人类大历史（2013）

Big History S01E04

Part 1 March 29, 2021, 2:02 p.m.

现在是零下10度
It's 10 degrees below zero
跟踪人类已经有几千年之久的无声杀手
and a silent killer that has stalked mankind for thousands of years
又要开始作祟了
is about to strike again.
寒冷是自然中众多令人惊奇的力量之一
Cold is one of the most surprising forces in nature-
既是死亡之因
both a dealer of death
又是生命的关键
and the key to life
它的多种形式只在人类大历史中呈现
in ways only revealed by big history.
我们把历史看做一条时间轴
We think of history as a timeline
一系列的事件将几千年延伸到过去
a series of events stretching a few thousand years into the past.
是时候跳出局限了
It's time to think bigger.
并非一条线想象一个无限大的相互作用
Instead of a line, imagine a web of infinite connections
超过几亿年的连接网
interacting over billions of years
连在一起创造出了我们知道一切
linked together to create everything we've ever known-
宇宙行星
our universe, our planet
和我们自身
and us.
当我们透过科学的镜头
When we consider our most epic moments
考虑我们最传奇的时刻
through the lens of science
我们便产生了一个革命性的新想法
we unleash a revolutionary new idea.
原子的运动操纵着人类的运动
The movement of atoms steered the movements of men
文明的发展星系的演变
civilizations, galaxies.
我们将知道更多的历史
History as we know it is about to get big.
法国拿破仑·波拿巴大帝入侵俄♥罗♥斯♥的战争
French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte's invasion of Russia
以悲剧告终
has ended in disaster.
六十万大军入境
Six hundred thousand French troops went in.
六个月之后超过百分之六十的人死去
Six months later, more than 60% of them are dead.
凶手并非俄♥罗♥斯♥敌军
But the killer isn't the Russian army.
而是极寒的温度
It's the subzero temperatures.
传统历史告诉我们
Traditional history tells us that
拿破仑是被俄♥罗♥斯♥的寒冷所打败
Napoleon was defeated by the Russian cold.
但是在人类大历史看来他的覆灭的根源
But big history shows that the root of his downfall
就藏在你我之间
is hidden within us.
人类大历史揭示人类在历史之初就已经开始
Big history reveals that humans have been at grips with cold
抵御寒冷了
from the beginning of our history.
寒冷以一种强烈的方式影响着我们
Cold impacted us in a great way
仅仅因为我们不得不适应它
simply because we had to adapt to it.
如果我们不这样做
If we don't adapt
死的就是我们
we die.
人类物种并非为了极端而生
Humans are not built for extremes.
由于我们核心温度的降低
As our core temperature drops
肝脏等器官不再工作
organs like the liver begin shutting down.
它们这是在为大脑保存热量
To preserve heat for the brain.
如果温度低于华氏八十六摄氏度
If our core drops below 86 degrees Fahrenheit
超过几分钟
for more than a few minutes
我们就会死
we die.
为了明白为什么我们的身体机能会在寒冷时停止
To understand why our bodies shut down in the cold
人类大历史回溯到人类历史之前
big history connects back to a time before humans-
2.5亿年前
250 million years ago.
地球上存在的都是冷血动物
All the animals on Earth are cold-blooded.
他们行动迟缓且无助
They're sluggish and helpless
直到太阳的能量温暖它们加速了它们的新陈代谢
until the sun's energy warms them and speeds up their metabolism.
但是现在小型哺乳动物
But now a tiny, mammal-like creature
在自身内部聚集热量的能力已然进化
evolves the ability to generate heat within its own body.
不再依赖于太阳的温暖
No longer dependent on the sun to warm it
这样的生物可以在白天或晚上的任何时候保持活跃
this creature can be active at any time of the day or night.
恒温动物总是做着随时迁徙的准备
Warm-blooded creatures are always ready to move.
所以恒温动物确实有多一些优势
So warm-bloodedness does really have some advantages.
这是一个生存边缘会传递给所有恒温动物后代
It's a survival edge that passes to all warm-blooded descendants
包括我们自己
including us.
但是这种优势也会成为一种限制
But this advantage can also be a limitation.
在自然中热量由热向冷传递
In nature, heat moves from hot to cold.
所以我们身体的热量经常在流逝
So our bodies' warmth is always escaping
从我们的呼吸和我们的皮肤中散发
radiating out through our breath and our skin.
当人类横跨星球去到寒冷的环境里时
As humans spread across the planet to cold climates
他们需要想出保留热量的方法
they'll need to figure out ways to hold in that heat.
这些人已经离开了热带非洲他们逐步演变
These humans have left tropical Africa,where they evolved
并且将北方
and headed north
引入了残忍♥的冰河时代
into the grip of a brutal ice age.
这就是地中海
This is the Mediterranean.
但是这里和北极圈一样寒冷
But it's as frigid as the Arctic Circle.
为了在寒冷中生存
To survive the cold
这些人发明了人类最重要的工具之一
these humans invent one of humanity's most momentous tools-
卑微的针
the humble needle.
他们必须有能力完成精心裁制的衣服
They had to have had the ability to make finely-tailored clothing
因为没有这些技术的话也就没有什么方法
because there's simply no way you could survive in ice-age Europe
可以使你在欧洲冰河期生存
without having those technologies.
衣服给予人们保护
Clothing gives humans a thicker skin
抵御寒冷
that insulates us against the cold.
但是衣服也同样改变了我们原本的样子
But clothing also changes who we are
因为这层保护阻碍了所有人都需要的一些东西那就是
because this thicker skin blocks something all humans need-
照在我们身上的阳光
the sun hitting our skin.
由于这层遮盖他们没法得到足够的阳光
And covering up, they weren't getting enough sunlight.
所以他们没法合成自己所需的足够维他命D
so they didn't create as much vitamin D as they needed.
我们的身体在接受紫外线辐射时
Our bodies create vitamin D
就会产生维他命D
when exposed to the sun's U. V. radiation.
再回到非洲我们的深色皮肤本身就阻挡了绝大多数阳光
Back in Africa, our dark skin alone blocked most of the sun
只保留足够的阳光用来产生维他命D
letting in just enough to create the vitamin D we need.
但是现在在更为寒冷的北方
But now, in the colder north
深色皮肤加之从头到脚的衣服包裹
the combination of dark skin and head-to-toe clothes.
使得阳光离我们越发遥远
blocks the sun far too much.
解决问题的一种方式就是进化成更为浅色的皮肤
One way of dealing with that is to evolve lighter skin
这样也就不会阻挡阳光了
that didn't block the rays of the sun as much.
所以寒冷和衣服
So cold and clothes
促使更为浅色皮肤的形成
lead to lighter skin
以及我们今天认为的基本人种
and a fundamental division we think of today as race.
如同寒冷改变了人类
Just as cold changes people
它也拥有作用于万物的力量
it' also has a power over the elements.
人类大历史链接到拿破仑战争中
Big history links forward to Napoleon's battlefield
军队被寒冷带来的化学作用
where his soldiers are defeated
打败的地方
by the chemistry of cold.
法国♥军♥队的外套上用的是锡制装备
Some French soldiers use tin buttons on their coats.
但是在零度的环境下锡却有着致命缺点
But in subzero weather, tin has a fatal flaw.
寒冷会改变这种物质的性能
Cold can change the properties of certain elements
这种改变在某种情况下十分不利
in some cases adversely.
比如有光泽的金属锡
For example, shiny metallic tin
处在环冷环境中时它的构成会发生变化
under cold conditions, can change form
甚至于会变成粉末状物质
and then even turn into a powdery substance.
来自于温暖环境中的法国人
Coming from a warm climate
没有意识到他们的纽扣会消失
the French don't realize their buttons will fail.
损失必定是惨重的
That loss may have doomed thousands.
但是俄♥罗♥斯♥人拥有着主场优势
But the Russians have the home advantage
他们很好的准备起来抵御寒冷
and they're well prepared for the cold.
他们知道如何穿衣他们明确的世道如何搭建避神之所
They knew how to dress. They knew exactly how to build shelter.
他们知道如何生活简直是小菜一碟
And they knew how to live with it. It was just that simple.
人类大历史揭示
And big history reveals
这次寒冷的战败
that this frigid defeat
就是深入了解故事的关键
is a key to understanding a deeper story.
寒冷把行星分为了不同的部落
Cold divides the planet into opposing tribes
它就是历史上这场最长持久战背后的秘密力量
and is the secret force behind the longest-running battle in history.
人类大历史是了解世界的新途径
Big history is a new way to see the world.
它揭示了我们如何与寒冷进行斗争
It reveals how our battle against the cold
进化成恒温动物
turns us warm-blooded
把我们分成不同人种
divides us into races
以及扭转战局
and turns the tide of war.
但是寒冷也处在全球竞争的核心环节
But cold is also at the heart of a global struggle
只有在人类大历史中 5000年的战争
a 5,000-year war that can only be revealed
才能被揭露
on big history.
在地球上温暖的气候产生了农耕
On planet Earth, warm climates produce farming
城市文明
cities, civilization.
但是在更遥远的北方比如亚洲的冰冻地带
But further north, in places like the frozen steps of Asia
冷的几乎寸草不生