未来蔬菜长啥样？

 未来蔬菜长啥样？

They look more like the brightly lit shelves of a chemists shop than the rows of a vegetable garden.

　　它们看起来更像是化学商店里一排排灯火通明的货架，而不是蔬菜园里的一排排菜架。

　　But according to their creators， these perfect looking vegetables could be the future of food.

　　不过据它们的创始人说，这些看来完美无瑕的蔬菜可能就是我们未来的食物。

　　In a perfectly¹ controlled and totally sterile² environment——uncontaminated by dirt， insects or fresh air——Japanese scientists are developing a new way of growing vegetables.

　　日本科学家正在开发一项蔬菜种植的新方法：整个环境完全由人工控制而且完全无菌，也就是说，这是一个既没有灰尘也没有昆虫和新鲜空气的环境。

　　Called plant factories， these anonymous³ looking warehouses⁴ havesprung up across the country and can churn out immaculate looking lettuces⁶ and green leaves 24 hours a day， seven days a week.

　　这些被称为种植工厂的不起眼库房如雨后春笋般遍布日本各地，它们每周7天、每天24小时不间断地大量生产这种完美无暇的生菜和各类绿叶菜。

　　Every part of the plant's environment is controlled——from the lighting⁷ and temperature， to the humidity and water. Even the levels of carbon dioxide can be minutely altered.

　　植物的每个生长环节处于完全控制中：从照明到温度、从湿度到水分。甚至二氧化碳的浓度每分钟也有改变。

　　Rather than the conventional scruffy⁸ clothes and dirty fingernails of vegetable growers， the producers wear gloves， surgical⁹ masks and sort of dust proof protective suits normally seen in chemical plants.

　　工人们不像传统菜农那样穿着破衣服、留着脏指甲，他们都戴着手套和医用口罩，还穿着通常在化工厂才能见到的防尘防护服。

　　The vegetables from plant factories——which include green leaf， romaine lettuce⁵ and garland chrysanthemum——are sold at a premium¹⁰ to Japanese shoppers. No pesticides¹¹ are used——and there is no risk of contamination with food poisoning bugs¹².

　　日本消费者高价购买这些绿叶菜、长叶生菜、茼蒿等种植厂的蔬菜。没有使用农药，也就不存在被污染的蔬菜引起中毒的可能。

　　Because the plants are grown in a clean room， they can be eaten safely without washing. Lettuce grown in the factories can be cropped up to 20 times a year.

　　因为这些植物种植在干净的房间里，不用水洗就可安全食用。在这里，生菜一年可以收割20次。

　　Some factories are vast——and can produce three million vegetablesa year.

　　一些大型的种植工厂一年可以生产300万颗蔬菜。

　　The results are hygienic， but it's about as far from real food as you can possibly get.

　　尽管产品很卫生，但这并非你所理解的真正意义上的食品。

　　The spread of plant factories has been encouraged by the Japanese government amid concerns about the use of chemicals in vegetables.

　　在对使用化学蔬菜的担忧声中，这些种植工厂的普及得到了日本政府的支持。

　　A spokesman for the Ozu Corporation factory in Tokyo said： "Vegetables are produced in the factory without being exposed to the air outside."

　　东京大洲公司工厂的发言人说：“工厂内种植的蔬菜与外界空气完全隔绝。

　　"Stable production is guaranteed throughout the year by controlling lighting， temperature， humidity， carbon dioxide and water. They can also meet the demands of consumers who want safe foods."

　　“通过控制照明、温度、湿度、二氧化碳和水，可以保证全年产量的稳定。这些产品还满足了消费者对安全食品的要求。”

　　Plant factories have yet to arrive in the UK. The closest Britain has are the vast greenhouses in the south of England where millions of tomatoes are grown hydroponically——without soil.

这种类型的种植工厂尚未出现在英国。在英国，与此最相似的是英格兰南部广阔的蔬菜温室，那里数百万的西红柿不是种在土里，而是水培种植。

1 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

2 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

3 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

4 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

5 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。

6 lettuces   

n.莴苣，生菜（ lettuce的名词复数 ）；生菜叶

参考例句：

• My lettuces have gone to seed. 我种的莴苣已结子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Are these lettuces home-grown or did you buy them in the market? 这些生菜是自家种的呢，还是你在市场上买的？ 来自辞典例句

7 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

8 scruffy   

adj.肮脏的，不洁的

参考例句：

• Despite her scruffy clothes,there was an air of sophistication about her.尽管她衣衫褴褛，但神态老练世故。
• His scruffy appearance does not reflect his character.他邋遢的外表并不反映他的性格。

9 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

10 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

11 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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》