Galapagos

1
Galapagos
Je vous aimeJe taime(I you love)
2
Translation Exercise
?????? (from R.M. Hazen / 2002, Scientific
American ???) ???????????????????????????????????
????? ??????????,??,?????????,???????????,???????
????? ????????,??????????????????? ???????????,?
??????????????????,??,????????????,?????,???????
???????????????,????????????????????
3
??????
?? - life ?? originate, arise, begin, emanate,
rise, create, discover, form, invent,
produce ??- mineral, rock Life originated from
minerals Life is originated from minerals Life is
produced from minerals Life started from
minerals (note no articles)
4
???????????????????????????????????????? ????
early earth, primitive earth ?? material ???
biological body, life form, organism ????
primitive material, raw material Air, rock and
water were the only materials available on the
early earth. The first life form must have been
produced (or created) from these primitive
materials.
5
??????????,??,?????????,???????????,????????????
???? experimental results, results of
laboratory experiments ?? show, reveal,
point out, prove, disclose, unveil, ????
fundamental components, principal
constituents, basic components ????
wonderful process, complex process ?? -
play ??????? significant, important
role Recently, some experimental results show
that minerals, which are the fundamental
constituents of rocks, might have played an
important role in the processes of creating (or
forming) life (or in the life-forming processes).
6
????????,??????????????????? ??? the first
stage, the first episode ?? a group of, a bunch
of ???? self-reproduce, self-duplicate ????
carbon-bearing or carbonaceous molecule The
first episode in the origin of life must be (must
have been) the formation of a group of
self-reproducible carbonaceous molecules
7
???????????,???????????????????,??,????????????,??
???,??????? ?? bad, adverse, abominable,
dreadful, awful ??? strong, intense ???
ultraviolet radiation ?? - decompose ???
synthetic, synthesized ?? therefore, so, hence,
consequently ??? extensive In the dreadful
environment of the primitive earth, intense
ultraviolet radiation would quickly decompose
just synthesized molecules. Consequently, it was
extremely difficult to combine (associate, link)
small molecules to form these complex and
extensive (molecular) structures.
8
???????????????,???????????????????? ?? -
catalyze ???? critical, crucial, decisive ????
chemical reaction ?? evolution Minerals
could have catalyzed some crucial chemical
reactions, thus some important molecules related
(critical) to the life evolution were created
(produced)
9
???????
????,?????????????????????,???????????????????????
??????????????????,????????????,????,????????,????
????????,???????????????????? ?????,????????????
??????,??????????????,???????????????????????????,
????????????????????????,??????????????,??????????
??????? ???????,????????,????????????????????????
????????????,??????
10
??????? ?? mineral ?? crystal The power of
(mineral) crystals
11
????,?????????????????????,???????????????????????
????? ???? (Viewing from the surface),
Apparently ???? sign of life, trace of
life ?? sprout, germinate, spring up, begin to
grow Apparently, no material (substance) shows
less sign of life than rocks. But then, why rocks
and their mineral constituents could have
triggered the germination (or formation) of life?
(or simply, could have germinated life?). The
answer ischemistry.
12
?????????????,????????????,????,????????,?????????
???,???????????????????? ???? simple
molecule ???? ordered or orderly
structure ???? chemical reaction ??? similarly,
likewise The growth of simple molecules to
ordered mineral (crystalline) structures was
effected through chemical reactions. Similarly,
the way that all organisms (life forms),
regardless of bacteria or bat, can grow, live and
reproduce is also due to several hundreds of
(numerous) chemical reactions taking place in
each (molecular) cell (in all individual cells).
13
?????,??????????????????,??????????????,?????????
???????????????? ????? remote past, distant
epoch ?? depend on (upon), rely upon There was
no life forty billion years ago It was chemical
(reaction) which (or that) changed the surface of
the earth, but not biological material. In that
remote past, minerals, ocean, and atmosphere were
the only materials upon which the formation (or
creation) of the first life (or organism)
depended.
14
??,????????????????????????,??????????????,???????
?????????? Therefore, chemical reactions must
have been the first step in the origin of life
(in the processes of forming life). Through a
series of chemical reactions. The simple
molecules in the air, water and minerals, could
be combined to form a group of self-reproducible
carbon-bearing (carbonaceous) molecules.
15
???????,????????,????????????????????????????????
????,?????? ??? shelter ?? mould (Br.), mold
(Am.), shaping ??? catalyzer ??? reactant,
product Recently, some experimental results
showed that without the participation of
minerals, these key (or critical) changes would
not have happened. Minerals had played several
roles including shelter, mould, catalyzer and
reactant.
16
Errors in using nouns - 1

• Countability and uncountability of English nouns
• Countable nouns - could be used with indefinite
  articles, such as, a, an, or one, two, many, a
  large number of, plenty of. They show the
  number.
• Uncountable nouns - cannot be used with
  indefinite articles, but with  much ,  a
  little ,  a large amount of ,  plenty of ,
  etc. They show the quantity.
• Something that is countable, but rarely counted,
  such as  hair  and  rice , is considered as
  uncountable. Remember uncountable nouns always
  go with singular verbs. Ex.,
• 1. The CNN news is always very informative.
• 2. This ink is not suitable for my pen.
• 3. The rice from Thailand tastes very good.
• 2. Common errors - determining the real subject
• A box of eggs (is, are) on the table.
• The memoranda (is, are) not important.
• Fifty years (is, are) not a long time.
• The United States (is, are) in North America.

17
Errors in using nouns - 2

• 3. Parenthetical elements between subject and
  verb
• If a subject is followed by a parenthetical
  element like, as well as, besides, like, together
  with, in addition to, as much as, no less than,
  etc., the verb is often mistaken as plural. Ex.,
• My sister, together with Bob and John, (is, are)
  gone.
• The boy, like his father, (sit, sits) still.
• Your father, rather than your brother, is
  responsible for the act.
• 4. Collective nouns
• This group of nouns can both be singular and
  plural, depending on the situations. Ex.,
• This class has only 20 students (The class are
  all gone out to play).
• The jury is giving the verdict (The jury are
  arguing among themselves).
• The following nouns belong to this category
  family, crew, crowd, board, committee, party,
  enemy, audience, reader.
• Other nouns have singular forms but plural
  contents, so the verbs to be used must be plural.
  Ex.,
• The youth of Taiwan have lofty ideals.
• The following nouns belong to this category
  people, cattle, police, etc.

18
Errors in using nouns - 3
5. Plural nouns commonly misused as singular
The following nouns are always plural annals as
hes billiards clothes dregs leavings goods ob
sequies pants pliers pincers remains scissors
shears thanks trousers tweezers wages 6.
Singular nouns with plural forms acoustics aerona
utics athletics civics comics dynamics economics
esthetics ethics hydraulics linguistics magneti
cs mathematics means news optics phonetics phy
sics politics statistics United
States whereabouts 7. Incorrect use of
uncountable nouns - There are many
evidences He gave me several informations.
- Several deformations are observed in this
mountain belt. - I have many good news to
tell you This is a good news. - He gave me
many good advices Do you have other softwares?
- What progresses have you made? He has
plenty of knowledges.
19
Errors in using articles - 1

• English articles, in comparison with nouns,
  verbs, adverbs, etc., appear to be unimportant
  they are often overlooked by the learner of
  English. However, article is used the most
  frequently among the 10 categories of words. The
  presence or absence of an article may
  significantly change the meaning of a sentense.
  Correct use of article is indeed very important,
  but it is not an easy thing to do.
• Indefinite article exists in two forms a, an
• Test which one is correct?
• Do you have father? Do you have a father?
• I need a secretary and treasurer. I need a
  secretary and a tresurer.
• (two different meanings)
• 3. Happy New Year to you. A Happy New Year to
  you.
• Heineken is a good beer. Heineken is good beer.
• (Material noun in normally uncountable. However,
  if it represents a kind, a part, or a brand, then
  it becomes a countable noun.)

20
Errors in using articles - 2

• Definite article -  the 
• The most important concept of  definite
  article  is to distinguish a particular object
  from a group of similar objects. In general, the
  use of a definite article is more flexible and
  complicated than that of an indefinite article.
  Consequently, the chance of misuse is also
  greater.
• Ex.,
• Do you play piano? Do you play the piano?
• Do you play tennis? Do you play the tennis?
• He is very good at baseball. He is very good at
  the baseball.
• Sun usually sets before moon rises. The sun
  usually sets before the moon rises. (unique
  subject needs it other examples the earth, the
  world, the universe, the Pacific)
• The pen is mightier than the sword (abstract
  concept needs it).
• Proper nouns do not need articles unless they are
  rivers, oceans, bays, ranges, islands, or country
  names (The Yangtse River, the Thames, the Japan
  Sea, the Rockies, the Philippines, the U.S.A.)
• Abstract nouns do not need articles
• Honesty is the best policy Diligence is the
  father of success.

21
Galapagos
22
Bon soirBonne nuit