User Comments - henning
henning
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 21, 2010 at 6:05 AMishatme,
"try to keep up with science": this is what Kuhn called "ad-hoc moves" (or exhaustion). The better explanation is replacing the older one not by being more convincing but by a new generation...it needs patience.
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 19, 2010 at 9:43 PMtanglang,
a scientist would first ask: How do you define an ape? How a human? Then proceed from there.
And of course apply Occam's razor (奥卡姆剃刀) to come to the conclusion that the bible (and all other religious texts with it) are best left in the garbage can of history.
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 19, 2010 at 8:50 AMtanglang,
the interesting part of the experiment is that the bacteria evolved beyond their initial set of capabilities - to the point where you consider them to be a different species: One population developed a completely new feature - they became able to make use of new sources of energy. Think of man developing gills or being able to digest oil...
Actually I agree that man did not evolve from apes.
Because we still are apes. Apart from the cognitive capabilities and of course language not much evolution out of the "ape state" has happened. Just look at our bodily features, our set of behavioural patterns, our clan based social structure (which tragically involves betrayal and war), even our value system (altruism, caring for the handicaped) - go to the chimpanzees and you find it all. I suscpect that even our tendency to superstition / religion is nothing but a by-product of our ape heritage.
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 18, 2010 at 1:51 PMtanglang,
ever heard of Lenski's E. coli long-term evolution experiment?
That one comes pretty close!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._coli_long-term_evolution_experiment
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 17, 2010 at 6:08 AMI found the following expression from the dialogue interesting:
后肢独立承担起了行走的责任
The legs "took responsibility for the task"? So 承担责任can be used for things without a free will? Maybe the translation "take responsibility" doesn't cover the full spectrum of 承担责任 and it is here more a general "took over the task of"?
Posted on: 选择：大城市还是小城市？
June 10, 2010 at 5:01 AMchangye,
没有浓缩咖啡就没出息。
千万不要去一个偏僻的咖啡因沙漠。
少了咖啡人怎么生活下去呢？
Posted on: Feelings
May 23, 2010 at 5:55 PMThanks.
I now also found the "official" Star Wars line:
我对此有一种糟糕的预感
Posted on: Feelings
May 22, 2010 at 7:38 AMSo, what is the official translation of the phrase (in the movies):
"I have a bad feeling about this"
?
Posted on: 人类的起源
June 21, 2010 at 6:24 AMchangye,
actually not. "Responsibility" incurs the option of enforcing positive or negative sanctions. But here 责任 is more like a function. You wouldn't punish the leg if it doesn't keep the body in the air.