新外研版

高中英语

选择性必修

第一册 Unit 5

B

Developing ideas

课文再现

 

 

英汉对照

The Secret Language of Plants

植物密语

1 Talking plants have long been a thing of myths and legends. Many cultures have stories of talking trees that give advice as well as warnings to people. Alexander the Great and Marco Polo were said to have visited such a tree in India. And in some modern stories, such as the film Avatar, trees can communicate with animals and people.

会说话的植物一直是神话传说中的一大元素。在许多种文化中流传下来的故事里，会说话的树给予人们忠告和警示。据说亚历山大大帝和马可·波罗曾在印度见过一棵会说话的树。在一些现代故事，例如电影《阿凡达》中，树可以与人类和动物沟通交流。

2 With us long believing that talking plants are fantasy, new research has revealed something amazing: it appears that plants can communicate after all.

我们一直认为会说话的植物只存在于幻想之中，但新研究有了令人惊奇的发现：植物间似乎确实可以交流。

3 It has been known for some time that plants use chemicals to communicate with each other. This happens when a plant, say a bean plant, gets attacked by insects. The plant releases tiny amounts of chemicals from the leaves that are being eaten. This is like a warning, or a call for help: “I’m being attacked!” When another bean plant detects the chemicals from its injured neighbour, it starts to release its own, different chemicals. Some of these chemicals drive insects away. Others attract insects—the wasps! The wasps kill the insects that are eating the bean plants. Scientists hope to learn more about this plant warning system, so that we can use it to grow crops without pesticides.

人们早就知道植物可以利用化学物质相互交流。当一株植物——比如豆科植物——被昆虫袭击时，就会发生这种情况。植物从正遭受啃食的叶子中释放出微量的化学物质，这像是警示，抑或求救：“我被攻击了!” 当另一株豆类植物检测到附近受伤同伴释放的化学物质时，它自身便开始释放不同的化学物质，其中一些能驱赶昆虫，而另一些则会吸引另一种昆虫——黄蜂！黄蜂会杀死那些啃食豆类植物的昆虫。科学家希望能进一步了解这种植物警报系统，从而将其应用于种植不用使用农药的农作物。

4 More surprisingly, plants also use sound to communicate. People can’t hear these sounds, but plants are making them. Some plants make noises with their roots. Corn and chilli plants do this. They also “listen” to the noises from other plants. A chilli plant can tell if a neighbouring plant is helpful, or unfriendly. Some trees make clicking noises when there is not enough water, indicating drought is arriving.

更不可思议的是，植物还能用声音进行交流。虽然人类听不到，但植物确实正在发出声音。有些植物通过根部发出声响，比如玉米和辣椒。它们还能“听见”其他植物发出的声响。由此，辣椒可以知道自己附近的植物是敌是友。还有些树木在缺水时会发出咔嗒声，以示干旱就要来了。

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