问答题 Since Darwin biologists have been firmly convinced that nature works without plan or meaning, pursuing no aim by the direct road of design. But today we see that this conviction is a fatal error. Why should evolution exactly as Darwin knew it and described it be planless and irrational? Do not aircraft design engineers work at precisely that point where specific calculations and plans give out according to the same principle of evolution when they test the serviceability of a great number of statistically determined forms in the wind tunnel in order to choose the one that functions best? Can we say that there is no process of natural selection when nuclear physicists through thousands of computer operations try to find out which materials in which combinations and with what structural form are best suited to the building of an atomic reactor? They also practise no designed adaptation but work by the principle of selection. But it would never occur to anyone to call their method planless and irrational.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】自达尔文之后,生物学家们一直深信大自然的运行是没有计划、没有意义的,不会按照设定的路线实现特定的目的。但今天,我们认识到这种看法是一个严重的错误。为什么进化正是按照达尔文所了解和描述的那样既没有计划也没有逻辑呢?飞机设计工程师为了在风洞中选择运转最好的一个模型,要对大量根据统计数据制造的模型的可靠性进行测试,这时候,设计师们不正是根据同样的进化理论,来进行精细的测量与计算的吗?核物理学家要通过上千台计算机来找出哪些材料,以什么样的结合方式以及要具备什么样的结构形式才能与核反应堆的建造相匹配,我们难道可以说在这过程中没有自然选择吗?他们在调整适应的时候没有做任何计划,但他们是根据选择原理来工作的。但任何人都不会说他们的方法毫无系统与逻辑可言。 [解析]
Do not aircraft design engineers work at precisely that point where specific calculations and plans give out according to the same principle of evolution when they test the serviceability of a great number of statistically determined forms in the wind tunnel in order to choose the one that functions best?
本句是一个较长的反问疑问句,主语是“engineer”,谓语动词是“work at”,宾语是“that point”。宾语后接一个where引导的定语从句,后面又接一个when引导的时间状语从句,在时间状语从句中,地点状语是“in the wind tunnel”,目的状语是“in order to choose the one that functions best”。
飞机设计工程师为了在风洞中选择运转最好的一个模型,要对大量根据统计数据制造的模型的可靠性进行测试,这时候,设计师们不正是根据同样的进化理论,来进行精细的测量与计算的吗?
翻译英文长句,在理解的基础上,理顺逻辑关系,从后往前进行翻译,因为英文一般把最重要的信息放在句子最后,而中文正相反,重要的在前,这就决定了在翻译中顺序的颠倒。
Can we say that there is no process of natural selection when nuclear physicists through thousands of computer operations try to find out which materials in which combinations and with that structural form are best suited to the building of an atomic reactor?
本句是一个疑问长句,主语是“we”,谓语动词是“say”,后接一个宾语从句,宾语从句是“there be”句型,后接一个when引导的时间状语从句;状语从句主语是“nuclear physicist”,谓语是“try to”,后接动词“find out”,后接宾语从句,但这个从句由两个which和一个what引导,“which materials”,“in which combination”,“with what structural form”,这三个引导词后面都是接“are best suited to”作谓语,宾语是“the building of an atomic reactor”。
核物理学家要通过上千台计算机来找出哪些材料,以什么样的结合方式以及要具备什么样的结构形式才能与核反应堆的建造相匹配,我们难道可以说在这过程中没有自然选择吗?他们在调整适应的时候没有做任何计划,但他们是根据选择原理来工作的。