E.O. Wilson calls for an Encyclopedia of Life

譯者: Chih-Yuan Huang 審譯者: Geoff Chen

I have all my life wondered what "mind-boggling" meant.

我這一生都在思考，"Mind-boggling"(令人難以置信的)到底是指甚麼

After two days here, I declare myself boggled, and enormously impressed,

在這兩天後，我承認我已深深地被感動了

and feel that you are one of the great hopes --

我感覺到你們代表偉大的希望

not just for American achievement in science and technology,

不僅僅是美國在科學技術上取得進步的希望

but for the whole world.

更是整個世界的希望

I've come, however, on a special mission on behalf of my constituency,

我今天來到這裡，是代表著我的"選民"

which are the 10-to-the-18th-power -- that's a million trillion --

牠們的數量多達10的18次方

insects and other small creatures, and to make a plea for them.

牠們是昆蟲以及其它的小動物，我是為了牠們來申張正義的

If we were to wipe out insects alone, just that group alone, on this planet --

假使我們想要把昆蟲從這個地球上毀滅掉，就只是單單這樣的族群

which we are trying hard to do --

而實際上我們也正在那樣做當中...

the rest of life and humanity with it would mostly disappear from the land.

那麼剩下的生物，包括人類，也很可能從這個地球上消失

And within a few months.

這只需要幾個月的時間就可以達成了

Now, how did I come to this particular position of advocacy?

那我是怎麼成為一個為昆蟲辨護的鬥士的呢?

As a little boy, and through my teenage years,

當我還是小孩子的時候

I became increasingly fascinated by the diversity of life.

我就對生物之多樣性感到濃厚的興趣

I had a butterfly period, a snake period, a bird period, a fish period, a cave period

我曾分別對蝴蝶、蛇、小鳥、魚、及洞穴感到濃厚興趣的時期

and finally and definitively, an ant period.

最後，我對螞蟻產生濃厚而長久的興趣

By my college years, I was a devoted myrmecologist,

讀大學的時候，我熱情於螞蟻的研究

a specialist on the biology of ants,

我是一位研究螞蟻的專家

but my attention and research continued to make journeys

我的關注及研究都

across the great variety of life on Earth in general --

圍繞地球上巨大的生物多樣性而發展

including all that it means to us as a species, how little we understand it

包括所有這些對我們人類意味著的、我們對此所知甚少的、

and how pressing a danger that our activities have created for it.

以及人類活動對於生物多樣性所構成的嚴重威脅

Out of that broader study has emerged a concern and an ambition,

長期的研究使我產生一種對生物的關切，並發了一個宏願

crystallized in the wish that I'm about to make to you.

待會我會在敘述願望的時候具體的說明

My choice is the culmination of a lifetime commitment

我的這個選擇是整個研究生涯的著力點

that began with growing up on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, on the Florida peninsula.

我的小時候是在佛羅里達半島的阿拉巴馬灣度過

As far back as I can remember, I was enchanted by the natural beauty of that region

從懂事起，我就深深陶醉於那片自然美景之中

and the almost tropical exuberance of the plants and animals that grow there.

包括該地繁盛成長而接近熱帶的動植物

One day when I was only seven years old and fishing,

七歲那一年，有一天我去釣魚

I pulled a "pinfish," they're called, with sharp dorsal spines, up too hard and fast,

我捉到一條兔齒雕 (牠們有尖利的背棘) 猛然用力地拉上來

and I blinded myself in one eye.

因此而弄瞎了我一隻眼睛

I later discovered I was also hard of hearing,

另外，我後來還發現自己在聽力方面也不是很好

possibly congenitally, in the upper registers.

也許是天生就有的缺陷

So in planning to be a professional naturalist --

於是，為了成為一名職業的自然學家

I never considered anything else in my entire life --

我就決定只做一件事

I found that I was lousy at bird watching and couldn't track frog calls either.

要我觀察鳥，我不在行;要我追蹤青蛙，我也不擅長

So I turned to the teeming small creatures

於是我決定做那些小動物研究

that can be held between the thumb and forefinger:

牠們大多是可以放在我姆指跟食指之間

the little things that compose the foundation of our ecosystems,

而正是牠們建構了我們整個生態圈的基礎

the little things, as I like to say, who run the world.

牠們才是世界的主人

In so doing, I reached a frontier of biology so strange, so rich,

通過這樣的方式，我來到一個非常怪卻又非常豐富的生物學領域

that it seemed as though it exists on another planet.

簡直就像是降臨到別的星球一樣

In fact, we live on a mostly unexplored planet.

事實上我們就是生活在一個很多地方都尚未被研究的星球上

The great majority of organisms on Earth remain unknown to science.

科學家對於地球上大多數的有機體都是一無所知的

In the last 30 years, thanks to explorations in remote parts of the world

過去30年人們去到了一些較為邊緣的區域

and advances in technology,

也得利於科技的進步

biologists have, for example, added a full one-third of the known frog and other amphibian species,

生物學家使得已知的青蛙及兩棲類物種數增加了三分之一

to bring the current total to 5,400,

現在兩棲類生物的物種總數為5400種

and more continue to pour in.

並且還不斷有新物種被發現

Two new kinds of whales have been discovered, along with two new antelopes,

另有發現了兩種新的鯨魚種類，以及兩種新的羚羊

dozens of monkey species and a new kind of elephant --

還有幾十個猴子的種類以及一種新的大象種類

and even a distinct kind of gorilla.

甚至還有一種新發現的大猩猩

At the extreme opposite end of the size scale, the class of marine bacteria,

而在生物體體型大小的另一端，我們發現了新的海洋細菌

the Prochlorococci -- that will be on the final exam --

原綠球藻，也許在你的期末考試出現過

although discovered only in 1988, are now recognized as likely the most abundant organisms on Earth,

雖然說是1988年發現的，現在則被認為是地球上最繁盛的生物

and moreover, responsible for a large part of the photosynthesis that occurs in the ocean.

這一個生物為海洋裡頭發生的光合作用起了最大的推動作用

These bacteria were not uncovered sooner

我們沒能在更早的時候發現這些細菌

because they are also among the smallest of all Earth's organisms --

是因為它們也是地球上體型最小的生物之一

so minute that they cannot be seen with conventional optical microscopy.

你用普通的光學儀器是難以看到它們的

Yet life in the sea may depend on these tiny creatures.

但海底的生物卻必須依賴牠們才能生存

These examples are just the first glimpse of our ignorance of life on this planet.

這些都不過是一些例子，顯示我們對於地球上的生物是多麼無知

Consider the fungi -- including mushrooms, rusts, molds and many disease-causing organisms.

再看看真菌，包括蘑菇、銹菌、霉菌以及其它攜帶病原體的真菌

60,000 species are known to science,

我們知道有六萬種的真菌

but more than 1.5 million have been estimated to exist.

但科學家估計，事實上有150萬真菌存活於地球上

Consider the nematode roundworm, the most abundant of all animals.

再看看線蟲，牠們是所有動物家族當中最為繁盛的

Four out of five animals on Earth are nematode worms --

地球上80%的動物都是線蟲

if all solid materials except nematode worms were to be eliminated,

假如地球上除了線蟲以外所有固態物質都消失

you could still see the ghostly outline of most of it in nematode worms.

你還是可以從線蟲的身上看出地球的痕跡

About 16,000 species of nematode worms

大約16000種線蟲動物

have been discovered and diagnosed by scientists;

已經被科學家發現並進行研究

there could be hundreds of thousands of them, even millions, still unknown.

而事實上，也許有數以千計甚至是數以百萬計的我們還未曾知道

This vast domain of hidden biodiversity is increased still further

還有另外一個生物群體

by the dark matter of the biological world of bacteria,

牠們通常不被關注，但其蘊含的生物多樣性卻更多

which within just the last several years

單單過去幾年

still were known from only about 6,000 species of bacteria worldwide.

世界範圍內就發現了6000例新的細菌物種

But that number of bacteria species can be found in one gram of soil,

在一克的泥土裡，就可以找出這一數目的細菌出來

just a little handful of soil, in the 10 billion bacteria that would be there.

一坨泥土內就有一百億個細菌

It's been estimated that a single ton of soil -- fertile soil --

有人估計過單單是一點土壤當中

contains approximately four million species of bacteria, all unknown.

就包含了近四百萬種的細菌，並且我們對這些細菌一無所知

So the question is: what are they all doing?

所以，我們要問:那些傢伙到底在幹嘛?

The fact is, we don't know.

答案是: 我們根本不知道答案

We are living on a planet with a lot of activities, with reference to our living environment,

我們對於地球上所發生的許多現象

done by faith and guess alone.

都只是通過信念或猜測來認知

Our lives depend upon these creatures.

我們的生命依賴於這些生物

To take an example close to home: there are over 500 species of bacteria now known --

舉一個身邊的例子:已知有500多種的細菌

friendly bacteria -- living symbiotically in your mouth and throat

友好的細菌-正生活在你的口腔裡

probably necessary to your health for holding off pathogenic bacteria.

也許牠們正在為你抵抗來自病細菌的進攻

At this point I think we have a little impressionistic film

說到這裡，我想給大家播一個片子

that was made especially for this occasion.

就是為了這次演講而準備的

And I'd like to show it.

現在請看螢幕

Assisted in this by Billie Holiday.

我們得到了Billie Holiday的幫助

(Video)

(影片)

And that may be just the beginning!

這也許還只是開始

The viruses, those quasi-organisms among which are the prophages,

病毒也就是那些帶有有機體特性的"準"生物，prophasias就是其中一種

the gene weavers that promote the continued evolution in the lives of the bacteria,

它是基因編織師，正是它使得細菌的持續進化成為可能

are a virtually unknown frontier of modern biology, a world unto themselves.

這一世界是現代生物學的一個待開發的處女地，也是一個自我的世界

What constitutes a viral species is still unresolved,

是甚麼構成了病毒還尚未定論

although they're obviously of enormous importance to us.

雖然這對人類而言意義重大

But this much we can say: the variety of genes on the planet in viruses

但是有一點可以肯定，病毒世界的基因是多樣性的

exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.

遠遠大於所有其他生物的基因多樣性之總和--至少科學家是這麼認為的

Nowadays, in addressing microbial biodiversity,

今天，那些研究微生物多樣性的科學家

scientists are like explorers in a rowboat launched onto the Pacific Ocean.

就如同乘著木船駛進太平洋的探索者

But that is changing rapidly with the aid of new genomic technology.

但是，隨著新的基因技術的發展，這一情況正得到改善

Already it is possible to sequence the entire genetic code of a bacterium in under four hours.

現在我們已經可以用四個小時的時間完成對一個細菌進行基因的測序了

Soon we will be in a position to go forth in the field with sequencers on our backs --

不久的將來，我們還將可以通過攜帶式的測序機完成這樣的操作

to hunt bacteria in tiny crevices of the habitat's surface

直接尋找到那些隱藏在細小的縫隙內的細菌

in the way you go watching for birds with binoculars.

就像你用雙眼望遠鏡來觀察鳥一樣

What will we find as we map the living world, as, finally, we get this underway seriously?

那麼，假如我們真的去對現實世界中的生物進行測序，將會帶來甚麼?

As we move past the relatively gigantic mammals, birds, frogs and plants

從大型哺乳類動物到鳥類及青蛙及植物

to the more elusive insects and other small invertebrates and then beyond

一直到昆蟲以及其他非脊椎動物

to the countless millions of organisms in the invisible living world

再到無數的肉眼不可見的生物

enveloped and living within humanity?

它們就在人體內發展及生存

Already what were thought to be bacteria for generations

過去科學家曾確定是細菌生物

have been found to compose, instead, two great domains of microorganisms:

現在的發現則顯示，它們實際上是由兩種微生物所組成的

true bacteria and one-celled organisms the archaea,

即真菌及單細胞的古細菌

which are closer than other bacteria to the eukaryota, the group that we belong to.

它比其它的細菌更接近真核生物，人也是真核生物

Some serious biologists, and I count myself among them,

一些認真的科學家，包括我

have begun to wonder that among the enormous and still unknown diversity of microorganisms,

就開始懷疑，在多元與未知的微生物世界之中

one might -- just might -- find aliens among them.

也許還能找到外星生物的存在

True aliens, stocks that arrived from outer space.

我說的是真正的外星生物，來自外太空的生物

They've had billions of years to do it,

它們在數十億年的時間到達地球來

but especially during the earliest period of biological evolution on this planet.

特別是地球上出現生物進化的原始階段

We do know that some bacterial species that have earthly origin

我們知道，有些發源自地球的細菌

are capable of almost unimaginable extremes of temperature

竟然可以在極端的溫度下生存

and other harsh changes in environment,

也能適應非常惡劣的環境變化

including hard radiation strong enough and maintained long enough to crack the Pyrex vessels

包括受足以穿透Pyrex玻璃箱的強輻射的作用

around the growing population of bacteria.

這個在細菌的家族內很常見

There may be a temptation to treat the biosphere holistically

也許有些人會走捷徑，用一種整體的視角來看待整個生物圈

and the species that compose it as a great flux of entities

將其中的物種看成是個體的流動

hardly worth distinguishing one from the other.

無須區分出它們之間的細微差別

But each of these species, even the tiniest Prochlorococci,

但是每一個這樣的物種，即使是最細小的原綠球菌

are masterpieces of evolution.

都是進化的傑作

Each has persisted for thousands to millions of years.

它們都在地球上存活了千百萬年

Each is exquisitely adapted to the environment in which it lives,

都能很好的融入到其生活環境當中

interlocked with other species to form ecosystems upon which our own lives depend

並且與其他的物種相互作用，構成我們賴以生存的生態系統

in ways we have not begun even to imagine.

而這些我們十年前還未曾想像的到

We will destroy these ecosystems and the species composing them

假如我們破壞這些生態系統以及生活於其間的物種

at the peril of our own existence --

我們終將自食其果

and unfortunately we are destroying them with ingenuity and ceaseless energy.

可悲的是我們枉若無知而肆無忌憚的繼續這樣的行為

My own epiphany as a conservationist came in 1953, while a Harvard graduate student,

我的靈光一現於1953年，那時我是哈佛大學的一位研究生

searching for rare ants found in the mountain forests of Cuba,

我去古巴的大山和森林裡尋找罕見的螞蟻種類

ants that shine in the sunlight --

這些螞蟻在陽光照射之下會發光

metallic green or metallic blue, according to species, and one species, I discovered, metallic gold.

金屬綠、金屬藍，甚至是黃金的顏色

I found my magical ants, but only after a tough climb into the mountains

經過一段艱難的山地跋涉後，我終於找到了我的神奇螞蟻

where the last of the native Cuban forests hung on,

那裡也是古巴裡僅存的一塊原始森林地帶

and were then -- and still are -- being cut back.

但後來，直到現在，那片森林不斷的遭受砍伐

I realized then that these species

我意識到

and a large part of the other unique, marvelous animals and plants on that island --

像這些螞蟻以及那個島上生活的其他獨特且多彩多姿的動植物

and this is true of practically every part of the world --

這對於世界任何一個地方都是一樣的

which took millions of years to evolve, are in the process of disappearing forever.

經過數百萬年的進化才有今天，但它們一旦消失就有可能永遠不會再次出現了

And so it is everywhere one looks.

這一個現象在世界各地都在發生著

The human juggernaut is permanently eroding Earth's ancient biosphere by a combination of forces

人類正在以不可抗拒的力量，持續破壞著那些億萬年而來演化而成的生物系統

that can be summarized by the acronym "HIPPO," the animal hippo.

這些力量可以總結為"HIPPO"原意是河馬

H is for habitat destruction, including climate change forced by greenhouse gases.

H是代表棲息地破壞，這包括因為大量排放溫室氣體而產生的氣候變化

I is for the invasive species like the fire ants, the zebra mussels, broom grasses

I是代表入侵物種，包括紅火蟻、斑馬河蚌、金雀花

and pathogenic bacteria and viruses that are flooding every country, and at an exponential rate -- that's the I.

以及那些正在以驚人速度在各個國家蔓延的病毒何致命病菌

The P, the first one in "HIPPO," is for pollution.

P，第一個P是代表污染

The second is for continued population, human population expansion.

第二個是指持續的人口增長

And the final letter is O, for over-harvesting --

而O則是代表過度補獲

driving species into extinction by excessive hunting and fishing.

過度的狩獵和捕撈正使許多物種走向消亡

The HIPPO juggernaut we have created, if unabated, is destined --

人類如果不減弱這些力量(HIPPO)

according to the best estimates of ongoing biodiversity research --

根據一直在進行的生物多樣性研究的最樂觀估計

to reduce half of Earth's still surviving animal and plant species

也將使得地球現存的動植物種類中有一半

to extinction or critical endangerment by the end of the century.

走向滅絕或走到瀕危的境地，也許就發生在本世紀末

Human-forced climate change alone -- again, if unabated --

單單是人為引起的氣候變化，假如不加以抑制

could eliminate a quarter of surviving species during the next five decades.

就將會在未來的半個世紀使得現存物種數目減少四分之一

What will we and all future generations lose

假如地球環境真的這樣惡化下去，

if much of the living environment is thus degraded?

那麼我們與我們的後代將承受怎麼樣的後果

Huge potential sources of scientific information yet to be gathered,

有大量的科學數據就藏在大自然當中等帶我們去發掘

much of our environmental stability

環境的穩定性

and new kinds of pharmaceuticals and new products of unimaginable strength and value --

還有許多價值非凡的新藥物新產品

all thrown away.

都會因此而被遺棄

The loss will inflict a heavy price

這樣的損失也將

in wealth, security and yes, spirituality for all time to come,

給我們的財富、安全以及精神生活帶來巨大的衝擊

because previous cataclysms of this kind --

我們知道，歷史上曾經出現過類似的災難性事件

the last one, that ended the age of dinosaurs --

對上一次是數百萬年前，使得恐龍走向滅絕

took, normally, five to 10 million years to repair.

必需經過一千萬年才能得到恢復

Sadly, our knowledge of biodiversity is so incomplete

可悲的是我們關於生物多樣性的瞭解是如此之少

that we are at risk of losing a great deal of it before it is even discovered.

也許有許多知識未待我們發現就已經不復存在

For example, even in the United States, the 200,000 species known currently

比方說，在美國我們知道有20萬種物種

actually has been found to be only partial in coverage;

但我們發現這其實只是很小的一個部份

it is mostly unknown to us in basic biology.

而我們學基礎生物學的時候是沒有學到這個

Only about 15 percent of the known species have been studied well enough to evaluate their status.

只有15%的已知物種是有過深入研究，使得我們可以評估它們的近況

Of the 15 percent evaluated, 20 percent are classified as "in peril,"

在這15%的物種裡，有20%是被列為"處於危險狀態"

that is, in danger of extinction.

換言之，它們就在滅絕的邊緣

That's in the United States.

這只是美國的故事

We are, in short, flying blind into our environmental future.

總而言之，我們就像盲人一樣去迎接這樣的未來環境

We urgently need to change this.

我們必須盡快的改變這一個現況

We need to have the biosphere properly explored

我們需要對生物圈正確的進行探測

so that we can understand and competently manage it.

唯有如此，我們才能把握其秘密並更好的加以保護

We need to settle down before we wreck the planet.

我們要知道我的處境，而後才能對未來採取應對措施

And we need that knowledge.

我們需要這樣的知識

This should be a big science project equivalent to the Human Genome Project.

這會是一個相當龐大的科學項目，堪與人類基因組的計劃相比

It should be thought of as a biological moonshot with a timetable.

或者說，這是一次時間概念更強烈的生物學阿波羅計劃

So this brings me to my wish for TEDsters,

於是，接下來，我就要宣布我的TED願望

and to anyone else around the world who hears this talk.

世界各地熱愛科學的朋友，歡迎您們的一起聽聽

I wish we will work together to help create the key tools

我希望我們可以攜手合作，創建一些工具

that we need to inspire preservation of Earth's biodiversity.

來鼓勵保護地球的生物多樣性

And let us call it the "Encyclopedia of Life."

不妨將此項目稱為"生命百科"

What is the "Encyclopedia of Life?" A concept that has already taken hold

"生命百科"的概念已經得到人們的認同

and is beginning to spread and be looked at seriously?

並且正在不斷的傳播與普及

It is an encyclopedia that lives on the Internet

這將會是一本網路上的百科全書

and is contributed to by thousands of scientists around the world.

世界各地的科學家都將參與其中

Amateurs can do it also.

業餘的科學家也能夠參與

It has an indefinitely expandable page for each species.

對於每個物種，都可能為其添加盡可能多的數據

It makes all key information about life on Earth accessible to anyone,

使地球上所有生物資訊向世人公開

on demand, anywhere in the world.

何時何地都可以查閱的到

I've written about this idea before,

我曾為此寫過文章

and I know there are people in this room who have expended significant effort on it in the past.

我知道這裡也有人曾為同樣的計劃作出巨大貢獻

But what excites me is that since I first put forward this particular idea in that form,

但最讓我興奮的是，自從我產生這個想法之後

science has advanced.

科學有了長足的發展

Technology has moved forward.

技術也有長足的發展

Today, the practicalities of making such an encyclopedia,

今天，從技術上來說我們完全有能力

regardless of the magnitude of the information put into it, are within reach.

去編輯這樣的一部百科全書，不管當中所包含的數據量有多大

Indeed, in the past year, a group of influential scientific institutions

事實上過去一年有多家具有影響力的科研機構

have begun mobilizing to realize this dream.

就已經著手將此設想變為現實

I wish you would help them.

我希望你們能幫助他們

Working together, we can make this real.

攜手合作，我們就可以實現目標

The encyclopedia will quickly pay for itself in practical applications.

計劃的本身很快就會得到回報，因為會有很多實際的用途

It will address transcendent qualities in the human consciousness, and sense of human need.

它也將為人類意識帶來更深層次的精神境界，重新定義人類的需求

It will transform the science of biology in ways of obvious benefit to humanity.

它將改變生物學的面貌，這樣的改變也將為人類帶來顯著的效益

And most of all, it can inspire a new generation of biologists

最重要的是，它將啟發年輕一代的生物學家

to continue the quest that started, for me personally, 60 years ago:

去繼續我60年前開始的征途

to search for life, to understand it and finally, above all, to preserve it.

去尋找生命，理解生命，最終守護生命

That is my wish. Thank you.

這就是我的願望，謝謝大家