我們該如何拯救野生蜜蜂？ ⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

歡迎收聽 bbclearningenglish.com 的《6 Minute English》。

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，這裡是 BBC Learning English 的《6 Minute English》。

I'm Phil.

我是 Phil。

And I'm Beth.

我是 Beth。

Do you like honey, Phil?

Phil，你喜歡蜂蜜嗎？

Um, I use it a lot in cooking, so yes.

嗯，我做菜時經常會用到它，所以我喜歡。

Well, the relationship between humans, honey, and the bees which make it goes back thousands of years. 講解

人類、蜂蜜以及釀造蜂蜜的蜜蜂之間的關係可以追溯到幾千年前。

prized for its taste and medicinal properties, 文法

因其美味和藥用價值而備受推崇，

In ancient times, honey was known as liquid gold. 講解

在古代，蜂蜜被稱為「液體黃金」。

But now, thanks to modern farming methods, populations of many insects, including bees, are in decline. 片語搭配

但現在，由於現代農業的耕作方式，包括蜜蜂在內的許多昆蟲數量都在下降。

Saoirse, a worried listener from London,

來自倫敦的聽眾 Saoirse 對此感到擔憂，

called BBC World Service program CrowdScience about the problem.

她打電話給 BBC World Service 的節目《CrowdScience》詢問了這個問題。

I'm Saoirse from the UK,

我是來自英國的 Saoirse，

and my question is, can honey help save bees? 表達脈絡

我的問題是，吃蜂蜜能幫助拯救蜜蜂嗎？

I've been vegan for about 9 years, and I don't eat honey myself, 文法

我吃純素大約 9 年了，我自己不吃蜂蜜，

but I still have a question mark around it because I know that our bee populations are declining. 講解

但我對此依然有些疑慮，因為我知道蜜蜂的數量正在減少。

Saoirse is a vegan,

Saoirse 是個純素食者（vegan），

someone who doesn't eat anything which comes from animals, 文法

即不吃任何來自動物製品的人，

not just meat, but things like milk, eggs, and honey too. 文法

不僅不吃肉，連牛奶、雞蛋和蜂蜜等也不吃。

Although Saoirse doesn't eat honey herself, 文法

儘管 Saoirse 自己不吃蜂蜜，

she says there's a question mark around eating honey.

但她說吃蜂蜜這件事存在著「問號」。

The phrase a question mark around something means there's doubt or uncertainty about something.

短語 a question mark around something 的意思是對某事存有疑問或不確定。

And what Saoirse is uncertain about 文法

Saoirse 不確定的地方在於

is whether eating honey might actually save bees.

吃蜂蜜是否真的能拯救蜜蜂。

So, would it be better for declining bee populations if more people ate honey? 文法

那麼，如果更多的人吃蜂蜜，對不斷減少的蜜蜂族群會有好處嗎？

That's what we'll be discussing using some useful new words and phrases. 表達脈絡

這就是我們將要討論的內容，同時還會學習一些有用的新單字和短語。

Plus, you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode on our website,

此外，你可以在我們的網站上找到本期節目的所有詞彙，

bbclearningenglish.com.

網址是 bbclearningenglish.com。

But bee-fore that, 慣用語

但在這之前，

I have a question for you, Phil.

我有個問題要問你，Phil。

The buzzing sound bees are famous for is made by flapping their four wings incredibly fast. 講解

蜜蜂著名的嗡嗡聲是由於它們極其快速地扇動四隻翅膀而發出的。

But, how fast?

但是，到底有多快呢？

Do honey bees flap their wings A) 90 times per second,

蜜蜂每秒扇動翅膀的次數是：A) 90 次，

B) 190 times per second,

B) 190 次，

or C) 290 times per second?

還是 C) 290 次？

Well, I have absolutely no idea, 語氣意圖

呃，我完全不知道，

so I'm going to guess 190 times per second. 片語搭配

所以我猜每秒 190 次吧。

Okay, well,

好的，那麼，

we'll find out the answer later in the program. 片語動詞

我們會在節目稍後揭曉答案。

We've been talking about honey bees, 文法

我們一直在談論蜜蜂（honey bees），

but these are just one of the 20,000 species of bee which exist around the world. 文法

但牠們只是世界上現存的兩萬種蜂類之一。

In fact,

事實上，

honey bees are one of the most widespread insects on the planet and not endangered at all. 講解

蜜蜂是地球上分布最廣的昆蟲之一，而且完全沒有瀕臨滅絕。

But the picture isn't so good for wild bees, 慣用語

但野生蜜蜂的情況就沒那麼樂觀了，

including the bumblebee,

包括大黃蜂，

as biologist Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex explained to BBC World Service program CrowdScience. 表達脈絡

正如薩塞克斯大學的生物學家 Dave Goulson 向 BBC World Service 的《CrowdScience》節目所解釋的那樣。

In the UK,

在英國，

we have 26 bumblebee species,

我們有 26 種大黃蜂，

but three have gone extinct. 片語搭配

但其中三種已經滅絕。

Many of the others are now clinging on in little isolated pockets of good habitat. 講解

其他許多種類現在只能在一些孤立的小片優質棲息地中苟延殘喘。

The honey bees have beekeepers to look after them, 片語動詞

蜜蜂有養蜂人照料，

but nobody's looking out for the wild bees. 片語動詞

但卻沒有人在乎野生蜜蜂的死活。

Three of the 26 species of British bumblebee have gone extinct.

英國的 26 種大黃蜂中有三種已經滅絕。

And Dave says other species are clinging on,

Dave 說其他種類仍在 clinging on（苦苦掙扎），

meaning barely continuing to survive with great effort.

意思是極其艱難地勉強維持生存。

This happens in isolated pockets,

這種情況發生在 isolated pockets（孤立的隱蔽處），

small areas of habitat in which a particular insect or animal can survive.

即特定昆蟲或動物能夠生存的小塊棲息地。

So, while honey bees may not be endangered, 文法

因此，雖然蜜蜂可能沒有瀕臨滅絕，

lots of other bee species are.

但許多其他種類的蜂卻面臨危機。

And this is bad news because we rely on insects to pollinate crops and to keep ecosystems functioning. 講解

這是個壞消息，因為我們依靠昆蟲來為農作物授粉並維持生態系統的運轉。

That's right, Beth.

沒錯，Beth。

87% of all plant species need insects for pollination.

世界上 87% 的植物種類都需要昆蟲授粉。

So, without them, 文法

所以，如果沒有牠們，

most plants on Earth would disappear,

地球上的大多數植物將會消失，

which would obviously be catastrophic. 文法

這顯然將是一場災難。

But, according to Dave Goulson, 表達脈絡

但是，根據 Dave Goulson 的說法，

pollination is just one of the many things bees do for us,

授粉只是蜜蜂為我們做的眾多事情之一，

as he explained to BBC World Service's CrowdScience.

正如他在 BBC World Service 的《CrowdScience》節目中解釋的那樣。

That isn't the only thing that insects are doing, 表達脈絡

這並不是昆蟲唯一在做的事情，

and there are much less glamorous, 用詞

還有很多不那麼起眼、

less well-known things like recycling cow poo 文法

鮮為人知的事情，比如分解牛糞，

and helping to keep the soil healthy

幫助保持土壤健康，

and helping to control crop pests and so on. 片語搭配

以及協助控制農作物病蟲害等等。

All of which are also really important, 文法

所有這些也同樣非常重要，

and we kind of take them for granted or are just oblivious that they're even happening. 講解

而我們常常將其視為理所當然，或者甚至完全不知道它們正在發生。

Recycling cow poo and keeping the soil healthy 文法

分解牛糞和保持土壤健康

are two important jobs bees do which we take for granted.

是蜜蜂做的兩項重要工作，但我們往往視為理所當然（take for granted）。

If you take something for granted,

如果你把某事 take for granted，

you fail to value or appreciate something which benefits you.

就意味著你未能珍視或感激那些讓你受益的事物。

We humans are oblivious,

我們人類往往是 oblivious 的，

meaning unaware or unmindful of the many things bees do to support life on Earth. 片語搭配

意思是對蜜蜂為維持地球生命所做的許多事情毫無察覺或毫不在意。

So, while eating more honey probably won't do much to save wild bees, 片語搭配

因此，雖然多吃蜂蜜可能對拯救野生蜜蜂起不了多大作用，

there are things you can do such as growing bee-friendly plants which flower in spring like lavender. 講解

但你還可以做一些事，比如種植像薰衣草這樣在春天開花且對蜜蜂友好的植物。

Okay, Phil.

好了，Phil。

I think it's time to reveal the answer to my question. 片語搭配

我覺得是時候揭曉我剛才那個問題的答案了。

I asked you how many times bees flap their wings per second. 文法

我問你蜜蜂每秒扇動翅膀多少次。

You said 190,

你說 190 次，

which was the correct answer.

這是一個正確的答案。

Well done.

猜得好。

Ooh.

喔。

Okay, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt, 表達脈絡

好了，讓我們來回顧一下今天學到的詞彙，

starting with vegan,

首先是 vegan，

someone who doesn't consume any animal products. 用詞

指不食用任何動物製品的人（純素食者）。

If you say there's a question mark around something,

如果你說對某事有 a question mark around it（疑問），

you mean there's some doubt or uncertainty about it.

意思是對此有些懷疑或不確定。

If an animal species is clinging on,

如果一個動物物種正在 clinging on，

it's holding onto existence with great effort.

意思是牠在極其艱難地維持生存。

Isolated pockets refer to small areas of habitat in which a particular insect or animal can survive. 片語搭配

Isolated pockets（孤立的隱蔽處）指的是特定昆蟲或動物能夠生存的小塊棲息地。

To take something for granted means to not appreciate or show gratitude for something which helps you.

To take something for granted 的意思是不去感激或珍視幫助了你的事物（視為理所當然）。

And finally,

最後，

the adjective oblivious means unaware.

形容詞 oblivious 的意思是毫無察覺的。

Once again, our 6 minutes are up, 慣用語

我們的 6 分鐘再次到時間了，

but if you're keen for more, 用詞

但如果你還想了解更多，

then head over to our website, bbclearningenglish.com, 片語動詞

請訪問我們的網站 bbclearningenglish.com，

and download the worksheet and try the quiz on this episode.

下載本期節目的練習冊並做一下測驗。

Goodbye for now.

暫時說再見啦。

Goodbye.

再見。

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

歡迎收聽 bbclearningenglish.com 的《6 Minute English》。