TED演讲:我们能够避免老化(7)

 　　It's got to be philanthropic, because profits distract biotech,  这些研究的钱的来源最好是慈善，因为利润会分散生物技术研究公司的注意力，

　　but it's basically got a 90 percent chance, I think, of succeeding in this.  但我认为它基本上有着百分之九十的机会成功。
　　And I think we know how to do it. And I'll stop there.  因为我们已经知道应该怎么做。我就说到这里。
　　Thank you.  谢谢您。
　　OK. I don't know if there's going to be any questions  好。我不知道大家有没有问题，
　　but I thought I would give people the chance.  但我想我会给他们机会。
　　Since you've been talking about aging and trying to defeat it,  既然你在谈论老龄化，并试图战胜它，
　　why is it that you make yourself appear like an old man?  那为什么你看上去就像一位老人呢？
　　Because I am an old man. I am actually 158.  因为我是一个老人。其实我是已经是一百五十八岁。
　　Species on this planet have evolved with immune systems  这个星球上的物种进化了免疫系统，
　　to fight off all the diseases so that individuals live long enough to procreate.  以对抗各种的疾病，使个人活到足够生育的年龄。
　　However, as far as I know, all the species have evolved to actually die,  不过，据我所知，所有的物种都进化到实际会死亡，
　　so when cells divide, the telomerase get shorter, and eventually species die.  因此，当细胞分裂时，端粒酶变得越来越短了，最终物种死亡。
　　So, why does -- evolution has -- seems to have selected against immortality,  那么，为什么进化过程似乎已选定‘针对’永存不朽？
　　when it is so advantageous 2, or is evolution just incomplete?  或者那只是进化过程还不完整？
　　Brilliant. Thank you for asking a question  好！谢谢你问一个我可以
　　that I can answer with an uncontroversial answer.  用一个没有争议的答案来回答你。
　　I'm going to tell you the genuine mainstream 3 answer to your question,  我要告诉你主流思想的答案来回答你的问题，
　　which I happen to agree with,  我也恰巧同意这个答案。
　　which is that, no, aging is not a product of selection, evolution;  那就是，不，老化不是一个进化过程的后果，
　　is simply a product of evolutionary 4 neglect.  只是进化过程所忽视的后果。
　　In other words, we have aging because it's hard work not to have aging;  换句话说，我们会老化，因为没有老化的话比较难；
　　you need more genetic 5 pathways, more sophistication in your genes 6 你需要更多的遗传途径，你的基因需要变得更复杂，
　　in order to age more slowly,  以便让你老的比较慢些，
　　and that carries on being true the longer you push it out.  而且你越想要把老化推迟，你就越需要面对这些难题。
　　So, to the extent that evolution doesn't matter,  因此，到进化不重要的程度，
　　doesn't care whether genes are passed on by individuals,  不在乎是个体，
　　living a long time or by procreation,  或则生活的很长的一段时间，
　　there's a certain amount of modulation 7 of that,  或则靠生育种种方法来把基因传给下一代，有一定的调节，
　　which is why different species have different lifespans,  这就是为什么不同物种有不同的寿命，
　　but that's why there are no immortal 1 species.  但是这就是为什么没有永存的物种。
　　The genes don't care but we do?  这些基因并不关心，但我们关心？
　　That's right.  是的。
　　Hello. I read somewhere that in the last 20 years,  您好。我听说在过去的二十年中，
　　the average lifespan of basically anyone on the planet has grown by 10 years.  基本上这个星球上的人的平均寿命增长了十年。
　　If I project that, that would make me think  如果以这个资料推断，如果我没有在我的摩托车上发生任何事故，
　　that I would live until 120 if I don't crash on my motorbike.  我将能够活到一百二十岁。
　　That means that I'm one of your subjects to become a 1,000-year-old?  这意味着，我将会变成你所谓能够活到一千年研究课题之一？
　　If you lose a bit of weight.  如果你瘦一点儿。
　　Your numbers are a bit out.  你的数据有点出入。
　　The standard numbers are that lifespans  标准的数字是，
　　have been growing at between one and two years per decade.  寿命已经在每十年增长一至两年。
　　So, it's not quite as good as you might think, you might hope.  因此，它不是你觉得或希望的那么好。
　　But I intend to move it up to one year per year as soon as possible.  不过，我打算尽快将它快速发展到每年寿命多一年。
　　I was told that many of the brain cells we have as adults  我被告知，许多我们成人的脑细胞，
　　are actually in the human embryo,  实际上在胚胎里是就有了，
　　and that the brain cells last 80 years or so.  而脑细胞能活八十年左右的时间。
　　If that is indeed true,  如果事实的确如此，
　　biologically are there implications in the world of rejuvenation 8?  在生理的角度看，对再生的世界会有什么影响？
　　If there are cells in my body that live all 80 years,  如果在我身体的所有细胞，
　　as opposed to a typical, you know, couple of months?  可以活到八十年，而不是一个典型的在两个月就死去的细胞？
　　There are technical implications certainly.  当然，这是技术问题。
　　Basically what we need to do is replace cells  基本上我们需要做的是取代大脑
　　in those few areas of the brain that lose cells at a respectable rate,  的几个领域的细胞的流失率，
　　especially neurons, but we don't want to replace them  尤其是神经元，但我们不想比
　　any faster than that -- or not much faster anyway,  那流失率更快地取代任何细胞 –
　　because replacing them too fast would degrade cognitive 9 function.  因为更换地太快会降低认知功能。
　　What I said about there being no non-aging species earlier on  我刚刚说的没有不老化物种
　　was a little bit of an oversimplification.  是有点过于简单化。
　　There are species that have no aging -- Hydra 10 for example --  有些物种没有老化。例如水螅 –
　　but they do it by not having a nervous system --  因为他们没有一个神经系统 –
　　and not having any tissues in fact that rely for their function  也没有任何用于老化的的细胞
　　on very long-lived cells.  却有长寿的细胞组织。