食用绿藻
Eating pond scum
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
大家好，这里是BBC教学英语的六分钟英语，我是尼尔。
And I'm Sam.
我是萨姆。
In this programme, we’ll be looking at an unusual food called microalgae
在本期节目中，我们将关注一种叫做微藻的不寻常食物，
and asking whether eating algae might be better for our health and the health of the planet.
并讨论食用藻类是否对我们以及地球的健康更有益。
And of course, we’ll be looking at some of the related vocabulary along the way.
当然，在这个过程中我们还会学习一些相关的词汇。
Yuck!
真恶心！
I'm not sure about eating algae, Neil!
尼尔，我不确定要不要吃藻类！
I mean, what's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
我是说，你吃过的最奇怪的东西是什么？
Well, I once tried fried stick insect in Thailand… and I’ve had ants, as well, that were from Colombia.
嗯，我曾经在泰国吃过油炸竹节虫……我也吃过哥伦比亚的蚂蚁。
Ah, OK, yeah – both fairly strange for us here in the UK.
啊，好吧，是的——对我们英国人来说都很奇怪。
But what about pond scum, Neil?
但绿藻呢，尼尔？
Pond scum?
绿藻？
Pond scum is the slang name for microalgae - green plant organisms,
绿藻是微藻的俗名，微藻是一种绿色的植物生物体，
such as spirulina, which grow in water - like ponds and look a bit slimy or scummy before being dried.
比如螺旋藻，它生长在像池塘这样的水里，在晒干之前看起来有点黏糊糊的。
Here, we’re talking about edible algae, meaning it’s OK to eat.
这里我们所说的是可食用的藻类，那是指它可以被食用。
More than OK, in fact these types of food algae are actually good for your body!
不仅仅是可以食用，事实上，这些藻类食物对你的身体有好处。
Microalgae like spirulina and chlorella are packed full of proteins, vitamins and antioxidants.
像螺旋藻和小球藻这样的微藻富含蛋白质、维生素和抗氧化物。
Because they are so healthy, they’re having a moment right now,
因为它们非常健康，所以它们现在风头正盛，
meaning they are becoming more well-known and popular.
那是指它们变得更出名，更受欢迎。
Yes, microalgae is trending just now and for good reasons, which we’ll find out about later.
是的，微藻现在很流行，并且流行起来的理由很充分，稍后我们就会揭晓是什么理由。
But first, let me ask you our quiz question.
但首先，让我问问你我们的测试问题。
What do the following three things have in common: oceans, snow and my garden patio?
以下三样东西有什么共同之处：海洋、雪和我的庭院露台？
Is it… a) They are all good places to relax,
是……a)它们都是放松的好地方，
b) They are all very cold,
b)它们都非常冰冷，
or c) They are all places where microalgae grow?
还是c)它们都是微藻生长的地方？
OK. Well, I know that oceans and snow are made up of water… but your garden patio?
好的。嗯，我知道海洋和雪是由水组成的……但是你的庭院露台？
Did your barbeque get rained off again, Neil?
你的烧烤活动又因雨中断了吗，尼尔？
No, not quite, Sam!
不，不是，萨姆！
Well, hopefully you'll know by the end of the programme.
好吧，希望在节目的最后你们能知道答案。
Now, I mentioned before that microalgae is sometimes called a superfood
我之前提到过，微藻有时被叫做超级食物
- a type of food which is essentially full of healthy vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
——一种富含健康维生素、矿物质和营养物质的食物。
But microalgae is not the first superfood to become popular.
但微藻并不是第一种流行起来的超级食物。
That's right.
没错。
In the early 2010s, many juice bars started popping up in places around the world selling green smoothies
21世纪头几年，许多果汁吧开始在世界各地涌现，它们出售绿色奶昔
- energy drinks made by blending healthy ingredients like kale, chard and spinach.
——一种混有羽衣甘蓝、甜菜和菠菜等健康成分的功能饮料。
The recent trend for microalgae and spirulina has been promoted in part by big drinks companies
在某种程度上大型饮料公司推动了微藻和螺旋藻的流行，
wanting to sell the latest brightly coloured smoothies.
它们想要出售最新出现的色彩鲜亮的奶昔。
And more and more, spirulina is also being used as a cooking ingredient – in hot dogs and meatballs,
螺旋藻也越来越多地被用作热狗和肉丸子的烹饪原料，
and as a protein-rich substitute for eggs in pasta and mayonnaise.
以及作为意大利面和蛋黄酱中蛋白质丰富的鸡蛋替代品。
But as well as all these health benefits, there’s another advantage to microalgae superfoods
但是，除了所有这些健康益处之外，微藻这种超级食物还有一个好处
- one that could potentially benefit the whole planet.
——它可能对整个地球有益。
BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme asked Professor Alison Smith, Head of Plant Sciences at Cambridge University, to explain.
BBC广播4频道的The Food Programme节目请剑桥大学植物科学系主任艾莉森·史密斯教授进行了解释。
As the population of the world increases and the land that's available for agriculture is becoming stretched,
随着世界人口增长以及可用于农业的土地变得紧张，
there’s an interest in trying to increase productivity by other means…
人们开始有兴趣尝试通过其它方法提高生产率……
so sustainable intensification of agriculture is one way…
所以农业可持续集约化是其中一种方法。
So food security is an issue - making sure enough nutritionally-rich food is produced to feed the growing world population.
所以粮食安全是一个问题——要确保生产足够多的营养丰富的粮食来养活不断增长的世界人口。
Alison Smith says the amount of agricultural land available for growing food is becoming stretched,
艾莉森·史密斯说，可以用来种植粮食的农业用地越来越紧张，
meaning there are not enough resources, in this case farm land, to meet everyone’s needs.
这意味着没有足够的资源来满足每个人的需求，在这种情况下那是指农田。
Yes, and she mentions that one possible solution is sustainable intensification of agriculture,
是的，她提到一个可能解决方案就是农业可持续集约化，
which means increasing food production in ways which don't damage the environment or use new land.
这意味着以不破坏环境或不占用新土地的方式增加粮食产量。
Well, we know that microalgae are superfoods,
好吧，我们知道微藻是超级食物，
nutritionally rich in vitamins and protein,
富含维生素和蛋白质，
but how do they help reduce the need for agricultural land?
但它们如何帮助减少对农业用地的需求呢？
Alison Smith explains.
艾莉森·史密斯进行了解释。
…they can be grown in all sorts of locations
……它们可以生长在各种各样的地方
– in water, in oceans, in ponds, lakes and so on, even on your patio and on snow…
——水里，海里，池塘里、湖里等等，甚至在你家的露台上，在雪里……
so one of the possibilities is to produce these organisms in cities and towns,
所以可能性之一就是在城市和小镇上生产这些生物体，
because they don't need the open landscape to be grown.
因为它们不需要开放的空间来生长。
I think I've spotted the answer to your quiz question, Neil.
我想我已经知道你测试问题的答案了，尼尔。
Oh yes?
哦，是吗？
I asked what oceans, snow and my patio have in common.
我问海洋、雪和我的露台有什么共同之处。
a) They are all good places to relax,
a)它们都是放松的好地方，
b) They are all very cold,
b)它们都很冰冷，
c) They are all places where microalgae grows?
c)它们都是微藻生长的地方？
The answer is c ) places where microalgae can grow!
答案是c)微藻可以生长的地方！
What an amazing plant!
多么神奇的植物啊！
I think I'm going to stop calling it pond scum and use the correct scientific name Prof Smith mentioned, organisms.
我想我不会再叫它绿藻了，我要用史密斯教授提到的正确学名：生物体。
Today’s programme was all about microalgae like spirulina, a green, edible food algae
今天的节目都是关于微藻，比如螺旋藻这种绿色的可食用藻类，
which some people call pond scum,
有些人称之为绿藻，
although scientifically speaking it's an organism,
尽管从科学上讲它是一种生物体，
meaning an animal or plant life form.
意思是一种动物或植物的生命形式。
Yes, and this plant life form is also called a superfood,
是的，这种植物生命形式也被称为超级食物，
because it’s especially rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients which promote good health.
因为它尤其富含维生素、矿物质和营养，可以促进身体健康。
Superfoods are having a moment right now,
超级食物现在很流行，
meaning they're becoming more popular or trending because they're so healthy.
那是指由于它们很健康，它们变得越来越流行。
And another benefit of microalgae is that it grows almost anywhere.
微藻的另一个好处是它几乎可以在任何地方生长。
So it doesn't use much agricultural land,
所以它没有使用太多的农业用地，
which is becoming stretched,
而农业用地变得紧张，
meaning there's not enough of it to meet the world's food needs.
那指的是没有足够的农业用地来满足世界的粮食需求。
Sustainable intensification is another possible solution to this problem,
可持续集约化是可能有效解决这一问题的方法，
because it is a way of increasing food production without harming the environment or using new land.
因为它是在不损害环境或使用新土地的情况下增加粮食产量的一种方法。
Don't forget you can find lots more learning materials and topical vocabulary on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.
别忘了，你可以在我们的网站bbclearningenglish.com上找到更多的学习资料和话题词汇。
And please join us again soon.
下次再加入我们啊。
Bye for now!
再见了！
Bye!
再见！