原文视听

We had something that no other animal does
有些事情其它动物做不了
and that's what humans do is that they divide up the tasks.
只有人类能做 那就是社会分工
So, early in our evolution,
所以 人类进化早期
somebody might have been gathering wood
一个人可能负责收集木材
while another one was gathering water.
而另一个人负责收集水源
Somebody might have been making the huts
一些人可能负责搭建棚屋
while someone else was making spears
而另一些人负责建造长矛
and, at the end of the day, all those tasks are shared
最后 大家一起分享劳动成果
and I think we can start to see
我想 这时人类开始觉得
that we need language to regulate that.
自己需要语言去管理那些分工
We need language for people
人们需要语言
to be able to talk to each other about what they're doing
来交流沟通彼此正在干什么
and to be able to represent what their contribution is
来表达与其他人相比
to the society as opposed to everyone else's.
自己对社会的贡献
This motivation to clarify social tasks
使社会分工变得清晰
was the final push we needed to get us talking.
是最终促使人类说话的动力
How we adapted the first sounds we made into language
人类是如何把最初的声音变成语言的
is now being revealed for the first time.
这个问题直到现在才被提出
Because no-one designed English, say, no-one sat down and thought,
没人去设计英语 没人会坐在那想
"English would be useful if it had relative clauses
如果有了关系从句或其他语法
or some other piece of grammar,"
英语就会比较有用
it just happens,
它是自然产生的
it happens by this blind unconscious process of transmission
来自于盲目而无意识的信息传播过程
and, for the first time, we're able to see that happen in the laboratory.
我们首次在实验室中观测到了这一过程

重点解释

that's what humans do is that they divide up the tasks.只有人类能做，那就是社会分工

divide up 瓜分； 分配

How shall we divide up the labour in the work?

我们怎样分工?

We will divide up the money between the partners.

我们将分割股东的钱。

and, at the end of the day, all those tasks are shared最后，大家一起分享劳动成果

at the end of在 ... 末端； 到 ... 尽头

Are there any exams at the end of this term?

这个学期期末有考试吗？

The rent is due at the end of each quarter.

缴纳租金以每季度末为期限。

and, for the first time, we're able to see that happen in the laboratory.我们首次在实验室中观测到了这一过程

able to 能做 ...

I may be able to help you in some way.

我也许可以从某个方面去帮助你。

He was able to cast off such an uninteresting task.

他终于摆脱了这么一项乏味的工作