The Green Planet（Part Three）

◎萬宇婧

前兩期我們了解了北極圈和赤道的不同生態風景，也領略了冰雪世界與熱帶雨林的極致反差，更了解了植物是如何在極端環境中生存的。本期，我們將了解植物和植物之間、植物和人類之間相互依存的關系。

劇情簡介

本期以“休戚與共”為主題，展示那些休戚與共的場景和生物。這些場景中，形形色色的生物相互依存、共同生長。無論是在荒漠中頑強生存的植物，還是為人類生活帶來便利的單一作物栽培，都讓我們感受到了生命的堅韌與偉大。

Scene A

在城市的鋼筋水泥之中，依然有植物隨風飄落并野蠻生長。有的是縫隙中的雜草，有的長成了大樹。它們或許不起眼，但就在我們的身邊，極其頑強地生存著。

Track 6

The relationship between plants and humans is extraordinary.We’ve been adapting to each other for as long as we’ve been on the planet.We rely upon plants for almost everything,the air we breathe,the water we drink,the food we eat,much of the clothes we wear and in some parts of the world,the very buildings in which we live.But that relationship is now changing.How it changes next will shape the future of our green planet.

Some plants have the ability to live alongside us,even when we make it extremely difficult for them to do so.This is Piccadilly Circus,in the heart of London.It would be difficult to imagine a more1)hostileplace for a plant.And yet,even here,plants will find a way.Plants like this may seem to follow us wherever we go.We call them,perhaps a little unkindly,weeds.In fact,these plants are pioneers,the ones that are most able to take advantage of new habitats,even very2)harshones.

This wall is at least a hundred years old.It’s like a3)sheercliff face,with no sign of soil.And yet this Ivy-Leaved Toadflax thrives here.How? The plant grows towards the light with its flowers facing outwards to attract4)pollinators.But once they’ve succeeded in doing that,and the seed pod starts to develop,its behaviour changes.Now the pods turn,and grow away from the light,seeking the darkest place they can find,a5)creviceperhaps,like this one.It’s all the Toadflax needs.It can now germinate and start to produce a new plant.

Other pioneers have a different strategy.They instead distribute their seeds far and wide in great numbers.Sow thistles are masters of this trick.Each of its seeds is equipped with a tiny downy6)parachutewhich will catch the slightest breeze.And they can travel extraordinary distances.They can rise a mile high in the sky and reach places hundreds of miles away from the parent plant.

The seeds only need to find the tiniest chink and they can take hold.We barely notice many of these plant invaders.But here in the heart of Hong Kong,strangler fig seeds that landed on a stone wall generations ago,have spread their flexible,branching roots far and wide.They can be anchored so firmly that they become a part of the city’s architecture.This is,perhaps,the ultimate weed.

1) hostileadj.敵對的

2) harshadj.嚴酷的；嚴厲的

3) sheeradj.陡峭的

4) pollinatorn.傳粉者

5) crevicen.裂縫

6) parachuten.降落傘

植物與人類之間形成了非同尋常的關系。自從地球萬物誕生以來，人類與植物就開始了互相適應。人類生活的方方面面，大多離不開植物——我們呼吸的空氣、我們喝的水、我們吃的食物以及我們穿的衣服，甚至在地球的某些地方，植物能為人類提供棲息地。然而，這種關系正在發生變化。這種變化的方向，將決定著這顆綠色星球的未來。

有一些植物能與人類比鄰而居，哪怕我們留給它們的生存環境極為苛刻。這里是倫敦市中心的皮卡迪利廣場。我們很難想象出還有比這里更不適合植物生長的環境。然而，即便在這里，植物也能找到求生之道。無論我們走到哪里，類似這樣的植物似乎比比皆是。我們對它們的稱呼似乎不太友善，把它們叫作“雜草”。事實上，它們是植物界的先鋒。它們最為擅長適應新的棲息地，無論那里多么惡劣。

這面墻至少有100 年的歷史了。它就像是一處陡峭的懸崖，毫無泥土的痕跡。然而，這株蔓柳穿魚卻在這里茁壯成長。它是怎么做到的？這種植物會向光生長，花朵朝外，以吸引傳粉動物。但是等到花朵成功授粉，種莢開始發育之后，它的行為就會發生變化。現在，種莢調轉方向，背離光線生長，尋找周圍最黑暗的地方，也許是一個縫隙，就像是這里。這里正是蔓柳穿魚需要的環境。它會在這里發芽并生成新株。

其他的植物先鋒則擁有不同的生存策略。有些會反其道而行之，將大批種子散播到遙遠的地方。苦苣菜是運用這一策略的高手。每顆種子上的冠毛如同小小的降落傘，每一絲微風都是機遇。它們可以隨風飄到很遠的地方，也可以升上一千米的高空，飄到距離母株數百千米之外。

只需要找到一條最微小的縫隙，種子就能生根發芽。幾乎沒人注意到這些“入侵”的植物。但是在香港的城市中心，很久之前掉落在石墻上的榕樹種子，現已長成大樹。歷代以來它靈活的枝條與根系延伸的范圍頗廣。它們生長得非常牢固，與城市建筑融為一體。這大概就是最不同尋常的“雜草”了。

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as long as 的常見用法

原文：We’ve been adapting to each other for as long as we’ve been on the planet.

★as long as 表示“只要；既然”

1.表示“只要”，用于條件狀語從句，相當于so long as。

【例】They’ll respect you as long as you play fair.

只要你為人正直，他人就會尊敬你。

2.表示“既然，由于”，用于引導原因狀語從句。

【例】As long as the weather is changeable these days,we’d better get in wheat in time.

由于這幾天天氣變化無常，我們最好及時把小麥收割完。

★其他的as...as 詞組

1.as soon as 表示“一……就……”，常見的用法是在將來時態的情境中，遵守“主將從現”的原則。

【例】As soon as I finish my homework,I will go and play with you.

我一寫完作業，就和你玩。

2.as well as 表示“也；既……又……”（注意：就遠原則）。

【例】Your husband as well as you is friendly to me.

不僅你而且你的丈夫也對我很友好。

The girl is lively as well as healthy.

這個女孩既活潑又健康。

3.as far as 表示“就……而言”（等于so far as）。

【例】As far as I am concerned,I’m not against your plan.

就我而言，我并不反對你的計劃。

As far as I could remember,I did return him the money.

就我所能記得的，我確實把錢還給他了。

Scene B

有些植物生長在極端環境中，為“垂死”的環境帶來一絲希望。沙漠中的還魂草將自己偽裝成一坨枯草。只要一有風，沒有根的它便開始了漫長的跋涉之旅。尋到水源后，它便張開“枯萎”的外殼，露出綠色的內芯開始生長。

Track 7

Some deserts can be so dry that plants must find techniques of surviving for long periods without any water whatsoever.The Chihuahuan desert in North Mexico.Here,one particular plant plays the waiting game so well,that it spends much of its life looking dead and certainly not worth eating.And it can survive like this for a decade.

This is the7)resurrectionplant.It’s a kind of8)moss.It barely has roots and it certainly can’t store much water.But it can travel.After a particularly long drought,it breaks away from its roots and becomes a9)tumbleweed.Moving across the desert,it can travel a mile in a week.With luck,it may find water.Just a shower of rain can bring it back to life.As its fronds soak up the water,they unfurl.

In its protected centre,it still has green cells which absorb both the water and sunlight,and rapidly produce the food it needs to resume its growth.It will grow for just as long as there is10)moisture.But when that disappears,it closes up once more and resumes its travels.

7) resurrectionn.復活；恢復

8) mossn.苔蘚

9) tumbleweedn.[植]風滾草

10) moisturen.潮濕；水分

一些荒漠極其干旱，植物在完全沒有水的情況下必須找到合適的方法，存活更長的時間。這是墨西哥北部的奇瓦瓦沙漠。在這里，有一種特殊的植物。它們把這種等待策略發揮到了極致，以至于生命中的大部分時間看起來都像是“枯死”的植物。當然也就不會被動物吃掉。它能以“假死”的狀態存活將近十年的時間。

這就是鱗葉卷柏（還魂草）。它屬于蘚類植物。它幾乎沒有根。當然，也很少儲存水分。但是它可以移動。如果遭遇很長時間的干旱，它們就會從根部斷裂，然后隨風滾動起來。它不停地穿越荒漠，可以在一周內移動一千米。如果幸運的話，它還能找到水源。些許雨水就能讓它煥發生機。它的葉片在吸收水分之后就會展開。

層層包裹下的內芯，仍然有綠色的組織，可以吸收水分和陽光，并且快速產出植物所需的能量。只要能夠獲得水分，它就能繼續生長。但是如果環境濕度降低，它又會卷成一團，然后再次踏上旅程。

考點解析

so that 與so...that...的用法

原文：Some deserts can be so dry that plants must find techniques...

1.so...that...意為“如此……以至于……”，引導結果狀語從句。

【例】The book is so interesting that most kids become interested in it.

這本書如此有趣以至于大多數孩子都對它感興趣。

2.so that 意為“以便；為了”，引導目的狀語從句。

【例】My sister made a model plane so that she could help with her friend studying the science last night.

昨天晚上我妹妹制作了一個飛機模型，以便能幫助她的朋友學習科學。

3.注意“so+形容詞+a/an+單數名詞+that 從句”以及“such+a/an+形容詞+單數名詞+that 從句”的區別。

【例】The book is so interesting that many people want to buy one.

=It is such an interesting book that many people want to buy one.

這本書如此有趣，以至于很多人想買。

Scene C

在城市化的影響下，單一作物種植雖然為人類生活帶來了便利，卻擠壓了其他植物的生存空間。

Track 8

It began over 10,000 years ago with plants that we found especially good to eat.At first,this relationship created challenges of its own.Many of the ancestral grasses,like these wild11)oatsfrom Israel,have a trick to ensure that their seeds are planted in the perfect place.Each seed head at the top carries two long12)bristlescalled awns,and when a seed drops to the ground,these awns do something truly extraordinary.They walk!

The awns13)twistas they dry out during the day and then,when they get wet,they untwist.Tiny hairs grip onto the ground keeping the individual moving forward.In this way the seeds work their way along the ground until eventually they find a rock to hide under or a crack to14)drillinto.This adaptation is useful for the plant,but not for us.It’s hard to collect seeds when they drop off and walk away!

So our ancestors selected plants whose seeds don’t drop off,don’t have legs and don’t bury themselves out of reach.They also selected those individuals which put their energy into developing much larger seeds.Close relationships like this have developed all over the world,producing the plants that are now our crops.This may seem a poor deal from the point of view of plants,but not so.We eat their seeds,but in return we cherish and15)cultivatethem.And now they are widespread and far more abundant that their wild ancestors.

You might call this a bargain between ourselves and plants.And over the years it’s proved extraordinarily powerful.Over time,these plants produced more food,increasingly efficiently.We started doing more and more for a small number of chosen species.These few persuaded us to eliminate their competitors,cure their diseases,poison their enemies,and keep them well watered,even when other species faced drought.Fewer and fewer plant species like soy,wheat and rice,now16)occupymore and more land.So now whole landscapes are dominated by a single species of plant.A monoculture.

11) oatn.燕麥

12) bristlen.鬃毛

13) twistv.轉動；使彎曲

14) drillv.鉆；訓練

15) cultivatev.耕作；種植

16) occupyv.占

一萬多年以前，我們發現了一些特別適合食用的植物。起初，這種關系本身引發了一系列的難題。許多原始的禾草類植物，比如這些來自以色列的野生燕麥，它們有一種訣竅，能確保種子在理想的地方生長。每一顆種子的頂部帶有兩根長毛，被稱為“芒”。當種子掉落到地上的時候，這幾根芒就會發揮神奇的作用。它們會“走”！

芒在白天干燥的時候會彎曲，等到濕度增大的時候，又會恢復原狀。細小的茸毛緊緊地抓住地面，使種子向前移動。種子通過這種方式沿著地面前進，最終找到一塊可供藏身的巖石，或者鉆入可以鉆入的裂縫。這種進化特征對植物而言很有意義，但是對人類來說是個難題。種子落地“走”遠之后，我們就很難收集它們了。

所以，我們的祖先選擇了種子不會掉落，也沒有“雙腿”，更不會讓它們把自己深埋起來難以拾取的植物。他們還挑選出那些能發育出大顆種子的個體。這種密切的關系推廣至世界各地，出現了我們現在種植的農作物。從植物的角度來看，這樣有些不劃算。但事實并非如此。雖然我們吃掉了它們的種子，但作為回報，我們呵護并培育它們。現在它們廣泛分布，比它們在野外生存的祖先更加多姿多彩。

可以這么說，這是一筆人類和植物之間的交易。隨著時代的變遷，它的非凡力量可見一斑。隨著時間的推移，這些植物的產量越來越大，生產效率越來越高。我們對選中的少數物種投入得越來越多。我們為選中的少數物種消滅它們的競爭對手，治療它們的疾病，毒殺它們的天敵，并且提供充足的水源，哪怕其他植物面臨著干旱。現在越來越少的農作物比如大豆、小麥和水稻，占據了越來越多的土地。于是放眼望去，到處都是單一的種植物種。這就是，單一作物栽培。

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“芒種”的“芒”是什么？

“芒種”的英文是Grain in Ear——grain 為谷物/粒，ear 在此處不是指“耳朵”，而是指谷物的“穗/芒”，“穗/芒”的植物術語是awn。

“芒種”是二十四節氣之一，每年6 月5 日或6 日，視太陽位置到達黃經75°時開始。“芒種”之“芒”，本義是谷物種子殼上或草木上的細刺，而“芒種”之“種”，則有兩種解釋——作為名詞的“種”（zhǒng），指植物的種子；作為動詞的“種”（zhòng），則指播種。也就是說，“芒種”的一種解釋是指有芒的種子，即麥、稻等谷物結出果實、長出種芒；而另一種解釋則是指應當從這一時間節點開始谷物的種植。

“時雨及芒種，四野皆插秧。家家麥飯美，處處菱歌長。”陸游所描繪的芒種時節是那樣多姿多彩、生機盎然——既有雨后的舒爽，又有夏日的熱情；既有田里的稻秧，又有桌上的麥飯；既有農事的忙碌，又有歌聲的悠然。芒種，不但是對谷物旺盛生命力的直觀描述，更蘊含著中華兒女對美好生活的期待。