基改食品是好是壞？基因工程與我們的食物：英語精讀講義

GMOs are one of the most controversial areas of science. 文法

基因改造生物（GMO）是科學界最具爭議的領域之一。

Genetic engineering is used in many fields,

基因工程被應用於許多領域，

but even though medical applications like GM insulin are widely accepted, 文法

但儘管像基改胰島素這樣的醫學應用被廣泛接受，

the debate heats up when it comes to food and agriculture. 講解

當牽涉到食品和農業時，爭論就變得激烈起來。

Why is that?

這是為什麼呢？

Why is the same thing treated so differently?

為什麼同一件事會受到如此不同的對待？

Let's try to get to the bottom of this and explore the facts, 慣用語

讓我們試著探究其根源，探索事實、

the fears,

恐懼，

and the future of GMOs.

以及基改生物的未來。

Humans have been genetically modifying plants and animals for thousands of years. 文法

人類對動植物進行基因改造已有數千年的歷史。

Maybe a few of your crops had very good yields.

也許你種的一些農作物產量很高。

Maybe one of your wolves was especially loyal.

也許你養的一隻狼特別忠誠。

So, you did the smart thing and bred the plants and animals that had traits beneficial to you. 文法

所以，你做出了明智的選擇，培育對你有益的植物和動物。

Traits are just an expression of genes.

特徵只是基因的表現。

So, with each generation, 表達脈絡

因此，隨著每一代的繁衍，

those genes got more pronounced.

這些基因變得更加顯著。

After thousands of years,

幾千年後，

almost every single plant and animal around us is vastly different from its pre-domesticated state.

我們周圍的幾乎每一種動植物都與被馴化前的狀態大不相同。

If humans have been changing genes for millennia,

如果人類在幾千年裡一直在改變基因，

what makes a so-called genetically modified organism or GMO different? 用詞

是什麼讓所謂的基因改造生物（GMO）有所不同呢？

Selective breeding is basically hoping for lucky hits. 慣用語

選擇性育種基本上就是指望碰運氣。

Genetic engineering eliminates this factor.

基因工程消除了這個因素。

We can choose the traits we want,

我們可以選擇我們想要的特徵，

make fruit grow bigger, immune to pests, and so on. 文法

讓水果長得更大，對害蟲免疫，等等。

So, why are people concerned about them?

那麼，人們為什麼對它們感到擔憂呢？

Let's start with one of the most common objections to GMOs. 表達脈絡

讓我們從最常見的一個對基改的反對意見開始。

Gene flow, 文化背景

基因流動，

meaning GM crops could mix with traditional crops

意味著基改作物可能會與傳統作物混合，

and introduce unwanted new characteristics into them.

並把不需要的新特徵引入其中。

There is a method that might guarantee complete prevention,

有一種方法可能保證完全預防，

but it's a big anti-GMO argument by itself.

但它本身也是反基改的一個重要論點。

Terminator seeds. 文化背景

終結者種子。

The idea is that they could produce sterile plants,

其理念是它們能產生不育的植物，

requiring farmers to buy new seeds every year. 文法

迫使農民每年都要購買新的種子。

The very concept of this, however,

然而，正是這個概念，

caused a public outcry, 片語搭配

引發了公眾的強烈抗議，

stopping the technology being put to use. 文法

阻止了這項技術投入使用。

This brings us back to the unintentional spreading of engineered DNA. 表達脈絡

這把我們帶回了工程DNA無意間傳播的問題。

There have been cases of GMOs growing where they weren't planted,

曾經發生過基改作物在未種植的地方生長的情況，

and traces of modified genes found in foreign crops.

並且在其他作物中發現了基改基因的痕跡。

But GM plants can't run wild entirely. 慣用語

但基改植物並不能完全肆意生長。

Many crops pollinate themselves,

許多農作物是自花授粉的，

and all crops have to be related to mingle.

並且所有的農作物都必須有親緣關係才能進行雜交。

There are also cultural methods like buffer zones to keep unintentional crossing at a minimum. 片語搭配

此外，還有諸如設立緩衝區等耕作方法，可以將無意雜交的可能性降至最低。

But if it's possible in principle that a GMO could unintentionally cross with a non-GMO, 片語搭配

但如果原則上基改作物有可能與非基改作物無意雜交，

there's actually a more important question.

實際上還有一個更重要的問題。

Is food that comes from GM crops different to food from non-GM crops? 用詞

來自基改作物的食物與來自非基改作物的食物有區別嗎？

This question has been a major concern from the very beginning.

這個問題從一開始就備受關注。

GM plants that are destined to be eaten are checked for possible dangers, 用詞

供食用的基改植物會經過潛在危險的檢測，

and the results are evaluated by multiple agencies.

其結果將由多個機構進行評估。

After more than 30 years and thousands of studies,

經過30多年和數千項研究，

the science is in. 慣用語

科學界得出了結論。

Eating GMO plants is no more risky than their non-GMO equivalent. 文法

食用基改植物並不比非基改同類植物更有風險。

But don't just take our word for it. 語氣意圖

但別只聽我們的一面之詞。

Sources for this and other claims are in the video description.

這個及其他主張的資訊來源都在影片資訊欄中。

But what about plants that have been engineered to be toxic?

但如果是那些被改造成有毒的植物呢？

For example, Bt crops.

例如，Bt作物。

A gene borrowed from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis lets engineered plants produce a protein that destroys the digestive system of specific insect pests. 文法

從蘇雲金芽孢桿菌中借來的一個基因，能讓基改植物產生一種破壞特定害蟲消化系統的蛋白質。

The plant makes its own pesticide.

這種植物能製造自己的殺蟲劑。

Insects that eat it die.

吃它的昆蟲會死掉。

That sounds alarming.

這聽起來很令人震驚。

Pesticide sprays can be washed off,

噴灑的殺蟲劑可以被洗掉，

while the poison in Bt crops is inside the plant.

而Bt作物中的毒素就在植物體內。

But actually, it's not a big deal.

但實際上，這沒什麼大不了的。

Poison is really just a question of different perspectives. 表達脈絡

毒素其實只是看問題的不同角度而已。

What's harmless to one species might kill another.

對一個物種無害的東西，可能會殺死另一個物種。

Coffee, for example,

比如，咖啡

is a poison that kills insects,

是一種能殺死昆蟲的毒藥，

but is harmless to us.

但對我們卻無害。

Or take chocolate. 表達脈絡

或者拿巧克力來說。

It's dangerous for dogs,

它對狗來說很危險，

but a pleasure for humans.

但對人類來說卻是一種享受。

Bt crops produce a protein that is tailored to the specific design of the digestive tract of certain insects. 片語搭配

Bt作物產生的一種蛋白質，是專門針對某些昆蟲消化道結構而設計的。

It's completely harmless for us.

它對我們完全無害。

There's also the opposite approach.

此外還有相反的做法。

Plants that are engineered to be resistant to certain weed killers.

被改造成對某些除草劑具有抗性的植物。

This way,

這樣一來，

farmers can use them widely,

農民可以廣泛使用它們，

killing the other plants competing for resources without harming the crop.

殺死那些爭奪資源的其他植物，同時不傷害農作物。

Here we get to the dark underbelly of GMOs. 慣用語

在這裡，我們觸及了基改生物陰暗的一面。

For the pesticide industry,

對於農藥產業來說，

they are big business.

這是一門大生意。

Over 90% of all cash crops in the US are herbicide-resistant, 用詞

美國90%以上的經濟作物都具有抗除草劑特性，

mostly to glyphosate.

主要是抗嘉磷塞。

As a result,

結果就是，

the use of glyphosate has increased greatly.

嘉磷塞的使用量大幅增加。

That isn't only bad.

這不僅是壞事。

Glyphosate is much less harmful to humans than many other herbicides.

嘉磷塞對人類的危害比許多其他除草劑要小得多。

Still,

儘管如此，

this means farmers have a strong incentive to rely on this one method only, 片語搭配

這意味著農民有強烈的動機只依賴這一種方法，

casting more balanced ways of managing weeds aside. 片語動詞

從而把更均衡的雜草管理方式拋到一邊。

That's one of the most fundamental problems with the GMO debate.

這是基改辯論中最根本的問題之一。

Much of the criticism of this technology is actually criticism of modern agriculture 表達脈絡

對這項技術的許多批評，實際上是對現代農業的批評，

and the business practice of the huge corporations that control our food supply.

以及對控制我們食品供應的巨頭公司的商業模式的批評。

This criticism is not only valid,

這種批評不僅是合理的，

it's also important.

也是重要的。

We need to change agriculture to a more sustainable model.

我們需要把農業轉變為更永續的模式。

GMOs as a technology are actually an ally and not an enemy in that fight, 慣用語

作為一種技術，基改生物在這場鬥爭中其實是盟友，而不是敵人，

helping to save and protect nature and minimize our impact on the environment.

它能幫助拯救和保護自然，並將我們對環境的影響降到最低。

Let's look at some positive examples.

讓我們看看一些正面的例子。

Eggplant is an important crop in Bangladesh,

茄子是孟加拉的重要農作物，

but often whole harvests are destroyed by pests.

但經常整個收成都毀於蟲害。

Farmers had to rely heavily on pesticides. 片語搭配

農民不得不嚴重依賴殺蟲劑。

Not only was this very expensive, 文法

這不僅非常昂貴，

farmers also frequently got sick.

農民也經常因此生病。

The introduction of a new GM eggplant in 2013 stopped this.

2013年一種新型基改茄子的引入改變了這一切。

The same Bt protein we talked about before,

之前我們提到過的相同的Bt蛋白，

an effective killer of insects,

它是有效的昆蟲殺手，

but harmless to humans,

但對人類無害，

was engineered into them.

被基因工程改造進了茄子裡。

This reduced insecticide use on eggplant by more than 80%.

這使得茄子上的殺蟲劑使用量減少了80%以上。

The health of farmers improved,

農民的健康狀況得到了改善，

and their income rose dramatically.

他們的收入也大幅增加。

And sometimes,

而有時，

a GM approach is the only option.

基改方法是唯一的選擇。

In the 1990s,

在1990年代，

the papaya industry in Hawaii was under attack from the ringspot virus, 慣用語

夏威夷的木瓜產業受到了輪斑病毒的侵襲，

which threatened to wipe out Hawaiian papaya. 片語動詞

這威脅到了夏威夷木瓜的存亡。

The solution was a papaya genetically modified to be vaccinated against the virus. 文化背景

解決辦法是一種接種過該病毒疫苗的基改木瓜。

Without it, 文法

如果沒有它，

the state's papaya industry would have collapsed.

該州的木瓜產業將會崩潰。

All these stories show a very narrow application.

所有這些故事都顯示出基改應用範圍非常狹窄。

99% of all GMOs we use right now

我們目前使用的基改生物99%

produce pesticides or are resistant against them.

都是用來生產殺蟲劑或者具有抗藥性。

There is so much more we could do.

我們能做的其實還有很多。

Scientists are working on GMOs that could improve our diet.

科學家們正在研究能夠改善我們飲食的基改生物。

Plants that produce more or different nutrients,

能產生更多或不同營養物質的植物，

like fruit with higher antioxidant levels that help to fight diseases,

比如抗氧化劑水平更高、有助於對抗疾病的水果，

or rice with additional vitamins.

或者含有額外維生素的米。

On a larger scale, 表達脈絡

在更大層面上，

we're trying to engineer plants that are more resilient to climate change. 片語搭配

我們正試圖改造出更能抵禦氣候變遷的植物。

Plants that can better adapt to erratic weather and adverse soil conditions, 片語搭配

能更好地適應惡劣天氣和不利土壤條件的植物，

making them resistant to droughts or floods.

使其具備抗旱或抗洪能力。

GMOs could also not only reduce agriculture's impact on the environment,

基改生物不僅可以減少農業對環境的影響，

but actively help to protect it.

還能積極幫助保護環境。

Scientists are working on crops that can draw nitrogen from the air like microbes. 用詞

科學家們正在研發能夠像微生物一樣從空氣中吸收氮的農作物。

Nitrogen is a common fertilizer,

氮是一種常見的肥料，

but its buildup pollutes the groundwater and speeds up climate change. 片語動詞

但它的積聚會污染地下水，加速氣候變遷。

Plants that collect their own nitrogen could fix two problems at once. 片語搭配

能夠自己收集氮的植物可以同時解決兩個問題。

The overuse of fertilizers in the developed world,

發達國家化肥的過度使用，

as well as the shortage of it in developing countries.

以及開發中國家化肥的短缺。

We could even modify plants to become super effective carbon collectors

我們甚至可以改造植物，使其成為超級有效的碳收集器，

like the American chestnut tree,

比如美洲栗樹，

to mitigate and actually reverse climate change. 片語搭配

以減緩並真正逆轉氣候變遷。

With the tools we have today,

藉助於我們今天所擁有的工具，

our imagination is the limit. 慣用語

我們的想像力就是極限。

The world eats 11 million pounds of food every day.

全球每天消耗1100萬磅食物。

A UN estimate suggests we'll need 70% more by 2050. 表達脈絡

聯合國估計，到2050年我們需要增加70%的食物。

We could grow that food by clearing more and more forests to create fields and pastures,

我們可以透過不斷清理森林來開闢田地和牧場，

and by using more pesticides.

以及使用更多的殺蟲劑來種植這些食物。

Or we find a way to do it on the land we've got right now

或者，我們可以找到一種方法，利用現有的土地，

with more effective methods like GM crops.

藉助像基改作物這樣更有效的方法來生產。

Intensifying farming instead of expanding it 文法

透過集約化農業而不是擴大農業規模，

means GMOs could become the new organic.

意味著基改作物可能成為新的有機食品。

In a nutshell, 表達脈絡

簡而言之，

GMOs have the potential to not only drastically change agriculture, 講解

基改生物不僅有潛力徹底改變農業，

but to also dampen the effects of our own irresponsible behavior. 片語搭配

還能減輕我們自己不負責任的行為所帶來的影響。

GMOs could be our most powerful weapon 慣用語

基改生物可能是我們最強大的武器，

to save our biosphere.

用以拯救我們的生物圈。

This video took more than 600 hours to make,

這個影片花了600多個小時製作，

which would be impossible without viewer support on patreon.com.

如果沒有patreon.com上觀眾的支持，這是不可能完成的。

If you'd like to support carefully researched content made with love,

如果你想支持經過仔細研究且用心製作的內容，

it's really very helpful,

這將真的非常有幫助，

and you can get your own bird as a reward.

你還可以得到一隻你自己的小鳥作為獎勵。

If you want to learn more about genetic modification,

如果你想了解更多關於基因改造的知識，

we have more videos explaining the opportunities and risks of the technology

我們還有更多影片解釋這項技術的機會和風險，

and how it could impact our future.

以及它可能對我們未來的影響。