we don't know enough about consciousness yet

我们对于意识了解甚少
to know whether or not it can be explained in physical terms.

还不知道是否能使用物理的方式对其进行解释
When I think about this situation,

每当我想到这种情境时
an analogy always occurs to me.

总会联想到一个类比
Imagine that we're somewhere in,

想象一下我们正处在
let's say, the fourteenth century trying to understand life,

比如在14世纪人们试图去理解生命
the life of plants.

理解植物的生命
A plant is a living thing.

一株植物是一个有生命力的实体
And we ask ourselves,

我们问自己
"Could it possibly be that

能否
life could be explained in material terms?"

从物质的角度来解释生命呢
It's got to seem very mysterious to us.

这种想法简直是匪夷所思