吃植物有錯嗎？⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分鐘英語。

Hello,

大家好，

this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

這是 BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。

I'm Neil.

我是 Neil。

And I'm Rob.

我是 Rob。

Many people these days choose not to eat meat. 講解

如今許多人選擇不吃肉。

And for vegetarians,

對於素食主義者來說，

eating animals is wrong. 文法

吃動物是錯誤的。

But what about digging up a carrot 講解

但是挖出胡蘿蔔

or picking apples from a tree?

或者從樹上摘蘋果呢？

Is that wrong,

這難道也

too?

錯了嗎？

I don't think so,

我不這麼認為，

Neil.

Neil。

Plants aren't alive in the same way as animals, 片語搭配

植物的存活方式和動物不同，

are they? 文法

對吧？

They can't think or feel pain,

牠們不能思考也感覺不到疼痛，

and even vegetarians need to eat something.

而且即使是素食者也需要吃點東西。

Fruit, vegetables, rice, beans,

水果、蔬菜、米飯、豆類，

they all come from plants.

它們都來自植物。

It's true that plants don't have brains or nerves, 表達脈絡

植物確實沒有大腦或神經，

but according to some scientists, 片語搭配

但根據一些科學家的說法，

they're much more than passive things 片語搭配

它們不僅僅是被動地

rooted in the ground.

紮根在土壤裡的生物。

Plants can learn and remember.

植物能學習和記憶。

They solve problems 片語搭配

它們能解決問題，

and can even recognize other plants in their family. 用詞

甚至能辨識它們家族中的其他植物。

So,

那麼，

given the amazing things plants do, 文法

鑑於植物能做出這些驚人的事情，

is it right to eat them? 用詞

吃它們是對的嗎？

That's what we'll be discussing in this program. 表達脈絡

這就是我們在本期節目中要討論的話題。

And as usual,

像往常一樣，

we'll be learning some new useful vocabulary as well.

我們也會學習一些有用的新詞彙。

But first,

但首先，

I have a question for you, Neil.

我有個問題要問你，Neil。

Anyone who's seen cows grazing 文法

任何見過牛吃草的人

knows it's usually animals that eat plants.

都知道通常是動物吃植物。

But some plants have turned the evolutionary tables 慣用語

但有些植物扭轉了進化的局面，

to eat animals instead.

反過來以動物為食。

So,

那麼，

which tropical plant is famous for trapping insects to eat? 片語搭配

哪種熱帶植物以捕蟲為食而聞名？

Is it A,

是 A，

the corpse flower,

屍花（大王花），

B,

B，

the American skunk cabbage,

臭菘，

or C,

還是 C，

the Venus flytrap? 文化背景

捕蠅草？

I think it's C,

我覺得是 C，

the Venus flytrap.

捕蠅草。

Okay,

好的，

Neil.

Neil。

We'll find out if that's the right answer later in the program. 片語動詞

我們稍後將在節目中揭曉這是否是正確答案。

Plants have been on the planet for hundreds of millions of years 文法

植物在這個星球上存在的時間

longer than humans 文法

比人類多出數億年，

and have used that time to evolve special skills. 片語搭配

並且利用這段時間進化出了特殊的技能。

Here's Professor Rick Karban,

接下來是加州大學的生物學家

a biologist at the University of California,

Rick Karban 教授，

explaining more to James Wong,

他向 James Wong 解釋了更多內容，

botanist and presenter of BBC Radio 4 program

James Wong 是植物學家兼 BBC Radio 4 節目

Is eating plants wrong?

《吃植物是錯的嗎？》的主持人。

Without eyes, 文法

沒有眼睛，

plants can perceive a lot of information about light. 用詞

植物也能感知大量關於光的資訊。

Without noses,

沒有鼻子，

plants can perceive chemical information.

植物也能感知化學資訊。

Without ears,

沒有耳朵，

plants can perceive sounds.

植物也能感知聲音。

And so we've come to realize that plants are very perceptive 講解

因此，我們開始意識到植物有著非常敏銳的感知能力，

about what's going on in their environments. 片語動詞

能察覺它們環境中發生的事情。

You could argue, 語氣意圖

你可以這樣認為，

for example,

舉例來說，

that plants can perceive most of the senses that humans can.

植物能感知到人類能感受到的大多數感官資訊。

I would agree with that

我同意這一點，

and then some. 慣用語

甚至不僅如此。

What do you mean and then some?

你說的「甚至不僅如此」是什麼意思？

Anyone who's had a dog knows

養過狗的人都知道，

that dogs have a much keener sense of smell than humans do. 講解

狗的嗅覺比人類敏銳得多。

And we're now learning that plants are very responsive 片語搭配

我們現在了解到，植物對它們環境中的化學物質

to chemicals in their environment.

也能做出非常強烈的反應。

Even without ears, eyes, or a nose,

即使沒有耳朵、眼睛或鼻子，

plants are very perceptive.

植物也是非常敏銳的。

They notice things around them.

它們能注意到周圍的事物。

In fact,

事實上，

Professor Karban says

Karban 教授說，

that plants perceive as much as humans and then some,

植物感知到的東西和人類一樣多，甚至更多（and then some），

an idiom meaning and even more,

這是一個片語，意思是「甚至更多」，

which is used to emphasize that what you mentioned before

用來強調你之前提到的事情

was an understatement. 用詞

說得有些太保守了。

For example,

例如，

Bill Gates is rich

比爾·蓋茲很富有，

and then some.

並且遠不止一般的富有。

Hmm.

嗯。

Like dogs,

就像狗一樣，

plants have a keen sense of smell,

植物有敏銳的（keen）嗅覺，

which they use to detect chemicals in the air.

它們用嗅覺來探測空氣中的化學物質。

Here,

在這裡，

keen means powerful and intense.

keen 意思是強大和強烈的。

Okay,

好的，

so plants can see light and smell the air,

所以植物能看見光、聞到空氣，

but does that mean they're intelligent? 文法

但這是否意味著它們有智慧呢？

Maybe so. 語氣意圖

也許吧。

Studies modeled on the famous Pavlov's dog experiment, 講解

有一些模仿著名的「巴夫洛夫的狗」實驗的研究，

have trained pea seedlings 文法

訓練了豌豆幼苗

to find the quickest route to light through a maze

在迷宮中找到通向光線的最快路線，

and remember it,

並且能記住它，

evidence of memory. 片語搭配

這是有記憶的證據。

In another experiment,

在另一項實驗中，

potted plants were lined up 片語動詞

盆栽植物排成一排，

with roots joining them like a chain of people holding hands. 講解

它們的根連在一起，就像手牽手的人鏈。

The plants talked to each other, 慣用語

這些植物相互交談，

passing along information about water and air temperature 片語動詞

關於水和空氣溫度的資訊被傳遞下去，

through their roots,

透過它們的根系，

like children playing a game where a message is passed on

就像孩子們玩傳話遊戲，

in a whisper through a chain of people,

訊息透過人鏈悄悄傳遞，

becoming distorted in the process. 用詞

在這個過程中被扭曲（distorted）了。

Distorted means changed from its original form.

Distorted 的意思是偏離了本來的形態。

All this takes brain power, 慣用語

所有這一切都需要腦力，

and there's clearly evidence that plants might have some kind of intelligence. 文法

並且有明確的證據表明，植物可能具有某種形式的智能。

So,

那麼，

given all of this, 表達脈絡

綜合以上情況，

is it wrong to eat them?

吃它們是錯誤的嗎？

That's what James Wong asked Michael Marder,

這就是 James Wong 向巴斯克大學哲學教授

professor of philosophy at the University of the Basque Country,

Michael Marder 提出的問題，

for his BBC Radio 4 program Is Eating Plants Wrong?

這是為了他的 BBC Radio 4 節目《吃植物是錯的嗎？》。

Is it wrong to eat plants?

吃植物是錯的嗎？

It is not in and of itself wrong to eat plants, 慣用語

吃植物本身（in and of itself）並沒有錯，

but we have to do so while keeping in mind the context 片語搭配

但我們在吃植物時必須記住

in which we're doing this. 文法

我們做這件事的情境（context）。

We have to,

我們必須，

first of all, 表達脈絡

首先，

think about what kinds of plants we're eating,

想清楚我們在吃什麼樣的植物，

what are the parts of those plants.

吃的是那些植物的哪些部分。

Are we,

我們是否，

in fact, 表達脈絡

實際上，

destroying the entire living being 用詞

在毀滅整個生命體，

or just taking certain of its parts, 文法

還是僅僅取走了它的某些部分，

such as fruits and leaves,

比如果實和葉子，

that are not essential to it, 片語搭配

那些對它而言並非不可或缺、

that can actually fall off without doing harm to the whole organism? 講解

實際上掉落也不會對整個有機體造成傷害的部分？

Professor Marder says that eating plants is not wrong in and of itself,

Marder 教授說，吃植物本身（in and of itself）並不錯，

when considered alone,

即單獨考慮，

without taking anything else into account. 片語搭配

不把任何其他因素考慮在內時。

But he thinks it's important to remember the context,

但他認為重要的是要記住背景（context），

the situation or circumstances in which something happens.

即某件事發生的情境或環境。

Picking an apple,

摘一個蘋果，

for example,

例如，

is okay

是可以接受的，

because it doesn't kill the tree itself,

因為它沒有殺死樹的本身，

which can go on to produce more fruit. 片語動詞

樹可以繼續結出更多的果實。

It seems plants really are clever.

看來植物真的很聰明。

But do they know the answer to your question,

但它們知道你那個問題的答案嗎，

Rob?

Rob？

Oh,

哦，

yes.

當然。

I asked you to name the famous insect-eating tropical plant. 文法

我讓你說出那著名的食蟲熱帶植物的名字。

And I said it was the Venus flytrap.

我說是捕蠅草。

Which was the correct answer.

這是正確的答案。

Well done,

答得好，

Neil.

Neil。

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learned,

讓我們複習一下今天學到的詞彙，

starting with the adjective perceptive,

首先是形容詞 perceptive（感知敏銳的），

quick to notice and understand things.

即很快就能注意到並理解事物。

The idiom and then some means and even more

片語 and then some 意思是「甚至更多」，

and is used to show that something has been understated.

用於表明某事之前被說得太保守了。

A keen sense of smell, sight, or hearing

keen（敏銳的）嗅覺、視覺或聽覺

is powerful and intense.

就是強大而強烈的。

Distorted means changed from its original form.

Distorted（扭曲的）意思是改變了原本的形式。

The phrase in and of itself

短語 in and of itself

means when considered alone,

意思是「就其本身而言」，即單獨考慮，

without taking anything else into account.

不將任何其他情況考慮在內。

And finally,

最後，

the context is the general situation

context（背景/情境）指的是

in which something happens.

某事發生時的一般狀況。

Once again,

再次提醒，

our Six Minutes are up.

我們的六分鐘時間到了。

Goodbye.

再見。

Goodbye.

再見。

Six Minute English from the BBC.

來自 BBC 的六分鐘英語。