吃植物有错吗？⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分钟英语。

Hello,

大家好，

this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

这是 BBC Learning English 的六分钟英语。

I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

And I'm Rob.

我是 Rob。

Many people these days choose not to eat meat. 講解

如今很多人选择不吃肉。

And for vegetarians,

对于素食主义者来说，

eating animals is wrong. 語法

吃动物是错误的。

But what about digging up a carrot 講解

但是挖出胡萝卜

or picking apples from a tree?

或者从树上摘苹果呢？

Is that wrong,

这难道也

too?

错了吗？

I don't think so,

我不这么认为，

Neil.

Neil。

Plants aren't alive in the same way as animals, 短語搭配

植物的存活方式和动物不同，

are they? 語法

对吧？

They can't think or feel pain,

它们不能思考也感觉不到疼痛，

and even vegetarians need to eat something.

而且即使是素食者也需要吃点东西。

Fruit, vegetables, rice, beans,

水果、蔬菜、大米、豆类，

they all come from plants.

它们都来自植物。

It's true that plants don't have brains or nerves, 表達脈絡

植物确实没有大脑或神经，

but according to some scientists, 短語搭配

但根据一些科学家的说法，

they're much more than passive things 短語搭配

它们不仅仅是被动地

rooted in the ground.

扎根在土里的生物。

Plants can learn and remember.

植物能学习和记忆。

They solve problems 短語搭配

它们能解决问题，

and can even recognize other plants in their family. 用詞

甚至能识别它们家族中的其他植物。

So,

那么，

given the amazing things plants do, 語法

鉴于植物能做出这些惊人的事情，

is it right to eat them? 用詞

吃它们是对的吗？

That's what we'll be discussing in this program. 表達脈絡

这就是我们在本期节目中要讨论的话题。

And as usual,

像往常一样，

we'll be learning some new useful vocabulary as well.

我们也会学习一些有用的新词汇。

But first,

但首先，

I have a question for you, Neil.

我有个问题要问你，Neil。

Anyone who's seen cows grazing 語法

任何见过牛吃草的人

knows it's usually animals that eat plants.

都知道通常是动物吃植物。

But some plants have turned the evolutionary tables 習語

但有些植物扭转了进化的局面，

to eat animals instead.

反过来以动物为食。

So,

那么，

which tropical plant is famous for trapping insects to eat? 短語搭配

哪种热带植物以捕虫为食而闻名？

Is it A,

是 A，

the corpse flower,

尸花（大王花），

B,

B，

the American skunk cabbage,

臭菘，

or C,

还是 C，

the Venus flytrap? 文化背景

捕蝇草？

I think it's C,

我觉得是 C，

the Venus flytrap.

捕蝇草。

Okay,

好的，

Neil.

Neil。

We'll find out if that's the right answer later in the program. 短語動詞

我们稍后将在节目中揭晓这是否是正确答案。

Plants have been on the planet for hundreds of millions of years 語法

植物在这个星球上存在的时间

longer than humans 語法

比人类多出数亿年，

and have used that time to evolve special skills. 短語搭配

并且利用这段时间进化出了特殊的技能。

Here's Professor Rick Karban,

接下来是加州大学的生物学家

a biologist at the University of California,

Rick Karban 教授，

explaining more to James Wong,

他向 James Wong 解释了更多内容，

botanist and presenter of BBC Radio 4 program

James Wong 是植物学家兼 BBC Radio 4 节目

Is eating plants wrong?

《吃植物是错的吗？》的主持人。

Without eyes, 語法

没有眼睛，

plants can perceive a lot of information about light. 用詞

植物也能感知大量关于光的信息。

Without noses,

没有鼻子，

plants can perceive chemical information.

植物也能感知化学信息。

Without ears,

没有耳朵，

plants can perceive sounds.

植物也能感知声音。

And so we've come to realize that plants are very perceptive 講解

因此，我们开始意识到植物有着非常敏锐的感知能力，

about what's going on in their environments. 短語動詞

能察觉它们环境中发生的事情。

You could argue, 語氣意圖

你可以这样认为，

for example,

举例来说，

that plants can perceive most of the senses that humans can.

植物能感知到人类能感受到的大多数感官信息。

I would agree with that

我同意这一点，

and then some. 習語

甚至不仅如此。

What do you mean and then some?

你说的“甚至不仅如此”是什么意思？

Anyone who's had a dog knows

养过狗的人都知道，

that dogs have a much keener sense of smell than humans do. 講解

狗的嗅觉比人类敏锐得多。

And we're now learning that plants are very responsive 短語搭配

我们现在了解到，植物对它们环境中的化学物质

to chemicals in their environment.

也能做出非常强烈的反应。

Even without ears, eyes, or a nose,

即使没有耳朵、眼睛或鼻子，

plants are very perceptive.

植物也是非常敏锐的。

They notice things around them.

它们能注意到周围的事物。

In fact,

事实上，

Professor Karban says

Karban 教授说，

that plants perceive as much as humans and then some,

植物感知到的东西和人类一样多，甚至更多（and then some），

an idiom meaning and even more,

这是一个习语，意思是“甚至更多”，

which is used to emphasize that what you mentioned before

用来强调你之前提到的事情

was an understatement. 用詞

说得有些太保守了。

For example,

例如，

Bill Gates is rich

比尔·盖茨很富有，

and then some.

并且远不止一般的富有。

Hmm.

嗯。

Like dogs,

就像狗一样，

plants have a keen sense of smell,

植物有敏锐的（keen）嗅觉，

which they use to detect chemicals in the air.

它们用嗅觉来探测空气中的化学物质。

Here,

在这里，

keen means powerful and intense.

keen 意思是强大和强烈的。

Okay,

好的，

so plants can see light and smell the air,

所以植物能看见光、闻到空气，

but does that mean they're intelligent? 語法

但这是否意味着它们有智慧呢？

Maybe so. 語氣意圖

也许吧。

Studies modeled on the famous Pavlov's dog experiment, 講解

有一些模仿著名的“巴甫洛夫的狗”实验的研究，

have trained pea seedlings 語法

训练了豌豆幼苗

to find the quickest route to light through a maze

在迷宫中找到通向光线的最快路线，

and remember it,

并且能记住它，

evidence of memory. 短語搭配

这是有记忆的证据。

In another experiment,

在另一项实验中，

potted plants were lined up 短語動詞

盆栽植物排成一排，

with roots joining them like a chain of people holding hands. 講解

它们的根连在一起，就像手拉手的人链。

The plants talked to each other, 習語

这些植物相互交谈，

passing along information about water and air temperature 短語動詞

关于水和空气温度的信息被传递下去，

through their roots,

通过它们的根系，

like children playing a game where a message is passed on

就像孩子们玩传话游戏，

in a whisper through a chain of people,

信息通过人链悄悄传递，

becoming distorted in the process. 用詞

在这个过程中被扭曲（distorted）了。

Distorted means changed from its original form.

Distorted 的意思是偏离了本来的形态。

All this takes brain power, 習語

所有这一切都需要脑力，

and there's clearly evidence that plants might have some kind of intelligence. 語法

并且有明确的证据表明，植物可能具有某种形式的智能。

So,

那么，

given all of this, 表達脈絡

综合以上情况，

is it wrong to eat them?

吃它们是错误的吗？

That's what James Wong asked Michael Marder,

这就是 James Wong 向巴斯克大学哲学教授

professor of philosophy at the University of the Basque Country,

Michael Marder 提出的问题，

for his BBC Radio 4 program Is Eating Plants Wrong?

这是为了他的 BBC Radio 4 节目《吃植物是错的吗？》。

Is it wrong to eat plants?

吃植物是错的吗？

It is not in and of itself wrong to eat plants, 習語

吃植物本身（in and of itself）并没有错，

but we have to do so while keeping in mind the context 短語搭配

但我们在吃植物时必须记住

in which we're doing this. 語法

我们做这件事的情境（context）。

We have to,

我们必须，

first of all, 表達脈絡

首先，

think about what kinds of plants we're eating,

想清楚我们在吃什么样的植物，

what are the parts of those plants.

吃的是那些植物的哪些部分。

Are we,

我们是否，

in fact, 表達脈絡

实际上，

destroying the entire living being 用詞

在毁灭整个生命体，

or just taking certain of its parts, 語法

还是仅仅取走了它的某些部分，

such as fruits and leaves,

比如果实和叶子，

that are not essential to it, 短語搭配

那些对它而言并非不可或缺、

that can actually fall off without doing harm to the whole organism? 講解

实际上掉落也不会对整个有机体造成伤害的部分？

Professor Marder says that eating plants is not wrong in and of itself,

Marder 教授说，吃植物本身（in and of itself）并不错，

when considered alone,

即单独考虑，

without taking anything else into account. 短語搭配

不把任何其他因素考虑在内时。

But he thinks it's important to remember the context,

但他认为重要的是要记住背景（context），

the situation or circumstances in which something happens.

即某件事发生的情境或环境。

Picking an apple,

摘一个苹果，

for example,

例如，

is okay

是可以接受的，

because it doesn't kill the tree itself,

因为它没有杀死树的本身，

which can go on to produce more fruit. 短語動詞

树可以继续结出更多的果实。

It seems plants really are clever.

看来植物真的很聪明。

But do they know the answer to your question,

但它们知道你那个问题的答案吗，

Rob?

Rob？

Oh,

哦，

yes.

当然。

I asked you to name the famous insect-eating tropical plant. 語法

我让你说出那著名的食虫热带植物的名字。

And I said it was the Venus flytrap.

我说是捕蝇草。

Which was the correct answer.

这是正确的答案。

Well done,

答得好，

Neil.

Neil。

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learned,

让我们复习一下今天学到的词汇，

starting with the adjective perceptive,

首先是形容词 perceptive（感知敏锐的），

quick to notice and understand things.

即很快就能注意到并理解事物。

The idiom and then some means and even more

习语 and then some 意思是“甚至更多”，

and is used to show that something has been understated.

用于表明某事之前被说得太保守了。

A keen sense of smell, sight, or hearing

keen（敏锐的）嗅觉、视觉或听觉

is powerful and intense.

就是强大而强烈的。

Distorted means changed from its original form.

Distorted（扭曲的）意思是改变了原本的形式。

The phrase in and of itself

短语 in and of itself

means when considered alone,

意思是“就其本身而言”，即单独考虑，

without taking anything else into account.

不将任何其他情况考虑在内。

And finally,

最后，

the context is the general situation

context（背景/情境）指的是

in which something happens.

某事发生时的一般状况。

Once again,

再次提醒，

our Six Minutes are up.

我们的六分钟时间到了。

Goodbye.

再见。

Goodbye.

再见。

Six Minute English from the BBC.

来自 BBC 的六分钟英语。