For many scientists, a species'success is measuredby sheer numbers.
對很多科學家來說，一個物種的成功完全取決于數量。

In that case, the most successful species knowntoman is a type of bacterium known as S-A-R-11, orSAR-11 for short.

如果是那樣是話，為人類所知的最成功的物種就是一種簡稱“SAR-11”的細菌。

Scientists estimate that there are two-hundred andforty times a billion billion billion SAR11 cells floatingaround in the oceans.

科學家們估計海洋中的SAR11細胞的數量超過2 x 10的28次方個。

Now that makes six-billion humans sound like a merehandful.

那讓60億人類聽起來屈指可數。

SAR11 bacteria are known for their ability to transform one substance into another, which iswhythey are such an important part of the Earth's chemical cycles.

SAR11細菌以其轉換物質的能力為人所知。而這也使得它們成為地球化學循環(huán)中重要的部分。

Although scientists are stilluncertain about SAR11's specific role, it appears to produce carbondioxide using the oxygen andcarbon from organic matter that's derived from photo synthesis.

盡管科學家不能確定SAR11的具體作用。但它似乎可以使來自于光合作用的氧氣和有機物種的碳發(fā)生作用，產生二氧化碳。

Scientists speculate that SAR11plays a major role in the way the ocean's surface acts as agiant carbon pump that removescarbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

科學家推測SAR11在海洋表面扮演著重要的作用，作為一個巨大的碳泵移除空氣中的二氧化碳。

The catch is that SAR11 is what is known as an uncultured organism, which means thatscientistshaven't been able to cultivate it under laboratory conditions.

但目前SAR11是為培養(yǎng)生物，也就是說科學家不能在實驗室里培養(yǎng)出這種細菌。