2024年2月13日发(作者：)
Text 8 纳米技术如何工作
翻译by杨玲老师
修订 by 我
How Nanotechnology Works
There's an unprecedented multidisciplinary
convergence of scientists dedicated to the study
of a world so small, we can't see it -- even with a
light microscope. That world is the field of
nanotechnology, the realm of atoms and
nanostructures. Nanotechnology is so new, no
one is really sure what will come of it. Even so,
predictions range from the ability to reproduce
things like diamonds and food to the world
being devoured by self-replicating nanorobots.
有很多致力于研究小到我们无法看见的世界的科学家。他们从事不同学科，但是他们史无前例地会聚在一起，他们研究的世界小得连借助精致的显微镜都看不见。那个世界就是纳米技术的世界，一个由原子和纳米结构组成的领域。纳米技术是如此新以至于没人能够确定它会给我们
带来什么。即便如此，各种预言却都有，比如说复制钻石和食物，又比如说世界会被自我复制的纳米机器人毁灭。
In order to understand the unusual world
of nanotechnology, we need to get an idea of the
units of measure involved. A centimeter is
one-hundredth of a meter, a millimeter is
one-thousandth of a meter, and a micrometer is
one-millionth of a meter, but all of these are still
huge compared to the nanoscale. A nanometer
(nm) is one-billionth of a meter, smaller than the
wavelength of visible light and a
hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair
为了了解纳米技术不同寻常的世界，我们需要了解所涉及的测量单位，一厘米是一米的百分之一，一毫米是一米的千分之一，一微米是百万分之一米，但是和纳米级相比，这些都还是巨大的数字。一纳米是十亿分之一米，比可见光的波长还要小，还不到人类一根头发宽度的十万分之一。
As small as a nanometer is, it's still large
compared to the atomic scale. An atom has a
diameter of about 0.1 nm. An atom's nucleus is
much smaller -- about 0.00001 nm. Atoms are
the building blocks for all matter in our
universe. You and everything around you are
made of atoms. Nature has perfected the science
of manufacturing matter molecularly. For
instance, our bodies are assembled in a specific
manner from millions of living cells. Cells are
nature's nanomachines. At the atomic scale,
elements are at their most basic level. On the
nanoscale, we can potentially put these atoms
together to make almost anything.
尽管纳米很小，但是和原子水平比起来依然很大。原子的直径大约是0.1纳米。原子的核更是小得多——大约0.00001纳米。原子是宇宙所有物质的基石。你和你身边的一切都是由原子组成的。自然界从分子水平上完善了制造物质的科学。比如，我们的身体是从千百万个活细胞以特定的方式聚集在一起的。细胞是自然界的纳米机器。在原子的层级，各种元素都处在最基本的水平。在纳米层面，我们可以把这些原子放在一起
做成几乎任何一种物质。
In a lecture called "Small Wonders:The
World of Nanoscience," Nobel Prize winner Dr.
Horst Stoermer said that the nanoscale is more
interesting than the atomic scale because the
nanoscale is the first point where we can
assemble something -- it's not until we start
putting atoms together that we can make
anything useful.
在一次名为“小小的奇观：纳米科学的世界”
的讲座中，诺贝尔奖得主Horst Stormer 博士说纳米级别比原子级别更有趣，因为纳米级是我们可以把东西放在一起的最初的起始点——直到我们开始把原子放在一起，这个东西才变得有价值。
Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming an
interdisciplinary field. Biologists, chemists,
physicists and engineers are all involved in the
study of substances at the nanoscale. Dr.
Stoermer hopes that the different disciplines
develop a common language and communicate
with one another. Only then, he says, can we
effectively teach nanoscience since you can't
understand the world of nanotechnology
without a solid background in multiple sciences.纳米技术正在迅速变成一个跨学科的领域。 生物学家、化学家、物理学家和工程师们都要参与纳米层面物质的研究。Stormer博士希望不同学科可以发展出相同的语言，可以彼此交流。他说，只有那时我们才能有效地教授纳米科学，因为如果没有多学科科学的扎实背景，你无法理解纳米技术的世界。
One of the exciting and challenging aspects
of the nanoscale is the role that quantum
mechanics plays in it. The rules of quantum
mechanics are very different from classical
physics, which means that the behavior of
substances at the nanoscale can sometimes
contradict common sense by behaving
erratically. You can't walk up to a wall and
immediately teleport to the other side of it, but
at the nanoscale an electron can -- it's called
electron tunneling. Substances that are
insulators, meaning they can't carry an electric
charge, in bulk form might become
semiconductors when reduced to the nanoscale.
Melting points can change due to an increase in
surface area. Much of nanoscience requires that
you forget what you know and start learning all
over again.
纳米尺度最令人激动和最具挑战性的方面之一就是量子力学在其中起的作用。量子力学的规则非常不同于经典物理学。这意味着在纳米层面，物质的有时表现的不稳定，而产生与常识相违背的现象。你不能走向一面墙，马上又穿墙而过到达墙的另一边，但是在纳米水平电子就可以——这被称为电子隧道效应。绝缘体物质，其含义是不能携带电荷，但是当降低到纳米水平时，如果大批存在也许会变成半导体。因为表面面积的增加物体的熔点也会变化。所以大部分纳米材料要求你忘记你所了解的知识，开始重新学习。
So what does this all mean? Right now, it
means that scientists are experimenting with
substances at the nanoscale to learn about their
properties and how we might be able to take
advantage of them in various applications.
Engineers are trying to use nano-size wires to
create smaller, more powerful microprocessors.
Doctors are searching for ways to use
nanoparticles in medical applications. Still,
we've got a long way to go before
nanotechnology dominates the technology and
medical markets.
这一切意味着什么？现在，这意味着科学家们正在用纳米水平的物质试验，以了解它们的性质，以及在不同的应用领域我们如何能利用好它们。工程师们正在尝试用纳米大小的金属线来创造更小、更强大的微处理机，医生们正在寻找在医疗应用领域使用纳米颗粒的方式。但是，在纳米技术统治技术和医疗市场之前还有很长的路要走。
In the world of "Star Trek," machines
called replicators can produce practically any
physical object, from weapons to a steaming cup
of Earl Grey tea. Long considered to be
exclusively the product of science fiction, today
some people believe replicators are a very real
possibility. They call it molecular
manufacturing, and if it ever does become a
reality, it could drastically change the world.
在《星际迷航》的世界里，被称为复制者的机器可以生产几乎任何物体，从武器到一杯冒着热气的格雷伯爵茶。长久以来复制者被认为是科幻小说专属的产品，可是现在有些人相信这些机器是非常真实的并且有可能存在的。人们把它称为分子制造者，如果这些机器真的变为现实，它们将极大地改变世界。
Atoms and molecules stick together
because they have complementary shapes that
lock together, or charges that attract. Just like
with magnets, a positively charged atom will
stick to a negatively charged atom. As millions
of these atoms are pieced together by
nanomachines, a specific product will begin to
take shape. The goal of molecular
manufacturing is to manipulate atoms
individually and place them in a pattern to
produce a desired structure.
原子和分子粘在一起是因为它们有互补的形状，这样的形状锁在一起，或者它们的电荷互
相吸引。就像磁铁一样，带正电的原子会粘住带负电的原子，千百万这样的原子由纳米机器粘在一起，一个特殊的产品就将成形。分子制造的目标就是控制单个的原子，把它们按照某种样子放置，这样就可以生产出想要的结构。
The first step would be to develop
nanoscopic machines, called assemblers, that
scientists can program to manipulate atoms and
molecules at will. Rice University Professor
Richard Smalley points out that it would take a
single nanoscopic machine millions of years to
assemble a meaningful amount of material. In
order for molecular manufacturing to be
practical, you would need trillions of assemblers
working together simultaneously. Eric Drexler
believes that assemblers could first replicate
themselves, building other assemblers. Each
generation would build another, resulting in
exponential growth until there are enough
assemblers to produce objects
第一步是研发纳米机器，也被称为装配器。这样科学家可以按照自己的意愿让这些装配器
控制原子和分子。莱斯大学的Richard 教授指出要组装一定数量的物质，一台纳米装配器要花上几百万年的时间。为了让分子制造变得更实际一些，你需要让无数的装配器同时工作。Eric 相信，装配器首先要复制自己，建造其它的装配器，每一代会建造另一代，以指数方式增长，直到有足够的装配器生产物品。
Assemblers might have moving parts like
the nanogears in this concept drawing. Trillions
of assemblers and replicators could fill an area
smaller than a cubic millimeter, and could still
be too small for us to see with the naked eye.
Assemblers and replicators could work together
to automatically construct products, and could
eventually replace all traditional labor methods.
This could vastly decrease manufacturing costs,
thereby making consumer goods plentiful,
cheaper and stronger. Eventually, we could be
able to replicate anything, including diamonds,
water and food. Famine could be eradicated by
machines that fabricate foods to feed the
hungry.
在上述描绘的概念中，装配器可能有移动的零件比如纳米齿轮，无数的装配器和复制者可以填满一个比立方毫米还要小的区域，并且依然还是太小以至于我们的肉眼看不见。装配器和复制者可以一起工作，这样可以自动建造产品，可以最终取代所有传统的劳动力方法。这可以大大降低制造费用，从制造更多，更便宜，功能更强的消费品。最终，我们能够复制任何东西，包括钻石、水和食物。饥荒会被消除，因为有机器制造食物来喂养饥饿的人。
Nanotechnology may have its biggest
impact on the medical industry. Patients will
drink fluids containing nanorobots
programmed to attack and reconstruct the
molecular structure of cancer cells and viruses.
There's even speculation that nanorobots could
slow or reverse the aging process, and life
expectancy could increase significantly.
Nanorobots could also be programmed to
perform delicate surgeries -- such nanosurgeons
could work at a level a thousand times more
precise than the sharpest scalpel. By working on
such a small scale, a nanorobot could operate
without leaving the scars that conventional
surgery does. Additionally, nanorobots could
change your physical appearance. They could
be programmed to perform cosmetic surgery,
rearranging your atoms to change your ears,
nose, eye color or any other physical feature you
wish to alter.
对于医疗工业纳米技术可能有最大的影响。病人会喝下含有纳米机器人的液体，这些纳米机器人会按照程序设定来攻击癌细胞和病毒的并且重建它们的分子结构。甚至有猜测说纳米机器人可以减缓或逆转衰老的过程，寿命预期会大大增加。纳米机器人也可以被设定用来做精密的手术——这样的纳米外科医师的工作水平可以比最尖锐的解剖刀还要精准一千倍。通过在这样小的水平上工作，纳米机器人在工作时可以不留
下常规手术中会有的伤口。此外，纳米机器人还可以改变你的外貌。它们可以被设定来做美容手术，重新安排你的原子，来改变你的耳朵、鼻子、眼睛的颜色，或者任何你希望改变的外貌特点。
Nanotechnology has the potential to have a
positive effect on the environment. For instance,
scientists could program airborne nanorobots to
rebuild the thinning ozone layer. Nanorobots
could remove contaminants from water sources
and clean up oil spills. Manufacturing materials
using the bottom-up method of nanotechnology
also creates less pollution than conventional
manufacturing processes. Our dependence on
non-renewable resources would diminish with
nanotechnology. Cutting down trees, mining
coal or drilling for oil may no longer be
necessary -- nanomachines could produce those
resources.
纳米技术有潜力对环境产生积极的影响。比如，科学家们可以让空中的纳米机器人重建正在变薄的臭氧层。纳米机器人可以移除水源中的污染物，清扫溅出的油。使用纳米技术从细节开始的方法来制造材料，相比常规的制造过程产生的污染更少。拥有纳米技术后我们对于不可再生资源的依赖性会降低。砍树、采煤或钻井勘探石油也许不再必要——纳米机器可以生产这些资源。
Many nanotechnology experts feel that
these applications are well outside the realm of
possibility, at least for the foreseeable future.
They caution that the more exotic applications
are only theoretical. Some worry that
nanotechnology will end up like virtual reality --
in other words, the hype surrounding
nanotechnology will continue to build until the
limitations of the field become public knowledge,
and then interest (and funding) will quickly
dissipate.
许多纳米技术专家觉得这些应用都不在可能实施的领域里，至少在可预见的未来是这样。他们提示说更奇异的应用只是理论性的。有些人担心纳米技术最终会是虚拟现实——换句话说，围绕在纳米技术周围的炒作将继续增强，直到这个领域的局限性成为公共知识，然后兴趣（和资助）会很快消散。
The most immediate challenge in
nanotechnology is that we need to learn more
about materials and their properties at the
nanoscale. Universities and corporations across
the world are rigorously studying how atoms fit
together to form larger structures. We're still
learning about how quantum mechanics impact
substances at the nanoscale.
Nanotechnology
will definitely continue to impact us as we learn
more about the enormous potential of the
nanoscale.
纳米技术领域现在面临的挑战是我们需要了解更多有关纳米层面的材料和它们的性质的知识。全世界的大学和企业正在仔细地研究原子如何连在一起以构成更大的结构，我们还正在学习量子力学如何在纳米水平影响物质。当我们了解更多纳米水平巨大的潜力后纳米技术肯定会继续影响我们。
Convergence: n. 会合（倾向），会聚（倾向），会合点，会聚点
Devour: v. t. 吞食，狼吞虎咽地吃光，耗尽，吞没，席卷
Light: a. 精致的，轻巧的，灵巧的
Come of sth: 是…的结果
I wrote to over twenty companies asking
for work, but nothing came of my efforts.
Micrometer: 微米 10米
-9
Nano-: 表示“毫微” 10Nucleus: 原子核
Assemble: v. t. 集合，聚集，收集，装配
Element: n. 成分，性质，基本组成部分，要素，（人的）一组，自然环境
Quantum mechanics: 量子力学
Surface area: 表面面积
Erratic: a. 不稳定的，不确定的，不规则的
Teleport: v. t. 心灵运输（物体、人）
Tunnel: v. i. 掘隧道，穿透势垒，隧穿
Bulk: n. 巨大的体积，大块，大多数
In bulk: 大量，大批，整体
Microprocessor: n. 微处理机
Franchise: n. 公民权，选举权，特权范围，特许经销权
Replicator: n. 复制基因，复制者
Nanoscopic:
Scopic: a. 观察仪器的，显示器的
Assembler: n. 装配工，装配器，汇编语言
Program: v. t. 按照计划指导，为…制定计划
-6
Trillion: n. 万亿，兆
Trillions: 大量，无数
Gear: n. 齿轮，工具，设备
Fabricate: v. t. 制造，组装，创造
Life expectancy 平均寿命；预期寿命
Surgeon: n. 外科医师，军医
Scalpel: n. 解剖刀
Airborne: a. 升空的，在空中的，在飞行中的
Bottom-up: a. 从细节开始的
Renewable: a. 能源等可再生的
Drill: v. t. 钻洞，钻孔，钻井勘探
Hype: n. 大肆的广告宣传；炒作
Dissipate: v. 消散，逐渐消失
Build: v. 增长，增强
Rigorous: a. 仔细的，严密的，严格的
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