穷国的古生物研究也遭霸权？

Science & Technology

科技版块

The study of fossils

化石研究

Digging deep

深挖

The tricky relationship between palaeontology and poor countries

古生物学与穷国之间微妙的关系

WHAT YOU see depends on where you stand.

你站在哪里决定你看到了什么。

The unarguable fact that most palaeontologists live in the rich world means two things.

大多数古生物学家生活在富裕世界这一无可争议的事实意味着两件事。

One is that the fossils of these places are far better studied than those of poorer countries, which is a scientific pity.

一是富裕国家比贫穷国家的化石研究得更好，这是一个科学上的遗憾。

The other is that what knowledge has been garnered about poor-country palaeontology is frequently the result of visits by rich-country palaeontologists.

另一个是，穷国古生物学知识往往是富国古生物学家访问的结果。

All this was well known, if not quantified, before Nussaibah Raja put numbers on it in a paper published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

在努赛巴·拉贾在《自然生态与进化》上发表的一篇论文对其进行统计之前，尽管没人对其量化，但都是心知肚明的。

Ms Raja, however, sees not just a regrettable history-induced bias that should certainly be addressed in future, but also a continuing pillage of poor countries by the scientific establishments of rich places more powerful than they.

然而，拉贾女士认为这是一种令人遗憾的历史导致的偏见，这种偏见肯定应该在未来得到解决，而且还看到了富国的科学机构对穷国的持续掠夺（富国的科学机构比他们更强大）。

Perhaps. But an alternative view is possible.

但是另一种观点是可能的。

This is that many of the world's poor countries have higher priorities than studying their fossils, that letting foreign researchers do it for them is not wrong, provided no laws are broken, and that it is patronising to suggest otherwise.

这是因为世界上许多贫穷国家有比研究它们的化石上更重要的事情，如果不违反法律，让外国研究人员为它们做这件事并没有错，除此以外，再提一些什么建议未免显得居高临下了。

Moreover, as Ms Raja observes, several not-yet-properly rich places, notably China, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and India, are indeed developing as palaeontological powers in their own right.

此外，正如拉贾女士所观察到的，一些尚未完全富裕的国家，特别是中国、巴西、阿根廷、墨西哥和印度，确实正在以自身的方式发展成为古生物学强国。

And, as she further points out, Chinese palaeontologists are starting to take an interest in neighbouring Myanmar's fossiliferous amber beds that a cynic might see as at least as predatory as that of any Western fossil hunter.

而且，正如她进一步指出的那样，中国古生物学家开始对邻国缅甸的琥珀化石层感兴趣，愤世嫉俗者可能会认为他们至少和任何西方化石猎人一样具有掠夺性。

Ms Raja rightly notes that rich-country scientists could do more to assist their poor-world hosts, especially by recruiting local researchers onto their teams to transfer expertise — something they are currently bad at.

拉贾女士正确地指出，富裕国家的科学家可以做更多的事情来帮助贫穷国家的东道主，特别是通过招募当地研究人员加入他们的团队，来转让他们目前不擅长的专业知识。

But it takes two to tango.

但探戈需要两个人。

And not everywhere yet has the political will, institutional depth, or, indeed, money, to join in the dance.

并不是所有地方都有政治意愿、制度深度，或者说有金钱，来参与这场舞蹈。