They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear out'. Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present). But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. 人们不但认识到所有的动物,大概也认识到所有的有机物。如树木,甚至宇宙本身,从事物的本质上来说都会“磨损掉”。我们通常看到的大多数动物,即使能让它们活得足够长久的话,也会像我们一样衰老的。像上紧发条的手表那样的机械装置,或太阳,也都会消耗完其能量(整个宇宙否如此,目前沿有争论)。不过,这些衰老的情况同人并不相似。手表停了依然是只手表,还可以重上好发条。 � New words and expressions 生词和短语 � robust adj. 强健的 organism n. 有机体 thermodynamics n. 热力学 moot adj. 争论未决的 run-down adj. 破旧的 �