How farming planted seeds for the Internet - Patricia Russac

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Minji Seo 校对人员: marni su

We talk about inventions and innovation

当我们谈到发明和创新的时候

as though the best things out there

好像世上最棒的发明

are the Internet, iPads, or smart phones.

就是网络、 iPad 或是智能手机

Or perhaps more simply,

或者只是

trains, planes, and automobiles.

火车、飞机和汽车

Which one is most important,

哪个最重要?

the best, or the greatest?

哪个最棒、最伟大?

Which one has had the most impact on society?

哪个对社会影响最深?

Today the debate would probably be

在现代，答案可能是

in favor of computer technology,

计算机科技

but is it?

但真的是这样吗?

Well, some would say, "Nope, not really, it's farming."

有些人会说：“错，答案是农耕”

Where would we be if we didn't have it?

如果没有农耕 我们现在会在哪个阶段?

Give up?

不知道吗?

We would still be hunting and gathering

我们现在还会在打猎和采集食物

with little time to invent anything,

没有时间发明任何东西

let alone the Internet.

更别说发明网络

That's right, farming is the seed of civilization.

所以农耕是文明的起源

Not quite literally, but without early man's discovery

也不完全是啦，但如果前人没有发现

of using seeds to grow grain,

用种子可以种谷物

we wouldn't have much of anything we have today.

现在很多东西就不可能存在

Growing your own food changed everything.

自己栽种食物改变了一切

Sure, hunting and gathering worked just fine

当然,过去几万年来

for tens of thousands of years,

打猎采集的生活也很不错

but you couldn't do much else -

但是你不能做其他事情

no time.

因为没有时间

But when hunters and gatherers started planting seeds,

一旦猎人和采集食物的人开始耕种

they began to farm.

就开始以农耕维生

With farming came animals,

农耕之后是畜牧

and with animals came settling down

畜牧之后就安顿下来

and staying in one location.

定居生活

So, how does this have anything to do

那么,这跟发明,创新

with invention and innovation?

到底有什么关系?

Everything.

关系可大了

Anyone who's ever farmed,

任何种过菜的人都知道

even if it's planting a half dozen tomato plants in your backyard,

就算只是在后院种 6 株西红柿

knows that you usually harvest way more

通常收成的量

than you could possibly eat,

都多到自己吃不完

a surplus.

就会剩下一些

Farming yielded plenty of food,

农耕生产大量的食物

with enough to store, trade, and eat.

多到足以储存,买卖,还有食用

In other words, not everyone needed to be farmers.

也就是说,不需要人人当农夫

Therefore, this allowed other people,

因此,不用耕作的人

non-farmers, to do other things

就可以做其他事情

such as make tools,

例如制造工具

craft pottery,

制作陶器

and build homes.

还有盖房子

Farming and food surpluses led to the division of labor.

农耕加上多余的食物带来了分工

This is still thousands of years ago,

这还是几千年前

so life wasn't easy.

生活并不好过

But with so many people contributing to the community,

但因为众人的分工合作

small villages began to develop.

村落逐渐发达

As the population of villages expanded,

随着村落人口的增加

so did the needs of the people.

人的需求也变多

Things got complicated.

情况更为复杂

But, civilization is just that - advanced, complex societies.

不过文明发展就是这样 有许多进步，复杂的聚落

And without farming, they would not exist.

没有农耕，这些就不存在

Villages increased in size,

村落开始扩张

eventually becoming the first cities.

最后发展为第一座城市

Cities are just one of the basic features of a civilization,

城市只是文明发展的一项特点

the others include central government,

其他特点还有中央政府

system of writing,

文字系统

organized religion,

组织严密的宗教

art and architecture,

艺术和建筑

urban planning of roads, bridges, and public works,

道路、桥梁、公共建设的规划

social classes,

社会阶级

and different jobs.

还有各种工作

Developing expertise in various types of occupations

各领域发展出各自的专业

allowed for innovative ways of doing things,

用创新的方式做事情

producing new products,

生产新产品

or making advancements in technology.

或是改进技术

As civilizations became more complex,

文明发展变得更加复杂

new ways of doing things were needed.

就需要新的生活方式

Some were out of necessity.

有些出于需要

Others because people had ideas.

有些来自人们的想法

The sharing of ideas and technology

想法和技术的分享

led to the growth of things we readily use today,

造就我们现在天天使用的东西

like the Internet.

例如因特网

So without farming, we'd still be hunting and gathering.

所以，没有农耕 我们现在还得打猎采集

No video,

没影片可看

no computers,

没计算机可用

and certainly no world wide web.

当然也不能上网了