我们怎样才能拯救野生蜜蜂？ ⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

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Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，这里是 BBC Learning English 的《6 Minute English》。

I'm Phil.

我是 Phil。

And I'm Beth.

我是 Beth。

Do you like honey, Phil?

Phil，你喜欢蜂蜜吗？

Um, I use it a lot in cooking, so yes.

嗯，我做饭时经常用到它，所以我喜欢。

Well, the relationship between humans, honey, and the bees which make it goes back thousands of years. 講解

人类、蜂蜜以及酿造蜂蜜的蜜蜂之间的关系可以追溯到几千年前。

prized for its taste and medicinal properties, 語法

因其美味和药用价值而备受推崇，

In ancient times, honey was known as liquid gold. 講解

在古代，蜂蜜被称为“液体黄金”。

But now, thanks to modern farming methods, populations of many insects, including bees, are in decline. 短語搭配

但现在，由于现代农业的耕作方式，包括蜜蜂在内的许多昆虫数量都在下降。

Saoirse, a worried listener from London,

来自伦敦的听众 Saoirse 对此感到担忧，

called BBC World Service program CrowdScience about the problem.

她打电话给 BBC World Service 的节目《CrowdScience》询问了这个问题。

I'm Saoirse from the UK,

我是来自英国的 Saoirse，

and my question is, can honey help save bees? 表達脈絡

我的问题是，吃蜂蜜能帮助拯救蜜蜂吗？

I've been vegan for about 9 years, and I don't eat honey myself, 語法

我吃纯素大约 9 年了，我自己不吃蜂蜜，

but I still have a question mark around it because I know that our bee populations are declining. 講解

但我对此依然有些疑虑，因为我知道蜜蜂的数量正在减少。

Saoirse is a vegan,

Saoirse 是个纯素食者（vegan），

someone who doesn't eat anything which comes from animals, 語法

即不吃任何来自动物制品的人，

not just meat, but things like milk, eggs, and honey too. 語法

不仅不吃肉，连牛奶、鸡蛋和蜂蜜等也不吃。

Although Saoirse doesn't eat honey herself, 語法

尽管 Saoirse 自己不吃蜂蜜，

she says there's a question mark around eating honey.

但她说吃蜂蜜这件事存在着“问号”。

The phrase a question mark around something means there's doubt or uncertainty about something.

短语 a question mark around something 的意思是对某事存有疑问或不确定。

And what Saoirse is uncertain about 語法

Saoirse 不确定的地方在于

is whether eating honey might actually save bees.

吃蜂蜜是否真的能拯救蜜蜂。

So, would it be better for declining bee populations if more people ate honey? 語法

那么，如果更多的人吃蜂蜜，对不断减少的蜜蜂种群会有好处吗？

That's what we'll be discussing using some useful new words and phrases. 表達脈絡

这就是我们将要讨论的内容，同时还会学习一些有用的新单词和短语。

Plus, you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode on our website,

此外，你可以在我们的网站上找到本期节目的所有词汇，

bbclearningenglish.com.

网址是 bbclearningenglish.com。

But bee-fore that, 習語

但在此之前，

I have a question for you, Phil.

我有个问题要问你，Phil。

The buzzing sound bees are famous for is made by flapping their four wings incredibly fast. 講解

蜜蜂著名的嗡嗡声是由于它们极其快速地扇动四只翅膀而发出的。

But, how fast?

但是，到底有多快呢？

Do honey bees flap their wings A) 90 times per second,

蜜蜂每秒扇动翅膀的次数是：A) 90 次，

B) 190 times per second,

B) 190 次，

or C) 290 times per second?

还是 C) 290 次？

Well, I have absolutely no idea, 語氣意圖

呃，我完全不知道，

so I'm going to guess 190 times per second. 短語搭配

所以我猜每秒 190 次吧。

Okay, well,

好的，那么，

we'll find out the answer later in the program. 短語動詞

我们会在节目稍后揭晓答案。

We've been talking about honey bees, 語法

我们一直在谈论蜜蜂（honey bees），

but these are just one of the 20,000 species of bee which exist around the world. 語法

但它们只是世界上现存的两万种蜂类之一。

In fact,

事实上，

honey bees are one of the most widespread insects on the planet and not endangered at all. 講解

蜜蜂是地球上分布最广的昆虫之一，而且完全没有濒临灭绝。

But the picture isn't so good for wild bees, 習語

但野生蜜蜂的情况就没那么乐观了，

including the bumblebee,

包括大黄蜂，

as biologist Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex explained to BBC World Service program CrowdScience. 表達脈絡

正如萨塞克斯大学的生物学家 Dave Goulson 向 BBC World Service 的《CrowdScience》节目所解释的那样。

In the UK,

在英国，

we have 26 bumblebee species,

我们有 26 种大黄蜂，

but three have gone extinct. 短語搭配

但其中三种已经灭绝。

Many of the others are now clinging on in little isolated pockets of good habitat. 講解

其他许多种类现在只能在一些孤立的小片优质栖息地中苟延残喘。

The honey bees have beekeepers to look after them, 短語動詞

蜜蜂有养蜂人照料，

but nobody's looking out for the wild bees. 短語動詞

但却没有人在意野生蜜蜂的死活。

Three of the 26 species of British bumblebee have gone extinct.

英国的 26 种大黄蜂中有三种已经灭绝。

And Dave says other species are clinging on,

Dave 说其他种类仍在 clinging on（苦苦挣扎），

meaning barely continuing to survive with great effort.

意思是极其艰难地勉强维持生存。

This happens in isolated pockets,

这种情况发生在 isolated pockets（孤立的隐蔽处），

small areas of habitat in which a particular insect or animal can survive.

即特定昆虫或动物能够生存的小块栖息地。

So, while honey bees may not be endangered, 語法

因此，虽然蜜蜂可能没有濒临灭绝，

lots of other bee species are.

但许多其他种类的蜂却面临危机。

And this is bad news because we rely on insects to pollinate crops and to keep ecosystems functioning. 講解

这是个坏消息，因为我们依靠昆虫来为农作物授粉并维持生态系统的运转。

That's right, Beth.

没错，Beth。

87% of all plant species need insects for pollination.

世界上 87% 的植物种类都需要昆虫授粉。

So, without them, 語法

所以，如果没有它们，

most plants on Earth would disappear,

地球上的大多数植物将会消失，

which would obviously be catastrophic. 語法

这显然将是一场灾难。

But, according to Dave Goulson, 表達脈絡

但是，根据 Dave Goulson 的说法，

pollination is just one of the many things bees do for us,

授粉只是蜜蜂为我们做的众多事情之一，

as he explained to BBC World Service's CrowdScience.

正如他在 BBC World Service 的《CrowdScience》节目中解释的那样。

That isn't the only thing that insects are doing, 表達脈絡

这并不是昆虫唯一在做的事情，

and there are much less glamorous, 用詞

还有很多不那么起眼、

less well-known things like recycling cow poo 語法

鲜为人知的事情，比如分解牛粪，

and helping to keep the soil healthy

帮助保持土壤健康，

and helping to control crop pests and so on. 短語搭配

以及协助控制农作物病虫害等等。

All of which are also really important, 語法

所有这些也同样非常重要，

and we kind of take them for granted or are just oblivious that they're even happening. 講解

而我们常常将其视为理所当然，或者甚至完全不知道它们正在发生。

Recycling cow poo and keeping the soil healthy 語法

分解牛粪和保持土壤健康

are two important jobs bees do which we take for granted.

是蜜蜂做的两项重要工作，但我们往往视为理所当然（take for granted）。

If you take something for granted,

如果你把某事 take for granted，

you fail to value or appreciate something which benefits you.

就意味着你未能珍视或感激那些让你受益的事物。

We humans are oblivious,

我们人类往往是 oblivious 的，

meaning unaware or unmindful of the many things bees do to support life on Earth. 短語搭配

意思是对蜜蜂为维持地球生命所做的许多事情毫无察觉或毫不在意。

So, while eating more honey probably won't do much to save wild bees, 短語搭配

因此，虽然多吃蜂蜜可能对拯救野生蜜蜂起不了多大作用，

there are things you can do such as growing bee-friendly plants which flower in spring like lavender. 講解

但你还可以做一些事，比如种植像薰衣草这样在春天开花且对蜜蜂友好的植物。

Okay, Phil.

好了，Phil。

I think it's time to reveal the answer to my question. 短語搭配

我觉得是时候揭晓我刚才那个问题的答案了。

I asked you how many times bees flap their wings per second. 語法

我问你蜜蜂每秒扇动翅膀多少次。

You said 190,

你说 190 次，

which was the correct answer.

这是一个正确的答案。

Well done.

猜得好。

Ooh.

喔。

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt, 表達脈絡

好了，让我们来回顾一下今天学到的词汇，

starting with vegan,

首先是 vegan，

someone who doesn't consume any animal products. 用詞

指不食用任何动物制品的人（纯素食者）。

If you say there's a question mark around something,

如果你说对某事有 a question mark around it（疑问），

you mean there's some doubt or uncertainty about it.

意思是对此有些怀疑或不确定。

If an animal species is clinging on,

如果一个动物物种正在 clinging on，

it's holding onto existence with great effort.

意思是它在极其艰难地维持生存。

Isolated pockets refer to small areas of habitat in which a particular insect or animal can survive. 短語搭配

Isolated pockets（孤立的隐蔽处）指的是特定昆虫或动物能够生存的小块栖息地。

To take something for granted means to not appreciate or show gratitude for something which helps you.

To take something for granted 的意思是不去感激或珍视帮助了你的事物（视为理所当然）。

And finally,

最后，

the adjective oblivious means unaware.

形容词 oblivious 的意思是毫无察觉的。

Once again, our 6 minutes are up, 習語

我们的 6 分钟再次到时间了，

but if you're keen for more, 用詞

但如果你还想了解更多，

then head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com, 短語動詞

请访问我们的网站 bbclearningenglish.com，

and download the worksheet and try the quiz on this episode.

下载本期节目的练习册并做一下测验。

Goodbye for now.

暂时说再见啦。

Goodbye.

再见。

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

欢迎收听 bbclearningenglish.com 的《6 Minute English》。