在英國，真菌種類比植物的種類還要多，但科學(xué)家們對真菌的了解還相對較少。本期 “隨身英語” 探討蘑菇等真菌在廚房外扮演的重要角色以及這類生物很難研究的原因。

詞匯：nature 自然

Fungi?play an important role in?ecosystems, are a?source of?food, and?make?key?contributions?to the world of medicine. So, why do we know so little about them?

真菌在生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中發(fā)揮著重要作用，是食物的來源，并為醫(yī)學(xué)界做出了重要貢獻(xiàn)。那么，為什么我們對它們知之甚少呢?

An estimated two million?fungal species?– more than 90% of all fungi – have yet to be described by science, according to Rebecca Morelle, science reporter for the BBC. In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 25,000 species of fungi – five or six times more than plants. Scientists are trying to find out more about this largely?unexplored?world, but it is challenging. Dr Martyn Ainsworth, a senior researcher from Royal?Botanic?Gardens, Kew, in London, says: 'We can grow a certain number in the?lab, but there is?a whole host of?fungi that we cannot grow in the lab. This has held back a lot of research.'

據(jù)BBC科學(xué)記者Rebecca Morelle稱，估計有200萬種真菌——超過所有真菌的90%——尚未被科學(xué)描述。僅在英國，就有大約25000種真菌，是植物的五到六倍?？茖W(xué)家們正試圖更多地了解這個基本未被探索的世界，但這是具有挑戰(zhàn)性的。馬丁·安斯沃思博士是倫敦皇家植物園的高級研究員，他說:“我們可以在實(shí)驗(yàn)室里培養(yǎng)一定數(shù)量的真菌，但有很多真菌是我們在實(shí)驗(yàn)室里無法培養(yǎng)的?！边@阻礙了很多研究?！?/p>

The fact that we know so little about the world of fungi leads many of us to misunderstand them. 'A lot of people are afraid of?poisonous?mushrooms', says Dr Jassy Drakulic, a plant pathologist, 'but only a very small?proportion?of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause?disease'. Most are harmless and often beneficial, called by some 'the hidden helpers of our environment'. Some fungi provide food and?shelter?for?wildlife, help plants?absorb?water and?nutrients?and recycle?waste?and?dead matter. Other types of fungi grow on the?roots?of trees and plants, forming a huge underground network that helps?nourish?trees. 'Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work', adds Dr Ainsworth.

事實(shí)上，我們對真菌的世界知之甚少，這導(dǎo)致我們中的許多人誤解了它們?！昂芏嗳硕己ε露灸⒐剑敝参锊±韺W(xué)家雅西·德拉庫利克博士說，“但世界上數(shù)千種真菌中，只有很小一部分能致病?！贝蠖鄶?shù)是無害的，通常是有益的，被一些人稱為“我們環(huán)境的隱形幫手”。一些真菌為野生動物提供食物和庇護(hù)所，幫助植物吸收水分和營養(yǎng)，回收廢物和死亡物質(zhì)。其他種類的真菌生長在樹木和植物的根部，形成一個巨大的地下網(wǎng)絡(luò)，幫助滋養(yǎng)樹木。安斯沃思博士補(bǔ)充說:“真菌實(shí)際上是做所有工作的幕后團(tuán)隊。”
So, next time you add mushrooms to your dinner, take a painkiller for a headache, or go for a walk through the woods, remember to thank the living things that made it all possible – fungi.

所以，下次你在晚餐中添加蘑菇，吃止痛藥來緩解頭痛，或者在森林中散步時，記住要感謝使這一切成為可能的生物——真菌。

詞匯表

fungi （復(fù)數(shù)）真菌，真菌類植物
ecosystem 生態(tài)系統(tǒng)
source of 來源
make a contribution 作出貢獻(xiàn)
fungal species 真菌種類
unexplored 未經(jīng)研究的，無人涉足的
botanic 植物（學(xué)）的
lab 實(shí)驗(yàn)室
a whole host of 許多，大量
poisonous 有毒的
proportion 部分，比例
disease 疾病
shelter 棲息地，住所
wildlife 野生動植物
absorb 吸收
nutrient 養(yǎng)分，營養(yǎng)物
waste 廢物
dead matter 枯死物，死亡有機(jī)物
root 根部
nourish 滋養(yǎng)

測驗(yàn)與練習(xí)

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or False??There are more species of fungi than species of plants in the UK.

2. What's one reason why research into fungi has been held back?

3. What proportion of fungi are poisonous?

4. Are the ways in which fungi benefit the environment obvious?

5. True or False??Fungi only provide food for animals.

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Until our brothers joined us, our nail salon was a _______ female business.

largely? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?unexplored? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? proportion? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?lab

2. Large proportions of the world's oceans remain _______.

source of? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?largely? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?unexplored? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? wildlife

3. A higher _______ of men are stay-at-home dads than in the past.

waste? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? poisonous? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? proportion? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?ecosystem

4. Plants _______ carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. ?

absorb? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?nutrients? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? waste? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? nourish

5. It suddenly started raining heavily, but luckily the trees provided some _______.

fungi? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? dead matter? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?shelter? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? absorb????

答案

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。?

1. True or False??There are more species of fungi than species of plants in the UK.

True. In the UK, there are thought to be around five or six times more species of fungi than plants.

2. What's one reason why research into fungi has been held back?

According to Dr Martyn Ainsworth, many fungi can't be grown in a lab, so it's harder to study them.

3. What proportion of fungi are poisonous?

According to Dr Jassy Drakulic, only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease.

4. Are the ways in which fungi benefit the environment obvious?

No. Fungi are referred to as 'the hidden helpers of our environment' and as 'the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work'.

5. True or False??Fungi only provide food for animals.

False. Fungi provide food for wildlife, but they also form a huge underground network that helps nourish trees.

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. Until our brothers joined us, our nail salon was a?largely?female business.

2. Large proportions of the world's oceans remain?unexplored.

3. A higher?proportion?of men are stay-at-home dads than in the past.

4. Plants?absorb?carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. ?

5. It suddenly started raining heavily, but luckily the trees provided some?shelter.

文章來源BBC，侵權(quán)刪，本文僅用于英語學(xué)習(xí)。