第5章 敲石头的人 The Stone-Breakers · 第5讲
课程：《万物简史》慕课教程(WANWUJS001)主讲：余俊英副教授(数字人)词汇 34 条句型 5 条要点 0 条
二、核心词汇（34）
| 词条 | 释义 / 讲解 |
|---|
| span | n. 跨度；区间。语境：geological time spans（地质时间跨度），也可指桥梁跨度或注意力持续时间。 |
| neat | adj. 整齐的；完美的。语境：too neat to last（太完美/整齐以至于无法长久维持），暗示分类过于理想化。 |
| eliminate | v. 消除；淘汰。语境：eliminating others（淘汰其他分类），指地质年代划分中废弃旧术语。 |
| designation | n. 名称；指派。语境：common designation（通用名称），指地质年代的命名。 |
| etymological | adj. 词源学的。语境：objection on etymological grounds（基于词源理由的反对），指反对用synchronous作词尾。 |
| compromise | n. 折中；妥协。语境：something of a compromise（某种程度的折中），指最终选定-cene作为词尾。 |
| chunk | n. 大块；部分。语境：four great chunks（四个大块），形象地比喻地质年代的宏大划分。 |
| Precambrian | 前寒武纪。地球历史最古老的时期，占地球历史的88%以上。 |
| Paleozoic | 古生代。意为“古老的生命”，是显生宙的第一个代。 |
| Cretaceous | 白垩纪。中生代最后一个纪，以白色石灰岩地层命名。 |
| Paleontologically | 古生物学地。词根paleonto-指化石，-logist指专家/学科。 |
| Awkwardly | 笨拙地/拗口地。此处指地质年代名称发音复杂、不直观。 |
| Intersect | 相交、交叉。名词intersection为十字路口。此处指时间大致重叠。 |
| Be content with | 对...感到满足/满意。文中指专家满足于将年代划分为四部分。 |
| Quaternary | 第四纪。新生代最新的一个纪，人类出现并发展的时期。 |
| Non-specialists | 非专业人士。Non-前缀表否定，specialist指专家。 |
| Incandescent | 白热的、发光的。文中比喻因愤怒而脸红脖子粗、情绪激动。 |
| metaphor | n. 隐喻，比喻。如 he is a fox（这人像狐狸一样狡猾）。 |
| milli- | 前缀，表示“千分之一”。如 millimeter（毫米）、milliliter（毫升）。 |
| sophisticated | adj. 精密的，复杂的。侧重高级阶段体现出的复杂，比complex更高级。 |
| dating | n. 断代技术。此处非约会，指确定地质年代的方法。 |
| draw on | phrasal verb. 利用，凭借。如 draw on experience（利用经验）。 |
| frustrating | adj. 令人沮丧的，挫败感的。形容让人受挫的情境。 |
| antiquity | n. 古老，年代久远。源自antique（古董），指古老的程度。 |
| assertion | n. 断言，主张。文中指乌雷那种缺乏事实根据的主张。 |
| persistent myth | n. 长期存在的误解/谬误。指被许多人相信但事实上错误的观念。 |
| propound | v. 提出（理论、观点等）。文中指该谬误在许多严肃著作中被提出。 |
| dominate | v. 主导，支配。文中指乌雷的观点主导了当时的科学信仰。 |
| put straight | phr. 纠正，使恢复正常。文中指莱尔纠正了大家的错误看法。 |
| literalistic exegesis | n. 字面解释。指将《圣经》创世纪当作科学著作进行字面解读。 |
| Cenozoic | n. 新生代（地质年代）。词根 zoic 意为“生命”，Ceno- 意为“新的”。 |
| Mesozoic | n. 中生代。Meso- 意为“中间”，指恐龙统治地球的时期。 |
| Jurassic | adj. 侏罗纪的。源自瑞士的侏罗山脉（Jura Mountains）。 |
| Triassic | adj. 三叠纪的。Tri- 意为“三”，指该地层分为三层。 |
三、句型与语法点（5）
| 要点 | 说明 |
|---|
| from... meaning... | 结构：介词短语作后置定语。from the Greek meaning old life 修饰 Paleozoic，解释词源含义。 |
| Number as verb | Number作动词意为“共计、达...之数”。例：They number in the thousands. 数以千计。 |
| do no better than | 只能，仅仅。He could do no better than suggest... 意为他只能建议/猜测…… |
| 同位语从句 | There is a myth that... 两个that引导的从句均为myth的同位语，解释其具体内容。 |
| 定语从句嵌套 | No geologist... whose work was taken seriously... 嵌套定语从句修饰geologist。 |
四、课堂讨论题
1. 老师，讲稿里说现在只剩 'tertiary' 一个词了，但它明明意思是'第三'，既然第一和第二都废除了，那它现在到底代表什么？为什么还说它不再代表'第三季'了？
2. 关于词尾的变化，Lyle 最初想用 'synchronous'，后来 Wewell 牧师建议用 'eous'，最后大家折中用了 'cene'。这三个词尾在意思或读音上具体有什么区别？为什么 Wewell 觉得 'synchronous' 不行？
3. 地质时间划分里有 'era'（代）和 'period'（纪），还有 'epoch'（式）和 'stage'（阶）。这些层级之间是怎么对应的？比如 'Cretaceous'（白垩纪）属于哪个层级，它和 'Paleozoic'（古生代）是什么关系？
4. 为什么讲稿里说北美的 'stage'（阶）和欧洲的 'stage' 名字不一样，而且时间也只是 'roughly intersect'（大体相交）？这种命名不统一的原因是什么，对研究有什么影响？
5. 既然地质年代的术语这么复杂，名字拗口还经常变，那对于非地质专业的学生来说，我们真的需要死记硬背这些词吗？还是只需要掌握几个核心概念就够了？
五、Discussion Questions (English)
1. The transcript says only 'tertiary' remains, but it means 'third'. Since the first and second periods are gone, what does it actually represent now, and why is it said to no longer signify the 'third period'?
2. Regarding the suffix changes, Lyle originally wanted 'synchronous', Rev. Wewell suggested 'eous', and they finally compromised on 'cene'. What are the specific differences in meaning or pronunciation among these three suffixes, and why did Wewell object to 'synchronous'?
3. There are 'eras', 'periods', 'epochs', and 'stages' in geological time. How do these levels correspond to each other? For example, which level does 'Cretaceous' belong to, and what is its relationship with 'Paleozoic'?
4. Why does the transcript say that North American 'stages' have different names from European ones and only 'roughly intersect' in time? What causes this inconsistency in naming, and how does it affect research?
5. Since geological terminology is so complex, awkward, and constantly changing, do non-geology students really need to memorize all these terms by rote, or is it sufficient to just grasp a few core concepts?
六、听力 / 讲稿全文
1
00:00:10,870 --> 00:00:12,910
Hello,everyone.Welcome back.
2
00:00:13,510 --> 00:00:16,370
We'll continue to read about geological times,
3
00:00:16,610 --> 00:00:18,890
but I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to come
4
00:00:18,890 --> 00:00:21,730
across a huge number of unfamiliar words.
5
00:00:22,090 --> 00:00:23,090
But fortunately,
6
00:00:23,350 --> 00:00:26,590
you don't have to memorize all of them.Here we go.
7
00:00:27,170 --> 00:00:28,230
Originally,
8
00:00:28,370 --> 00:00:31,910
geological history was divided into four spans of
9
00:00:31,910 --> 00:00:34,370
timeprimary,secondary,
10
00:00:34,810 --> 00:00:37,610
tertiary,and quaternary.span,
11
00:00:37,770 --> 00:00:42,070
我们之前学过的这个 span 可以指时间的跨度比如 l
12
00:00:42,070 --> 00:00:45,130
ifespan,人的寿命还有 attention span,
13
00:00:45,330 --> 00:00:51,050
能够保持注意力的长度再有可以表示两个点之间的距
14
00:00:51,050 --> 00:00:56,070
离比如说 windspan,就是驿站还有 the span of a bridge,
15
00:00:56,270 --> 00:01:01,010
桥梁的跨度但在这句话里面这个 span 基本上就可以理
16
00:01:01,010 --> 00:01:06,390
解为 periodsfour periods of time 起先呢地质历史大体
17
00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:12,320
可以划分为四个时期 primaryprimary 的意思就是第一
18
00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:18,480
季因为 primary 本身有首要的第一的初级的意思比如
19
00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:23,120
我们说的 primary education 就是指小学教育小学这个
20
00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:29,260
学校就可以叫 primary schoolsecondary 是第二季中国
21
00:01:29,260 --> 00:01:34,220
把这个 secondary education 就是第二阶段这个教学叫
22
00:01:34,220 --> 00:01:40,940
做中等教育就包括中学还有一些中专 tertiary 表示第
23
00:01:40,940 --> 00:01:41,340
三
24
00:01:41,980 --> 00:01:46,780
tertiary education 第三阶段的教育我们中国是把它
25
00:01:46,780 --> 00:01:51,820
叫做高等教育所以 tertiary education 基本上就是大
26
00:01:51,820 --> 00:01:57,780
学这个层次的还有 tertiary industry 这个是第三产业
27
00:01:57,780 --> 00:02:02,200
所以大家知道这个 tertiary 实际上是第三的意思再
28
00:02:02,460 --> 00:02:07,420
有就是 quaternary 是第四季这个 quarter 表示四,
29
00:02:07,580 --> 00:02:10,240
跟四有关系这个大家有体会,
30
00:02:10,340 --> 00:02:13,540
因为 a quarter 就是四分之一所以
31
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,740
这四个季分别是第一季,
32
00:02:15,780 --> 00:02:16,840
第二季,第三季,
33
00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:23,060
第四季 the system was too neat to last too neat 就是太整
34
00:02:23,060 --> 00:02:24,000
齐划一了,
35
00:02:24,060 --> 00:02:30,140
也未免太简单所以这个分法也就维持不了多久 And
36
00:02:30,270 --> 00:02:33,010
soon geologists were contributing additional
37
00:02:33,010 --> 00:02:37,710
divisionswhile eliminating others 所以很快地质学
38
00:02:37,710 --> 00:02:42,470
家就增加了一些新的区分这个 division 就是一些区间
39
00:02:42,470 --> 00:02:46,730
一些 periods 就增加进去了同时 eliminating
40
00:02:46,730 --> 00:02:50,690
otherseliminating means getting rid of 那有一些就被
41
00:02:50,690 --> 00:02:55,050
删掉了 Primary and secondary fell out of use
42
00:02:55,050 --> 00:02:55,610
altogethertogether
43
00:02:55,870 --> 00:03:00,110
这个被删掉的被 eliminated 就是 primary and
44
00:03:00,110 --> 00:03:04,890
secondary 第一季和第二季是完全被废除了
45
00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:09,330
没有用了 while quaternary was discarded by some but
46
00:03:09,330 --> 00:03:14,230
kept by othersdiscarded means abandoned 被抛弃
47
00:03:14,350 --> 00:03:19,530
被 thr own away 这个第四季有一些人是把它抛弃掉但是
48
00:03:19,530 --> 00:03:25,880
还有一些人是保留第四季的说法 today only tertiary
49
00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:27,720
remains It remains as a common designation
50
00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:28,340
everywhere,
51
00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,900
even though it no longer represents a third period of
52
00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:33,180
anything.
53
00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:38,040
现在保留下来的只有第三季这么一个名称了。
54
00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,720
虽然它已经不再代表 a third period of anything,
55
00:03:43,060 --> 00:03:45,280
为什么说不能代表第三季了呢?
56
00:03:45,340 --> 00:03:47,300
因为第一第二都没有了,
57
00:03:47,380 --> 00:03:50,500
就放那里一个第三它到底代表什么呢?
58
00:03:50,540 --> 00:03:53,540
所以它已经不代表第三这个概念了。
59
00:03:54,700 --> 00:03:57,320
designation 其实就是 name 的意思,
60
00:03:57,460 --> 00:04:02,540
a common name or a common term 就是名称那这个词跟名称
61
00:04:02,540 --> 00:04:03,540
有什么关系呢?
62
00:04:03,580 --> 00:04:05,900
大家可以看一下这里边的这个 sign,
63
00:04:06,060 --> 00:04:08,100
sign 实际上就是 mark,
64
00:04:08,340 --> 00:04:15,790
就是标记的意思名称就是一种标记嘛 Lyle in his
65
00:04:15,790 --> 00:04:19,310
principles introduced additional units known as
66
00:04:19,310 --> 00:04:23,330
epochs or series to cover the period since the age of the
67
00:04:23,330 --> 00:04:23,750
dinosaurs
68
00:04:36,930 --> 00:04:41,020
Lyle 在他的地质学原理这本书里边,
69
00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:44,820
又引进了一些叫做式或者段的,
70
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,480
不过在中文里面我们都是翻译作式,
71
00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:50,120
叫做式的一些新增的单位,
72
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:56,220
来代表自从恐龙灭绝之后的那一段时期这
73
00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,360
些单位呢有更新式、上新式、
74
00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:04,400
中新式、渐新式它们的意思都在括号里边这个
75
00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:10,800
moderate 的意思是中等程度的所以就翻译成中新式渐
76
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,680
新式它的意思就是 but a little recent 仅仅是一点点新
77
00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,660
这个名字呢听起来是 enduring 就是挺可爱的但是又很
78
00:05:20,660 --> 00:05:23,320
模糊因为这个时间界线并不清晰
79
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:37,000
刚
80
00:05:37,130 --> 00:05:42,080
开始呢 Lyle 是想用 synchronous 作为这些词的词尾这
81
00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,010
样的话我们就会有了一大批的 crunchy
82
00:05:45,010 --> 00:05:49,910
destinationscrunchy 是指很脆的咬起来非常脆他指
83
00:05:49,910 --> 00:05:54,870
的是这些读音听起来非常脆的这些的名词比如说
84
00:05:54,870 --> 00:05:58,930
myosynchronous and pliosynchronous The
85
00:05:59,190 --> 00:06:00,670
Reverend William Wewell,
86
00:06:00,910 --> 00:06:02,170
an influential man,
87
00:06:02,370 --> 00:06:06,030
objected on etymological grounds and suggested
88
00:06:06,030 --> 00:06:12,090
instead an E O U S pattern producing my onias,
89
00:06:12,250 --> 00:06:13,950
plionias,and so on
90
00:06:14,450 --> 00:06:18,370
但是呢 The Reverend William Wigwell 他是一个非常有
91
00:06:18,370 --> 00:06:24,310
影响力的人他反对这种做法反对用这个表示同时的同
92
00:06:24,310 --> 00:06:31,550
步的这个词作为词尾他反对的理由是基于词源方面的
93
00:06:31,550 --> 00:06:37,170
考虑 Etymological 词源我平时有时候跟大家说一些这
94
00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:42,370
些词的词源是拉丁文啊或者是法文啊什么的这个学问
95
00:06:42,370 --> 00:06:50,010
就叫做 Etymology E T Y M O L O G Y Etymology 是词源的意思
96
00:06:51
……（后略，完整文稿见视频页字幕）
本素材由艾智语途工场自动整理，仅供教学使用。配套视频：https://www.icclass.cn/VideoPlayer_ECom?id=10417