新人教版

高中英语

选择性必修

第一册 Unit 5

B

Using Language

课文再现

 

 

英汉对照

CHEMICAL VERSUS ORGANIC FARMING

化学耕作和有机耕作

Chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers have been in widespread use in farming since the middle of the 20th century. When they were first introduced, many farmers welcomed them as a great way to fight crop disease and increase production. Over time, however, what some scientists have found is that their long-term use can sometimes harm both the land and people’s health.

自20世纪中期以来，化学农药和人工化肥在耕作中得到了广泛使用。当它们第一次被引进时，很多农民喜欢使用农药和化肥，把它们作为防治农作物病虫害和提高产量的重要手段。然而，随着时间的推移，一些科学家发现长期使用农药和化肥会造成土地受损，对人们的健康造成危害。

For example, pesticides can damage the land by killing not only harmful bacteria and insects, but also helpful ones. In addition, these chemicals can stay in the soil and underground water sources for a long time. This affects the crops grown on the land and, in turn, the animals and humans who digest them. Many people worry that these chemicals may make them ill and even cause cancer. In fact, some pesticides like DDT have been prohibited in most countries because of the damage they cause to people and the environment. As for chemical fertilisers, crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition. They may look beautiful on the outside, but inside there is usually more water than essential minerals, and they often have less flavour as well.

例如，农药在杀死病菌和害虫的同时也会杀死有益的细菌和昆虫，从而破坏土地。此外，这些化学物质可以在地里和地下水中保存很长时间，而这会影响生长在土地上的农作物，进而影响到消化它们的动物和人类。许多人担心这些化学物质会使他们生病甚至导致癌症。事实上，像滴滴涕这样的杀虫剂在大多数国家已经被禁止了，因为它们对人类和环境造成了破坏。至于化肥，施过化肥的农作物通常生长得过快而营养不足。它们表面上很好看，但是里面的水分通常比必需的矿物质多，而且味道也不太好。

As an alternative, some farmers have switched to organic farming, and many customers have turned to organic food when they shop at the local grocery. Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. Organic farmers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease through natural means. For example, many organic farmers use natural waste from animals as fertiliser. This makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals. It also keeps the air, soil, water, and crops free of chemicals.

作为另一种选择，一些农民开始转向有机耕作，许多顾客在当地杂货店购物时转向有机食品。有机耕作就是不用任何化学肥料的耕作。有机耕作的农民注重通过自然的方式保持土壤肥沃和免受病害。例如，许多有机耕作的农民把天然的动物粪便当作肥料。这样会使他们地里的土壤更富含矿物质，同时还可以让空气、土壤、水以及农作物不受化学物质的污染。

Organic farmers also use many other methods to produce rich soil. They often change the kind of crop grown in each field every year. For instance, they may grow corn or wheat in a field one year, and then grow beans there the next. Why different crops are grown is because they put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready for the next batch of crops. Organic farmers also plant diverse crops that use different depths of soil to help keep it rich. For example peanuts grow on the ground’s surface, but many other vegetables put down deep roots. The goal of using different organic farming methods is to grow good food while avoiding damage to the environment or to people’s health.

有机耕作的农民也使用很多其他的方法来保持土壤肥沃。在同一块地里， 他们经常每隔几年就换种农作物。例如，他们可能一年在一块地里种玉米或小麦后来年再改种豌豆。种植不同的作物是因为它们把重要的矿物质带回土壤，，从而使之适宜于种植下一批作物。有机耕作的农民还种植多种农作物，利用不同层次的土壤来帮助保持肥沃。例如，花生种植生长于浅层土壤，但许多其他蔬菜种植生根于深层土壤。使用不同的有机耕作方法的目的是种植好的粮食，避免损害环境或者人们的健康。

Some people would prefer to stop the use of man-made chemicals in agriculture entirely. What keeps them from doing so is the fact that chemical farming serves the high demand for food around the world. Organic farming is nowhere near able to meet that need. Therefore, there is still a long way to find a suitable solution that puts sufficient food on the dinner table while keeping people and the environment as healthy as possible.

有些人宁愿完全停止在农业中使用人造化学品。阻止他们这样做的原因是化学农业满足了世界各地对粮食的巨大需求。有机耕作完全不能满足那样的需求。因此，要找到一个合适的解决方案，使人们的餐桌上有足够的食物，同时保持人们和环境尽可能地健康仍然有很长的路要走。

　　更多高中必修单词，可以参考学习蔡章兵教授新单词书。

　　长按识别二维码 预约奇速英语国庆营

　　更多有关奇速英语秋季班单词课程、阅读课程、同步课程在线学习课程及英语冬夏令营事宜请关注奇速优课公众号或者关注奇速英语官网报名体验。咨询老师17313154418或者点击链接http://www.qisuabc.com/wx/buy/ykBuyCourseIndex/1705报名。

　　文章整理于网络，如有侵权，联系作者删除