印度調香師如何重現泥土上的雨水氣息 | 屹立不搖：英語精讀講義

Fresh roses are the main ingredient for this ancient way of making perfume.

新鮮玫瑰是這種古老製香方法的主要原料。

The tradition is thousands of years old and

這項傳統已有數千年歷史，

this small city in India is one of the only places that still makes it this way. 片語搭配

而印度這座小城，是如今少數仍沿用這種方式製香的地方之一。

One batch can take weeks or even months to prepare. 文法

製作一批香精可能需要數週，甚至數月。

The result is 100% pure perfume,

最後得到的是100%純淨的香精，

also called attar, 文化背景

也叫阿塔爾香精，

the Arabic word for fragrance.

「attar」在阿拉伯語中意為「香氣」。

But what makes the attar so special 文法

但阿塔爾香精的獨特之處，

is also what is leading to its demise.

也正是讓它逐漸走向沒落的原因。

The time-consuming process is hard to sustain.

這種耗時的工藝很難維持下去。

We visited India's perfume capital Kannauj 文化背景

我們來到印度的香水之都卡瑙傑，

to see how this craft is still standing. 慣用語

看看這門手藝如何延續至今。

Workers gather roses in these fields near Kannauj

工人們在卡瑙傑附近的田野裡採摘玫瑰，

and deliver them to distilleries while they're still fresh.

趁花還新鮮時送到蒸餾廠。

This one is over 100 years old.

這座蒸餾廠已有100多年歷史。

It's owned by M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers.

它隸屬於M. L. Ramnarain Perfumers。

There is no electricity

這裡沒有電，

and no industrial machinery here.

也沒有工業機械。

Workers have already prepped these copper containers or degs,

工人們已經備妥這些叫作「deg」的銅製容器，

filling them with just the right amount of water,

往裡面加入分量恰到好處的水，

about 80 kilos.

大約80公斤。

Har aadmi andaaz nahi laga pata hai.

不是每個人都能估得準。

Once the flowers arrive,

鮮花一送到，

they are carefully weighed.

就會被仔細秤重。

It is an essential part of the process,

這是整個流程中至關重要的一步，

as getting an accurate ratio is key. 文法

因為準確的比例是關鍵。

The roses are evenly spread out 片語動詞

玫瑰被均勻鋪開，

and it takes two men to carry and pour them into the degs. 文法

需要兩名工人合力搬起，再倒進deg裡。

As the petals begin to seep in the water,

花瓣開始浸入水中時，

a craftsman seals the container rim with a mixture of clay and cotton.

工匠會用黏土和棉花的混合物封住容器邊緣。

They then light firewood inside an earthen oven called a bhatti 文化背景

接著，他們在一種叫「bhatti」的土窯裡點燃木柴，

and the alchemy begins. 慣用語

煉香的奇妙過程就此展開。

The heat boils the water and flowers until they emit steam.

熱力讓水和鮮花沸騰，直到釋放出蒸氣。

It condenses as it travels through this hollow bamboo pipe or chunga, 文化背景

蒸氣流經一根叫「chunga」的空心竹管時會凝結，

that connects to the bhapka,

竹管連接著bhapka，

a smaller container filled with sandalwood oil that forms the base of attar.

這是一個裝有檀香油的小容器，而檀香油正是阿塔爾香精的基底。

This is where every last drop of fragrant water will gather over 6 hours. 片語搭配

接下來的6小時裡，每一滴芳香液體都會匯集到這裡。

In the meantime, 表達脈絡

與此同時，

workers constantly check the temperatures of the different vessels,

工人們不斷檢查各個容器的溫度，

using their hands and years of experience instead of thermometers.

不用溫度計，只憑雙手和多年的經驗。

They monitor the fire to make sure the degs are warm enough to create steam, 文法

他們會看顧爐火，確保deg夠熱，能產生蒸氣，

but not too much,

但又不能過熱，

otherwise it can destroy the scent.

否則香氣就會被破壞。

They also have to make sure the bhapka stays cool enough to turn the steam back into liquid. 片語搭配

他們還得確保bhapka夠冷，能讓蒸氣重新變成液體。

This is a job which requires a lot of patience.

這是一項非常考驗耐心的工作。

It requires a lot of time and effort.

需要投入大量時間和心力。

The input has to be good to get great outcomes.

只有原料好，才能得到出色的成品。

So,

所以，

every stage of our process

我們工藝中的每一個環節

has to be given a lot of focus

都必須受到高度重視，

and to be done with a lot of concentration

操作時也必須全神貫注，

and any slip off can, you know,

任何一點疏忽，你知道，

have negative results.

都可能帶來不好的結果。

And the result is the all-natural attar,

最後製成的，就是完全天然的阿塔爾香精，

free from any alcohol or artificial chemicals. 片語搭配

不含任何酒精或人工化學成分。

With a scent that can linger for days. 用詞

它的香氣可以持續好幾天。

Here,

在這裡，

they make over 15 different kinds of oils,

他們製作15種以上不同的香精油，

but one of their most prized is mitti attar, 文化背景

其中最珍貴的一種是「mitti attar」，

literally meaning earth perfume.

字面意思就是「大地香水」。

When, let's say, 語氣意圖

比方說，

there is rain on dry, parched earth

雨水落在乾燥龜裂的土地上，

and you know, the smell,

你知道那種氣味，

the sweet, soothing smell that one gets.

那種清甜、舒緩的氣息。

So,

所以，

that's the smell that you can expect from attar mitti.

mitti attar呈現的就是這種味道。

To recreate the smell of earth,

為了重現泥土的氣息，

they use old clay pots that were used for spices or tea.

他們會使用以前裝過香料或茶葉的舊陶罐。

They crush the pots

工人把陶罐敲碎，

and add them to the water just as they did with the roses. 文法

像處理玫瑰一樣，把碎片放進水裡。

But while rose attar is made in a day, 文法

不過，玫瑰阿塔爾香精一天就能製成，

others can take weeks or even months to produce.

其他種類卻可能要花上數週，甚至數月。

They are distilled and redistilled till the smell is potent enough. 用詞

它們會被反覆蒸餾，直到香味足夠濃郁。

The last step is the bottling process.

最後一步是裝瓶。

It's also old school, 慣用語

這一步也沿用老方法，

using a funnel and a bucket,

只用一個漏斗和一個桶，

every tiny bottle is filled by hand.

每個小瓶都由人工灌裝。

Expensive attars can sell for 10,000 Indian rupees or $135,

昂貴的阿塔爾香精能賣到1萬印度盧比，也就是135美元，

and that's the price for just 2 teaspoons of it.

而這只是兩茶匙的價格。

The raw materials are costly

原料成本高昂，

and it takes a lot to make just a little amount of perfume.

而且要用很多原料，才能製出一點點香精。

Kannauj has been known to produce attar for at least 400 years.

至少400年來，卡瑙傑一直以生產阿塔爾香精聞名。

As a matter of fact, 表達脈絡

事實上，

Kannauj has got the geographical indication for an attar. 文化背景

卡瑙傑的阿塔爾香精已取得地理標示認證。

So, technically,

所以嚴格來說，

an attar can only be from Kannauj.

阿塔爾香精只能產自卡瑙傑。

But the method of steam distilling is said to have originated in ancient Persia 文法

不過，據說這種蒸氣蒸餾法起源於古代波斯，

and the Middle East thousands of years ago.

以及數千年前的中東地區。

In India,

在印度，

it was popularized by Mughal kings during the 17th century. 文化背景

這種工藝在17世紀由蒙兀兒帝王推廣開來。

But these days,

但如今，

young brand-conscious Indians mostly use western perfumes. 用詞

注重品牌的印度年輕人大多使用西式香水。

As a result,

因此，

in the last 20 years,

在過去20年裡，

80% of India's traditional distilleries have closed down 片語動詞

印度80%的傳統蒸餾廠已經關閉，

and the people of Kannauj have felt the decline.

卡瑙傑人也切身感受到產業的衰退。

So, the whole town is involved in the business of perfumery.

所以，整座城都參與香水生意。

I would say uh about 80% to 85% of the people living in the industry in the town

我想，城裡大約有80%到85%的居民

are associated to the perfume industry

都與香水產業有關，

in one way or the other.

只不過參與方式各不相同。

A lot of people say that, you know,

很多人都說，你知道，

it's losing its sheen and stuff like that, 講解

這個產業正在失去往日的光彩之類的，

but we personally don't feel that way. 語氣意圖

但我們自己並不這麼認為。

Every day we strive to innovate and, you know, 片語搭配

每一天，我們都努力創新，而且，你知道，

find a new application for our oils.

為我們的香精油尋找新的用途。

So,

所以，

we've seen growth,

我們的業務確實有所成長，

no doubt. 語氣意圖

這毫無疑問。

Muslims all across South Asia have used attar for centuries.

幾個世紀以來，南亞各地的穆斯林一直使用阿塔爾香精。

It's believed to be one of Prophet Muhammad's most prized possessions. 文化背景

據說，它是先知穆罕默德最珍愛的物品之一。

And outside of India,

而在印度以外，

these chemical-free attars are popular in the Middle East.

這種不含化學添加物的阿塔爾香精在中東很受歡迎。

European fragrance houses have also been importing attar 用詞

歐洲的香水公司也一直在進口阿塔爾香精，

to use it as an ingredient in their modern perfumes,

用作現代香水的原料，

breathing new life into an ancient industry. 慣用語

為這個古老產業注入新的活力。

We are very proud of our lineage

我們為自己的傳承感到無比自豪，

but at the same time,

但與此同時，

it's a lot of responsibility as well.

這也意味著重大的責任。

When you have to maintain and sustain certain standards,

當你必須維持並延續某些標準時，

then that becomes difficult.

事情就會變得很難。

It makes us proud to carry forward a legacy of five generations. 片語搭配

能將五代人的傳承延續下去，我們深感自豪。

After all, 表達脈絡

畢竟，

recreating the smell of rain on earth is no small legacy. 慣用語

能重現雨落大地的氣息，本身就是一項非凡的傳承。