01全文呈现
原文按自然段落编号 ①–⑳，保留原刊用词、拼写与标点。第 ⑩ 段前的 Seeing the light 是原刊中的小标题。
1WHEN FRANCIS HALZEN of the University of Wisconsin-Madison accepts his Nobel prize for physics later this year, he will enjoy the rare privilege of an undivided spotlight. Most physics laureates must share the stage with a collaborator or rival. Dr Halzen will be the first since 1992 to claim all the glory for himself.
2The prize citation, unveiled on Tuesday, credits his “decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory”, a particle detector spanning a cubic kilometre of ice near the South Pole which draws on the efforts of 490 researchers in 14 countries. But, according to Ulf Danielsson, a physicist at Uppsala University and secretary to the Nobel committee for physics, “Without his scientific vision, it would have been impossible.”
3Detecting neutrinos requires scientific vision in spades. Being electrically neutral (hence the “neutr-”) and physically diminutive (hence the “-ino”), they are, in effect, immune to both the electromagnetic force and gravity, allowing them to pass through most particle detectors unnoticed. Their dealings with regular matter are largely limited to interactions via the aptly named weak nuclear force.
4Ghostly though they are, neutrinos are also abundant throughout the universe. They are a by-product of fission as well as fusion reactions, making the Sun a powerful nearby source: around 65bn solar neutrinos pass through an area the size of a human fingernail each second. The solar reactions that produce neutrinos also give off other particles, including protons.
5Sometimes, however, protons arrive at Earth with energies many millions of times greater than those from the Sun. This suggests they come from even more powerful sources much farther away.
6What these natural particle accelerators actually are, and how they produce such energetic particles, is largely unknown. Protons are charged and are therefore deflected by magnetic fields on their journey to Earth, making their point of origin hard to reconstruct. The same processes that accelerate these protons, however, should produce high-energy neutrinos, too. In the 1980s Dr Halzen was among those who realised that neutrinos’ reluctance to interact with matter allowed them to travel unimpeded for vast distances and act as ideal messengers from otherwise invisible objects.
7Still, there was the problem of how to detect them. Previous neutrino detectors had relied on building large vats of perchloroethylene, a dry-cleaning fluid, and waiting for rare interactions between neutrinos and the atoms in the fluid. Although a similar approach could be applied to the hunt for rarer extragalactic neutrinos, a significantly bigger detector than had been built before would be needed to have a chance of catching one.
8Thus did the idea for IceCube crystallise. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2011. Within two years it picked up 28 high-energy cosmic neutrinos, opening a new window onto the cosmos. Asked on Tuesday what this window might reveal, Dr Halzen, reached by phone, responded: “The real excitement is that I cannot answer that question yet!”
Seeing the light
9The winners of the prize for physiology or medicine could be permitted more bullishness in outlining the potential benefits of their research. Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University, Peter Hegemann of the Humboldt University of Berlin and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg were recognised for laying the foundations of optogenetics. This permits neuroscientists to use light to instantaneously activate individual brain cells, making it possible to work out exactly what particular cells are doing. That enables researchers to investigate both basic neurobiology and the neural basis of illness.
10The story begins in the 1990s with Dr Hegemann. At the time he was studying how a genus of single-cell algae known as Chlamydomonas responds to light. He found that their reactions were faster than the equivalent response in a human eye. In a human retina, one protein molecule detects light and then indirectly triggers another, known as an ion channel, to create an electrical signal. Dr Hegemann hypothesised that in his algae that convoluted process was being compressed.
11Testing his guess with the tools then available proved hard, until the blossoming science of genomics came to his rescue. A team of Japanese researchers had produced a map of the DNA of Chlamydomonas, showing that it included two genes resembling those for light-sensitive proteins in some other organisms. This insight was confirmed when Dr Hegemann enlisted Dr Nagel’s assistance. Dr Nagel inserted the DNA of the two newly identified genes into some frogs’ eggs, which then turned out the desired proteins in quantities large enough to test. Just as Dr Hegemann had predicted, they turned out to be light-stimulated ion channels.
12Realising what they had, Drs Nagel and Hegemann then tried inserting one of the genes, for a protein now known as channelrhodopsin-2, into kidney cells harvested from hamsters and from human embryos. That worked, too. They had, in other words, discovered a way of making mammalian cells light-sensitive. It was Dr Deisseroth, however, who conceived of putting channelrhodopsin-2 into cells whose raison d’être is the transmission of electrical signals: neurons. When the idea was tested, cultured rat neurons not only responded when exposed to light, but could also pass signals on to their neighbours.
13The paper announcing this finding was published in 2005, but other researchers were also exploring similar ideas. Three years earlier Gero Miesenböck, then at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, had done similar work using a light-sensitive protein from a fruit fly. Dr Miesenböck, as some have observed, might have serious reason to be miffed. Edward Boyden, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who collaborated with Dr Deisseroth when he was a PhD student at Stanford, was another surprising omission.
14Regardless of details of priority, though, the subject has since exploded. Dr Deisseroth’s lab led the way, first by repeating what had been done in cultured rat cells in living mouse brains, and then by inventing the trick of using extremely thin optical fibres to illuminate, and thus stimulate, groups of neurons. In combination, these tricks let the researchers control the movements of a mouse’s whiskers.
15Optogenetics has now been the subject of thousands of papers. It is being used in animals to investigate depression, schizophrenia, blindness, deafness, dementia, addiction and anxiety. There is even an attempt to use it to restore vision in people with a form of blindness called retinitis pigmentosa. Great oaks from little acorns grow. Or, in this case, little algae.
16The prize for chemistry, as is often the way, also took its cue from the study of life. Many molecules essential to biology are chiral, capable of existing in two mirror-image forms that should, at least theoretically, exist in the universe in equal quantities. And yet nature is ruthlessly selective. When it comes to living organisms, amino acids are generally left-handed; sugars are right-handed. It is for progress towards understanding how such asymmetry might have come about that Henri Kagan, of the University of Paris-Saclay, and Kenzo Soai, of the Tokyo University of Science, received calls from Stockholm.
17Chemists had been able to selectively produce molecules with a given chirality before. All such reactions, however, depended on a chiral catalyst, often made up of an unequal mix of left- and right-handed molecules. The assumption was that the ratio of left- to right-handed molecules in the reaction’s products would match the ratio in the catalyst itself. This posed a problem: if the reaction could match only the asymmetry of the catalyst, how, then, could large-scale asymmetry emerge?
18In 1986 Dr Kagan refuted this assumption by finding that chiral catalysts could outperform this benchmark. Starting with a catalyst in which left-handed molecules were three times as abundant as right-handed ones, he could engineer reactions that produced a solution with a six-fold imbalance. A meaningful improvement, but still too small to transform the near-total symmetry of inanimate matter into the near-total chirality displayed by life.
19It was Dr Soai who bridged the gap. In work published in 2003, he demonstrated that solutions with a minuscule imbalance of chiral molecules could be engineered so as to produce catalysts with increasing chirality. This self-amplification could produce rapid change. Repeating a reaction only three times, for example, allowed Dr Soai to achieve a 630,000-fold increase in the asymmetry of the solution.
20The Soai reaction, as it has come to be known, is not the way that life’s chirality emerged. For one thing, the reagents that Dr Soai used could not have existed 4bn years ago. But, as a member of the prize committee explained, it was nonetheless the first time that anyone had created chirality from a non-chiral combination of molecules since the dawn of life those billions of years before.
02逐段对照精讲 + 全文翻译
① 定调：43 年来首位独享物理学诺奖
当威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的弗朗西斯·哈尔岑（Francis Halzen）今年晚些时候领取诺贝尔物理学奖时，他将享受一种难得的特权：独占聚光灯。多数物理学奖得主都得与合作伙伴或竞争对手同台分享荣誉。而哈尔岑将是自 1992 年以来第一个独享全部荣耀的人。
开篇用的是《经济学人》写诺奖的经典套路——不先讲科学，先讲「人」与「特殊性」。WHEN ... accepts his Nobel prize ... he will enjoy the rare privilege of an undivided spotlight 一句里，undivided spotlight（不被分割的聚光灯）是全篇最巧的短语：把「独享奖项」这件抽象的事，翻译成一个舞台意象。rare privilege（难得的特权）是 TE 给「罕见」定级的默认搭配。第二句 Most physics laureates must share the stage with a collaborator or rival 用对照把「多数人」与「他」分开，share the stage with（与……同台、分享荣誉）是固定搭配。第三句 Dr Halzen will be the first since 1992 to claim all the glory for himself 用一个具体年份（1992）坐实「罕见」，claim all the glory for himself（把功劳全揽到自己身上）在这里是褒义——注意作者用 glory 而非 credit，语气更隆重。学写作可记：要证明「罕见」，给一个年份或数字，比用 rare 有效十倍。
② 评语：一立方公里的冰与 490 名研究者
周二揭晓的获奖评语，把功劳归于他「对冰立方中微子天文台的决定性贡献」。该天文台是一座粒子探测器，横跨南极附近一立方公里的冰层，凝聚了 14 个国家 490 名研究者的心血。但据乌普萨拉大学物理学家、诺贝尔物理学委员会秘书乌尔夫·丹尼尔松（Ulf Danielsson）说：「没有他的科学远见，这一切不可能实现。」
本段信息密度极高，靠三个工具撑住：同位语、分词短语与权威引语。a particle detector spanning a cubic kilometre of ice ... which draws on the efforts of 490 researchers in 14 countries 是紧跟在 IceCube Neutrino Observatory 后面的同位语，先用现在分词 spanning（横跨）交代「多大」，再用 which 从句交代「多少人、多少国」——一个专有名词后面挂两串解释，读的时候可以先跳过同位语抓住主干：The prize citation credits his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory。词汇上，citation 此处是「颁奖评语、授奖词」，unveiled（揭晓）比 announced 多一层「揭幕」的画面感；decisive（决定性的）是诺奖评语的高频定级词；credits his contributions to X 是「把功绩归于……」的固定表达。最后一句引语用虚拟语气 Without his scientific vision, it would have been impossible（没有……就不可能）——这是英语中最常用、也最容易被低估的「假设」句式，值得整句背下。
③ 原理：为什么中微子如此难捉
探测中微子，需要的正是充足的「科学远见」。由于电中性（这正是名字里「neutr-」的由来）、体积又极小（这是「-ino」的由来），它们在实际上既不受电磁力也不受引力影响，因而能悄无声息地穿过大多数粒子探测器。它们与普通物质的往来，基本仅限于通过那个名字起得恰到好处的「弱核力」发生的相互作用。
本段是全文唯一一段「纯原理」科普，却写得毫不枯燥，靠的是词源拆解 + 让步式副词。neutrino 的构词在括号里被当场拆开：neutr-（neutral，中性）+ -ino（意大利语指小后缀，表「小」），一个词同时解释了「电中性」和「极小」两个特性——这种「括号里嵌词源」的写法是 TE 科普的标志，读者会觉得作者在顺便讲个冷知识。scientific vision in spades 的 in spades（大量地、绰绰有余）源自桥牌术语，是 very much 的地道替换。重点句 Being electrically neutral ... and physically diminutive ..., they are, in effect, immune to both A and B, allowing them to ... 结构是「现在分词状语（表原因）＋主干＋allowing 分词（表结果）」：先说「因为……」，再说「所以它们实际上免疫于……」，最后用 allowing 带出「从而能……」的结果——这一串 Being... , ... , allowing... 是英语科技写作最标准的因果链，可直接套用。in effect（实际上）是插入语；immune to（对……免疫、不受影响）搭配要记牢。Their dealings with ... are largely limited to ... 里的 dealings with（与……的往来）把物理过程拟人化；aptly named（名字起得恰如其分的）是 TE 爱用的评价性短语。
④ 反差：幽灵般的粒子，却无处不在
尽管中微子像幽灵一样难以捕捉，它们在整个宇宙中却数量惊人。它们是裂变与聚变反应的副产品，而这让太阳成为一个强大的近距离来源：每秒钟约有 650 亿个太阳中微子穿过一个指甲盖大小的面积。产生中微子的太阳反应，同时还会释放出其他粒子，其中包括质子。
本段第一句是全文最值得背的句式之一：让步倒装。Ghostly though they are 的正常语序是 Though they are ghostly，作者把表语 Ghostly 提到句首、让 though 后置，形成 「形容词 + though + 主语 + be」 的倒装——比常规让步句更有文气，是雅思、托福写作的加分项。可仿写成 Costly though it is, ...（尽管昂贵……）。第二句 They are a by-product of fission as well as fusion reactions, making the Sun a powerful nearby source 用 making 分词表结果，注意 as well as 连接 fission 和 fusion（裂变与聚变），by-product（副产品）是科技报道高频词。冒号后 around 65bn solar neutrinos pass through an area the size of a human fingernail each second 是典型的「用日常尺度解释天文数字」：650 亿（65bn）本身无感，但「一个指甲盖大小」瞬间让它可感——这种「大数 + 熟悉类比」的解释策略，科普写作和雅思小作文都适用。give off（释放、散出）是 emit 的口语化表达。
⑤ 转折：来自太阳系外的更高能量
然而有时，抵达地球的质子，其能量比来自太阳的质子要高出数百万倍。这表明它们来自更远、也更强大的源头。
这是一段只有两句的「过渡段」，作用是把话题从「太阳」推向「太阳系之外」。Sometimes, however, ... 用 however 一词完成转折，是 TE 最常用的段落转折开局之一（可缓存：Sometimes, however, ... / Yet ...）。with energies many millions of times greater than those from the Sun 的比较结构值得拆：many millions of times greater than（比……大数百万倍）是「倍数比较」的固定说法，those 代指前面的 protons（复数指代用 those，不用 that）。This suggests ...（这表明……）是引出推断的万能句首。整段示范了「短段落承担推进功能」——不必每段都长，短段反而让节奏有停顿感。
⑥ 逻辑：为什么去找中微子当「信使」
这些「天然粒子加速器」究竟是什么、又是如何产生如此高能粒子的，目前基本无人知晓。质子带电，因此在飞向地球的途中会被磁场偏转，导致其出发地点难以还原。不过，加速这些质子的同一批过程，也应该会产生高能中微子。20 世纪 80 年代，哈尔岑就是最早意识到这一点的人之一：中微子不愿与物质发生作用，这反而让它们能畅通无阻地穿越浩瀚距离，成为来自那些「本来不可见天体」的理想信使。
本段揭示全篇的科学逻辑链，也是词汇最密的一段。首句 What ... actually are, and how they produce ..., is largely unknown 是「主语从句并列作主语」：两个从句（what... / how...）用 and 相连，整体看作单数主语，故谓语用 is——这是中国学生写作中最容易出错的一处（容易误用 are）。natural particle accelerators（天然粒子加速器）指宇宙中能加速质子的天体；largely unknown（基本未知）比 unknown 更有分寸。第二句 ... making their point of origin hard to reconstruct 用 making 分词带出结果（因偏转→出发地难还原），deflect（使偏转）与 reconstruct（还原、重建）是两处高分动词。第三句 The same processes that ..., however, should produce ... 是全篇推理的枢纽：既然质子被偏转、看不清来路，那就去找「同样产生、却不受偏转影响」的粒子——这个 however 把困难变成了方案。reluctance to interact with matter（不愿与物质相互作用）把物理属性拟人化，unimpeded（不受阻碍地）是雅思词汇；act as ideal messengers from otherwise invisible objects（充当来自本来不可见天体的理想信使）——otherwise invisible（否则不可见的）是 otherwise + adj 结构，可缓存。
⑦ 困境：需要一台大得多的探测器
不过，还有一个问题：怎样才能探测到它们？此前的探测器依靠的是建造巨大的高氯乙烯（一种干洗液）槽，然后等待中微子与液体中原子发生罕见的相互作用。尽管类似思路也能用于搜寻更稀有的河外中微子，但要想有机会捕获一个，就必须造一个比以往大得多的探测器。
本段处理「技术困境」，句式偏长，但骨架清楚。Still, there was the problem of how to detect them 用 Still（不过，尽管如此）承接上文，是比 but 更文雅的转折词，后接 there was the problem of how to ...（问题在于如何……）。第二句 Previous ... had relied on building ..., and waiting for ... 里 rely on doing A and doing B（依靠做 A 和做 B）是两个动名词并列，large vats of perchloroethylene, a dry-cleaning fluid 又是「专有名词 + 同位语解释」（用「干洗液」解释陌生的化学名词）。rare interactions between neutrinos and the atoms 是「A and B 之间」的固定搭配 between...and。最后一句是本段难点，也是典型让步结构：Although a similar approach could be applied to ..., a significantly bigger detector than had been built before would be needed to have a chance of catching one. 主干是 a bigger detector would be needed to have a chance；than had been built before 是省略了主语的比较从句，extragalactic（河外的、银河系外的）是雅思天文类词汇；to have a chance of doing sth（有机会做某事）是固定表达。
⑧ 落地：冰立方的成形与第一份收获
冰立方的构想就这样成形了。工程于 2004 年动工，2011 年建成。此后不到两年，它就捕捉到 28 个高能宇宙中微子，为人类打开了一扇观测宇宙的新窗口。周二，当被问及这扇窗可能揭示什么时，电话那头的哈尔岑答道：「真正的兴奋之处，恰恰在于我如今还给不出答案！」
本段收束物理奖部分，四句话完成四个动作：倒装点题 → 时间线 → 成果 → 引语。首句 Thus did the idea for IceCube crystallise 是全文最漂亮的一处语法展示：Thus（就这样）置于句首，触发完全倒装——助动词 did 提到主语 the idea 之前，动词 crystallise（成形、结晶）回原位。正常语序是 Thus the idea for IceCube crystallised，倒装后句子立刻有了「水到渠成、尘埃落定」的仪式感。crystallise 用在这里有双关之妙：既指「想法成形」，也呼应冰晶（ice crystal）——名字 IceCube 本身就是「冰 + 立方」的直白组合。第二、三句用两个年份（2004、2011）与一个数字（28）把「构想落地」讲完，是 ¶1「用数字证明罕见」的延续。Within two years（不到两年内）、picked up（捕捉到，比 detected 口语）、opening a new window onto the cosmos（为宇宙打开一扇新窗）都是可直接借用的表达。末句 Asked on Tuesday what ..., Dr Halzen, reached by phone, responded: ... 把两个分词状语（Asked... / reached by phone）叠在主语前后，最后用一句直接引语收尾——以人物的话作结，比作者自己下结论更有余味。
Seeing the light 看见光
⑨ 转入：医学奖——更乐观的三位得主
生理学或医学奖的得主们，则可以有更足的底气去畅谈其研究的潜在价值。斯坦福大学的卡尔·戴瑟罗斯（Karl Deisseroth）、柏林洪堡大学的彼得·赫格曼（Peter Hegemann）与维尔茨堡大学的格奥尔格·纳格尔（Georg Nagel），因奠定「光遗传学」的基础而获奖。这项技术让神经科学家得以用光即时地激活单个脑细胞，从而弄清特定细胞究竟在做什么。这使研究者既能探究基础神经生物学，也能探究疾病的神经机制。
本段开启医学奖，写法与物理奖形成对照：物理奖突出「独享」，医学奖突出「三人共享」——作者用 could be permitted more bullishness（可以有更多的乐观）把三人并列引出。bullishness（乐观、看涨）本是金融词汇（牛市 bullish），这里移用到「对研究前景的乐观」，是 TE 式的跨域借用；outlining the potential benefits（概述潜在益处）中 outline 作动词「概述」。第二句是「三人名 + 机构 + 获奖理由」的标准诺奖句式：A of X, B of Y and C of Z were recognised for laying the foundations of optogenetics——be recognised for（因……而受表彰）、lay the foundations of（奠定……的基础）是两个必背搭配。第三句 This permits neuroscientists to use light to instantaneously activate individual brain cells, making it possible to work out exactly what particular cells are doing 用 permit sb to do（允许、使某人能做）+ making it possible to do（使之成为可能）双重结构，instantaneously（瞬间地）是雅思副词，work out（弄清楚）是口语化但准确的动词短语。末句 That enables researchers to investigate both A and B 用 both...and 并列两个研究层次，the neural basis of illness（疾病的神经基础）是医学论文高频搭配。
⑩ 溯源：从一个单细胞藻类讲起
故事要从 20 世纪 90 年代的赫格曼讲起。当时他正在研究一种名为衣藻（Chlamydomonas）的单细胞藻类如何对光作出反应。他发现，它们的反应比人眼中的同类反应还要快。在人眼视网膜里，一个蛋白质分子探测到光，再间接触发另一个称为「离子通道」的分子，从而产生电信号。赫格曼由此推测：在他的藻类体内，这一套迂回的过程被「压缩」了。
段落以 The story begins in the 1990s with Dr Hegemann（故事要从……讲起）开头，是 TE 写「发现史」时最常用的时间线叙事开场，比平铺直叙的 In the 1990s, Dr Hegemann studied... 更有临场感。核心词是 Chlamydomonas（衣藻，单细胞绿藻属）与 genus（属，生物分类学单位）——用 a genus of single-cell algae（一种单细胞藻类的属）交代分类，是科普常见写法。the equivalent response in a human eye 里的 equivalent（等同的、对应的）是学术写作高频形容词。原理部分 one protein molecule detects light and then indirectly triggers another, known as an ion channel, to create an electrical signal 是「A 探测→触发 B→产生 C」的因果链，注意 trigger sb/sth to do（触发……去做）与 known as（称为）两个插入结构。最后一句 Dr Hegemann hypothesised that in his algae that convoluted process was being compressed 用 hypothesise（假设）引出科学猜想，convoluted（曲折的、复杂的）形容人眼那套「两步走」的过程，was being compressed 用过去进行时的被动表「正在被压缩」，暗示这是个有待验证的想法——为下文「验证」埋线。
⑪ 救场：基因组学如何帮上忙
用当时可用的工具去验证这一猜想，被证明相当困难——直到蓬勃兴起的基因组学「救了他」。一个日本研究团队已经绘制出衣藻的 DNA 图谱，显示其中包含两个基因，与某些其他生物体内感光蛋白的基因相似。当赫格曼请纳格尔协助时，这一洞见得到证实。纳格尔把这两个新识别基因的 DNA 植入一些蛙卵，蛙卵随后「吐」出足量可供测试的目标蛋白。正如赫格曼所预言的，它们原来是「光激活的离子通道」。
本段讲「一次跨学科偶遇如何救场」，句式上有一处值得学的「主句前置 + until」：Testing his guess with the tools then available proved hard, until the blossoming science of genomics came to his rescue——Testing ... proved hard 是动名词作主语（用……去验证，被证明很难），until ... came to his rescue（直到……来救场）用 come to sb's rescue 这个固定搭配收尾，比 help him 生动得多。the blossoming science of genomics（蓬勃兴起的基因组学）里 blossoming（开花般的、蓬勃的）是评价性分词；genomics（基因组学）是 -ics 结尾的学科词。第二句 A team ... had produced a map of the DNA of Chlamydomonas, showing that it included two genes resembling those for light-sensitive proteins 用 showing 带出结果、resembling（与……相似）作后置定语，light-sensitive（感光的）由「名词 + sensitive」构成，可类推 heat-sensitive / pressure-sensitive。enlisted Dr Nagel's assistance（请纳格尔协助）中 enlist（争取、招募）是很地道的动词。第四句 inserted the DNA ... into ... frogs' eggs, which then turned out the desired proteins in quantities large enough to test 的 turned out（产出、结果产生）在这里是「生产出」的口语表达，in quantities large enough to test（数量大到足以测试）是「in + 名词 + adj enough to do」结构。末句 Just as Dr Hegemann had predicted, they turned out to be light-stimulated ion channels 用 Just as ... had predicted（正如……所预言的）收束，注意 just as 引导方式状语从句时用过去完成时（had predicted）表「先于主句」。
⑫ 关键：把开关装进神经元的那个人
纳格尔与赫格曼意识到自己手里握有什么之后，便尝试把其中一个基因——编码如今称为「通道视紫红质-2」的蛋白——植入从仓鼠和人类胚胎中提取的肾细胞。这也奏效了。换句话说，他们发现了一种让哺乳动物细胞变得感光的方法。然而，真正想到把通道视紫红质-2 放进「以传递电信号为天职」的细胞——也就是神经元——里的人，是戴瑟罗斯。这一构想经测试后，培养的大鼠神经元不仅在受光照射时有反应，还能把信号传递给邻近细胞。
本段的语法核心是强调句 It was X who ...。It was Dr Deisseroth, however, who conceived of putting channelrhodopsin-2 into cells whose raison d'être is the transmission of electrical signals: neurons. 用 It was ... who ... 把「真正的关键人物」顶到聚光灯下（呼应开篇的 undivided spotlight，并插入 however 制造转折），句末用冒号引出同位语 neurons 点明身份。raison d'être 是直接借用的法语词，意为「存在的理由、存在的意义」，TE 常借外来词增加精确度与趣味；whose raison d'être is ... 是 whose 引导的定语从句。conceived of doing sth（想到做某事、构想做某事）是 conceive 的高频搭配。首句 Realising what they had, Drs Nagel and Hegemann then tried inserting one of the genes, for a protein now known as channelrhodopsin-2, into kidney cells harvested from hamsters and from human embryos 用现在分词 Realising what they had（意识到他们掌握了什么）作状语，tried inserting ... into ... 是 try doing（尝试做）结构，harvested from（从……中提取、采集）是生物实验常用动词。末句 not only responded when exposed to light, but could also pass signals on to their neighbours 用 not only ... but also 并列两个能力，when exposed to light 是「连词 + 过去分词」的省略结构（= when they were exposed to light）。
⑬ 插叙：被「遗漏」的两位贡献者
宣布这一发现的论文于 2005 年发表，但其他研究者当时也在探索相似的思路。三年前，当时供职于纽约纪念斯隆—凯特林癌症中心的格罗·米森伯克（Gero Miesenböck），就已用果蝇的一种感光蛋白做过类似工作。正如一些人所指出的，米森伯克完全有理由感到愤懑不平。而麻省理工学院的神经科学家爱德华·博伊登（Edward Boyden）——他在斯坦福读博士时曾与戴瑟罗斯合作——又是一处令人意外的「遗漏」。
本段是全文最「八卦」、也最见作者态度的一段——用插叙交代优先权争议。then at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre 用小词 then（当时）交代人物彼时的任职机构，简洁。Dr Miesenböck, as some have observed, might have serious reason to be miffed 是全段最妙的一句：as some have observed（正如一些人所注意到的）把作者自己的判断「转嫁」给「一些观察者」，是一种委婉的立场表达（既不武断，又传达了态度）；miffed（恼火、不爽）是英式口语词，程度比 angry 轻、又带点幽默，用在正式报道里制造反差。末句 Edward Boyden, a neuroscientist at MIT who collaborated with Dr Deisseroth when he was a PhD student at Stanford, was another surprising omission 是本段语法重点：主语 Edward Boyden 后跟一个同位语 a neuroscientist at MIT，再接一个 who 定语从句（其中又嵌 when 时间状语从句），谓语才是 was another surprising omission——这种「主语被层层修饰包裹」的长主语句，读法就是先划掉所有修饰、抓住末尾的谓语。omission（遗漏、被漏掉的人）是本段关键词，指「本该一起获奖却被忽略的贡献者」。
⑭ 爆发：从大鼠细胞到活体小鼠
不过，无论优先权细节如何，这一领域此后便呈爆发式发展。戴瑟罗斯的实验室一马当先：先是把此前在培养大鼠细胞上完成的实验，在活体小鼠大脑中重复了一遍；接着又发明了一招——用极细的光纤来照射、进而刺激成群的神经元。两项技巧结合起来，让研究者得以控制小鼠胡须的运动。
本段用 Regardless of details of priority, though, the subject has since exploded（无论优先权细节如何，此后这门学科呈爆发式增长）把话题从「谁先谁后」拉回「科学本身」，Regardless of（无论、不管）与 has since exploded（此后爆发式发展）是两个高分表达；exploded 在此是比喻（研究领域「爆炸式增长」），比 developed rapidly 更有冲击力。第二句 first by repeating ..., and then by inventing the trick of ... 用 first ... and then ... 两个 by doing 并列，清晰交代「两步走」；led the way（一马当先、领跑）是固定搭配；the trick of using extremely thin optical fibres to illuminate, and thus stimulate, groups of neurons 里 the trick of doing sth（做某事的高招）→ illuminate（照射）与 stimulate（刺激）由 and thus（进而）相连，用逗号把「照射→刺激」的因果压进一个插入结构，节奏紧凑。optical fibres（光纤）是雅思科技词。末句 In combination, these tricks let the researchers control the movements of a mouse's whiskers——In combination（结合起来）与 let sb do sth（使某人能做）收束，whiskers（胡须）是个具体而微的细节，用一个「小到好笑」的现象（胡须动了）来证明「技术真的能控制神经」，是科普写作以实证说服的常用手法。
⑮ 收束：数千篇论文，与一句谚语
如今，光遗传学已成为数千篇论文的研究主题。它正被用于动物实验，以探究抑郁症、精神分裂症、失明、失聪、痴呆、成瘾与焦虑。甚至有人尝试用它为一种名为「视网膜色素变性」的失明患者恢复视力。参天橡树，起于小小橡果。而在本例中，起于小小藻类。
本段收束医学奖，最出彩的是谚语化收尾。Great oaks from little acorns grow 是一句英语谚语（参天橡树，生于小小橡果；比喻「伟大源自微小」），作者紧接着用 Or, in this case, little algae（而在本例中，是小小藻类）顺势一拐——「橡果」换成「藻类」，既扣回 ¶10 的 Chlamydomonas（单细胞藻类），又把谚语变成全文的一个笑点。这种「引谚语 + 就地改写」的收尾极其漂亮，是写作加分点。前半段用三个句子堆叠成果：has now been the subject of thousands of papers（已成数千篇论文的主题）；is being used in animals to investigate depression, schizophrenia, blindness, deafness, dementia, addiction and anxiety 用七个疾病名并列，用「名词的堆叠」表现应用之广（注意 is being used 现在进行时被动，表「正在被使用」）；There is even an attempt to use it to restore vision in people with a form of blindness called retinitis pigmentosa 用 There is even an attempt to ...（甚至有尝试……）把叙述推向高点，restore vision（恢复视力）与 retinitis pigmentosa（视网膜色素变性）是最终落点。学写作可记：罗列同类名词（七个病名）比「很多疾病」更有说服力。
⑯ 转入：化学奖——生命为何「偏心」
化学奖一如既往，也从对生命的研究中获得了线索。许多对生物至关重要的分子都具「手性」，能以两种镜像形式存在——理论上，这两种形式在宇宙中的数量应当相等。然而大自然却冷酷地做出了选择。就生物体而言，氨基酸通常是「左手」的，糖则是「右手」的。而亨利·卡根（Henri Kagan，巴黎—萨克雷大学）与素井健三（Kenzo Soai，东京理科大学）之所以接到斯德哥尔摩打来的电话，正是因为他们推进了人们对这种不对称究竟如何产生的理解。
本段开启化学奖，核心概念是 chiral（手性的）与 mirror-image（镜像的）。The prize for chemistry, as is often the way, took its cue from the study of life 里 as is often the way（一如既往、常常如此）是插入语，take one's cue from（从……中获得提示、线索，cue 本义是「（台词的）提示」）是极地道的搭配。第二句 Many molecules essential to biology are chiral, capable of existing in two mirror-image forms that should, at least theoretically, exist in the universe in equal quantities 用 capable of doing（能够）作后置定语，at least theoretically（至少在理论上）把话说得留有余地。And yet nature is ruthlessly selective（然而大自然却做出了冷酷的筛选）是全段语气最强的一句，And yet（然而）比 but 更重，ruthlessly（冷酷无情地）赋予自然以「意志」，制造反差。第四句 amino acids are generally left-handed; sugars are right-handed 用分号并列两个对称事实，left-handed / right-handed（左手性的、右手性的）是手性化学的形象说法。末句是强调句 It is ... that ...：It is for progress towards understanding how such asymmetry might have come about that Henri Kagan ... and Kenzo Soai ... received calls from Stockholm——把「获奖原因」提前强调，received calls from Stockholm（接到斯德哥尔摩的电话）是 TE 写诺奖的经典委婉语（斯德哥尔摩 = 诺奖委员会所在地，不说「获奖」而说「接到电话」，含蓄有趣，可与 ¶2 的 citation 呼应）。
⑰ 难题：旧假设为何解释不了大规模不对称
化学家此前已能有选择地制造出具有特定手性的分子。然而，所有这类反应都依赖一种手性催化剂，而催化剂本身往往由左旋与右旋分子的不等混合物构成。当时的假设是：反应产物中左旋与右旋分子的比例，应与催化剂自身的比例相吻合。这就带来一个问题：如果反应只能「复制」催化剂的不对称程度，那么大规模的不对称又是如何产生的呢？
本段是全文为数不多以设问收尾的段落，逻辑上承担「提出问题」的功能。前三句铺陈旧有认识：had been able to selectively produce molecules with a given chirality before——had been able to ... before 用过去完成时表「在此之前已能」，a given chirality（某一特定的手性）里 given 作形容词「给定的、特定的」。第二句 All such reactions, however, depended on a chiral catalyst, often made up of an unequal mix of left- and right-handed molecules：depend on（依赖）、be made up of（由……构成）、an unequal mix（不等混合物）。第三句 The assumption was that the ratio of A to B in the reaction's products would match the ratio in the catalyst itself 是「The assumption was that ...」引出的旧假说，ratio of A to B（A 与 B 之比）与 match（吻合、匹配）是必背。末句 This posed a problem: if the reaction could match only the asymmetry of the catalyst, how, then, could large-scale asymmetry emerge? 用 pose a problem（构成一个问题）引出，冒号后是一个「if ... how, then, ...?」的设问句——how, then, could ... emerge?（那么……又如何能产生呢？）是真正的逻辑难点。用设问句制造悬念、并引出下一段的解答，是论述文最有效的推进手法之一。
⑱ 第一步：卡根——超越基准
1986 年，卡根通过发现「手性催化剂能够超越这一基准」而推翻了上述假设。他起初用一种左旋分子数量为右旋三倍的催化剂，就能设计出产出「六倍不平衡」溶液的反应。这是一次有意义的改进，但仍不足以把无生命物质那种「近乎完全对称」，转变为生命所展现的「近乎完全手性」。
本段讲第一个突破（卡根），有三处值得记：refuted this assumption by finding that ...（通过发现……而推翻了这一假设）——refute（驳倒、推翻）是学术论证的高分动词，by doing 表方式；outperform this benchmark（超越这一基准）——outperform（表现优于）是本篇的「过招」动词，benchmark（基准、标杆）在科研语境中特指「用来衡量的标准」。第二句 Starting with a catalyst in which left-handed molecules were three times as abundant as right-handed ones, he could engineer reactions that produced a solution with a six-fold imbalance 里，Starting with ... 是现在分词状语（先有……作为起点），three times as abundant as（数量是……的三倍）是「倍数 + as + adj + as」结构，a six-fold imbalance（六倍的不平衡）里 -fold（倍）是构词后缀——注意「三倍起点 → 六倍结果」的对照，正是 outperform（超越基准）的量化体现。末句 A meaningful improvement, but still too small to transform A into B 是一个名词短语 + but 转折的省略句（省略主语 it is）：先给肯定（有意义的改进），再给保留（仍太小）——too small to transform ...（太小，不足以把……转变为……）是 too...to 结构；the near-total symmetry of inanimate matter（无生命物质近乎完全的对称性）与 the near-total chirality displayed by life（生命展现出的近乎完全的手性）形成工整对照，inanimate（无生命的）与 displayed by（由……展现的）都要记。
⑲ 第二步：素井——填补空白的自我放大
填补这一空白的，是素井。在 2003 年发表的研究中，他证明：只要让溶液中存在极微小的手性分子不平衡，就能加以设计，使其产生手性不断增强的催化剂。这种「自我放大」能带来迅速的变化。例如，仅把反应重复三次，素井就实现了溶液不对称程度 63 万倍的提升。
本段讲第二个突破（素井），与 ¶18 形成递进对照。首句 It was Dr Soai who bridged the gap（填上这道沟壑的是素井博士）又是强调句 It was ... who ...（与 ¶12 的 It was Dr Deisseroth who ... 手法相同，可对照记忆），bridge the gap（弥合差距、填补空白）是高频搭配。第二句 he demonstrated that solutions with a minuscule imbalance of chiral molecules could be engineered so as to produce catalysts with increasing chirality 里 demonstrate that ...（证明）引出结论，a minuscule imbalance（极微小的不平衡）与 ¶18 的 six-fold imbalance 对照（「极小」起点→「巨大」结果），so as to do（以便、从而）表目的，with increasing chirality（手性不断增强的）用 increasing 作前置定语。第三句 This self-amplification could produce rapid change 用 self-amplification（自我放大）为这一机制命名，self- 前缀表「自我」。末句 Repeating a reaction only three times, for example, allowed Dr Soai to achieve a 630,000-fold increase in the asymmetry of the solution 用动名词主语 Repeating ... three times + allowed sb to do，a 630,000-fold increase（63 万倍的提升）再次用 -fold——「三次 → 63 万倍」的强烈反差是全文数字叙事的又一次高潮（可与 ¶4 的 65bn、¶8 的 28 对照）。
⑳ 收束：即便如此，这仍是第一次
这一后来被称为「素井反应」的过程，并非生命手性诞生的真实途径。原因之一在于：素井所用的试剂，在 40 亿年前根本不可能存在。但正如评奖委员会一位成员所解释的，即便如此，这仍是有生命以来的数十亿年间，人类第一次从「非手性」的分子组合中创造出「手性」。
全文以此段收束，最见功力的是「让步——转折——奉还」的收尾结构。首句 The Soai reaction, as it has come to be known, is not the way that life's chirality emerged（这一后来被称为素井反应的过程，并非生命手性的诞生途径）先主动「否定」——不吹嘘，反而先承认局限；as it has come to be known（正如它后来为人所知的那样）是插入语，说明命名的由来。第二句 For one thing, the reagents that Dr Soai used could not have existed 4bn years ago 用 For one thing（原因之一）给出理由，could not have existed（本不可能存在）是「对过去的虚拟推测」，语气准确（不是「没有」，而是「不可能有」）。末句 But, as a member of the prize committee explained, it was nonetheless the first time that anyone had created chirality from a non-chiral combination of molecules since the dawn of life those billions of years before 用 but ... nonetheless ...（但……尽管如此……）完成转折与「奉还」：先引委员会之口（as ... explained，仍是「借他人之口表达立场」的委婉法，呼应 ¶13 的 as some have observed），再用 it was the first time that ...（这是第一次……）抬高意义，from a non-chiral combination of molecules（从非手性的分子组合中）点明真正的突破所在，since the dawn of life（自有生命以来）把时间尺度拉到最大。全段示范了科学写作中最难得的一种分寸——既不夸大成果，也不贬低价值，用「即便如此，这仍是第一次……」给出恰如其分的评价。
03核心词汇精讲
标签说明：四级 基础必备 六级 进阶 雅思 学术高频 高分 写作加分
A. 物理与探测：捕捉宇宙信使
neutrino/njuːˈtriːnəʊ/雅思高分
释义n. 中微子（一种电中性、几乎不与物质作用的亚原子粒子）
派生neutrino（复数 neutrinos）；相关：neutral adj. 中性的
搭配solar neutrino 太阳中微子；high-energy neutrino 高能中微子；detect a neutrino 探测中微子
detector/dɪˈtektə(r)/四级雅思
释义n. 探测器，检测器
派生detect v. 探测；detection n. 探测；detectable adj. 可探测的
搭配a particle detector 粒子探测器；a neutrino detector 中微子探测器；detect signals 探测信号
observatory/əbˈzɜːvətri/六级雅思
释义n. 天文台，观测站
派生observe v. 观察；observation n. 观察；observant adj. 敏锐的
搭配the IceCube Neutrino Observatory 冰立方中微子天文台；an astronomical observatory 天文台
deflect/dɪˈflekt/六级雅思
释义v. 使偏转，使转向
派生deflection n. 偏转；deflective adj. 偏转的
搭配be deflected by magnetic fields 被磁场偏转；deflect attention 转移注意力
unimpeded/ˌʌnɪmˈpiːdɪd/雅思高分
释义adj. 不受阻碍的，畅通无阻的
派生impede v. 阻碍；impediment n. 障碍，阻碍
搭配travel unimpeded 畅通无阻地行进；unimpeded access 不受阻碍的进入
extragalactic/ˌekstrəɡəˈlæktɪk/雅思高分
释义adj. 银河系外的，河外的
派生galaxy n. 星系；galactic adj. 银河系的；intergalactic adj. 星系际的
搭配extragalactic neutrinos 河外中微子；extragalactic astronomy 河外天文学
cosmic/ˈkɒzmɪk/六级雅思
释义adj. 宇宙的；（规模）极大的
派生cosmos n. 宇宙；cosmology n. 宇宙学；cosmologist n. 宇宙学家
搭配cosmic neutrinos 宇宙中微子；cosmic rays 宇宙线；a cosmic scale 宇宙尺度
proton/ˈprəʊtɒn/四级雅思
释义n. 质子
派生protonic adj. 质子的；相关：neutron n. 中子；electron n. 电子
搭配solar protons 太阳质子；high-energy protons 高能质子
B. 生物与神经：用光控制细胞
optogenetics/ˌɒptəʊdʒəˈnetɪks/雅思高分
释义n. 光遗传学（用光控制经基因改造的神经细胞的技术）
派生optogenetic adj. 光遗传学的；genetic adj. 遗传的；gene n. 基因
搭配the foundations of optogenetics 光遗传学的基础；optogenetic tools 光遗传学工具
neuron/ˈnjʊərɒn/六级雅思
释义n. 神经元，神经细胞
派生neural adj. 神经的；neurobiology n. 神经生物学；neuroscientist n. 神经科学家
搭配individual brain cells and neurons 单个脑细胞与神经元；cultured neurons 培养的神经元；the neural basis of illness 疾病的神经基础
retina/ˈretɪnə/雅思高分
释义n. 视网膜
派生retinal adj. 视网膜的；retinitis n. 视网膜炎
搭配in a human retina 在人眼视网膜中；retinitis pigmentosa 视网膜色素变性
ion/ˈaɪən/六级雅思
释义n. 离子
派生ionic adj. 离子的；ionise v. 使电离；ionisation n. 电离
搭配an ion channel 离子通道；light-stimulated ion channels 光激活的离子通道
algae/ˈældʒiː/六级雅思
释义n. 藻类（单数形式为 alga）
派生alga n. 藻（单数）；algal adj. 藻类的
搭配single-cell algae 单细胞藻类；little algae 小小的藻类
genomics/dʒəˈnɒmɪks/雅思高分
释义n. 基因组学
派生genome n. 基因组；gene n. 基因；genetic adj. 遗传的
搭配the blossoming science of genomics 蓬勃兴起的基因组学；a map of the DNA 一张 DNA 图谱
mammalian/mæˈmeɪliən/六级雅思
释义adj. 哺乳动物的；n. 哺乳动物
派生mammal n. 哺乳动物
搭配mammalian cells 哺乳动物细胞；make cells light-sensitive 使细胞变得感光
stimulate/ˈstɪmjuleɪt/四级雅思
释义v. 刺激，激发；促进
派生stimulation n. 刺激；stimulus n. 刺激物（复数 stimuli）；stimulating adj. 令人兴奋的
搭配stimulate neurons 刺激神经元；light-stimulated 光激活的；stimulate growth 促进增长
C. 化学与手性：镜像分子的秘密
chiral/ˈkaɪrəl/雅思高分
释义adj. 手性的（分子与其镜像不能重合的性质，源自希腊语「手」）
派生chirality n. 手性；chirally adv. 手性地
搭配chiral molecules 手性分子；a chiral catalyst 手性催化剂
asymmetry/eɪˈsɪmətri/六级雅思
释义n. 不对称（性）
派生symmetry n. 对称；asymmetric(al) adj. 不对称的；symmetrical adj. 对称的
搭配the asymmetry of the solution 溶液的不对称；near-total asymmetry 近乎完全的不对称
catalyst/ˈkætəlɪst/六级雅思
释义n. 催化剂；（喻）促成因素
派生catalyse v. 催化；catalytic adj. 催化的；catalysis n. 催化作用
搭配a chiral catalyst 手性催化剂；catalysts with increasing chirality 手性不断增强的催化剂
molecule/ˈmɒlɪkjuːl/四级雅思
释义n. 分子
派生molecular adj. 分子的；molecule（复数 molecules）
搭配mirror-image molecules 镜像分子；a non-chiral combination of molecules 非手性的分子组合
mirror-image/ˈmɪrə ˈɪmɪdʒ/雅思高分
释义adj./n. 镜像（的）；完全对称的
派生mirror n. 镜子 v. 反映；imaging n. 成像
搭配two mirror-image forms 两种镜像形式；a mirror-image world 镜像世界
imbalance/ɪmˈbæləns/六级雅思
释义n. 不平衡，失衡
派生balance n./v. 平衡；balanced adj. 平衡的；imbalanced adj. 失衡的
搭配a minuscule imbalance 极微小的不平衡；a six-fold imbalance 六倍的不平衡
reagent/riˈeɪdʒənt/雅思高分
释义n. 试剂
派生react v. 反应；reaction n. 反应；reactive adj. 反应性的
搭配the reagents that Dr Soai used 素井所用的试剂；chemical reagents 化学试剂
amplification/ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/雅思高分
释义n. 放大，增强
派生amplify v. 放大；amplifier n. 放大器；self-amplification n. 自我放大
搭配self-amplification 自我放大；the amplification of a signal 信号的放大
D. 科研与评价：诺奖的语言
laureate/ˈlɒriət/雅思高分
释义n. 获奖者（尤指诺奖得主）
派生laureateship n. 桂冠身份；laurel n. 桂冠（象征荣誉）
搭配physics laureates 物理学奖得主；a Nobel laureate 诺奖得主
citation/saɪˈteɪʃn/六级雅思
释义n. 引文；表彰，颁奖评语
派生cite v. 引用，援引；be cited for 因……受到表彰
搭配the prize citation 获奖评语；unveiled on Tuesday 周二揭晓的
hypothesise/haɪˈpɒθəsaɪz/雅思高分
释义v. 假设，假定
派生hypothesis n. 假设；hypothetical adj. 假设的
搭配hypothesise that ... 假设……；test a hypothesis 验证一个假设
refute/rɪˈfjuːt/雅思高分
释义v. 驳斥，反驳；证明……错误
派生refutation n. 反驳；refutable adj. 可驳斥的
搭配refute an assumption 推翻一个假设；refute a claim 驳斥一种说法
benchmark/ˈbentʃmɑːk/六级雅思
释义n. 基准，标杆；v. 以……为基准衡量
派生benchmarking n. 基准化
搭配outperform the benchmark 超越这一基准；set a benchmark 确立标杆
omission/əˈmɪʃn/六级雅思
释义n. 遗漏，省略；被漏掉的人或物
派生omit v. 省略，遗漏；omissive adj. 省略的
搭配a surprising omission 令人意外的遗漏；the omission of a name 某个名字的遗漏
priority/praɪˈɒrəti/四级雅思
释义n. 优先（权）；优先事项
派生prior adj. 优先的；prioritise v. 优先处理
搭配details of priority 优先权的细节；a matter of priority 优先权问题
bullish/ˈbʊlɪʃ/雅思高分
释义adj. 乐观的，看涨的（本为金融用语，指看多股市）
派生bullishness n. 乐观；bull n. 公牛，牛市；bull market 牛市
搭配be permitted more bullishness 可以有更多的乐观；a bullish outlook 乐观的前景
E. 通用高分表达
abundant/əˈbʌndənt/四级雅思
释义adj. 丰富的，大量的
派生abundance n. 丰富；abundantly adv. 极其，十分
搭配be abundant throughout the universe 在宇宙中随处可见；abundant evidence 大量证据
crystallise/ˈkrɪstəlaɪz/六级雅思
释义v. （想法）成形，变得明确；结晶
派生crystal n. 水晶，晶体；crystalline adj. 结晶的；crystallisation n. 结晶
搭配the idea crystallised 想法成形；crystallise into a plan 凝结成一套方案
aptly/ˈæptli/雅思高分
释义adv. 恰当地，贴切地
派生apt adj. 恰当的，贴切的；aptness n. 恰当
搭配the aptly named weak nuclear force 名字起得恰到好处的弱核力；aptly put 说得贴切
diminutive/dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/雅思高分
释义adj. 极小的，微小的
派生diminish v. 减少，缩小；diminution n. 缩小
搭配physically diminutive 体积极小的；a diminutive figure 矮小的身影
inanimate/ɪnˈænɪmət/雅思高分
释义adj. 无生命的
派生animate adj. 有生命的；inanimation n. 无生命状态
搭配inanimate matter 无生命物质；an inanimate object 无生命的物体
ruthlessly/ˈruːθləsli/六级雅思
释义adv. 冷酷无情地，不择手段地
派生ruthless adj. 无情的；ruthlessness n. 无情
搭配ruthlessly selective 冷酷地筛选；ruthlessly efficient 高效得近乎无情
convoluted/ˈkɒnvəluːtɪd/雅思高分
释义adj. 错综复杂的，费解的
派生convolute v. 卷绕，旋绕；convolution n. 错综复杂
搭配a convoluted process 一套迂回的过程；a convoluted plot 错综复杂的情节
decisive/dɪˈsaɪsɪv/四级雅思
释义adj. 决定性的；果断的
派生decide v. 决定；decision n. 决定；decisively adv. 果断地
搭配decisive contributions 决定性的贡献；a decisive moment 决定性的时刻