异类之不一样的成功启示录 第155期:民以食为天

 　　When the time came to plant, a Chinese farmer would have hundreds of different varieties to choose from.

　　一旦到了种植季节，中国的农民就需要在100多种稻种之中选出适合今年种植的稻种。

　　each of which offered a slightly different trade-off, between yield and, say, how quickly it grew, or how well it did in times of drought, or how it fared in poor soils.

　　因为每种稻种在收益上都会有轻微的不同，所以农民需要衡量不同稻种在产量上的差异和成长速度上的快慢、遇干旱时的长势或在贫瘠土地上的长势。

　　A farmer might plant a dozen or more different varieties at one time, adjusting the mix from season to season in order to manage the risk of a crop failure.

　　一个农民可能会同时播种12种甚至更多种类的稻子，来平衡季节以及气候将给稻田收成带来的影响，降低播种失败所带来的风险。

　　He or she (or more accurately¹, the whole family, since rice agriculture was a family affair) would plant the seed in a specially² prepared seedbed.

　　农夫或农妇（实际上，一般都是整个家庭在参与，因为种植稻谷是整个家庭的事务）将根据不同的品种选择特定的种床来培植稻种。

　　After a few weeks, the seedlings³ would be transplanted into the field, in carefully space rows six inches apart, and then painstakingly⁴ nurtured⁵.

　　经过几个星期的培植之后，稻种将被转移到田地里，每垄地间隔6英寸，然后辛苦的劳作就此拉开序幕。

　　Weeding was done by hand, diligently⁶ and unceasingly, because the seedlings could easily be choked by other plant life.

　　手工除草的工作必须一直持续，不能停下来，因为一旦养料被其他的植物吸收了，种子就会因缺少养料而死掉。

　　Sometimes each rice shoot would be individually groomed⁷, with a bamboo comb to clear away insects.

　　有些时候有些稻穗还需要用竹刷梳理，以便驱赶害虫。

　　All the while, farmers had to check an recheck water levels, and make sure the water didn't get too hot in the summer sun.

　　除此之外，农民们还需要不断检测稻田的水位是否合适，以确保夏季里的水温不会太高。

　　And when the rice ripened⁸, farmers gathered all their friends and relatives and, in one coordinated⁹ burst, harvested it as quickly as possible,

　　当稻田成熟的时候，农民们经常找亲戚朋友来帮忙收割，同时进行第二次播种，

　　so that they can get the second crop in and harvest it before the winter dry season began.

　　为此可以在冬天来临之前得到一年中的第二次收成。

　　Breakfast in south China, at least for those who could afford it, is congee¹⁰- white rice porridge with lettuce¹¹ and dace paste and bamboo shoots.

　　在中国的南方，人们的早餐通常都以稀粥为主，白米粥配上莴苣、小咸鱼和笋丝。

　　Lunch is more congee. Dinner is rice with "toppings."

　　午餐就是喝过多的粥而已。晚饭则是米饭加菜。

　　Rice was what you sold at the market to buy the other necessities of life.

　　大米通常都拿到市场上去卖，以换取其他的生活必需品。

　　It was how wealth and status were measured.It dictated¹² almost every working moment of everyday.

　　在当地，大米是衡量财富和地位的一种标准，它揭示了人们每天的工作程度。

　　"Rice is life," says the anthropologist¹³ Goncalo Santos, who has studies traditional south Chinese village.

　　“民以食为天，”一位研究中国传统的南方乡镇生活的人类学家孔卡洛·桑托斯（Goncalo Santos）说道，

　　"Without rice, you don't survive. If you want to be anyone in this part of China, you would have to have rice. It made the world go around."

　　“没有粮食，你就无法存活，如果你想在中国的南方取得某种社会地位，你就必须拥有很多粮食，粮食使社会运转。”

1 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

2 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

3 seedlings   

n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 painstakingly   

adv. 费力地 苦心地

参考例句：

• Every aspect of the original has been closely studied and painstakingly reconstructed. 原作的每一细节都经过了仔细研究，费尽苦心才得以重现。
• The cause they contrived so painstakingly also ended in failure. 他们惨淡经营的事业也以失败而告终。

5 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

6 diligently   

ad.industriously;carefully

参考例句：

• He applied himself diligently to learning French. 他孜孜不倦地学法语。
• He had studied diligently at college. 他在大学里勤奋学习。

7 groomed   

v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗

参考例句：

• She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。
• Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练，准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 ripened   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They're collecting the ripened reddish berries. 他们正采集熟了的淡红草莓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The branches bent low with ripened fruits. 成熟的果实压弯了树枝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 congee   

vi.告别，鞠躬；n.稀饭

参考例句：

• He has congeed with the King.他已经跟国王告别过了。
• I'll have two spring rolls and a portion of congee.我要两个春卷和一份广式肉粥。

11 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

12 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 anthropologist   

n.人类学家，人类学者

参考例句：

• The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
• The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。