TED演讲：气味背后的科学(3)

 　　This smells of cut grass. Now, this is the skeleton of the molecule¹.  它闻起来就像割下来青草。这就是分子的骨架。

　　If you dress it up with atoms, hydrogen atoms -- that's what it looks like when you have it on your computer -- but actually it's sort of more like this,  如果再给它配上其他原子，比如说氢原子，在电脑上模拟看上去是这样，但实际上看上去是这样的，

　　in the sense that the atoms have a certain sphere that you cannot penetrate². They repel³. 就某种意义来说原子有某种不为人们所理解的性质。他们相互排斥。

　　OK, now. Why does this thing smell of cut grass, OK?  好了，现在。为什么这个东西闻起来像割下来的青草呢？

　　Why doesn't it smell of potatoes or violets?  为什么闻起来不像土豆或者紫罗兰？

　　Well, there are really two theories.  有两种理论。

　　But the first theory is: it must be the shape.  第一种理论认为：一定是形状在起作用。

　　And that's a perfectly⁴ reasonable theory in the sense that almost everything else in biology works by shape.  这是一个完美的理论因为在生物领域形状在几乎所有东西中都起着一定作用。

　　Enzymes⁵ that chew things up,  酶用来消化，

　　antibodies, it's all, you know, the fit between a protein and whatever it is grabbing, in this case a smell.  抗生素是用来做什么的你们都知道，蛋白质和它抓住的东西配成一对，在这种情况下它抓住的是气味。

　　And I will try and explain to you what's wrong with this notion. 我会试着解释为什么这个概念是错误的。

　　And the other theory is that we smell molecular⁶ vibrations⁷.  一个理论是我们闻到的是分子的震动。

　　Now, this is a totally insane idea.  这是一个离谱的想法。

　　When I first came across it in the early '90s,  九十年代初我第一次接触到这个理论的时候，

　　I thought my predecessor⁸, Malcolm Dyson and Bob Wright, had really taken leave of their senses,  觉得我的前辈麦肯戴森和鲍勃怀特肯定是失去理智了，

　　and I'll explain to you why this was the case.  我待会会解释为什么我是这样的想的。

　　However, I came to realize gradually that they may be right -- and I have to convince all my colleagues that this is so, but I'm working on it. 但是，我逐渐意识到他可能是对的，我必须说服我所有的同事这个理论是对的，我正在努力这样做。

1 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

2 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

3 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 enzymes   

n. 酶，酵素

参考例句：

• It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
• Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。

6 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

7 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。