How farming planted seeds for the Internet - Patricia Russac

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Allyson Chen 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

We talk about inventions and innovation

當我們談到發明和創新的時候

as though the best things out there

好像世上最棒的發明

are the Internet, iPads, or smart phones.

就是網路、 iPad 或是智慧型手機

Or perhaps more simply,

或者只是

trains, planes, and automobiles.

火車、飛機和汽車

Which one is most important,

哪個最重要?

the best, or the greatest?

哪個最棒、最偉大?

Which one has had the most impact on society?

哪個對社會影響最深?

Today the debate would probably be

在現代,答案可能是...

in favor of computer technology,

電腦科技

but is it?

但真的是這樣嗎?

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

有些人會說：「錯，答案是農耕」

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

如果沒有農耕 我們現在會在哪裡?

Give up?

假如沒有農耕

We would still be hunting and gathering

我們現在還在打獵和採集食物

with little time to invent anything,

沒有時間發明任何東西

let alone the Internet.

更別說發明網路

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

所以農耕是文明的起源，對吧

Not quite literally, but without early man's discovery

也不完全是啦，但如果前人沒有發現

of using seeds to grow grain,

用種子可以種穀物

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

現在很多東西就不可能存在

Growing your own food changed everything.

自己栽種食物改變了一切

Sure, hunting and gathering worked just fine

當然,過去幾萬年來

for tens of thousands of years,

打獵採集的生活也很不錯

but you couldn't do much else -

但是你不能做其他事情

no time.

因為沒有時間

But when hunters and gatherers started planting seeds,

一旦獵人和採集食物的人開始耕種

they began to farm.

就開始以農耕維生

With farming came animals,

農耕之後是畜牧

and with animals came settling down

畜牧之後就安頓下來

and staying in one location.

定居生活

So, how does this have anything to do

那麼,這跟發明,創新

with invention and innovation?

到底有什麼關係?

Everything.

關係可大了

Anyone who's ever farmed,

任何種過菜的人都知道

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

就算只是在後院種 6 株番茄

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.

就會剩下一些

Farming yielded plenty of food,

農耕生產大量的食物

with enough to store, trade, and eat.

多到足以儲存,買賣,還有食用

In other words, not everyone needed to be farmers.

也就是說,不需要人人當農夫

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,

例如製造工具

craft pottery,

製作陶器

and build homes.

還有蓋房子

Farming and food surpluses led to the division of labor.

農耕加上多餘的食物帶來了分工

This is still thousands of years ago,

這還是幾千年前

so life wasn't easy.

生活並不好過

But with so many people contributing to the community,

但因為眾人的分工合作

small villages began to develop.

村落逐漸發達

As the population of villages expanded,

村落人口增加後

so did the needs of the people.

人的需求也變多

Things got complicated.

情況更為複雜

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

不過文明發展就是這樣 有許多進步，複雜的聚落

And without farming, they would not exist.

沒有農耕，這些就不存在

Villages increased in size,

村落開始擴張

eventually becoming the first cities.

最後發展為第一座城市

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

城市只是文明發展的一項特點

the others include central government,

其他特點還有中央政府

system of writing,

文字系統

organized religion,

組織嚴密的宗教

art and architecture,

藝術和建築

urban planning of roads, bridges, and public works,

道路、橋梁、公共建設的規劃

social classes,

社會階級

and different jobs.

還有各種工作

Developing expertise in various types of occupations

各領域發展出各自的專業

allowed for innovative ways of doing things,

用創新的方式做事情

producing new products,

生產新產品

or making advancements in technology.

或是改良技術

As civilizations became more complex,

文明發展變得更加複雜

new ways of doing things were needed.

就需要新的生活方式

Some were out of necessity.

有些出於需要

Others because people had ideas.

有些來自人們的想法

The sharing of ideas and technology

想法和技術的分享

led to the growth of things we readily use today,

造就我們現在天天使用的東西

like the Internet.

例如網際網路

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

所以，沒有農耕 我們現在還得打獵採集

No video,

沒影片可看

no computers,

沒電腦可用

and certainly no world wide web.

當然也不能上網了