印度调香师如何还原泥土上的雨水气息 | 屹立不倒：英语精读讲义

Fresh roses are the main ingredient for this ancient way of making perfume.

新鲜玫瑰是这种古老制香方法的主要原料。

The tradition is thousands of years old and

这项传统已有数千年历史，

this small city in India is one of the only places that still makes it this way. 短語搭配

而印度这座小城，是如今为数不多仍沿用这种方式制香的地方之一。

One batch can take weeks or even months to prepare. 語法

制作一批香精可能需要数周，甚至数月。

The result is 100% pure perfume,

最终得到的是100%纯净的香精，

also called attar, 文化背景

也叫阿塔尔香精，

the Arabic word for fragrance.

“attar”在阿拉伯语中意为“香气”。

But what makes the attar so special 語法

但阿塔尔香精的独特之处，

is also what is leading to its demise.

也正是让它逐渐走向衰落的原因。

The time-consuming process is hard to sustain.

这种耗时的工艺很难维持下去。

We visited India's perfume capital Kannauj 文化背景

我们来到印度的香水之都卡瑙杰，

to see how this craft is still standing. 習語

看看这门手艺如何延续至今。

Workers gather roses in these fields near Kannauj

工人们在卡瑙杰附近的田野里采摘玫瑰，

and deliver them to distilleries while they're still fresh.

趁花还新鲜时送到蒸馏坊。

This one is over 100 years old.

这家蒸馏坊已有100多年历史。

It's owned by M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers.

它隶属于M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers。

There is no electricity

这里没有电，

and no industrial machinery here.

也没有工业机械。

Workers have already prepped these copper containers or degs,

工人们已经备好这些叫作“deg”的铜制容器，

filling them with just the right amount of water,

往里面加入恰到好处的水，

about 80 kilos.

大约80公斤。

Har aadmi andaaz nahi laga pata hai.

不是每个人都能估得准。

Once the flowers arrive,

鲜花一送到，

they are carefully weighed.

就会被仔细称重。

It is an essential part of the process,

这是整个流程中至关重要的一步，

as getting an accurate ratio is key. 語法

因为准确的配比是关键。

The roses are evenly spread out 短語動詞

玫瑰被均匀铺开，

and it takes two men to carry and pour them into the degs. 語法

需要两名工人合力把它们搬起，倒进deg里。

As the petals begin to seep in the water,

花瓣开始浸入水中时，

a craftsman seals the container rim with a mixture of clay and cotton.

工匠会用黏土和棉花的混合物封住容器边缘。

They then light firewood inside an earthen oven called a bhatti 文化背景

接着，他们在一种叫“bhatti”的土炉里点燃木柴，

and the alchemy begins. 習語

炼香的奇妙过程就此开始。

The heat boils the water and flowers until they emit steam.

热量让水和鲜花沸腾，直至释放出蒸汽。

It condenses as it travels through this hollow bamboo pipe or chunga, 文化背景

蒸汽流经一根叫“chunga”的空心竹管时会凝结，

that connects to the bhapka,

竹管连接着bhapka，

a smaller container filled with sandalwood oil that forms the base of attar.

这是一个装有檀香油的小容器，而檀香油正是阿塔尔香精的基底。

This is where every last drop of fragrant water will gather over 6 hours. 短語搭配

接下来的6小时里，每一滴芳香液体都会汇集到这里。

In the meantime, 表達脈絡

与此同时，

workers constantly check the temperatures of the different vessels,

工人们不断检查各个容器的温度，

using their hands and years of experience instead of thermometers.

不用温度计，只凭双手和多年的经验。

They monitor the fire to make sure the degs are warm enough to create steam, 語法

他们会照看炉火，确保deg足够热，能够产生蒸汽，

but not too much,

但又不能过热，

otherwise it can destroy the scent.

否则香气就会被破坏。

They also have to make sure the bhapka stays cool enough to turn the steam back into liquid. 短語搭配

他们还得确保bhapka足够凉，能让蒸汽重新变成液体。

This is a job which requires a lot of patience.

这是一项非常考验耐心的工作。

It requires a lot of time and effort.

需要投入大量时间和精力。

The input has to be good to get great outcomes.

只有原料好，才能得到出色的成品。

So,

所以，

every stage of our process

我们工艺中的每一个环节

has to be given a lot of focus

都必须得到高度重视，

and to be done with a lot of concentration

操作时也必须全神贯注，

and any slip off can, you know,

任何一点疏忽，你知道，

have negative results.

都可能带来不好的结果。

And the result is the all-natural attar,

最后制成的，就是完全天然的阿塔尔香精，

free from any alcohol or artificial chemicals. 短語搭配

不含任何酒精或人工化学成分。

With a scent that can linger for days. 用詞

它的香气可以持续数日。

Here,

在这里，

they make over 15 different kinds of oils,

他们制作15种以上不同的香精油，

but one of their most prized is mitti attar, 文化背景

其中最珍贵的一种是“mitti attar”，

literally meaning earth perfume.

字面意思就是“大地香水”。

When, let's say, 語氣意圖

比如说，

there is rain on dry, parched earth

雨水落在干燥龟裂的土地上，

and you know, the smell,

你知道那种气味，

the sweet, soothing smell that one gets.

那种清甜、舒缓的气息。

So,

所以，

that's the smell that you can expect from attar mitti.

mitti attar呈现的就是这种味道。

To recreate the smell of earth,

为了重现泥土的气息，

they use old clay pots that were used for spices or tea.

他们会使用以前装过香料或茶叶的旧陶罐。

They crush the pots

工人把陶罐敲碎，

and add them to the water just as they did with the roses. 語法

像处理玫瑰一样，把碎片放进水里。

But while rose attar is made in a day, 語法

不过，玫瑰阿塔尔香精一天就能制成，

others can take weeks or even months to produce.

其他种类却可能要花上数周，甚至数月。

They are distilled and redistilled till the smell is potent enough. 用詞

它们会被反复蒸馏，直到香味足够浓郁。

The last step is the bottling process.

最后一步是装瓶。

It's also old school, 習語

这一步也沿用老办法，

using a funnel and a bucket,

只用一个漏斗和一只桶，

every tiny bottle is filled by hand.

每个小瓶都由人工灌装。

Expensive attars can sell for 10,000 Indian rupees or $135,

昂贵的阿塔尔香精能卖到1万印度卢比，也就是135美元，

and that's the price for just 2 teaspoons of it.

而这只是两茶匙的价格。

The raw materials are costly

原材料成本高昂，

and it takes a lot to make just a little amount of perfume.

而且要用很多原料，才能制出一点点香精。

Kannauj has been known to produce attar for at least 400 years.

至少400年来，卡瑙杰一直以生产阿塔尔香精闻名。

As a matter of fact, 表達脈絡

事实上，

Kannauj has got the geographical indication for an attar. 文化背景

卡瑙杰的阿塔尔香精已获得地理标志认证。

So, technically,

所以严格来说，

an attar can only be from Kannauj.

阿塔尔香精只能产自卡瑙杰。

But the method of steam distilling is said to have originated in ancient Persia 語法

不过，据说这种蒸汽蒸馏法起源于古代波斯，

and the Middle East thousands of years ago.

以及数千年前的中东地区。

In India,

在印度，

it was popularized by Mughal kings during the 17th century. 文化背景

这种工艺在17世纪由莫卧儿帝王推广开来。

But these days,

但如今，

young brand-conscious Indians mostly use western perfumes. 用詞

注重品牌的印度年轻人大多使用西式香水。

As a result,

因此，

in the last 20 years,

在过去20年里，

80% of India's traditional distilleries have closed down 短語動詞

印度80%的传统蒸馏坊已经关闭，

and the people of Kannauj have felt the decline.

卡瑙杰人也切身感受到了行业的衰退。

So, the whole town is involved in the business of perfumery.

所以，整座城都参与香水生意。

I would say uh about 80% to 85% of the people living in the industry in the town

我想，城里大约有80%到85%的居民

are associated to the perfume industry

都与香水行业有关，

in one way or the other.

只不过参与方式各不相同。

A lot of people say that, you know,

很多人都说，你知道，

it's losing its sheen and stuff like that, 講解

这个行业正在失去往日的光彩之类的，

but we personally don't feel that way. 語氣意圖

但我们自己并不这么认为。

Every day we strive to innovate and, you know, 短語搭配

每一天，我们都努力创新，并且，你知道，

find a new application for our oils.

为我们的香精油寻找新的用途。

So,

所以，

we've seen growth,

我们的业务确实有所增长，

no doubt. 語氣意圖

这毫无疑问。

Muslims all across South Asia have used attar for centuries.

几个世纪以来，南亚各地的穆斯林一直使用阿塔尔香精。

It's believed to be one of Prophet Muhammad's most prized possessions. 文化背景

据说，它是先知穆罕默德最珍爱的物品之一。

And outside of India,

而在印度以外，

these chemical-free attars are popular in the Middle East.

这种不含化学添加剂的阿塔尔香精在中东很受欢迎。

European fragrance houses have also been importing attar 用詞

欧洲的香水公司也一直在进口阿塔尔香精，

to use it as an ingredient in their modern perfumes,

用作现代香水的原料，

breathing new life into an ancient industry. 習語

为这个古老行业注入新的活力。

We are very proud of our lineage

我们为自己的传承感到无比自豪，

but at the same time,

但与此同时，

it's a lot of responsibility as well.

这也意味着重大的责任。

When you have to maintain and sustain certain standards,

当你必须保持并延续某些标准时，

then that becomes difficult.

事情就会变得很难。

It makes us proud to carry forward a legacy of five generations. 短語搭配

能将五代人的传承延续下去，我们深感自豪。

After all, 表達脈絡

毕竟，

recreating the smell of rain on earth is no small legacy. 習語

能重现雨落大地的气息，本身就是一项非凡的传承。