BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

BBC學習英語。我是尼爾。

And I'm Georgina.

我是喬治娜

Last November Nasa launched

去年11月，美國國家航空航天局發射了

a very unusual home delivery

尋常人家

service - a rocket carrying

服務----火箭運載

four tonnes of supplies to the

四噸的物資，以備不時之需。

ISS - the International Space Station.

ISS -- -- 國際空間站；

Among the scientific equipment were

這些科學設備包括

twelve bottles of red wine

樽酒

from the famous Bordeaux

來自著名的波爾多

region of France.

法國地區：

The astronauts might have wanted

太空人可能想

a glass of wine with dinner,

一杯酒與晚餐。

but the real purpose of

而真正

the bottles was to explore the possibility

瓶子是為了探索

of producing food and drink in space - not

在太空中生產食物和飲料----不

for astronauts but for people

為太空人，但為人

back on Earth.

回到地球上。

In today's programme we'll be finding out

在今天的節目中，我們會發現

how growing plants in space

如何在太空種植物

can develop crops

能種莊稼

which are more productive and more

產量更高、更

resistant to climate change here on Earth.

在地球上抵抗氣候變化。

And we'll hear how plants can grow

我們會聽到植物如何生長

in environments with little or

的環境中，很少或

no natural light. But first,

沒有自然光。但首先。

today's quiz question: what was the first

今天的問答題：第一個是什麼？

food grown in space? Was it:

太空中生長的食物？是這樣的

a) potatoes, b) lettuce, or c) tomatoes?

a)洋芋，b)生菜，還是c)西紅柿？

Well, in the film, The Martian, a stranded

在電影《火星人》中，一個滯留的... ...

astronaut grows potatoes on Mars.

太空人在火星上種植洋芋。

I know it's

我知道是這樣的

only a film but I'll say a) potatoes!

只是一部電影，但我要說的是a)洋芋!

OK. We'll find out the answer later. Now,

好吧，我們稍後再找答案。我們稍後就會知道答案。現在就去吧

you might be wondering how

你可能想知道如何

it's possible to

可以

grow plants without natural light.

在沒有自然光的情況下種植植物。

British company Vertical Future

英國公司Vertical Future

has been working on

一直致力於

this problem by developing indoor

這個問題，發展室內

farming methods in partnership

夥伴關係的農業方法

with Nasa.

與美國國家航空航天局。

Here's their Head of Research,

這是他們的研究主管。

Jen Bromley, explaining the process

Jen Bromley，解釋過程

to BBC World Service

英國廣播公司世界服務部

programme, The Food Chain:

節目《食物鏈》。

Basically we use LED lighting and we use

基本上我們使用LED照明，我們使用

LED lights that are tuned to

LED燈，被調整為

a specific wavelength.

某一特定波長。

So, if you image what the rainbow looks

所以，如果你想象一下彩虹的樣子

like, the reason a plant looks

就像，植物看起來的原因

green is because

綠色是因為

it's not using all the green light - it actually

它並沒有使用所有的綠光 - 它實際上

reflects a lot of that back. So the reason

反映了很多的問題。所以原因

why it looks pink in here is because we're

為什麼它看起來粉紅色在這裡是因為我們是

actually only using red light and blue light

實際上只用紅光和藍光

to grow the plants, and that essentially

來種植植物，而這基本上

tailors the light diet so that

定製清淡飲食，以便

the plants look kind of black

芔茻

when you look at them because

當你看著他們，因為

they're not reflecting any light - they're

它們不反射任何光線 - 它們是

being super-efficient,

是超高效的。

they're using up every photon

耗盡光子

that hits them.

打他們的。

The lack of natural light in space means

空間缺乏自然光意味著

that plants are grown using

植物的種植使用

LED lights - LED is

LED燈--LED是

an abbreviation of 'light emitting diode'

發光二極管的簡稱

- an electronic device that lights up when

- 亮了

electricity is passed through it.

電是通過它。

On Earth plants look green because they

在地球上，植物看起來是綠色的，因為它們

reflect back any light travelling

迴光返照

at a certain wavelength -

在一定的波長上 -

the distance between two waves of light

兩波光程

which make things appear

顯得

to us in the various

我們在各

colours of the rainbow.

彩虹的顏色。

But when scientists control the

但當科學家控制了

wavelengths being fed, plants

被餵養的波長，植物

are able to absorb every

能夠吸收每一個

photon - particle of light energy,

光子--光能粒子。

making them appear black.

使他們顯得很黑。

Each particle of light that hits the leaves

每一粒光打在葉子上

is absorbed and through

被吸收，並通過

photosynthesis is

光合作用是

converted into plant food. Nasa

轉化為植物的食物。Nasa

found that different colour

發現不同顏色

combinations, or light recipes,

組合，或清淡的食譜。

can change a plant's shape, size

可以改變植物的形狀、大小

and even flavour.

甚至是味道。

But the lack of natural light isn't the

但是，缺乏自然光並不是最重要的

biggest obstacle to

最大的障礙

growing food in space. Here's

在太空中種植食物。這裡是

Gioia Massa, chief plant scientist

Gioia Massa，首席植物科學家。

at the Kennedy Space Centre

在肯尼迪航天中心

in Florida, to explain:

在佛羅里達州，解釋。

Microgravity is really challenging but

微重力真的很有挑戰性，但

plants are amazing! They can

植物是驚人的！它們可以

adapt to so many different

千變萬化

environments - we call this plasticity

環境--我們稱之為可塑性

because they can turn on or off

因為他們可以打開或關閉

their genes to really

他們的基因真正

adapt to all sorts of conditions and that's

適應各種條件，這就是...。

why you see plants growing

為什麼你看到植物生長

in different areas

各地

on Earth - the same type of plant

地球上的同類植物

may look very different

貌合神離

because it's adapting to the

因為它在適應

environment in that specific location.

該特定地點的環境。

On Earth, plants use gravity to position

在地球上，植物利用重力來定位

themselves - shoots grow up,

自己--嫩芽長大。

roots grow down. But this

根部向下生長。但這

doesn't apply in space because of

在太空中不適用，因為

microgravity - the weaker pull

微重力--較弱的拉力

of gravity making things

萬有引力

float and seem weightless.

飄飄然，似乎沒有重量。

Plants can only survive in these

植物只能在這些地方生存

conditions due to their

狀況，因為它們

plasticity - the ability of living

可塑性

organisms to adapt and cope with

生物適應和應對

changes in the environment

環境變化

by changing their biological

通過改變他們的生物學特性

structure.

結構。

Plants adapt themselves to being

植物適應自己被

in space by manipulating their

在空間中通過操縱它們的

genes - chemicals and

基因-化學品和

DNA in the cells of plants and animals

植物和動物細胞中的DNA

which control their development

控制其發展的

and behaviour.

和行為。

In the low-gravity atmosphere of space,

在太空的低重力大氣中。

plants become stressed but

植株受壓，但

they adapt genetically.

他們從基因上適應。

And as a result they're stronger and

是以，他們更強壯和

more resilient to other, less

更能抵禦其他，更少

stressful events

緊張事件

when they return home to Earth.

當他們回到地球的家時。

Like those bottles of red wine orbiting

就像那些圍繞著紅葡萄酒的瓶子

Earth as we speak.

我們所說的地球。

The effects of microgravity on

微重力對

the wine's organic composition will be

葡萄酒的有機成分將是

studied and could hopefully

研究，並可望

offer solutions for growing

提供成長的解決方案

food in Earth's changing climate.

地球氣候變化中的食物。

So, Neil, if it wasn't red grapes, what

所以，尼爾，如果不是紅葡萄，那是什麼？

was the first food grown in space?

是第一個在太空種植的食物？

Ah yes, in today's quiz question I asked

啊，對了，在今天的問答題中，我問道

what the first plant grown in space was.

在太空中生長的第一種植物是什麼。

I said, a) potatoes.

我說，一）洋芋。

But in fact it was... b) lettuce - grown

但實際上是......b)生菜--種植的

over fifteen months on the ISS,

在國際空間站上超過15個月。

then eaten in fifteen

十五分鐘就能吃完

minutes in the first ever space salad.

分鐘，在史上第一個空間沙拉。

Today we've been discussing the

今天我們一直在討論

possibilities of growing plants

栽種的可能性

in space using LED lights

在太空中使用LED燈

- devices that use electricity

- 用電設備

to produce light.

以產生光。

The energy needed for plants to grow is

植物生長所需的能量是

contained in photons - or light

光子

particles, travelling

粒子，旅行

at different wavelengths - distances

在不同的波長--距離

between light waves which

光波之間

make things look different

變臉

colours.

峅。

Plants have evolved over millennia using

植物經過幾千年的進化，利用

the strong gravity on Earth.

地球上的強大引力。

But this changes

但這一變化

in space because of microgravity - the

在太空中，由於微重力--------------------------。

weaker gravitational pull making

弱引力

things in space

太空中的東西

float and seem weightless.

飄飄然，似乎沒有重量。

Luckily plants use their genes - the

幸運的是，植物利用它們的基因------。

chemicals in DNA responsible

罪魁禍首

for growth - to adapt to

適應成長--適應

new environments by changing their

新環境下，通過改變其

biological structure - a process

生物結構--過程

known as plasticity.

稱為可塑性。

All of which makes it possible for

所有這些都使得

astronauts to enjoy a glass

航天員喝杯酒

of wine and green salad in

酒菜

space.

空間：

And genetically stronger plants

而基因更強的植物

specimens to study back on Earth.

標本回地球研究。

That's all for today but join us again soon

今天就到這裡吧，不過很快就會再來的。

at 6 Minute English. Bye for now!

在6分鐘英語。暫時再見！

Bye!

再見！