David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet · 2020 — 第 13 / 17 章 · 2'40" · B2

日本经验看人口见顶:level off

旁白先说地球其他物种:每种动物都会走到 maximum population(数量能达到的上限),人类却一路猛增。说到全球每年出生人数,又用 level off(升势走平不再冲高)形容它不再猛涨。聊物种数量上限用前者,聊销量、热度不再冲高就用后者。

发生了什么

旁白先用其他物种的数量上限对照人类增长:maximum population(数量能达到的上限)说的是自然资源能给一个物种划出的边界。接着拿日本的生活水平与出生率变化作例子,说明全球每年出生人数可能趋稳;level off(升势走平不再冲高)正可形容销量、流量等数字停止猛涨。最后说人口终会在未来见顶,the sooner, the easier(越早发生就越好办)用来说明峰值越早到,后续事情越好处理。

表达 · 独白解释劝说B2慢速英音无脏话
IMDb ↗

这场戏看什么

  • 听生活变好之后,出生率怎么下降
  • 分清出生走平和总人口仍涨
  • 结尾把政策说成本来就该做

留意这几个短语

maximum populationon current projectionsstandard of livinglevel off

00:00 / 02:40
空格 播放 · ← → 换句 · R 单句循环
此刻
  1. ❝ 独白趁早见顶的理由7 句专题跟读 ↗
点一句台词就从那里放

本章短语

level off

升势走平不再冲高stop rising and stay roughly flat

少生说到全球时,有人补上每年出生数即将 level off:曲线眼看走平,不是孩子已经没有了。

Ticket sales should level off once the opening weekend is over.首周末一过,票房就该走平,不再往上冲。

本章还有

  • maximum population

    数量能达到的上限

  • on current projections

    按现有预测来算

  • standard of living

    整体生活水平

  • the sooner, the easier

    越早发生就越好办

  • raise people out of poverty

    帮人脱离贫困

本章全部批注

23 句台词里标了 29 处

短语 · B1every + other + 名词

其余的每一种 这里不是「每隔一种」,是除人类以外的每一种

Every other species on Earth reaches a maximum population after a time.
发音reaches a maximum

reaches 的尾音滑进 a,a 前别顿。

Every other species on Earth reaches a maximum population after a time.
短语 · B2can be sustained on something

靠手头资源能够维持住

The number that can be sustained on the natural resources available.
语法 · B2that can be sustained

定语从句:that 指前面的 number,后半句说明这数量靠什么维持。

The number that can be sustained on the natural resources available.
短语 · B2grow dramatically

涨得又快又显眼

With nothing to restrict us, our population has been growing dramatically throughout my lifetime.
短语 · B2on current projections

按现有预测来算

上限说完,有人用 on current projections 把话转到还没发生的数字,提醒一百一十亿只是按当前曲线推出来的。

On current projections,
短语 · B1stop population growth

让人口不再继续增加

But it's possible to slow, even to stop population growth well before it reaches that point.
短语 · B2standard of living

整体生活水平

大数字之后,日本被拿来当现成例子。standard of living 指整个国家的日子迅速变好,为出生率下降做铺垫。

Japan's standard of living climbed rapidly in the latter half of the 20th century.
发音standard of living

of 不要占满一拍,重音留给两头。

Japan's standard of living climbed rapidly in the latter half of the 20th century.
短语 · B1birth rate

一段时间内新生孩子的比例

people's expectations and opportunities grew, and the birth rate fell.
短语 · B2have hardly changed

几乎没变,差别可以忽略

The result is that the population has now stabilized and has hardly changed since the millennium.
短语 · B1there are signs that

已有苗头,尚未定论

There are signs that this has started to happen across the globe.
短语 · B1across the globe

放到全世界,不限一国

There are signs that this has started to happen across the globe.
短语 · B1choose to have fewer children

自己选择少生孩子

As nations develop everywhere, people choose to have fewer children.
短语 · A2be about to do something

即将发生,还差最后一步

The number of children being born worldwide every year is about to level off.
短语 · B2level off

升势走平不再冲高

少生说到全球时,有人补上每年出生数即将 level off:曲线眼看走平,不是孩子已经没有了。

The number of children being born worldwide every year is about to level off.
短语 · A2live longer

活着的年头比过去更长

A key reason the population is still growing is because many of us are living longer.
语法 · B2is because many of us are living longer

原因从句:reason 后再用 because,原因说了两遍,信息在寿命。

A key reason the population is still growing is because many of us are living longer.
短语 · B1for the very first time

从前没有过,这将是头一回

At some point in the future, the human population will peak for the very first time.
发音the very first time

very 要重,first 紧跟,time 放轻。

At some point in the future, the human population will peak for the very first time.
语法 · B2The sooner it happens, the easier it makes

相关比较句:前一个比较级管早晚,后一个管难易,两边一起变。

The sooner it happens, the easier it makes everything else we have to do.
短语 · B2raise someone out of poverty

帮人脱离贫困

见顶早晚刚说完,这里开始列做法。raise people out of poverty 是第一件,后面还有医疗,以及让女孩尽量留在学校,语气是在摆手段。

By working hard to raise people out of poverty,
语法 · B2By working hard to raise people out of poverty

方式状语:By 加动名词只交代手段,真正的结果要等后面的 we can。

By working hard to raise people out of poverty,
短语 · A2as long as possible

尽可能久 这里指书能念多久就念多久

giving all access to healthcare, and enabling girls in particular to stay in school as long as possible,
短语 · A2stay in school

继续把书读下去,不中途离开

giving all access to healthcare, and enabling girls in particular to stay in school as long as possible,
短语 · B1at a lower level

在更低的水平上

we can make it peak sooner and at a lower level.
发音Why wouldn't we

wouldn't 末尾收短,先抓住否定再接 we。

Why wouldn't we want to do these things?
短语 · B2a greater opportunity of life

这一生可走的路变宽 不是抽到一次机会,是整个人生的余地变大

Giving people a greater opportunity of life is what we would want to do anyway.
语法 · C1what we would want to do anyway

表语从句:what 从句放在 is 后面,把本来想做的事说成一件东西。

Giving people a greater opportunity of life is what we would want to do anyway.

看懂「日本经验看人口见顶」

发音重点

  • reaches a maximum — reaches 的尾音滑进 a,a 前别顿。
  • standard of living — of 不要占满一拍,重音留给两头。
  • the very first time — very 要重,first 紧跟,time 放轻。
  • Why wouldn't we — wouldn't 末尾收短,先抓住否定再接 we。
But it's possible to slow, even to stop population growth well before it reaches that point.

不过,人口增长可以放慢,甚至在远没到那个数字之前就停住。 先承认能放慢,再用 even 把停下推进一步,这句盼头很具体,不像空喊。

A key reason the population is still growing is because many of us are living longer.

人口现在还在增长,一个关键原因是我们很多人活得更长了。 一句拆掉「还在涨就是还在多生」,把原因换成活得更久。

At some point in the future, the human population will peak for the very first time.

在未来的某个时刻,人类人口将第一次达到顶峰。 very 压在 first 上,把一条预测说成即将发生的历史头一回。

The sooner it happens, the easier it makes everything else we have to do.

这件事发生得越早,我们其余必须做的事就越容易。 迟早和难易锁在一起,劝人的力气在结构里,不是一句口号。

Giving people a greater opportunity of life is what we would want to do anyway.

让人这一生有更大的余地,本来就是我们想做的事。 anyway 把这些做法从人口账上摘下来,说成本来就该做。

关于这一章的问题

level off 是什么意思?

指数字或曲线停止往上冲,升势走平不再冲高。台词里用来讲全球每年出生的孩子数量即将不再猛涨。

maximum population 指的是哪种上限?

指一个物种在现有自然资源能维持的范围内,数量最多能达到的上限。台词里说其他物种到了一定时候都会达到这个上限。

「越早发生就越好办」怎么用英语说?

the sooner, the easier。台词说这件事发生得越早,我们要做的其他事情就越容易,用的就是这个比较句式。

on current projections 后面的数字是已经发生的事吗?

不是。它表示按现有预测来算,后面提到 2100 年地球会有 110 亿人,是未来推算,不是已经发生的事实。

「帮人脱离贫困」英语怎么说?

raise people out of poverty。台词把它和提供医疗、让女孩尽可能久地留在学校放在一起,说这些能让人口峰值更早、更低。

大卫·爱登堡:地球上的一段生命旅程 · 共 17 章

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