自我编辑者

第六天早上，琪亚拉煮了咖啡。她和波莉一起坐在水箱旁。

On the sixth morning, Chiara made coffee. She sat by the tank with Polly.

意大利面章鱼倒挂着。她的身体缓缓地脉动着，触手轻轻漂浮。

Pasta was hanging upside down. Her body pulsed slowly. Her arms drifted.

“我想再告诉你一件事，”琪亚拉说，“这是我所知道的关于章鱼最奇怪的事情。”

"I want to tell you one more thing," Chiara said. "It is the strangest thing I know about octopuses."

DNA是动物的长期计划，而RNA是工作的副本。

DNA is the long-term plan of an animal. RNA is the working copy.

在大多数动物中，RNA与DNA相匹配。但在章鱼中，RNA不匹配。细胞在制造RNA时会重写其中的一部分。大多数编辑发生在神经系统中。

In most animals, the RNA matches the DNA. But in octopuses, the RNA does not match. The cell rewrites parts of the RNA as it makes it. Most of the edits happen in the nervous system.

“为什么呢？”琪亚拉说，“这让章鱼能够改变它的神经系统。它可以根据水温或食物调整自己的大脑。”

"Why?" Chiara said. "It lets the octopus change its nervous system. It can tune its own brain to the water temperature or to its food."

意大利面章鱼漂浮着。她眼睛附近的皮肤变成了柔和的粉红色和棕色。

Pasta drifted. Her skin near the eyes turned soft pink and brown.

“每只章鱼都是略有不同的动物，”琪亚拉说，“DNA是一样的，但工作的机制是为那片水和食物新建的。”

"Each octopus is a slightly different animal," Chiara said. "Same DNA. But the working machinery is built fresh, for that water and that food."

波莉想到了自己的大脑。那是她的。她不希望它改变。但她喜欢知道像意大利面章鱼这样的动物存在。

Polly thought about her own brain. It was hers. She did not want it to change. But she liked knowing that animals like Pasta existed.