與傳統(tǒng)的室外農(nóng)耕相比，垂直農(nóng)業(yè)用地面積相對(duì)少得多，因此它最初被視為一種節(jié)省空間的創(chuàng)新種植方式。雖然人們?cè)J(rèn)為這個(gè)種植方式前景大好，但如今它正面臨威脅。垂直農(nóng)場(chǎng)上的作物是在沒有陽光的受控環(huán)境下、依靠LED燈光生長(zhǎng)的，因此從一定程度上看，能源成本的上升導(dǎo)致了垂直農(nóng)業(yè)的現(xiàn)狀不容樂觀。垂直農(nóng)業(yè)是否已經(jīng)走到了盡頭？本期節(jié)目圍繞這個(gè)話題展開討論。

詞匯：farming 農(nóng)耕

Why do farmers grow?crops?outside in?fields?when we can?stack?them vertically? The idea of?vertical farming?was first proposed in 1999. It was seen as a way to save space, reduce?air miles?and transform old and abandoned buildings, like?warehouses. In 2021, Fortune Business Insights valued the global vertical farming market at 3.47 billion dollars. Now, however, this industry is under threat, partly due to rising energy costs.

當(dāng)我們可以垂直堆放作物時(shí)，為什么農(nóng)民要在室外田地里種植?垂直農(nóng)業(yè)的想法最早是在1999年提出的。它被視為一種節(jié)省空間、減少飛行里程、改造舊建筑和廢棄建筑(如倉(cāng)庫(kù))的方法。2021年，《財(cái)富商業(yè)觀察》(Fortune Business Insights)對(duì)全球垂直農(nóng)業(yè)市場(chǎng)的估值為34.7億美元。然而，現(xiàn)在這個(gè)行業(yè)正受到威脅，部分原因是能源成本的上升。

According to the magazine Science Focus, vertical farming gives ten times the?yield?of conventional outdoor farming. However, in order for crops to grow using this method, plants are placed in a?controlled environment, grown not under the Sun, but under?LED?lights?and watered with recycled water?pumped?on a?closed-loop?system.

據(jù)《科學(xué)焦點(diǎn)》雜志報(bào)道，垂直農(nóng)業(yè)的產(chǎn)量是傳統(tǒng)戶外農(nóng)業(yè)的十倍。然而，為了讓農(nóng)作物使用這種方法生長(zhǎng)，植物被放置在一個(gè)受控的環(huán)境中，不是在陽光下生長(zhǎng)，而是在LED燈下生長(zhǎng)，并用閉環(huán)系統(tǒng)泵出的再生水灌溉。

Unfortunately, energy prices have risen across the globe. Therefore, this?reliance?on electricity has meant the last few years have not been easy for the industry. Cindy van Rijswick, from the Dutch research firm RaboResearch, has estimated that?operational costs?for a vertical farm are around 15% higher now compared to 18 months ago. Infarm, Europe's largest vertical farming company,?made?around 500 employees?redundant?back in November 2022 because they needed to?downsize. They blamed higher operating costs due to energy increases as one reason for the?layoffs.?

不幸的是，全球能源價(jià)格都在上漲。因此，這種對(duì)電力的依賴意味著過去幾年對(duì)該行業(yè)來說并不容易。荷蘭研究公司RaboResearch的辛迪·范·瑞斯維克(Cindy van Rijswick)估計(jì)，與18個(gè)月前相比，現(xiàn)在垂直農(nóng)場(chǎng)的運(yùn)營(yíng)成本提高了15%左右。歐洲最大的垂直農(nóng)業(yè)公司Infarm在2022年11月解雇了大約500名員工，因?yàn)樗麄冃枰脝T。他們將裁員的原因之一歸咎于能源增長(zhǎng)導(dǎo)致的運(yùn)營(yíng)成本上升。

Another issue related to the?cost-of-living crisis?and affecting vertical farming is the type of?produce?grown. This includes herbs such as?basil, as well as?salad leaves?and?leafy greens. Compared to traditionally?farmed?ingredients, like onions and carrots, these products are more expensive so could be less in demand as consumers watch their spending more.

與生活成本危機(jī)有關(guān)并影響垂直農(nóng)業(yè)的另一個(gè)問題是種植的農(nóng)產(chǎn)品類型。這包括羅勒等草藥，以及沙拉葉和綠葉蔬菜。與洋蔥和胡蘿卜等傳統(tǒng)種植的食材相比，這些產(chǎn)品更昂貴，因此隨著消費(fèi)者更多地關(guān)注他們的支出，需求可能會(huì)減少。

So, it seems a future with food grown under LED lights is looking less and less bright.

因此，在LED燈下種植食物的未來似乎越來越不光明。

詞匯表

crop 作物，莊稼
field 田地
stack 疊放，摞起來
vertical farming 垂直農(nóng)業(yè)
air mile （食物）里程
warehouse 倉(cāng)庫(kù)
yield 產(chǎn)量
controlled environment 受控的環(huán)境
LED light 發(fā)光二極管（LED）燈
pump 用泵輸送
closed-loop 閉環(huán)的
reliance 依賴
operational cost 運(yùn)營(yíng)成本
make redundant 裁員
downsize （公司或組織）減員
layoff （因工作崗位不足的）解雇
cost-of-living crisis 生活成本危機(jī)
produce 農(nóng)產(chǎn)品
basil 羅勒
salad leaves 拌沙拉常用的菜葉
leafy greens 綠葉蔬菜
farmed 耕種的，種植的

測(cè)驗(yàn)與練習(xí)

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What three advantages of vertical farming are given?

2. How are plants watered in a vertical farm?

3. True or false??It is 15% more expensive to run a vertical farm now, compared to 18 months ago.

4. Why did Infarm make 500 employees redundant?

5. Why might consumers choose to buy more traditionally farmed ingredients than vertical farming produce?

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The potential _______ for the new drones is said to be worth around $1 million.

crop? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? field? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? market? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?air mile

2. At home, she _______ the books she had brought from the library.? ? ??

stacked? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?relied? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? pumped? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?blamed

3. We are buying a smaller house. We need to _______ since the kids moved out.

make redundant?????????? downsize? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?grow? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? retail

4. My family always grow carrots and _______ in the garden each summer.?

layoff? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?farming? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?greens? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?cost

5. We eat a lot of _______ green vegetables at home.

farmed? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? leafy? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? controlled???????????????? LED

答案

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。?

1. What three advantages of vertical farming are given?

Vertical farming was seen as a way to save space, reduce air miles and transform old and abandoned buildings.

2. How are plants watered in a vertical farm?

They are watered with recycled water pumped on a closed-loop system.

3. True or false??It is 15% more expensive to run a vertical farm now, compared to?18 months ago.

True. It is estimated that operational costs for a vertical farm are around 15% higher now compared to 18 months ago.

4. Why did Infarm make 500 employees redundant?

They needed to downsize. They blamed higher operating costs due to energy increases as one reason for the layoffs.?

5. Why might consumers choose to buy more traditionally farmed ingredients than vertical farming produce?

Because compared to traditional farmed ingredients, vertical farming produce are more expensive so could be less in demand as consumers watch their spending more.

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The potential?market?for the new drones is said to be worth around $1 million.

2. At home, she?stacked?the books she had brought from the library.? ? ? ??

3. We are buying a smaller house. We need to?downsize?since the kids moved out.

4. My family always grow carrots and?greens?in the garden each summer.?

5. We eat a lot of?leafy?green vegetables at home.

文章來源BBC，侵權(quán)刪，本文僅用于英語學(xué)習(xí)。