The magic of fungi 真菌的神奇之处
在英国,真菌种类比植物的种类还要多,但科学家们对真菌的了解还相对较少。本期 “随身英语” 探讨蘑菇等真菌在厨房外扮演的重要角色以及这类生物很难研究的原因。
词汇:nature 自然
Fungi play an important role in ecosystems, are a source of food, and make key contributions to the world of medicine. So, why do we know so little about them?
真菌在生态系统中发挥着重要作用,是食物的来源,并为医学界做出了重要贡献。那么,为什么我们对它们知之甚少呢?
An estimated two million fungal species – more than 90% of all fungi – have yet to be described by science, according to Rebecca Morelle, science reporter for the BBC. In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 25,000 species of fungi – five or six times more than plants. Scientists are trying to find out more about this largely unexplored world, but it is challenging. Dr Martyn Ainsworth, a senior researcher from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, says: 'We can grow a certain number in the lab, but there is a whole host of fungi that we cannot grow in the lab. This has held back a lot of research.'
据BBC科学记者Rebecca Morelle称,估计有200万种真菌——超过所有真菌的90%——尚未被科学描述。仅在英国,就有大约25000种真菌,是植物的五到六倍。科学家们正试图更多地了解这个基本未被探索的世界,但这是具有挑战性的。马丁·安斯沃思博士是伦敦皇家植物园的高级研究员,他说:“我们可以在实验室里培养一定数量的真菌,但有很多真菌是我们在实验室里无法培养的。”这阻碍了很多研究。”
The fact that we know so little about the world of fungi leads many of us to misunderstand them. 'A lot of people are afraid of poisonous mushrooms', says Dr Jassy Drakulic, a plant pathologist, 'but only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease'. Most are harmless and often beneficial, called by some 'the hidden helpers of our environment'. Some fungi provide food and shelter for wildlife, help plants absorb water and nutrients and recycle waste and dead matter. Other types of fungi grow on the roots of trees and plants, forming a huge underground network that helps nourish trees. 'Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work', adds Dr Ainsworth.
事实上,我们对真菌的世界知之甚少,这导致我们中的许多人误解了它们。“很多人都害怕毒蘑菇,”植物病理学家雅西·德拉库利克博士说,“但世界上数千种真菌中,只有很小一部分能致病。”大多数是无害的,通常是有益的,被一些人称为“我们环境的隐形帮手”。一些真菌为野生动物提供食物和庇护所,帮助植物吸收水分和营养,回收废物和死亡物质。其他种类的真菌生长在树木和植物的根部,形成一个巨大的地下网络,帮助滋养树木。安斯沃思博士补充说:“真菌实际上是做所有工作的幕后团队。”
So, next time you add mushrooms to your dinner, take a painkiller for a headache, or go for a walk through the woods, remember to thank the living things that made it all possible – fungi.
所以,下次你在晚餐中添加蘑菇,吃止痛药来缓解头痛,或者在森林中散步时,记住要感谢使这一切成为可能的生物——真菌。
词汇表
fungi (复数)真菌,真菌类植物
ecosystem 生态系统
source of 来源
make a contribution 作出贡献
fungal species 真菌种类
unexplored 未经研究的,无人涉足的
botanic 植物(学)的
lab 实验室
a whole host of 许多,大量
poisonous 有毒的
proportion 部分,比例
disease 疾病
shelter 栖息地,住所
wildlife 野生动植物
absorb 吸收
nutrient 养分,营养物
waste 废物
dead matter 枯死物,死亡有机物
root 根部
nourish 滋养
测验与练习
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. True or False? There are more species of fungi than species of plants in the UK.
2. What's one reason why research into fungi has been held back?
3. What proportion of fungi are poisonous?
4. Are the ways in which fungi benefit the environment obvious?
5. True or False? Fungi only provide food for animals.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. Until our brothers joined us, our nail salon was a _______ female business.
largely unexplored proportion lab
2. Large proportions of the world's oceans remain _______.
source of largely unexplored wildlife
3. A higher _______ of men are stay-at-home dads than in the past.
waste poisonous proportion ecosystem
4. Plants _______ carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
absorb nutrients waste nourish
5. It suddenly started raining heavily, but luckily the trees provided some _______.
fungi dead matter shelter absorb
答案
1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. True or False? There are more species of fungi than species of plants in the UK.
True. In the UK, there are thought to be around five or six times more species of fungi than plants.
2. What's one reason why research into fungi has been held back?
According to Dr Martyn Ainsworth, many fungi can't be grown in a lab, so it's harder to study them.
3. What proportion of fungi are poisonous?
According to Dr Jassy Drakulic, only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease.
4. Are the ways in which fungi benefit the environment obvious?
No. Fungi are referred to as 'the hidden helpers of our environment' and as 'the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work'.
5. True or False? Fungi only provide food for animals.
False. Fungi provide food for wildlife, but they also form a huge underground network that helps nourish trees.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. Until our brothers joined us, our nail salon was a largely female business.
2. Large proportions of the world's oceans remain unexplored.
3. A higher proportion of men are stay-at-home dads than in the past.
4. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
5. It suddenly started raining heavily, but luckily the trees provided some shelter.
文章来源BBC,侵权删,本文仅用于英语学习。