VOA慢速英语--南非杜松子酒是用大象废料制成的

South African Gin Is Made With Elephant Waste

A South African alcohol maker¹ say it is using bodily waste from elephants to make the popular drink called gin.

Les and Paula Ansley are the creators of Indlovu Gin. They came across the idea a year ago during a safari². They learned that elephants eat many kinds of fruits and flowers. However, the animals' bodies only process less than a third of the plant material they eat.

Ansley told The Associated Press that, weeks after their trip, his wife woke him up in the middle of the night with the idea. Ansley recalled his wife suggesting, "Why don't we let the elephants do the hard work of collecting all these botanicals and we will make gin from it?"

Ansley noted³ that elephant waste, or dung, possesses the plant material called botanicals. They are substances often used in gin production to add to the taste.

The first load of elephant dung came by mail from the park where the Ansleys had taken their safari. Then the two scientists began searching for the best way to use elephant waste in the gin-making process. Now they collect the dung themselves, using their hands.

They described the gin's taste as "lovely, wooded, almost spicy⁴, earthy." The taste, they say, changes a little with the seasons and location.

The gin bottles are marked with the date and location of where the elephant dung was collected. "So, you're able to compare almost different vintages of the gin," Ansley said.

It takes about five large bags of elephant dung to make between 3,000 and 4,000 bottles of the gin. The elephant waste is first dried and broken down into small pieces. Then it is washed to remove dirt and sand. Eventually, only the remains⁵ of fruits, flowers and other plant materials are kept.

Harmful bacteria and germs are then removed from the botanicals, which are dried again and placed in an airing container. Think of it like a "spice cupboard," Ansley said. Eventually, the remains are added to the gin.

The Ansleys test the gin on their friends before explaining how they make it.

"The initial⁶ reaction of most people is, ‘What? There's no way.' But most people are very keen to actually taste it," Ansley said. And once people hear about elephants' digestive process "it becomes a lot clearer to them, and they accept it very well."

The Ansleys decided⁷ to name the gin Indlovu, which means elephant in the Zulu language. They did not say how much of the gin they have sold. A bottle sells for around 500 rand, or about $32.

The gin is popular with travelers seeking an unusual gift and a story to tell when they return home.

One South African visitor, Elsabe Hannekom, said she felt closer to the animals after touching⁸ their waste. "So having a piece of them actually feels ... good. An export of the African experience, I would say."

After a drink, another guest, Jade⁹ Badenhorst, noted: "Interesting. Very tasty. Very nice. I didn't expect to be able to drink a gin smoothly¹⁰."

Words in This Story

safari – n. a trip to see or hunt animals especially in Africa

spicy – adj. flavored with or containing strong substances and especially ones that cause a burning feeling in your mouth

vintage(s) – n. the year or place in which alcohol, especially wine of high quality, was produced

cupboard – n. a piece of furniture used for storage that has doors and contains shelves

initial – adj. happening at the beginning of something

keen -– adj. very excited about and interested in something

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 safari   

n.远征旅行(探险、考察)；探险队，狩猎队

参考例句：

• When we go on safari we like to cook on an open fire.我们远行狩猎时，喜欢露天生火做饭。
• They went on safari searching for the rare black rhinoceros.他们进行探险旅行，搜寻那稀有的黑犀牛。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 initial   

adj.最初的，开始的，词首的；n.首字母，姓名的开头字母；vt.标注姓名的首字母于

参考例句：

• After she'd overcome her initial shyness,she became very friendly.她克服了起初的羞怯之后，变得十分友善。
• The experiments have given initial results eventually.那些试验总算初见成效了。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

9 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

10 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。