纪录片《你喝多了吗》 第08期：物竞天择

When I think of alcohol the images that spring to mind

一想到酒 我就会顿时联想到

are bars the clatter¹ of glasses the pouring of liquids.

酒吧里的觥筹交错和杯中美酒

And alcohol is just a sort of product that we have created.

酒就是人类制造的一种产品

But thats not true is it?

但事实并非如此

In fact you have to go back 80 million years

其实 八千万年前

to its first and most simple use a poison.

酒的最初功效很简单 就是毒药

This is a war between different types of bugs² of micro-organisms.

它是不同病菌和微生物竞争产生的结果

I've come to a cherry orchard³ in Kent to meet Dr Quain

此次我来到肯特的樱桃园咨询奎恩博士

an expert in microbiology.

他是位微生物学专家

We talk about yeast⁴ bacteria fungi⁵.

说到酵母 细菌和真菌

What they want is to survive and beat off competitors.

物竞天择适者生存的法则同样适用于它们

Rotting fruit contains sugars-glucose fructose-things that bugs want.

腐烂的水果含有葡萄糖和果糖

But yeast has been pretty damn clever.

但是酵母非常狡猾

What it said was "I'm gonna take some of that sugar

酵母说"我要吃点糖"

"and I'm gonna make something which is a by-product⁶ of eating sugar."

"因此我会制造一种新的副产物"

And that by-product is alcohol.

其实就是乙醇

1 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

2 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

4 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

5 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

6 by-product   

n.副产品，附带产生的结果

参考例句：

• Freedom is the by-product of economic surplus.自由是经济盈余的副产品。
• The raw material for the tyre is a by-product of petrol refining.制造轮胎的原材料是提炼汽油时产生的一种副产品。