比照對(duì)象的參與，研究很難有所突破。 That, at least, is the philosophy of Svante Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for EvolutionaryAnthropology, in Leipzig. 至少，來(lái)自萊比錫馬克斯普朗克進(jìn)化人類研究所的斯萬(wàn)特帕珀是這樣認(rèn)為的。 Dr Paabo, whose work on fossil DNA was the inspiration for Jurassic Park, 帕珀博士主要研究化石的DNA，正是受到《侏羅紀(jì)公園》啟發(fā)， has since become interested in human evolution. 他對(duì)人類進(jìn)化史產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣。 To this end, he and his colleagues have sequenced the DNA of both Neanderthal man and anAsian species of prehistoric human, 為了一探究竟，他和同事將穴居人和史前亞洲人種, the Denisovians, which Dr Paabo s own work identified. 帕珀博士將其定義為丹尼索維亞人的DNA按序排列。 Now he has turned his attentions to modern Homo sapiens. 現(xiàn)在他又將注意力轉(zhuǎn)移到了現(xiàn)代智人身上。 In collaboration with a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 帕珀博士和同事菲利普卡托維奇與中國(guó)科學(xué)院的科學(xué)家們相互合作， Dr Paabo and his colleague Philipp Khaitovich have compared genetic activity over thecourse of a lifetime in the brains of humans, chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys. 將人類，猩猩，以及恒河猴有生之年的大腦遺傳活動(dòng)進(jìn)行了比對(duì)。 They have then matched what they found with what is known of Neanderthals, 隨后，他們將研究成果同穴居人研究成果相配對(duì)， and think they have thus discovered at least part of the genetic difference between Homosapiens and the others that creates human uniqueness. 并發(fā)現(xiàn)了智人和其他物種的差異，至少是部分差異。正是這些差異造就了人類獨(dú)一無(wú)二的特性。 Dr Paabo and his colleagues focused their examination, 帕珀博士和同事十分重視實(shí)驗(yàn)， just published in Genome Research, on two parts of the brain. 他們只在《基因研究》雜志上刊登了大腦兩個(gè)區(qū)域的研究成果。 One was the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 區(qū)域一是大腦背外側(cè)前額皮層， which is the seat of abstract reasoning and social behaviour,things that humans areparticularly good at. 主管抽象思考和社交行為一類人類尤為擅長(zhǎng)的活動(dòng)。 The other was the lateral cerebellar cortex, which is more to do with manual abilities. 區(qū)域二是同動(dòng)手能力聯(lián)系密切的外側(cè)小腦皮層。 They extracted cells, post mortem, from people, chimps and monkeys of many ages, andlooked at which genes had been active in these cells when the owners were alive. 他們從不同年齡層的人類，黑猩猩以及猴子尸體上提取相關(guān)細(xì)胞，然后觀察哪些基因在宿主存活時(shí)表現(xiàn)活躍。 The vortex of the cortex 皮層漩渦 They did this by examining the RNA in the cells. 他們通過(guò)檢驗(yàn)細(xì)胞中的RNA來(lái)進(jìn)行觀察。 RNA molecules are single-stranded copies of the double-helical DNA genes in the cellnucleus. RNA分子是細(xì)胞核內(nèi)的雙螺旋DNA基因的單鏈拷貝。 Their job is to carry instructions from the genes to a cell s protein-making machinery. RNA的工作是把基因的指令帶到細(xì)胞的蛋白質(zhì)形成機(jī)構(gòu)內(nèi)。 Most primate genes have now been identified, 現(xiàn)在大部分靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物的基因都已被識(shí)別出來(lái)， so it is possible to make chips covered with complementary strands to the RNA messengers, 所以人類可以制作一張芯片，在上面布滿結(jié)構(gòu)互補(bǔ)的單鏈RNA， to which these messengers will uniquely stick, and which thus act as probes for particularmessenger molecules. 因?yàn)樾攀筊NA會(huì)與其緊密結(jié)合，所以可以專門用該芯片來(lái)搜尋攜帶遺傳信息的分子。 Using such chips, Dr Khaitovich and Dr Paabo were able to find out when, during the course oflife, particular genes were active, 卡托維奇博士和帕珀博士計(jì)算出了不同年齡段的不同個(gè)體的大腦的特定區(qū)域內(nèi)每個(gè)基因細(xì)胞里的RNA數(shù)量， by working out how much RNA from each gene cells from particular parts of the brains ofindividuals of different ages contained. 并利用該芯片，找出了一生中表現(xiàn)活躍的幾個(gè)特定基因。 Their results fell into six categories. 以下是他們的六大發(fā)現(xiàn)。 First, they found some genes whose expression patterns over a lifetime were uniquelyhuman and others that were uniquely chimpanzee. 發(fā)現(xiàn)一，有的基因的表達(dá)方式為人類特有，有的為猩猩特有， Second, they discovered that there were more uniquely human expression patterns thanuniquely chimp ones. 發(fā)現(xiàn)二，人類特有的基因表達(dá)要多于猩猩。 Third, unique human expression patterns were more common in the prefrontal cortex thanin the cerebellum. 發(fā)現(xiàn)三，人類特有的基因表達(dá)多出現(xiàn)與前額葉皮層，而不是小腦。 Fourth, though these uniquely expressed genes were most active in the young of allspecies, 發(fā)現(xiàn)四，盡管這些物種特有的表達(dá)基因最活躍的時(shí)期都在青年期， their period of activity was several years longer in humans than in the others. 但是人類基因的活躍期較長(zhǎng)，能持續(xù)數(shù)年。 Fifth, the activities of a lot of the uniquely active genes seemed to be correlated: 發(fā)現(xiàn)五，許多活躍基因所進(jìn)行的活動(dòng)是相互聯(lián)系的: the researchers identified seven groups of genes which each seemed to be working as amodule. 研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)了七組基因，似乎每一組都是獨(dú)立的單元。 And sixth, these modular genes seem to be involved in the crucial job of linking nerve cellstogether through junctions called synapses. 發(fā)現(xiàn)六：這些單位基因組似乎在擔(dān)子不輕，它們要經(jīng)過(guò)各個(gè)樞紐將神經(jīng)細(xì)胞連接到一起，這些樞紐名叫突觸。 To summarise, human beings have suites of genes that probably cause their brains to beplastic, 總之，人類特有的一套套基因讓大腦具備了可塑性， and thus receptive to change far longer than is true for chimps or monkeys. 而且應(yīng)變能力的維持時(shí)間要遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)長(zhǎng)于猩猩和猴子的大腦。 Moreover, Dr Khaitovich was able to work out how the expression of these modules of geneswas co-ordinated, 另外，卡托維奇博士通過(guò)觀察控制基因單位的開關(guān)， by looking at the switches, known as transcription factors, that turn them on and off. 也就是眾所周知的轉(zhuǎn)錄因子，已經(jīng)能夠解答各個(gè)基因單位的表達(dá)是如何協(xié)調(diào)的問(wèn)題。 Indeed, by comparing modern genomes with their discoveries about Neanderthals Dr Paabo sgroup has found that the regulatory process for one of the modules came into existence afterthe modern human and Neanderthal lines separated from one another, about 300,000 yearsago. 的確，通過(guò)比對(duì)現(xiàn)代人基因組和穴居人研究成果，帕珀博士一行人已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了某組基因的調(diào)節(jié)過(guò)程，早在30萬(wàn)年前，當(dāng)現(xiàn)代人類從穴居人家系中分離出來(lái)時(shí)，該組基因就已存在。 Unfortunately, it is not possible to look at the expression pattern of genes in Neanderthals,and it probably never will be. 然而不幸的是，現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)無(wú)法觀察穴居人的基因表達(dá)方式，而且可能再也看不到了。 But it might be possible, as knowledge advances, to reconstruct part of it from a betterunderstanding of that extinct species s DNA. 但是隨著知識(shí)的積累，科學(xué)倒是家可以憑借對(duì)已消亡的物種的DNA更深入的了解，將穴居人的部分基因重現(xiàn)出來(lái)。 Pleistocene Park, anybody? 拍一部《更新世公園》，怎么樣? 詞語(yǔ)解釋 1.compare with 與...相比較 Life isn t fair-don t compare with or be jealous ofothers. 生活并不是公平的不要比較也不要嫉妒別人。 Atheists have precious little to compare with this. 相比之下，無(wú)神論者的資源就少得可憐。 2.interested in 對(duì)感興趣 Perhaps you d be interested in red roses. 也許你會(huì)對(duì)紅玫瑰感興趣。 How did you first become interested in chinese? 您是怎么開始對(duì)中文產(chǎn)生興趣的? 3.turn to 變成,求助于 For evidence that this is possible, turn to sweden. 至于這方面成功的案例，請(qǐng)把目光轉(zhuǎn)向瑞典。 In previous downturns chinese steelmakers could turn to export markets. 在以往的低迷期，中國(guó)鋼鐵制造商可以求助于出口市場(chǎng)。 4.seem to 似乎 Financial markets seem to agree. 金融市場(chǎng)似乎也證實(shí)了這一點(diǎn)。 Investors seem to have noticed. 投資者似乎也注意到了。
