評論
打印
Science & Technology
科技版塊
The study of fossils
化石研究
Digging deep
深挖
The tricky relationship between palaeontology and poor countries
古生物學與窮國之間微妙的關系
WHAT YOU see depends on where you stand.
你站在哪里決定你看到了什么。
The unarguable fact that most palaeontologists live in the rich world means two things.
大多數古生物學家生活在富裕世界這一無可爭議的事實意味著兩件事。
One is that the fossils of these places are far better studied than those of poorer countries, which is a scientific pity.
一是富裕國家比貧窮國家的化石研究得更好，這是一個科學上的遺憾。
The other is that what knowledge has been garnered about poor-country palaeontology is frequently the result of visits by rich-country palaeontologists.
另一個是，窮國古生物學知識往往是富國古生物學家訪問的結果。
All this was well known, if not quantified, before Nussaibah Raja put numbers on it in a paper published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
在努賽巴·拉賈在《自然生態與進化》上發表的一篇論文對其進行統計之前，盡管沒人對其量化，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，拉賈女士認為這是一種令人遺憾的歷史導致的偏見，這種偏見肯定應該在未來得到解決，而且還看到了富國的科學機構對窮國的持續掠奪（富國的科學機構比他們更強大）。
Perhaps. But an alternative view is possible.
但是另一種觀點是可能的。
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.
這是因為世界上許多貧窮國家有比研究它們的化石上更重要的事情，如果不違反法律，讓外國研究人員為它們做這件事并沒有錯，除此以外，再提一些什么建議未免顯得居高臨下了。
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，正如拉賈女士所觀察到的，一些尚未完全富裕的國家，特別是中國、巴西、阿根廷、墨西哥和印度，確實正在以自身的方式發展成為古生物學強國。
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，正如她進一步指出的那樣，中國古生物學家開始對鄰國緬甸的琥珀化石層感興趣，憤世嫉俗者可能會認為他們至少和任何西方化石獵人一樣具有掠奪性。
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.
拉賈女士正確地指出，富裕國家的科學家可以做更多的事情來幫助貧窮國家的東道主，特別是通過招募當地研究人員加入他們的團隊，來轉讓他們目前不擅長的專業知識。
But it takes two to tango.
但探戈需要兩個人。
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，或者說有金錢，來參與這場舞蹈。
