英语听力：自然百科 松露：世上最贵的蘑菇

 In this small town in Provence, they are gathered to give thanks for their blessings¹. “Saint Antoine gave us truffles”, the villagers of Richerenches sing at the annual truffle mass. They are even willing to pay for it. The collection plate is filling up and not just with cash.

 

Selling for hundreds of dollars a pound wholesale², the so-called black diamonds are among the world’s most expensive fungus³.

 

Richerenches means rich earth, and they are not kidding. This is truffle country. Nearly a third of France’s crop of black truffles goes through this town’s market, up to 180,000 US dollars in a single day.

 

"It’s a most important market of truffle in France, so if you want to buy some truffle, you have to be in Richerenches to buy something. So for the sellers is the same thing, if you want to sell well, they have to come here to Richerenches."

 

In winter, small towns of Provence are doing big business. A lot of local farmers moonlight as truffle hunters. And here, in the back seats of black luxury cars, France's truffle brokers⁴ reel and deal. One small bag equals hundreds of US dollars. It’s a cash business, no taxes.

 

France's gourmet⁵ food companies buy truffles from the brokers and ship many of them to restaurants in the United States and Japan.

 

The best truffles look like this, deep black with the lacing of white veins⁶ through them. While demand is high, the supply is shrinking. Fewer and fewer truffles are coming in but no one sure exactly why. Truffles grow under ground, around tree roots, but they are fickle⁷. Agriculture, development, weather and deforestation are just some of the culprits blamed for the decline.

 

Jay is a trained sniffer dog. It takes a sensitive nose to find truffles. Not just any dog will do. Here’s how Jay does it.

 

For today at least there is no truffle shortage here. When the trufflers' prayers are answered, it’s a treat for everyone.

1 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

4 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

5 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

6 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 fickle   

adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的

参考例句：

• Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.物价的波动往往是由于群众需求的不稳定而引起的。
• The weather is so fickle in summer.夏日的天气如此多变。