托福阅读背景素材：富人将变成新人类

　　The rich are set to become God-like cyborgs in what could be the 'biggestevolution in biology' since life emerged.

　　富人们将变成会成为上帝般的电子人，这将可能是人类有史以来“在生物方面最大的进化”。

　　This is according to Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, who believes the radical shift will take place in thenext 200 years.

　　这是来自耶路撒冷希伯来大学(Hebrew University of Jerusalem)的教授尤尔瓦?诺亚?哈拉里(Yuval NoahHarari)的预言，他相信这种巨变会在未来200年内发生。

　　Using biotechnology and genetic engineering, Professor Harari claims thewealthy will transform into a new type of divine, immortal human with completepower over life and death.

　　哈拉里说，富人们使用生物技术和基因工程技术，能够转化成新人类——神圣，永恒，对生与死有完全的掌控权。

　　He argues that humans are unable to resist the temptation to 'upgrade'themselves, according to a report by Sarah Knapton in the Telegraph.

　　萨拉?卡普顿(Sarah Knapton)在《电讯报》(Telegraph)的报道称，哈拉里提出，人类无法拒绝“升级”自身的诱惑。

　　'We are programmed to be dissatisfied,' said Professor Harari, during arecent speech at the Hay literary festival in Wales.

　　哈拉里教授最近在威尔士干草文学节发表演说，称，“我们已被设定为不满足现状。”

　　'Even when humans gain pleasure and achievements it is not enough. Theywant more and more.

　　“即使人类获得了快乐和成就，仍然感到不满足。他们想要更多。”

　　'I think it is likely in the next 200 years or so homo sapiens will upgradethemselves into some idea of a divine being, either through biologicalmanipulation or genetic engineering or by the creation of cyborgs, part organicpart non-organic.

　　“我认为在接下来的约200年里，现代人很可能会通过使用生物操控或基因工程，或通过创造半有机半无机的电子人，使自身升级为神人。”

　　'It will be the greatest evolution in biology since the appearance of life.Nothing really has changed in four billion years biologically speaking.

　　“这将是自人类生命诞生以来，在生物方面最大的进化。从生物学上来讲，400亿年来，人类的身体构造并没有真正发生变化。

　　'But we will be as different from today's humans as chimps are now fromus.'

　　“就像猩猩已经离我们很遥远了，我们也将会与今天的人类截然不同。”

　　The technology to do this, however, will be restricted to the very wealthy,claims Professor Harari.

　　然而，哈拉里教授称，改造人类这一技术将只属于富人。

　　Up until now, he says society has been held together by inventing'fictions', such as religion, money and the idea of fundamental humanrights.

　　他说，在目前为止，社会被创造的“虚幻”团结在一起，如宗教，金钱，人权思想等。

　　As long as humans believed they relied more and more on these gods theywere controllable, he said.

　　他说，只要人类相信这些，越来越依靠这些“神”，他们就是可控的。

　　'But what we see in the last few centuries is humans becoming more powerfuland they no longer need the crutches of the Gods.'

　　但是我们在过去几个世纪里所看到的是，人类变得越来越强大，不再需要上帝的拐杖。

　　He added that the most interesting place in the world from a religiousperspective is not the Middle East but Silicon Valley.

　　他补充道，从宗教的观点来看，世界上最有趣的地方不是中东，而是硅谷。

　　Here, people are developing what he describes as a 'techno-religion' inwhich they believe death is just a technological problem.

　　这里的人们发展出这样一种他称之为“技术宗教”的观念：他们相信死亡只是一个技术问题。

　　'Now we are saying we do not need God just technology,' he added.

　　他补充道，“现在我们不需要上帝了，只需要技术。”

　　Vocabulary

　　cyborg 电子人

　　homo sapiens 现代人