Learning English. I’m Sam.

學習英語。我是山姆。

And I’m Roy. Whether it’s salmon swimming

而我是羅伊。無論是游泳的鮭魚

upriver to lay their eggs or cheetahs running

上游產卵或獵豹奔跑

faster than a car, animals can do incredible

比汽車更快，動物可以做令人難以置信的

things with their bodies.

用他們的身體做的事情。

Human bodies are no less incredible –

人類的身體也同樣令人難以置信 --

just think of Olympic swimmers and sprinters.

只要想想奧運會的游泳運動員和短跑運動員。

Our bodies work using just the energy

我們的身體在工作時使用的只是能量

provided by what we eat. This means

由我們吃的東西提供。這意味著

that the human body has to be incredibly

人體必須要有令人難以置信的

efficient, using as little energy as possible

高效，儘可能少地使用能源

to do what it needs to.

來做它需要做的事情。

Yet even with our efficient bodies, no-one can

然而，即使我們擁有高效的身體，也沒有人能夠

run as fast a cheetah, not even Olympic

跑得像獵豹一樣快，連奧運會都沒有

champions! In this programme, we’ll be

冠軍們!在這個節目中，我們將

asking: exactly how efficient

問：到底有多大效率

is the human body?

人的身體是什麼？

We’ll be comparing human bodies’ performance

我們將比較人類身體的性能

against each other, and against some

互相攻擊，並對一些

animals too. And, of course, we’ll be

動物也是如此。當然，我們也會

learning some new and

學習一些新的和

useful vocabulary as well.

也是有用的詞彙。

But before that I have a question for you,

但在這之前，我有一個問題要問你。

Roy. Efficiency involves an input and

羅伊。效率涉及到一個輸入和

an output. It‘s about the relationship

一個產出。這是關於關係

between the amount of energy

之間的能量量

coming in – in other words, the food

來的--換句話說，食物

we eat - and the amount of the energy

我們吃的東西--和能量的數量

going out – the usual movements and

出門--通常的動作和

activities of day-to-day life. So,

日常生活中的活動。所以。

according to this definition, which

根據這個定義，它

animal is the most efficient? Is it:

動物是最有效的？是的。

a) an ant? b) a whale? or c) a human?

a) 螞蟻？ b) 鯨魚？或 c) 人類？

Humans are the most efficient animal.

人類是最有效率的動物。

OK, Roy. I’ll reveal the answer later in the

好的，羅伊。我將在稍後揭曉答案。

programme. To find out more about

方案。要了解更多關於

how the human body works it’s

人體是如何工作的？

helpful to know how our species

對了解我們的物種如何

evolved. Here’s Herman Pontzer, professor

演變了。以下是教授赫爾曼-龐澤的講話

of evolutionary anthropology at

擔任進化人類學教授

Duke University, speaking with BBC World

杜克大學在接受BBC World採訪時說

Service programme, CrowdScience.

服務方案，CrowdScience。

Humans are remarkably efficient.

人類的效率是非常高的。

We walk on two very straight legs, if

我們用兩條很直的腿走路，如果

a human stands next to a dog, for example,

例如，一個人站在一隻狗旁邊。

the dog has got that funny bent classic

這隻狗有一個有趣的彎曲的經典

dog leg shape, right? And that crouched

狗腿的形狀，對嗎？還有那個蹲著的

posture is really typical of most animals.

姿勢確實是大多數動物的典型。

Humans have a very straight leg, and so

人類的腿很直，所以

because of that, and because our legs

因為這一點，也因為我們的腿

are pretty long for our body size – humans

對於我們的體型來說，是相當長的--人類

are part of the ape family – we’re are efficient.

是猿類家族的一部分--我們是高效的。

Humans are apes and evolved from the

人類是猿類，從

same origin as gorillas and chimpanzees.

與大猩猩和黑猩猩同源。

One big difference however is that humans

然而，一個很大的區別是，人類

walk upright on straight legs, whereas

直腿直立行走，而

most animals are crouched – bent over

大多數動物都是蹲著的--彎著腰

at the knee and leaning forwards

膝蓋處，身體前傾

to the ground. This crouched posture is not

到地上。這種蹲下的姿勢並不是

an efficient way to move.

一個有效的移動方式。

Other animals, like dogs, have flat backs

其他動物，如狗，有平坦的背部

and move on four bent legs called

並以四條彎曲的腿移動，稱為

doglegs – something bent in the shape of

doglegs - 形狀彎曲的東西

a dog’s leg. The word dogleg can also mean

狗的腿。狗腿這個詞也可以指

a sharp bend in a road or path.

道路或小路的急轉彎。

So, the design of the human body makes it

所以，人體的設計使它

efficient compared to some other animals - but

與其他一些動物相比，效率高 - 但

how do humans compare with each other?

人與人之間的關係如何？

How do Kenyan athletes break long-distance

肯亞運動員是如何打破長距離的

running records, while many of us struggle

運轉記錄，而我們中的許多人卻在掙扎

to run for the bus? The main reason, according to

來跑公車？主要原因，據說是

Loughborough University physiologist,

拉夫堡大學的生理學家。

Rhona Pearce, is training. But there may be

羅娜-皮爾斯，正在訓練。但可能會有

other factors too, as she explained to

其他因素也是如此，她向記者解釋說

BBC World Service’s, CrowdScience.

英國廣播公司世界服務部的，CrowdScience。

Age probably comes into it in that there’s

年齡可能會影響到這一點，因為有

probably an optimal age for tendon

可能是肌腱的最佳年齡

elasticity – that drops off as you get older,

彈性--隨著你的年齡增長而下降。

so probably there’s a sweet spot in age for

是以，可能在年齡上有一個甜蜜的點，適合於

running economy. So, in terms of weight, it

運行經濟。是以，就重量而言，它

depends on what you weight is made up of,

取決於你的重量是由什麼組成的。

if you’ve got more muscle mass that’s going

如果你有更多的肌肉品質，這將是一個很好的機會。

to help you, whereas if it’s more fat

來幫助你，而如果是更多的脂肪

then you’ve got to carry it.

那麼你就得帶著它。

Efficient running depends on having flexible

高效的運行取決於擁有靈活的

muscles and tendons, and this flexibility

肌肉和肌腱，而這種靈活性

drops off, or decreases, as we get older.

隨著我們年齡的增長，其數量會減少，或者說下降。

This means that, in terms of running, the body

這意味著，在跑步方面，身體

has an optimal age – the best age, or the age

有一個最佳年齡--最佳年齡，或者說是

at which you are most likely to succeed.

你最有可能成功的地方。

Body composition also plays a part.

身體成分也起著一定的作用。

Efficient runners need high muscle mass - the

高效的跑步者需要較高的肌肉品質---。

amount of muscle in your body, as opposed

你身體裡的肌肉數量，而不是

to fat or bone. So, training, age, muscle mass

到脂肪或骨骼。是以，訓練、年齡、肌肉品質

and genetics and are all factors which,

和遺傳學，都是影響因素。

when they come together, produce

當它們聚集在一起時，會產生

a sweet spot – the best possible combination

一個甜蜜的地方--最佳的組合

of factors and circumstances. And from the

的因素和情況。而從

evidence it looks like my answer to

證據，看來我的答案是

your question was right, Sam.

你的問題是正確的，Sam。

Ah yes, I asked which animal was the most

啊，是的，我問哪種動物是最

efficient, and you said it was c) a human. Well,

高效，而你說它是c）人。好吧。

I’m sorry to say but that was the wrong

我很抱歉地說，但這是錯誤的。

answer! The funny thing is - and scientists

答案是!有趣的是--和科學家

still don’t understand why - but the bigger

仍然不明白為什麼 - 但更大的是

the animal, the less energy it uses,

動物，它使用的能量就越少。

kilo for kilo. So, the most efficient animal…

一公斤對一公斤。是以，最有效的動物...

…is also be the biggest – a whale! OK, let’s

...也是最大的--一條鯨魚!好吧，讓我們

recap the vocabulary from the programme,

複述節目中的詞彙。

starting with crouched – a position, which

從蹲下開始--一個姿勢，這

is bent at the knee, leaning forward

膝關節彎曲，身體前傾

and closer to the ground.

並更接近地面。

A dogleg can describe something which

犬牙交錯可以描述的是

has a bent shape, especially

有一個彎曲的形狀，特別是

a sharp bend in a road or path.

道路或小路的急轉彎。

The optimal age to do something

做事的最佳年齡

is the best age to do it.

是做這件事的最佳年齡。

If something drops off, it decreases

如果有東西掉下來，它就會減少

in quality or quantity.

在品質或數量上。

A sweet spot is the best possible

一個甜蜜的地方是最好的可能

combination of factors or circumstances.

各種因素或情況的組合。

And finally, muscle mass is the amount

最後，肌肉品質是指

of muscle in your body, as opposed to fat

相對於脂肪而言，你身體中的肌肉的比例

or bone. Once again, our six minute are up.

或骨頭。再一次，我們的六分鐘到了。

Bye for now!

暫時再見

Bye!

再見！