时差N小时:洛杉矶人和蚂蚁
日期:2014-08-05 16:18

(单词翻译:单击)

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If you've ever driven in LA, you know that people don't cooperate terribly well.
如果你在洛杉矶开过车,你就会知道那里路上人们配合得不是很好,
Traffic jams, folks cutting folks off,people shouting at you out their windows . . .it's a real headache.
致使交通阻塞,水泄不通,人们透过车窗口大嚷大叫,真是让人头痛!
We'd all do a lot better–at least, we'd all movethrough congestion a lot faster–if we were ants.
如果我们能效仿蚂蚁,那么,至少拥堵的交通移动地可以更快些!
Why ants, you ask?
你可能会问:为什么是蚂蚁呢?
That's what Ian Couzin of Princeton University wanted to know.
普林斯顿大学的Ian Couzin也曾经疑惑过*HS46NwMA^QBkv

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You mayhave seen films of huge numbers of South American Army Ants zooming across the grass onraids and coming back with all sorts of goodies to eat.
你可能曾看过电影里成群结队的南美洲军蚁 “行军”穿过草丛,而后满载而归B3A#yRLU6b&~
So why don't they crash into each otherand suffer ant-gridlock the way humans do?
那么,为什么他们不会撞上对方,像人类一样,交通阻塞呢?
One answer: Couzin found is that army ants follow asimple procedure:
Couzin 发现有个原因能解释:军蚁行进的方式很简单,
everybody coming home has the right-of-way.
所有蚂蚁回家都有“优先权”(;![Ux*j*v[3
Even a simple rule like that: if you going out, same-phrase side; if you coming home, don't same-phrase side; works terrifically.
很简单的守则:出门就走同向边;回家就走逆向边,屡试不爽(eFj@Ogc6;_
It results in a stream of home-going ants passing unobstructedthrough the center of a crowd of out-going ants.
这样一来,回家的一群蚂蚁会畅通无阻地穿过成群结队的出门蚂蚁群1N8KL|,S8APE(&uWn
Among other things, this means raiding partiescan go any direction from the anthill, because nobody has to remember some complicated ruleabout turning left or turning right.
这样,蚁冢中的蚂蚁群可以自由行进,因为无须忌讳向左或向右的复杂规则R^2.]RNUp0igjl6L7QZ
Also, the guys bringing home the goodies will always beprotected on both sides by out-going ants. Simple!
两侧要出门的蚂蚁也会保护背着东西回家的蚂蚁群kCJ0tySK+zoG#G37。再简单不过了!
So, would this work in LA?
那么,洛杉矶能借鉴吗?
Probably not. Thousands of human beings just can't be made to followa behavioral rule like that.
也许不行,成千上万的人是不可能遵守蚂蚁群的规则的[_y6u]@YIfKAq^GSTw_
Somebody would try to get a little bit ahead, then somebody else wouldsee that and get angry, and pretty soon, you're back to LA traffic.
有些人想方设法在更前面,其他人看到了就会生气,不一会儿,又会回到洛杉矶交通的状态e.X4@oI.,5hCtV6])D&v
For better or worse, people justdon't think like ants.
不管怎样,人们是无法像蚂蚁般思考的W@%5RyDXKjt;B#KL9~]

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重点单词
  • complicatedadj. 复杂的,难懂的 动词complicate的过去
  • proceduren. 程序,手续,步骤; 常规的做法
  • streamn. (人,车,气)流,水流,组 v. 流动,流出,飘动
  • cooperatevi. 合作,协力