植物会思考吗？：英语精读讲义

With over 300,000 plant species on Earth,

地球上有超过30万种植物，

there's no doubt that they have highly developed senses to stay alive and thrive. 短語搭配

毫无疑问，它们拥有高度发达的感知能力，能帮助自己生存并茁壮成长。

But while some of their features may be compared to taste,

虽然它们的某些特征可以和人类的味觉、

sight, touch, and smell in humans,

视觉、触觉和嗅觉相提并论，

have you ever wondered, 表達脈絡

但你是否想过，

can plants think?

植物会思考吗？

On land,

在陆地上，

the cumulative mass of plants is 1,000 times higher than that of animals. 語法

植物的总质量是动物的1000倍。

But these plants are immobile and can't move around in their environment,

但这些植物无法自行移动，也不能在周围环境中四处活动，

which is seemingly a pretty big evolutionary disadvantage.

这看起来是进化上的一大劣势。

This has forced plants to adapt in amazing ways that often go unnoticed by the naked eye. 講解

这迫使植物以种种惊人的方式适应环境，而这些方式往往很难被肉眼察觉。

Smell something funny? 用詞

闻到什么怪味了吗？

Plants do too, 語法

植物也能闻到，

and they react to these chemicals in the air.

而且会对空气中的这些化学物质作出反应。

For example,

例如，

when fruits start to ripen,

当果实开始成熟时，

they release a chemical called ethylene.

它们会释放一种叫作乙烯的化学物质。

And when neighboring fruits sense this pheromone,

而当附近的果实感知到这种信息素时，

they ripen faster so that all fruits mature at the same time. 語法

就会更快成熟，让所有果实同时熟透。

Plants also give off scents, 短語動詞

植物还会散发气味，

which attract insects to spread their pollen.

吸引昆虫来传播花粉。

In particular,

尤其是，

the amazing carrion flowers grow tiny hairs, 文化背景

神奇的腐肉花会长出细小的绒毛，

feel warm,

摸起来温热，

and smell like rotting flesh in an attempt to mimic a dead corpse. 短語搭配

还会散发腐肉般的气味，试图模仿一具死尸。

This is to attract flies and beetles as pollinators.

这是为了吸引苍蝇和甲虫来为它们传粉。

On the other hand, 表達脈絡

另一方面，

when a plant is attacked by an insect, animal, or pathogen,

当植物受到昆虫、动物或病原体的攻击时，

it knows. 習語

它知道。

When acacia trees are grazed by animals, 用詞

当金合欢树被动物啃食时，

they quickly react by producing chemicals called tannins, 語法

它们会迅速作出反应，产生叫作单宁的化学物质，

which make their leaves unappetizing and tough to digest. 語法

让叶子变得难以下咽，也难以消化。

Some even produce enough toxin to kill the animal. 語法

有些甚至能产生足以杀死动物的毒素。

Perhaps more impressive are some corn and cotton plants, 語法

也许更令人惊叹的是某些玉米和棉花植株，

which when eaten by caterpillars,

当它们被毛毛虫啃食时，

release chemicals in the air that attract parasitic wasps,

会向空气中释放化学物质，吸引寄生蜂，

who fly in and ultimately kill the insects.

这些寄生蜂会飞来，最终杀死毛毛虫。

On some level, 語氣意圖

从某种程度上说，

they communicate with the wasps.

它们是在和寄生蜂交流。

Crazy as it seems, 語法

听起来虽然不可思议，

even sound recordings of caterpillars chewing leaves trigger this response. 短語搭配

但即使只播放毛毛虫啃食叶片的声音，也会触发这种反应。

Without any form of touch,

即使完全没有接触，

the plants react as if they can hear. 語法

植物也会作出反应，仿佛它们听得见。

On a large scale,

从更大的尺度来看，

plants also work together.

植物还会相互合作。

A web of underground fungi can connect tree roots in forests,

地下真菌组成的网络可以连接森林里的树根，

allowing them to exchange nutrients and information. 語法

让树木交换养分和信息。

Using radioactive isotopes, 語法

科学家利用放射性同位素，

scientists discovered that trees share water and nutrients with others in need.

发现树木会与有需要的同伴分享水分和养分。

Large trees nourish smaller shaded ones until they're tall enough to reach the sunlight. 語法

大树会滋养树荫下的小树，直到它们长得足够高，可以晒到阳光。

And trees that stay green all year round 短語搭配

而那些全年常绿的树木

share nutrients with trees that lose their leaves in the winter,

会把养分分享给冬季落叶的树木，

helping them through the season, 短語動詞

帮助它们熬过寒冬，

which is then repaid in the summer months like a transactional exchange. 習語

到了夏季，对方再回馈养分，就像一场互惠交易。

Some scientists refer to this as the world wide web. 講解

一些科学家称之为“万维网”。

Perhaps the most shocking fact is that some plants seem to have memory. 語法

也许最令人震惊的是，有些植物似乎拥有记忆。

Mimosa pudica plants are those leafy plants that close up when touched. 短語動詞

含羞草就是那种一被触碰，叶片就会合拢的植物。

This reflex is meant to scare away insects that land on them. 講解

这种反射是为了吓跑落在它们身上的昆虫。

In an experiment on these reflexes,

在一项研究这种反射的实验中，

scientists noticed that when dropped from 15 cm, 語法

科学家注意到，从15厘米高处落下时，

they would close when they hit the ground. 語法

它们一碰到地面就会合拢叶片。

Not so surprising.

这并不奇怪。

But after repeating the drop four or five times,

但重复坠落实验四五次后，

some of the plants stopped closing, 語法

有些植物不再合拢叶片，

as though they had realized the stimulus wasn't harmful. 語法

仿佛它们意识到这种刺激并无危害。

If they were shaken instead,

如果改为摇晃它们，

they would close.

它们仍会合拢。

But any time they were dropped from the same height,

但每次从相同高度让它们落下时，

they stayed open.

它们都会保持张开。

This effect lasted for weeks.

这种效果持续了数周。

The plants had memories.

这些植物有记忆。

Of course, 語氣意圖

当然，

plants don't have brains or other cells and organs that we deem necessary for intelligence. 用詞

植物没有大脑，也没有我们认为产生智能所必需的其他细胞和器官。

Brains and neurons are irreplaceable,

大脑和神经元无可替代，

but plants are immobile and often attacked,

但植物无法移动，又经常受到攻击，

so they must be able to survive after part of them is eaten or destroyed. 語法

所以即使身体的一部分被吃掉或破坏，它们也必须能够存活。

A brain just wouldn't work.

大脑对它们来说根本行不通。

But if you measure intelligence or thought as the ability to solve problems, 語法

但如果你把智能或思考定义为解决问题、

interact with an environment,

与环境互动，

and even work in groups,

甚至群体协作的能力，

then plants are incredibly smart.

那么植物就聪明得不可思议。

It's something to think about the next time you're munching down on a piece of broccoli. 講解

下次大口嚼西兰花时，这件事值得你好好想一想。

And if you need any more convincing that plants are indeed amazing,

如果你还需要更多证据来相信植物确实很神奇，

check out our new second channel AsapTHOUGHT,

不妨看看我们的全新第二频道AsapTHOUGHT，

where we share some of our other favorite plant facts.

我们会在那里分享其他一些自己最喜欢的植物趣闻。

Link in the description.

链接在简介里。

Thanks to audible.com for giving you a free audiobook of your choice at audible.com/asap.

感谢audible.com在audible.com/asap为你提供一本可任选的免费有声书。

Audible is the leading provider of audiobooks

Audible是领先的有声书提供商，

with over 150,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature.

提供超过15万部可下载作品，涵盖各种文学类型。

Check out The Monkey's Voyage,

不妨看看The Monkey's Voyage，

which proposes some new theories

这本书提出了一些新理论，

on how plant and animal species wound up as they are today. 短語動詞

解释动植物物种如何变成今天的样子。

You can download this audiobook or another of your choice for free at audible.com/asap.

你可以在audible.com/asap免费下载这本有声书，或任选另一本。

Then use Audible's free app to listen on your Apple, Windows, or Android device.

然后使用Audible的免费应用，在Apple、Windows或Android设备上收听。

Special thanks to Audible for making these videos possible

特别感谢Audible对这些视频的支持，

and for offering you a free audiobook of your choice at audible.com/asap.

也感谢它在audible.com/asap为你提供一本可任选的免费有声书。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

别忘了订阅，观看每周更新的更多科学视频。