品卷畅游后人类时代地球.doc

品卷畅游后人类时代地球Given the huge human population and the phenomenal[显著的] reach of our technologies, humankind has become a force of nature. We are changing the climate, altering[改变] ecosystems[生态系统], and driving evolution as other organisms[生物体] struggle to adapt to a human-made world. So what would happen if humankind suddenly vanished? To answer this question, journalist Alan Weisman traveled the world to consult with experts and visit key sites. His new book, The World Without Us, explains how our massive infrastructure[基础设施] would collapse[崩溃] and finally vanish without human presence; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams[岩层] of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastics, bronze sculpture[雕塑], radio waves, and some man-made molecules[分子] may be our most lasting gifts to the universe. It looks in depth at our impact on the planet, in a way that no other book has. 从庞大的人口和卓越的科技成就来看，人类已经成为一种自然力量。我们正在影响气候，改变生态系统，并推动了进化过程，而其它生物则要在这个人造世界里挣扎求存。那么，一旦人类突然消失，将会发生什么事情呢？ 为了回答这个问题，记者阿伦?韦斯曼游访世界各地，咨询了许多专家学者，走访了不少重要遗址。他在新书《没有我们的世界》里写道，由于没有人类的存在，我们庞大的基建设施如何毁于一旦并最终消失；铜管铜线如何被渐渐挤压成赤岩的岩层；为什么一些最古老的建筑最后会幸存下来；以及塑胶、青铜雕塑、无线电波和一些人造分子怎样成为我们留给宇宙最持久的礼物。这本书深入探讨了我们对地球造成的影响，其深度是别的书所望尘莫及的。 1