人类大历史（2013）

Big History S01E08

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

including a single-celled creature...
动物甚至人类的祖先
that is the ancestor of every plant...
的单细胞生物
and every animal, including us.
我们与黑猩猩基因相似度高达90%
While we share over 90% of our D.N.A. with chimpanzees...
与咖啡和茶叶的基因相似度也达到了50%
we also share half of our D.N.A. with coffee and tea.
这也是植物内的化学物质能影响人脑的原因
That's why the chemicals in plants affect our brains.
因为只要你追溯的足够久远
Because if you go back far enough...
我们都是密切相关的
we're related.
从人类大历史的角度
From a big history perspective,
我们都是进化而来的
we all really evolved...
从大海里的同一个单细胞生物
from the same one-celled creatures that lived in the ocean...
进化为围绕在各自身边的所有鲜活生命
and became all of the life around us.
但是人类与咖♥啡♥因♥的联♥系♥
But the link between man and caffeine...
不仅仅能追溯到生命最初的微小形态
doesn't just reach back to the first tiny forms of life.
人类大历史表明
Big history reveals that
所有的事物有着更为深层的关联
it all connects to something even bigger
一次宇宙碰撞从内而外震动了地球
a cosmic collision that shakes the Earth to its core.
人类大历史用新的方式看世界
Big history is a new way to see the world.
它揭示了美国的开国元勋和革命性药物
It reveals a surprising connection between our founding fathers...
之间令人惊讶的联♥系♥
and a revolutionary drug
一个化学♥联♥♥系♥让所有的动植物
a chemical link that ties back to the common ancestor...
回归到同一祖先
of all animals and plants.
一个我们到现在还在每天经历的联♥系♥
A link we still experience every day.
这种药物拥有改变世界的力量
This drug has the power to change the world.
但是为什么只是在其中的这某些地方
But why did it evolve in some places and not others?
大历史把这个小小的咖♥啡♥因♥分子
Big history connects this tiny caffeine molecule...
跟一个庞大的宇宙事件联♥系♥起来
to a massive cosmic event.
这个巨大的火球就是
This enormous ball of fire is Earth...
45亿年前的地球
4.5 billion years ago.
而地球依旧还在形成之中
While the planet is still forming...
它和火星大小的东西进行碰撞后
it collides with something about the size of Mars.
撞击出81兆吨♥的碎片
The impact throws off 81 quintillion tons of debris...
重力把它们吸引在一起形成了月亮
that gravity pulls together to form the moon.
只是地球的运动是混沌的
Alone, the Earth's movement is chaotic.
气候反复无常
And the climate is volatile.
但是月球为地球带来了秩序
But the moon brings order.
它的引力减慢了地球自转
Its gravitational pull slows down Earth's rotation...
从而减缓了地球的风速及天气变化
which calms Earth's winds and weather...
创造出了一个持续一致的环境
creating a consistent environment
在此环境下地表的生命得以进化
where life on the surface can evolve.
月球产生的其他影响
The same impact that creates the moon...
使得地地球斜向一边
also knocks Earth sideways...
让地球产生了永久的倾斜
giving our planet a permanent tilt.
正是因为这种倾斜
Because of the tilt...
像欧洲北美这些地区
places like Europe and North America
得到了不同的光照热量
get varying amounts of light and heat...
及四季的变化
and seasons that change throughout the year.
但是在地球的中部环状地带
But in the band that stretches around the center of the Earth...
稳定的光照热量创造出一个独特的环境
Steady amounts of light and heat create a unique environment.
欢迎来到热带地区
Welcome to the tropics
肥沃的土壤
rich soil...
潮湿的空气
plenty of moisture...
整年阳光明媚
lots of sun all year round.
植物茁壮成长
Plants thrive.
但是啃食植物的动物们也同样兴旺
But so do the animals that eat plants.
如果植物想要存活它们就需要反抗
If plants are to survive, they need to fight back.
如果你是植物你只能静静♥坐♥着
If you're a plant, you sit still.
你不能躲避危险
You can't run and hide.
所以你需要其他类型的保护措施
So you need other forms of protection.
刺是一种毒液是另一种
Thorns are one, but poisons are another.
4900万年前
Forty-nine million years ago...
一些热带植物进化出一种新型的致命毒液
some tropical plants evolve a deadly new poison.
它能保护植物免受害虫
It protects those plants from harmful insects...
甚至是杂草天敌植物的侵害
even weeds and rival plants.
它就是咖♥啡♥因♥
It's called caffeine.
但是甲之砒霜乙之蜜糖
But one creature's poison is another's pleasure.
同样咖♥啡♥因♥能消灭害虫
The same dose of caffeine that can kill a bug...
也能让我们亢奋
just gives us a boost.
人类最终发现这些
Humans eventually discovered that these things that
对潜在的掠食者而言是毒药的东西
are poisons for some potential predators...
实际上相当好用
are actually rather nice to use.
因此咖♥啡♥因♥是因月球撞击之下产生的
So caffeine is a natural pesticide...
阳光地带中
that evolves in the Earth is sun belt...
进化出来的天然毒液
which is born in the collision that made the moon.
但是一种毒液是如何成为你晨间唤醒剂的
But how does a poison become your morning pick-me-up?
人类大历史将继续向前推进
Big history connects forward...
17世纪
to the 17th century...
当一个繁荣的咖♥啡♥因♥贸易在全世界
When a booming caffeine trade transports tea and coffee...
运输茶叶和咖啡
all over the world
从欧洲帝国
to the empires of Europe...
到他们新世界的殖民地
and their colonies in the New World.
那个时候贸易过程很缓慢
Trade in those days is slow...
因此你不能带易腐烂的东西
so you can't carry perishable stuff.
你不能带生菜之类容易坏掉的东西
You can't carry lettuce or things like that that are gonna rot.
但是咖啡你有这些晒干的豆子
Whereas coffee, where you have these dried beans...
在这方面就相当棒
is actually pretty good in this regard...
并且你可以长♥期♥携带
and it's something that you can take for a long way.
当人们研碎它们就可以饮用了
And then people grind it up, they drink it...
他们精神焕发快乐也会为此买♥♥单
they get a buzz, they're happy and they'll pay your for it.
所以致瘾物质确实是个很好的贸易项目
So addictive substances are really good trade items...
因为顾客不仅喜欢它而且依赖它
because your customers not only like it, they have to have it.
像任何一个雄心勃勃的药贩
Like any ambitious drug dealers...
欧洲的商人寻找着机会赚更多钱
the European traders look for an opportunity to make more money...
自己种植自己贩卖♥♥
by growing their own supply.
咖啡和茶叶种植国
The countries that grow tea and coffee sell
贩卖♥♥茶叶和烘烤过的豆子
dried leaves and roasted beans.
但是为了控制他们的产品
But in order to keep control over their product...
他们不会交易咖啡树和茶树
they don't trade its source live coffee and tea plants.
这些植物就像国♥家♥机♥密♥
The plants are like state secrets.
所以欧洲商人成为药品走私犯
So the European traders become drug smugglers.
他们偷盗咖啡树和种子
They steal live coffee plants and beans.
但是因为欧洲在北方
But because Europe is in the north...
对于热带植物而言太过于寒冷无法存活
t's far too cold for a plant from the tropics to survive.
欧洲的咖♥啡♥因♥上瘾者需要制定另一个计划
Europe's caffeine addicts will have to figure out another plan.
他们的解决办法将会动摇整个世界的
Their solution will shake up the balance of power
平衡力量
around the world.
人类大历史用科学的新眼光看世界
Big history uses science to see the world in a new way.
它表明咖♥啡♥因♥如何通过刺♥激♥大脑
It shows how caffeine gives our brains a jolt...
来阻止化学物质传递疲劳信息的
blocking the chemicals that tell us to feel tired...
我们需要这种刺♥激♥感使欧洲人变成走私贩
that our need for this jolt turns Europeans into drug smugglers.
但是功亏一篑
But their efforts fail...
因为地球的倾斜
because the Earth's tilt prevents
让热带植物无法存活于寒冷地区
tropical plants from growing in the cold.
正如我们所知咖♥啡♥因♥有着强大的吸引力
As we've seen, caffeine has a powerful pull.
因此既然他们无法将植物带回欧洲
So if they can't bring the plant to Europe...
他们就将欧洲带到植物可以生长的地方
they'll bring Europe to places where the plant can grow.
所以这些上瘾的物质的存在
So is the existence of these addictive substances...
和它们只在特定环境下存活的事实
and the fact that they could only grow in certain environments...
刺♥激♥了殖民♥主♥义和掠夺性的商业活动
a kind of spur to colonialism and predatory mercantile activities
我想答案一定是肯定的
I think the answer is certainly yes.
欧洲列强开始搜索咖♥啡♥因♥
European powers in search of a caffeine fix...
侵略殖民热带地区
claim and colonize tropical parts of the world...
为了他们的嗜好修建植物园
building farms to feed their habit.
他们奴役热带地区的土著人
They enslave native peoples across the tropics...
在广阔的种植园里工作
to work the vast plantations...
咖啡种植像野火般绵延开来
where caffeine making plants spread like wildfire.
因此在那里人们像蜜蜂一样
So here's the human being serving like almost like the bee
为植物授粉
that's pollinating plants.
因此人们变的像动物一样
So the human being now becomes an animal...
传播咖啡到各地的
that is going to spread the coffee plant into places
并非当地人