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The United States of America's Declaration of Independence would be signed in the last half-inch.
美國的獨立宣言簽署在最后的半英寸。
Or if we compared geologic time to a woman stretching her arms to a span of six feet, the simple act of filing her nails would wipe away all of recorded human history.
如果我們將地質年代同一個女士伸展的雙臂長度——大約6英尺的范圍作比較，一個簡單的修理指甲便會抹去整個人類歷史。
Finally, let's imagine the history of the Earth as your life: from the moment you're born to your first day of high school.
最后，讓我們把地球歷史想象成你的一生：從你出生的時刻到你進入高中的第一天。
Your first word, first time sitting up, and first time walking would all take place while life on Earth was comprised of single-celled organisms.
你的第一句話，第一次起立，第一次行走統統發生在地球生物界是由單細胞生物構成的時候。
In fact, the first multicellular organism wouldn't evolve until you were 12 years old and starting 7th grade, right around the time your science teacher is telling the class how fossils are formed.
事實上，第一個多細胞生物直到你12歲的時候才出現，也就是你開始7年級的時候，這剛好是你的科學老師在課堂上告訴你化石是怎么形成的時候。
The dinosaurs don't appear until three months into 8th grade and are soon wiped out right around spring break.
恐龍是你在8年級上了三個月的時候才出現的，但很快，在你春假的時候它又消失了。
Three days before 9th grade begins, when you realize summer is over and you need new school supplies, Lucy, the Australopithecine, is walking around Africa.
9年級開始的三天前，當你發現夏天已經結束，你又需要新學習用具的時候，南方猿人露西正在非洲散步。
As you finish breakfast and head outside to catch your bus 44 minutes before school, the Neanderthals are going extinct throughout Europe.
當你吃完早餐出門追趕公交車、還有44分鐘就要上課的時候，尼安德特人將從整個歐洲消失。
The most recent glacial period ends as your bus drops you off 16 minutes before class.
最近的一次冰河時期結束于你從公交車上下來，上課前的16分鐘。
Columbus sets sail 50 seconds before class as you're still trying to find the right classroom.
哥倫布起航于你上課的50秒前，尋找正確教室的時候。
The Declaration of Independence is signed 28 seconds later as you look for an empty seat.
獨立宣言簽署于28秒鐘后，這時你正在尋找空座位。
And you were born 1.3 seconds before the bell rings.
然后你出生于上課鈴響1.3秒之前。
So, you see, the Earth is extremely, unbelievably old compared to us humans with a fossil record hiding incredible stories to tell us about the past and possibly the future as well.
所以你看，地球跟我們人類比起來真的是極不可思議的高齡，化石記錄隱藏了太多過去的驚人故事，還可能包括將來的。
But in the short time we've been here, we've learned so much and will surely learn more over the next decades and centuries, near moments in geological time.
但在我們存在的短時間內，我們了解了如此之多，當然在未來的幾十年到幾個世紀我們一定會了解更多，這僅相當于地質年代中的片刻。
