紫色番茄
Purple tomatoes
Hello I’m Rob.
大家好，我是Rob。
Welcome to 6 Minute English.
欢迎收听六分钟英语节目。
With me today is Finn. Hello Finn.
今天Finn和我一起。你好，Finn。
Hello Rob.
你好，Rob。
Now Finn, I'd like to start by asking you a question.
Finn，还是让我以一个问题来开始我们的节目吧。
Would you eat a purple coloured tomato?
你敢不敢吃紫色的番茄？
Purple?
紫色？
Well, that depends.
这要看情况来说啦。
Is it a naturally coloured tomato?
紫色是它自然的颜色吗？
Where does it come from?
它是从哪来的？
Is this an artificial tomato?
是不是人造番茄？
Rob, tell me more.
Rob，再多告诉我一些信息吧。
Artificial – yes, you mean is it man-made and trying to copy something that is natural?
人造的——没错，你的意思是人们模仿自然生长的食物，然后通过加工制造而成的人工食物。
Well, in a way - yes.
恩，在某种程度来说是这样的。
Because scientists have developed a genetically modified purple tomato;
因为人们已经研究出了一种基因改良的紫色番茄：
they took red tomato plants and changed their genetic patterns so that they now produce new,
他们把红色番茄的基因模式进行了更改，因此才生产出了新品种的、
purple tomatoes.
紫色的番茄。
Yes, so this would be an example of GM –
是的，这就是转基因技术的一个典型例子——
genetically modified – food.
转基因食物。
It's something we'll be discussing more soon and,
稍后我们会进一步讨论这个话题，
of course, looking at some related vocabulary.
当然我们也会学习一些相关的词汇。
But here's another question for you Finn that hasn't been modified – or changed – in any way!
不过Finn，我这还有一个从来没有被改良过的——或改变过的问题要问你！
GM food has been researched and experimented with for many years but do you know when the first genetically modified food was first sold commercially?
多年来，人们一直在进行转基因食物的研究和实验，但是你知道第一次进行转基因食物的商业销售是在哪一年吗？
Was it in:
选项有：
a) 1974
a) 1974
b) 1984
b) 1984
c) 1994
c) 1994
Well, we think of GM food as a recent thing so I'll say the opposite, a) 1974.
好的，我们印象中的转基因食物应该是近几年才有的事情，那我就说一个相反的答案吧，我选 a) 1974。
OK, we’ll find out if you're right later on.
好的，在节目的最后我们会揭晓答案。
Let's talk more now about genetically modified food – or GM food.
下面让我们再来多聊聊关于转基因食物的事情。
It's called this because the food's genes have been changed.
我们叫它们“转基因食物”是因为他们的基因被人为的改变了。
This means the way it grows is different from the way it grows when it isn’t touched by humans.
这意味着它与之前未经人为更改的植物的生长方式是不同的。
Yes, so, growing GM food – or crops – is controversial.
是的，所以说种植转基因食物——或者庄稼——是存在争议的。
Some scientists think it's needed to meet the world's growing demand for food.
一些科学家认为这样做可以满足世界人口对于食物的需求。
Yes, GM food can resist – or stop the effects of – some pests or bad weather.
没错，转基因食物可以抵抗——或者说避免——某些害虫或者恶劣天气的影响。
It can grow more quickly,
它们的生长速度更快，
meaning even more crops can be cultivated – or grown.
这就意味着我们可以在短时间内培育出更多的粮食。
But opponents of GM food –
但是，转基因食物的反对者们——
people who argue against it –
那些反对对自然生物进行人工基因改良的人们——
say we don't know enough about its effect on the environment.
说我们对于转基因食物对环境影响的了解还太少。
And then there are the fears about who controls what's grown.
还有一些人担心我们无法控制转基因作物的生长。
Yes, but despite this,
是的，但是不管怎么说，
GM food has become an important part of food production.
转基因食物已经成为了粮食产量的一个重要组成部分。
Crops like sweetcorn, rape plants,
像甜玉米、油菜、
wheat and tomatoes have all been genetically modified.
小麦和番茄等作物都进行过基因改良。
Yes, like the purple tomato,
是的，就像紫色的番茄，
which was recently developed in the UK.
就是英国科学家最新研究出来的品种。
It has a dark pigment – or colour –
它的颜色偏深，
which gives it the same potential health benefits as blueberries.
和蓝莓一样能给人体提供一些养分。
Well, that sounds like a good thing.
是的，这听起来不错。
And not only that,
还不只这些呢，
it has an antioxidant –
它还含有抗氧化剂——
that's a substance that stops the decaying process –
一种可以延缓腐败的物质——
which tests show could help fight cancer.
经实验发现可以它帮助人体抵抗癌症。
One day we could see these purple tomatoes on pizzas or in our tomato ketchup.
或许有一天我们就能在披萨或者番茄酱里面看到这些紫色的番茄了。
Let's hear from Professor Cathie Martin who is a plant biologist from The John Innes Centre who developed this tomato.
下面让我们来听听培育出这种番茄的来自约翰英尼斯中心的生物学家Cathie Martin教授是怎么说的。
What does she say is good about this new food?
看看她对于这种新食物的优点是怎么评价的？
With these purple tomatoes,
食用这种紫色的番茄，
you can get the same compounds that are present in blueberries and cranberries that give them their health benefits but you can apply them to foods that people actually eat in significant amounts and that are reasonably affordable.
人们可以获取到一些对人体很有好处的物质，这些物质在蓝莓以及越橘也都含有，但是人们只能大量食用才行。
So she says the good thing about this development is we can get health benefits from something we eat significant amounts of –
所以她说这种紫色番茄的好处就是我们可以不用大量食用某些食物就可以获取到某些营养成分——
so lots of –
含有相同物质的食物我们要吃很多才行——
and they will be reasonably affordable – so it will be cheap.
而且价格也是人们能够接受的——意思就是会很便宜。
Yes but there's still maybe a problem with the colour.
但是关于颜色可能还是有些问题。
We are affected by the colour of stuff we put in our mouths.
送进嘴里的食物的颜色会影响我们。
I mean, who eats blue food?!
我的意思是，谁会吃蓝色的食物啊？！
That's true.
这倒是真的。
And also because the European Union has restrictions on growing GM food,
还有一个问题就是欧盟禁止种植转基因作物，
this tomato has to be grown in Canada where rules are more supportive of GM foods.
我们只能在加拿大——这里的法规相对来说更加支持转基因食物——种植才行。
OK. Well, Professor Nick Pidgeon,
是的，Nick Pidgeon教授，
who is an Environmental Psychologist,
他是一位环境心理学家，
says in the UK there is some distrust of GM food.
他说联合国也对转基因食物抱有怀疑态度。
He says some people are concerned all this is messing with nature –
他说一些人怀疑转基因食物会扰乱大自然——
it's not natural –
因为它们不是自然生长出来的——
and maybe we don't know what the long-term consequences are.
或许我们无法知道它们可能带来的长期影响。
And a big concern is that large corporations will have control over the technology.
还有一大担忧就是一些大型公司可能会控制该技术。
And this could mean they control food prices too.
这意味着他们也可以操控食物的价格。
You know Rob,
你知道吗，Rob，
I think this is a debate that will go on and on and on.
我想这个争论会一直、永远的进行下去了。
Indeed.
没错。
But it's now time to reveal the answer to today's question.
不过我想现在我们该揭晓今天问题的答案了。
Earlier I asked you if you knew when the first genetically modified food was first sold commercially.
先前我问你你知不知道人类第一次将转基因食物进行商业化销售的时间。
I said a) 1974.
我说的是1974年。
Interesting.
有意思。
The answer is actually 1994.
但答案其实是1994年。
A company called Calgene sold a product that delayed the ripening of tomatoes.
一个名叫 Calgene 的公司销售的一种可以延缓成熟时间的番茄品种。
OK, well, I guess that means the fruit could last longer and it would stop it going soft?
恩，那么我猜这种番茄可以存放更长的时间，也不会太快变软吧？
That was the idea.
没错。
Now, before we go, Finn,
好的，那么在我们结束今天的节目之前，Finn，
could you remind us of some of the vocabulary that we've heard today?
请你再和我们回顾一下今天提到的词汇吧？
Yes, I will.
好的。
artificial
人造的； 人工的
genetically modified
转基因的
genes
基因
resist
抵抗；忍耐
pests
害虫
cultivated
耕种的； 栽培的
pigment
颜料，色料； [生]色素
antioxidant
抗氧化剂
significant
重要的；大量的
affordable
付得起的
distrust
不信任； 怀疑
ripening
成熟
Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English.
好的，我们今天的六分钟英语节目到这就要结束啦。
We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s programme.
希望大家喜欢今天的节目。
Please join us again soon.
请大家下期继续关注我们。
Bye.
再见。