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新概念英语第四册课文原文：衰老过程

691. Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough;

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。

692. 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).

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)。

693. But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages.

不过，这些衰老的情况同人并不相似。

694. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending.

手表停了依然是只手表，还可以重上好发条。然而一只老掉牙的手表，磨损太厉害，老得一点儿不准了，最终不值得修理了。

695. But a watch could never repair itself -- it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction.

但是，手表决不会自行修理，它不是由有生命的部件组成，而是由金属组成，而金属可以随着磨擦而磨损殆尽。