【英语时差8,16】种子库

 

 

Yaël: Today's Moment of Science is about seed banks.

 

Don: You mean like to store seeds?

 

Y: That's right.

 

D: Haven't people been saving seeds for centuries?

 

Y: Sure, but on a different scale, and for different reasons. Seed saving has long allowed  farmers to store the raw materials for the next year's crop. It's also been useful to scientific research. But I'm talking about seed saving on a much greater scale. I'm  talking about banks such as the Millennium¹ Seed Bank in Wes Sussex, England, operations where countless² seeds of countless species are stored.

 

D: So these banks are pretty much giant refrigerators I take it?

 

Y: Pretty much. The Millennium Seed Bank keeps its seeds in a vault³ kept at 4 degrees  Fahrenheit and 15 percent humidity. These conditions allow seeds to be safely stored for up to a century, maybe longer. As we speak, scientists are experimenting to find  ways to ensure the viability⁴ of seeds for even longer periods of time.

 

D: What's the use in storing seeds for say, thousands of years? Won't nature take care  of that?

 

Y: These days there are all sorts of reasons scientists feel it is important to take seed matters into their own hands. The spread of invasive plant species is an everyday  threat to many native species. Other threats include the increasing use of genetically⁵   modified crops, the spread of corporate⁶ agricultural practices, and the ongoing⁷  destruction of rainforests.

 

D: And global warming?

 

Y: Sure. If the planet continues to warm, some, if not many, plant species may not be  able to adapt. The ability to save seeds for hundreds, possibly thousands of years  may allow future generations to revive plants that would have otherwise been lost  forever, and to restore environments that have been damaged or destroyed.  

1 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

2 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

3 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

4 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

5 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。