最好的圣诞树是真树还是假树？
Fake or real: What’s the best tree to have at Christmas?
Hello and happy Christmas!
大家好，圣诞快乐！
This is 6 Minute English with me, Neil.
这是和尼尔一起的六分钟英语。
And joining me today is Sam.
今天和我搭档的是萨姆。
Hello.
大家好。
So, Sam, are you feeling excited about Christmas?
所以，萨姆，你对圣诞节感到兴奋吗？
Of course!
当然！
Time with friends and family, eating lots, partying, presents – and generally?indulging
和朋友家人在一起的时候，吃很多东西，聚会，还有礼物——通常还会放纵一下
?– what’s not to like?
——有什么不喜欢的呢？
Indulging?– allowing yourself to have perhaps too much of something you enjoy.
放纵——让自己享受或许太多自己所喜欢的事物。
Well, it only happens once a year, Sam.
好吧，一年只有一次，萨姆。
But for those of us who do celebrate Christmas, it comes at a price. ?
但是对于我们这些庆祝圣诞节的人来说，它是有代价的。
Yes, well buying all those presents can be expensive.
是的，买那些礼物会很贵。
Not just that, Sam.
不仅如此，萨姆。
I mean it comes at a cost to the environment, as we’ll explain shortly.
我的意思是，它是以环境为代价的，我们稍后会对此进行解释。
But let’s start off with a quiz question for you to answer.
但让我们以一个要你来回答的问题开始。
In 2010, a Christmas tree in Belgium was awarded the world record for having the most lights on it
2010年，比利时的一棵圣诞树因其上面的灯最多而被授予世界记录
– but do you how many?
——但是你知道有多少个？
Were there… a)??? 19,672, b)??? 94,672, or c)??? 194,672?
有…… a)1,9672个，b) 94,672个，还是c) 19,4672？
What do you think, Sam?
你觉得呢，萨姆？
Well, I don’t think you could fit 194, 673 lights on a Christmas tree, so I’ll say a) 19,672.
我不认为你能在圣诞树上放194,673个灯，所以我会选a) 19,672个。
OK.
好的。
Well, we’ll find out how ’bright’ you are at the end of the programme!
我们将在节目最后揭晓你有多“亮”！
Of course, Christmas trees are the ultimate Christmas decoration.
当然，圣诞树是最重要的圣诞装饰。
It’s part of the Christmas tradition and millions are bought around the world each year.
它是圣诞节传统的一部分，而且每年全世界有数百万圣诞树被购买。
But what impact do Christmas trees - real and artificial - have on the environment?
但是圣诞树——不管是真的还是人造的——对环境有什么影响呢？
Well before we answer that,
好的，在回答这个问题之前，
let’s hear from some of the BBC Learning English team, who? chose to have a real Christmas tree in their home
让我们先来听一听在家里摆放一棵真的圣诞树的BBC英语教学小组成员是怎么说的，
and find out why…
找出为什么……
Well, you’ve got the smell of it. You’ve got the look of it.
好吧，你已经嗅到了圣诞树的气息。你已经看到圣诞树的样子。
But more importantly,
但更重要的是，
Christmas trees are supposed to be?symbolic, aren’t they?
圣诞树应该是有象征意义的，不是吗？
So the idea of something that stays green all year,
所以，那是说全年保持绿色的东西，
so bringing that into your house, it means something.
所以把它带到你家中，就是那个。
I just think a real Christmas tree is more festive and more Christmassy.
我只是觉得真的圣诞树更有节日气氛，更有圣诞气氛。
And it’s just the tradition to get a real Christmas tree, that’s all.
拥有一棵真的圣诞树只是一种传统，仅此而已。
There’s something more beautiful about the nature, the smell, the feel, the look of the tree,
有比树的本质，气味，感觉和外观更好的东西，
and I like it to be?sustainable.
我喜欢它是可持续的。
So, as long as I get my tree from a person that promises to grow two or three in its place,
所以，只要我从一个人那里获得树，而那个人承诺会在原处种两三棵树，
then I’m really, really happy.
我就会非常，非常高兴。
Yes, I agree – you can’t beat having a real Christmas tree.
是的，我同意——没什么比得上拥有一棵真的圣诞树。
And as Phil said,
正如菲尔所说的，
it’s?symbolic?– it represents something important,
它是象征性的——它代表重要的东西，
and here a Christmas tree is the symbol of Christmas.
在这里，圣诞树是圣诞节的象征。
And as Jiaying mentioned,
正如嘉颖提到的，
it’s a tradition – something that’s done regularly and has become the expected thing to do.
这是一种传统——一件经常做的事情，并且已经成为人们预计要做的事情。
And I’d agree it makes things more?festive
而且我赞同它让事情变得更有节日气氛
?– a word to describe the joyful feeling you get when celebrating something like Christmas.
——这个词形容在庆祝像圣诞节这样的事情时，你所获得的愉悦之情。
But of course all these trees are often thrown away, which is wasteful.
但当然，所有这些树经常被扔掉，这很浪费。
That’s why Roy mentioned his tree being?sustainable,
这就是为什么罗伊提到他的树是可持续的，
which means they can continue to be grown and cut down over a longer period,
这指的是它们可以在更长的时间内继续生长和砍伐，
so it’s less harmful to the environment.
所以它对环境的危害更小。
Well, an alternative to a real Christmas tree is a fake or artificial one,
好吧，真圣诞树的替代品就是假的或人造的圣诞树，
which is what Feifei from our team has in her house.
我们小组的菲菲在她家里就有一颗这样的圣诞树。
What are the reasons why?
原因是什么？
We have a plastic Christmas tree, which we’ve had for about nine years.
我们有一棵塑料圣诞树，我们已经用了九年了。
So it’s plastic so you can re-use it every year,
它是塑料的，所以你可以每年重复使用它，
and it’s more?economical, and we don’t have to keep buying new trees.
而且它更经济，我们不需要一直买新的圣诞树。
So Feifei’s fake tree is made of plastic,
所以菲菲的假圣诞树是用塑料做的，
so that’s not great for recycling,
不好循环利用，
but the good thing is she uses it year after year which makes it?economical,
但好处是她年复一年地使用，使它很经济，
which means it doesn’t cost a lot of money, it’s good value.
这指的是它不需要花很多钱，很划算。
Ah, but even Feifei admits it doesn’t have the smell and feel of a real tree.
啊，但是菲菲也承认它没有真树的气息和感觉。
It’s a dilemma isn’t it, Neil?
这是一个两难的选择，不是吗，尼尔？
Yes – what’s best for us and what’s best for the environment?
是的，什么对我们最有利，对环境最有利？
The BBC’s Reality Check programme found that real trees take about 12 years to grow,
英国广播公司的“Reality Check”节目发现，真树需要大约12年的时间才能长成，
and as they do they absorb carbon from the atmosphere and nitrogen from the soil,
在它们成长的过程中，它们吸收空气中的碳和土壤中的氮，
so a good thing.
所以这是件好事。
But when it’s chopped down it starts to release emissions back into the atmosphere,
但是当它被砍倒的时候，它会开始将碳释放回空气中，
especially if you have to transport it to your home.
尤其是当你不得不将树运输回家的时候。
And when Christmas is over,
当圣诞节结束时，
if it ends up in landfill,
如果它最终被填埋，
the tree’s carbon footprint will be higher.
碳足迹会更高。
But its carbon footprint will be lowered if it’s recycled or composted.
如果被回收或堆肥，它的碳足迹将会降低。
That’s the process of allowing it to decay and then adding it to the ground to improve soil quality.
那是允许它腐烂然后添加到土壤中以改善土壤质量的过程。
A fake tree on the other hand is usually imported,
另一方面，假树通常是进口的，
and can’t usually be recycled but,
通常不能被回收，但是，
as Feifei mentioned, it can be re-used.
正如菲菲所说，它可以重复使用。
But without any type of Christmas tree,
但是如果没有任何类型的圣诞树，
where would we put all those lights I mentioned earlier, Sam?
我们应该把我之前提到的那些灯放在哪里呢，萨姆？
I asked you:
我问你：
In 2010, a Christmas tree in Belgium was awarded the world record for having the most lights on it,
在2010年，比利时的一棵圣诞树因其上面的灯最多而被授予世界记录，
but did you know how many?
但是你知道有多少个吗？
What do you say, Sam?
你说是什么，萨姆？
I think I said 19,672.
我想我说的是19,672个。
Ooo, dear, not very bright I’m afraid!
哦，亲爱的，恐怕不是很亮啊！
There were in fact 194, 672!
实际上是194,672个！
Wow – think of the electricity that must have used!
哇——想想那得用了多少电啊！
Indeed.
的确如此。
Well let’s?enlighten?everyone with some of the vocabulary we’ve discussed today.
好吧，让我们用今天讨论的一些词汇来“照亮”大家吧。
OK, well we started talking about?indulging.
好吧，我们开始讨论“放纵”这个词。
That means allowing yourself to have perhaps too much of something you enjoy.
那指的是允许自己享受或许太多你喜欢的事物。
When something is?symbolic, it represents something important.
当某物是象征性的，它代表的是重要的东西。
And the word?festive?describes the joyful feeling you get when celebrating something like Christmas.
“节日的”这个词形容的是在庆祝像圣诞节这样的节日时，你的喜悦之情。
Like the festive jumper you are wearing today, Neil – very jolly!
尼尔，就像你今天穿的节日针织套衫一样——非常欢乐！
OK, next we mentioned?sustainable,
好的，接下来我们提到了“可持续的”，
which means the ability to do something over a long period of time without harming the environment.
这指的是在不破坏环境的情况下长期做某事的能力。
Economical?describes doing something that doesn’t cost a lot of money,
“经济的”是指做某事没有花很多钱，
it’s good value.
很划算。
And when something is?composted, it is allowed to decay and it turns in to compost,
当某种东西被堆肥时，它就会腐烂，然后转化成堆肥，
which can be added back into the soil to improve its quality.
它可以被添加到土壤中以提高土壤质量。
Thank you, Sam.
谢谢你，萨姆。
And that brings us to the end of 6 Minute English for now.
那就让我们到了六分钟英语的最后了。
It just leaves us to wish you a very happy Christmas.
我们祝你圣诞快乐。
Goodbye.
再见。
Byebye.
拜拜。