字神帝國英語天地

 
 今日主題：Purple tomatoes 紫色番茄
 凱妃老師&派老師共同推薦：雅思聽力最好的課外教材：BBC
 康康精選雅思會考的主題，堅持每天精聽一定會進步的哦!!
 建議方法：
1. 先聽兩三遍 (不看文稿)
2. 再一句一句聽寫 (每句都要聽寫數遍，直到寫出85%以上的字)
3. 最後check文稿，看哪聽不出來，單字沒背過，還是發音不熟。
4. 堅持天天聽，就能每天進步哦。
 MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：喜歡的同學，幫忙推或按讚哦~~
http://static.iyuba.com/sounds/minutes/143.mp3
 只有音檔怎夠，聽不懂地方，不用怕，康康幫你準備好中英文稿了：
 中英文稿：
Hello I'm Rob.Welcome to 6 Minute English. With me today is Finn. Hello Finn.
大家好，我是Rob。歡迎收聽六分鍾英語節目。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. Would you eat a purple coloured tomato?
Finn，還是讓我以一個問題來開始我們的節目吧。你敢不敢吃紫色的番茄？
Purple? Well, that depends. Is it a naturally coloured tomato? Where does it come from? Is this an artificial tomato? Rob, tell me more.
紫色？這要看情況來說啦。紫色是它自然的顏色嗎？它是從哪來的？是不是人造番茄？Rob，再多告訴我一些信息吧。
Artificial – yes, you mean is it man-made and trying to copy something that is natural? Well, in a way - yes. Because scientists have developed a genetically modified purple tomato; they took red tomato plants and changed their genetic patterns so that they now produce new, purple tomatoes.
人造的——沒錯，你的意思是人們模仿自然生長的食物，然後通過加工製造而成的人工食物。恩，在某種程度來說是這樣的。因為人們已經研究出了一種基因改良的紫色番茄：他們把紅色番茄的基因模式進行了更改，因此才生產出了新品種的、紫色的番茄。
Yes, so this would be an example of GM – genetically modified – food. It's something we'll be discussing more soon and,of course, looking at some related vocabulary.
是的，這就是轉基因技術的一個典型例子——轉基因食物。稍後我們會進一步討論這個話題，當然我們也會學習一些相關的詞彙。
But here's another question for you Finn that hasn't been modified – or changed – in any way! 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? Was it in : a) 1974 b) 1984 c) 1994
不過Finn，我這還有一個從來沒有被改良過的——或改變過的問題要問你！多年來，人們一直在進行轉基因食物的研究和實驗，但是你知道第一次進行轉基因食物的商業銷售是在哪一年嗎？選項有：a) 1974 b) 1984 c) 1994
Well, we think of GM food as a recent thing so I'll say the opposite, a) 1974.
好的，我們印像中的轉基因食物應該是近幾年才有的事情，那我就說一個相反的答案吧，我選a) 1974。
OK, we'll find out if you're right later on. Let's talk more now about genetically modified food – or GM food. It's called this because the food's genes have been changed. This means the way it grows is different from the way it grows when it isn't touched by humans.
好的，在節目的最後我們會揭曉答案。下面讓我們再來多聊聊關於轉基因食物的事情。我們叫它們“轉基因食物”是因為他們的基因被人為的改變了。這意味著它與之前未經人為更改的植物的生長方式是不同的。
Yes, so, growing GM food – or crops – is controversial. Some scientists think it's needed to meet the world's growing demand for food.
是的，所以說種植轉基因食物——或者莊稼——是存在爭議的。一些科學家認為這樣做可以滿足世界人口對於食物的需求。
Yes, GM food can resist – or stop the effects of – some pests or bad weather. It can grow more quickly, meaning even more crops can be cultivated – or grown.
沒錯，轉基因食物可以抵抗——或者說避免——某些害蟲或者惡劣天氣的影響。它們的生長速度更快，這就意味著我們可以在短時間內培育出更多的糧食。
But opponents of GM food –people who argue against it – say we don't know enough about its effect on the environment.
但是，轉基因食物的反對者們——那些反對對自然生物進行人工基因改良的人們——說我們對於轉基因食物對環境影響的了解還太少。
And then there are the fears about who controls what's grown.
還有一些人擔心我們無法控制轉基因作物的生長。
Yes, but despite this, GM food has become an important part of food production. Crops like sweetcorn, rape plants, wheat and tomatoes have all been genetically modified.
是的，但是不管怎麼說，轉基因食物已經成為了糧食產量的一個重要組成部分。像甜玉米、油菜、小麥和番茄等作物都進行過基因改良。
Yes, like the purple tomato, which was recently developed in the UK. It has a dark pigment – or colour –which gives it the same potential health benefits as blueberries.
是的，就像紫色的番茄，就是英國科學家最新研究出來的品種。它的顏色偏深，和藍莓一樣能給人體提供一些養分。
Well, that sounds like a good thing. And not only that, it has an antioxidant – that's a substance that stops the decaying process – which tests show could help fight cancer.
是的，這聽起來不錯。還不只這些呢，它還含有抗氧化劑——一種可以延緩腐敗的物質——經實驗發現可以它幫助人體抵抗癌症。
One day we could see these purple tomatoes on pizzas or in our tomato ketchup.Let's hear from Professor Cathie Martin who is a plant biologist from The John Innes Centre who developed this tomato. What does she say is good about this new food?
或許有一天我們就能在披薩或者番茄醬裡面看到這些紫色的番茄了。下面讓我們來聽聽培育出這種番茄的來自約翰英尼斯中心的生物學家Cathie Martin教授是怎麼說的。看看她對於這種新食物的優點是怎麼評價的？
With these purple tomatoes, 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.
食用這種紫色的番茄，人們可以獲取到一些對人體很有好處的物質，這些物質在藍莓以及越橘也都含有，但是人們只能大量食用才行。
So she says the good thing about this development is we can get health benefits from something we eat significant amounts of –so lots of –and they will be reasonably affordable – so it will be cheap.
所以她說這種紫色番茄的好處就是我們可以不用大量食用某些食物就可以獲取到某些營養成分——含有相同物質的食物我們要吃很多才行——而且價格也是人們能夠接受的——意思就是會很便宜。
Yes but there's still maybe a problem with the colour. We are affected by the colour of stuff we put in our mouths. I mean, who eats blue food?!
但是關於顏色可能還是有些問題。送進嘴裡的食物的顏色會影響我們。我的意思是，誰會吃藍色的食物啊？！
That's true. And also because the European Union has restrictions on growing GM food, this tomato has to be grown in Canada where rules are more supportive of GM foods.
這倒是真的。還有一個問題就是歐盟禁止種植轉基因作物，我們只能在加拿大——這裡的法規相對來說更加支持轉基因食物——種植才行。
OK. Well, Professor Nick Pidgeon, who is an Environmental Psychologist, says in the UK there is some distrust of GM food.
是的，Nick Pidgeon教授，他是一位環境心理學家，他說聯合國也對轉基因食物抱有懷疑態度。
He says some people are concerned all this is messing with nature – it's not natural – and maybe we don't know what the long-term consequences are.
他說一些人懷疑轉基因食物會擾亂大自然——因為它們不是自然生長出來的——或許我們無法知道它們可能帶來的長期影響。
And a big concern is that large corporations will have control over the technology. And this could mean they control food prices too. You know Rob, I think this is a debate that will go on and on and on.
還有一大擔憂就是一些大型公司可能會控制該技術。這意味著他們也可以操控食物的價格。你知道嗎，Rob，我想這個爭論會一直、永遠的進行下去了。
Indeed. But it's now time to reveal the answer to today's question. Earlier I asked you if you knew when the first genetically modified food was first sold commercially.
沒錯。不過我想現在我們該揭曉今天問題的答案了。先前我問你你知不知道人類第一次將轉基因食物進行商業化銷售的時間。
I said a) 1974.
我說的是1974年。
Interesting. The answer is actually 1994. A company called Calgene sold a product that delayed the ripening of tomatoes.
有意思。但答案其實是1994年。一個名叫Calgene的公司銷售的一種可以延緩成熟時間的番茄品種。
OK, well, I guess that means the fruit could last longer and it would stop it going soft?
恩，那麼我猜這種番茄可以存放更長的時間，也不會太快變軟吧？
That was the idea. Now, before we go, Finn, could you remind us of some of the vocabulary that we've heard today?
沒錯。好的，那麼在我們結束今天的節目之前，Finn，請你再和我們回顧一下今天提到的詞彙吧？
Yes, I will. artificial genetically modified genes resist pests cultivated pigment antioxidant significant affordable distrust ripening
好的。人造的；人工的轉基因的基因抵抗；忍耐害蟲耕種的；栽培的顏料，色料； [生]色素抗氧化劑重要的；大量的付得起的不信任；懷疑成熟
Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English. We hope you've enjoyed today's programme. Please join us again soon.
好的，我們今天的六分鍾英語節目到這就要結束啦。希望大家喜歡今天的節目。請大家下期繼續關注我們。
Bye.
再見。