库肯霍夫每年如何种植700万株花卉 | Big Business：英语精读讲义

Here at Keukenhof,

在库肯霍夫，

7 million bulbs are planted by hand 語法

700万颗球茎全靠人工种植，

in just 3 months.

而且只用3个月。

Spread across 80 acres, 語法

花园占地80英亩，

it's one of the world's largest spring flower gardens 語法

是世界上最大的春季花园之一，

with 800 varieties of tulips.

拥有800个郁金香品种。

That's a tulip,

那是一株郁金香，

this is a tulip, yeah.

这也是一株郁金香，对。

Gardeners like Owen Carroll work year-round to make sure these flowers impress. 短語搭配

Owen Carroll这样的园丁全年都在工作，确保这些花卉惊艳动人。

It has to be perfect.

一切都必须完美。

Because people come over from over the whole world.

因为游客从世界各地远道而来。

It takes millions of dollars and 40 gardeners

要花费数百万美元，并动用40名园丁，

to create the dozens of designs for this flower garden,

才能为这座花园打造数十种景观设计，

and they bloom for only 8 weeks.

而花期却只有8周。

So every day counts. 習語

所以每一天都很关键。

But last year,

但去年，

because of COVID-19,

由于新冠疫情，

the gardens were closed to the public

花园不得不停止对公众开放，

for the first time in 71 years. 短語搭配

这是71年来的第一次。

We had no income at all in 2020,

2020年，我们完全没有收入，

which was really a disaster for us.

这对我们来说真的是一场灾难。

We faced a financial loss 短語搭配

我们面临的经济损失

of between 5 and 10 million Euros.

在500万至1000万欧元之间。

Knowing a lockdown was likely again this year, 語法

考虑到今年很可能再次封城，

Keukenhof had to make a choice. 短語搭配

库肯霍夫必须做出选择。

Plant everything as usual

是像往常一样全部种下，

or play it safe and plant a more modest garden. 習語

还是稳妥起见，缩小花园的种植规模。

They decided to take the risk. 短語搭配

他们决定冒这个险。

But this year's opening has already been delayed by several weeks.

但今年的开放已经推迟了好几个星期。

We make costs during the entire year,

我们一整年都在承担成本，

12 months of the year,

一年12个月都是如此，

and we only make money in 8 weeks.

却只有8周能赚钱。

With the clock already ticking, 習語

时间已经开始倒数，

will these efforts be for nothing? 短語搭配

这些努力会不会全都白费？

Keukenhof is located in Lisse, Netherlands,

库肯霍夫位于荷兰的利瑟，

and roughly translates to kitchen garden.

这个名字大致可译为“厨房花园”。

Owen has been working at Keukenhof for 33 years, 語法

Owen已经在库肯霍夫工作了33年，

and he's pretty much a tulip expert. 短語搭配

可以说是一位郁金香专家。

I didn't see much flowers 語法

我没见过多少花，

when I came here first.

刚来这里的时候。

Now,

当时，

I knew what a daffodil was,

我知道什么是水仙花，

but not a tulip.

却不认识郁金香。

Every season begins by tearing last year's bulbs out of the ground. 講解

每个种植季一开始，都要把去年的球茎从土里挖出来。

They'll be composted and used as fertilizer.

它们会被制成堆肥，用作肥料。

For your own garden,

如果是在自家花园里，

you can leave them in the ground.

你可以把球茎留在土里。

But if you leave them in the ground for 3 or 4 years,

但如果让它们在土里待上三四年，

the flower is going to be smaller and smaller and smaller. 語法

花会越开越小，越来越小。

You won't get the accepted quality

花的品质达不到标准，

as you put in new bulbs.

不如种下新球茎。

So that's the whole idea.

这就是这么做的原因。

Harvesting 7 million bulbs is no easy task, 習語

采收700万颗球茎可绝非易事，

and it's definitely not quick.

而且肯定快不了。

It takes the gardeners almost 2 months.

园丁们要花将近两个月。

This is where the creative stuff happens.

创意工作就是在这里进行的。

Meanwhile,

与此同时，

designers like Frans get to work. 短語搭配

Frans这样的设计师也开始工作。

I do this by hand,

我先用手绘制，

and then I put it in the computer.

然后再录入电脑。

It takes him about 4 months

他大约要花4个月，

to get dozens of designs

才能把数十份设计

from draft to final. 短語搭配

从草稿完善为最终方案。

Each of the 800 different varieties of tulip in this year's show

今年展出的800个不同郁金香品种，

was hand-selected based on its quality and color. 短語搭配

都是根据品质和颜色精心手选出来的。

The designs are finalized by early summer,

设计方案会在初夏前定稿，

and then the orders are sent out to bulb growers.

然后把订单发给球茎种植商。

Meanwhile,

与此同时，

gardeners use Frans's map to measure and mark the boundaries

园丁们会按照Frans的地图测量并标出边界，

to prepare the garden.

为花园做准备。

In late summer,

到了夏末，

the millions of bulbs Frans ordered arrive.

Frans订购的数百万颗球茎就会运到。

They're then sorted by color, shape, and variety,

随后，它们会按颜色、形状和品种分类，

and checked for size and firmness.

并检查大小和硬实度。

Each bag will be assigned a number

每个袋子都会分配一个编号，

that corresponds to a plot and type of bulb 短語搭配

对应相应的地块和球茎类型，

to ensure the gardeners make no mistakes.

确保园丁不会出错。

Preparation is everything. 習語

前期准备决定一切。

If the preparation isn't good,

如果准备工作没做好，

the result won't be good also. 語法

最终效果也不会好。

When October hits, 用詞

到了10月，

it's time to plant.

就该开始种植了。

Everybody's got his own spade.

每个人都有自己的铲子。

This is the most important tool in the gardener's toolbox.

这是园丁工具箱里最重要的工具。

I got it nearly uh 25 years.

我用了它差不多，呃，25年了。

It's like my second marriage. 習語

它就像我的第二段婚姻。

The tulip is a beautiful but short-lived flower,

郁金香很美，花期却很短，

lasting only about a week and a half. 語法

只能开大约一个半星期。

So to keep the gardens flowering all 8 weeks of the season,

为了让花园在整个8周展期里花开不断，

the gardeners use a technique called the lasagna method, 文化背景

园丁会采用一种叫作“千层面种植法”的技术，

where they stagger early and late blooming bulbs. 用詞

将早花和晚花球茎错开种植。

The late bloomers are planted first and deeper,

晚花品种最先种下，而且埋得更深，

and they arrive in May.

到5月才会开花。

The middle row blooms around April,

中间一层会在4月左右开花，

and the crocuses are on top

番红花则种在最上层，

since they blossom in March.

因为它们3月就会开花。

If you pay money,

如果你花了钱，

you want to see your flowers.

当然就想看到花开。

So that's why we plant in different layers.

所以我们才会分层种植。

Late flowers, early flowers,

晚花品种、早花品种，

and crocuses.

还有番红花。

All of the planting here

这里所有的种植工作

is done entirely by hand.

完全由人工完成。

A machine cannot plant shapes like this.

机器种不出这样的形状。

A machine cannot plant in layers,

机器无法分层种植，

and a machine cannot plant mixtures.

也无法混种。

Every day, cold, rain,

日复一日，不管天冷还是下雨，

doesn't matter.

都没关系。

It's just a lot of work.

就是工作量很大。

There's no problem.

没什么问题。

The Dutch climate is perfect for tulips.

荷兰的气候非常适合郁金香生长。

Not too hot and with winters just cold enough 語法

天气不会太热，冬季又足够寒冷，

to trigger an important biochemical process

可以触发一项重要的生化过程，

needed for the tulips to bloom properly.

这是郁金香正常开花所必需的。

When the soil temperature is below 55 degrees,

当土壤温度低于华氏55度时，

it breaks down starches and carbohydrates 短語動詞

球茎里的淀粉和碳水化合物会被分解，

in the bulb to form glucose.

转化成葡萄糖。

Glucose is less likely to freeze than water 語法

葡萄糖比水更不容易结冰，

and helps the bulb withstand colder temperatures.

能帮助球茎抵御更低的温度。

Then when the temperature rises,

随后，气温回升时，

the glucose becomes an energy source

葡萄糖就会成为能量来源，

that helps the flower bloom.

帮助花朵绽放。

For ideal growth,

要达到理想的生长状态，

it should stay cold for around 12 to 14 weeks.

寒冷天气应持续大约12至14周。

Tulips originated in the central plains of Asia

郁金香原产于亚洲中部平原，

and were a favorite flower of the Ottoman Empire 文化背景

曾是奥斯曼帝国最喜爱的花卉之一，

before being imported to the Netherlands

后来才被引入荷兰，

around 400 years ago.

那是大约400年前的事。

It's the time of Rembrandt, Vermeer,

那是伦勃朗和维米尔生活的年代，

famous Dutch painters,

他们都是荷兰著名画家，

and the prices of tulip bulbs,

当时郁金香球茎的价格

they go sky high. 習語

一路飙升。

And one of the canal houses was sold for three tulip bulbs,

甚至有一栋运河边的房子只用三颗郁金香球茎就成交了，

which is nowadays of course

这在今天当然

impossible to understand.

让人难以理解。

The Dutch were basically trading in tulip futures, 文化背景

当时荷兰人其实是在交易郁金香期货，

speculating the price would go higher and higher.

赌价格会一涨再涨。

And then at one time,

后来有一天，

people started to realize

人们开始意识到，

that it was gone up a little bit too high,

价格已经涨得有点太高了，

like the bubbles that we have now in the economy,

就像我们如今经济中的泡沫一样，

and the prices went down.

于是价格开始下跌。

And that's what we call the tulipomania times. 文化背景

这就是我们所说的“郁金香狂热”时期。

And then 100 years ago,

后来到了100年前，

the first real professional tulip growers

第一批真正的专业郁金香种植商

created their farms here in this surrounding.

开始在这一带经营农场。

Now almost every tulip flower you see around the world

如今，你在世界各地看到的郁金香，

has its origins here in the Netherlands. 短語搭配

几乎全都源自荷兰。

And that's pretty big business.

这可是一门大生意。

The floral industry in the Netherlands is about 6 billion Euros,

荷兰花卉产业的规模约为60亿欧元，

and the flower bulb industry,

其中花卉球茎产业

is about 700, 800 million Euros a year.

每年约有7亿至8亿欧元。

Since tulips are generally grown from a bulb,

郁金香通常由球茎培育，

not a seed,

而不是种子，

they take patience to propagate. 語法

所以繁殖需要耐心。

And creating enough bulbs

要培育出足够多的球茎，

to introduce a new variety

以便推出一个新品种，

can take 20 years.

可能需要20年。

You can see some of them on display here at Keukenhof's greenhouse pavilion.

其中一些新品种就在库肯霍夫的温室展馆中展出。

The grower brought it to Keukenhof to show it to the audience.

种植商把它带到库肯霍夫，展示给观众。

New tulips aren't just named, 表達脈絡

新郁金香不只是被命名，

they're baptized.

还要接受“洗礼”。

As soon as someone wants to baptize it, 語法

一旦有人想为它举行洗礼，

there will be a ceremony

就会举办一场仪式，

with a lot of champagne

现场会有大量香槟，

and the big certificate,

还有一张大证书，

and then the tulip will be registered to its new name.

随后，这一郁金香品种就会以新名字完成注册。

There are about 6,500 tulip varieties,

郁金香大约有6500个品种，

and each is registered at the Royal General Bulb Growers Association.

每个品种都会在荷兰皇家球茎种植者协会注册。

It is from the Darwin uh hybrid group,

它属于达尔文杂交品种群，

and it's called Momotaro.

名叫Momotaro。

Yes.

对。

No clue what it means,

不知道是什么意思，

but an old traditional small tulip,

不过这是一种传统的小型老品种郁金香，

and it's called Quebec.

名叫Quebec。

This one's called Neglige.

这一株叫Neglige。

It's very pointy.

花瓣非常尖。

The color changes.

它的颜色会变化。

It starts yellow,

一开始是黄色，

and at the end it's red.

最后会变成红色。

Leading up to the opening, 短語搭配

临近开放日，

things get pretty stressful here

这里的气氛会变得相当紧张，

as everyone works tirelessly to make sure things look perfect.

因为所有人都不知疲倦地工作，确保一切看起来完美无瑕。

Sometimes you see a little spot

有时候，你会看到一小块地方

where something is mixed up, 短語動詞

混进了不该有的颜色，

a yellow one

比如一株黄色郁金香

in a field of red tulips.

长在一片红色郁金香中。

It's a disgrace for the gardener.

这对园丁来说简直是耻辱。

They'll pick it away anyway.

他们无论如何都会把它摘掉。

There's a crocus from last year.

这里有一株去年留下的番红花。

So.

就这样。

See?

看到了吗？

We just keep them,

我们就是这样打理它们，

keep them tidy.

让它们保持整齐。

They had hoped to open on March 20th, 語法

他们原本希望在3月20日开放，

but with the Netherlands still in lockdown,

但荷兰当时仍处于封城状态，

opening day came and went, 習語

开放日就这样来了又过去，

with the park staying empty.

公园里依旧空无一人。

It's been hard for the people.

这对大家来说很难熬。

For instance, gardeners

比如那些园丁，

that have been planting bulbs for 3 months.

他们连续3个月都在种球茎。

They've been on their knees,

他们一直跪在地上劳作，

and there's no problem

这本来没什么，

because that's their job.

因为那就是他们的工作。

They love it.

他们热爱这份工作。

They also love to show

他们也很喜欢向公众展示

what they've made to the public.

自己的劳动成果。

For now,

目前，

the rest of the world will have to wait 語法

世界其他地方的人还得继续等待，

and view Keukenhof via virtual tour.

只能通过线上导览参观库肯霍夫。

It's a very hard time.

这是一段非常艰难的时期。

We have to adjust, of course,

我们当然必须做出调整，

as every company does.

就像每家公司一样。

But we will face it.

但我们会迎难而上。

Keukenhof is an institute.

库肯霍夫是一个标志性的机构。

We're the showcase of the floral industry

我们是花卉产业的展示窗口，

in the Netherlands.

代表着荷兰。

It's a hard period of time,

这是一段艰难时期，

but we will survive at least.

但至少我们会挺过去。

And we hope for a good 2022

我们也期待2022年会是美好的一年，

because Keukenhof is still beautiful.

因为库肯霍夫依然美丽。