经济学人:乡村饲蜜 城市居民培养出乡村嗜好

 　　Urban beekeeping

　　乡村饲蜜

　　Honey monsters

　　蜜怪

　　City dwellers¹ cultivate a taste of the country

　　城市居民培养出乡村嗜好

　　A new kind of pinstripe

　　新型细条纹

　　WHEN Camilla Goddard first started to keep bees in London, it was difficult to find places away from anxious neighbours or teenage vandals. Nine years later she has hives all over the city: in parks, churchyards, primary schools and on the roofs of hotels. She collects swarms² from people's attics³ and sells honey at her local shop. A hobby has become a thriving business.

　　起初，卡米拉.高达（Camilla Goddard）着手在伦敦饲养蜜蜂时，很难找到合适的驻点，因为附近要么是颇有戒备心理的邻居，要么就是淘气爱搞破坏的青少年。如今九年过去了，而她的蜂箱已经遍布整个城市：公园里、教堂里、小学校园里及旅馆屋顶上都随处可见。她通过收集隐匿在居民阁楼中的蜂巢，然后在自家经营的小超市中出售蜂蜜。而现在，这已俨然成为一种新兴商业模式。

　　Apiculture is fashionable. Since 2008 membership of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) has almost doubled, to 24,000 people. Around 1,500 are in London. Courses in the capital are always buzzing, says Angela Woods, an enthusiast⁴. Despite the stereotype⁵ of beekeepers as luxuriantly bearded eccentrics, many newbies are young—women are particularly keen.The boom was partly a by-product⁶ of worries about bees and awareness⁷ of the huge benefits they bring. Colonies in many countries have been suffering mysterious sudden collapses⁸ since 2006. Urban eco-warriors found beekeeping an appealing practical outlet⁹ for their angst. Businesses, keen for green plaudits, also leapt on the trend. Fortnum & Mason, London's poshest department store, has hives on its roof (this newspaper, a neighbour, does not—yet).

　　眼下，养蜂业十分火热。2008年至今，英国养蜂协会（BBKA）会员已增加一倍，达到24000人。且有1500会员来自伦敦。安吉拉.伍兹（Angela Woods）是蜜蜂爱好者，他曾调侃道：首都的大道常常嗡嗡作响。尽管人们对传统养蜂人的印象还停留在是满脸胡子的怪大叔上，许多，但实际上许多新会员都是年轻一代，且女性尤为钟情。养蜂潮的兴起，在某种程度上正是由人们对蜜蜂的担忧和意识到蜜蜂巨大经济利益的双重作用下而促成的。自2006年起，英联邦国家一直受莫名的坍塌事故所困扰。城市生态卫士发现，养蜂恰是解决当下困扰的好对策，且可行性强。商业界渴望得到世界对其绿色行为的褒奖，同样也抓住时下潮流。伦敦顶级百货商店——福特纳姆和梅森，就在屋顶设有蜂巢（但它的邻居，报社集团却未如此）

　　乡村饲蜜.jpg

　　Hives fit snugly¹⁰ in London gardens and bees seem to like city life. In the concrete jungle pesticides¹¹ are rare. Nectar surprisingly abounds¹², and not just in gardens: parks have waterlilies and other exotic plants. Brambles and wild flowers line railway tracks. Chestnut¹³ trees give honey from Greenwich a heavy, nutty taste; bees that feed on rose bushes in Regent's Park produce an almost inedibly aromatic¹⁴ gloop.

　　蜂巢舒适地安于伦敦花园，蜜蜂似乎很享受城市生活。在钢筋丛林中，极少会出现昆虫。但蜂蜜却出奇得多，不但是花园中有，其它地方也有：公园植有睡莲和其它奇花异草。荆棘与野花铺满铁轨外延。因为板栗树，格林威治产的蜂蜜更浓稠，并带着丝丝坚果味儿；而在摄政公园，以采玫瑰为主的蜜蜂却产出不宜使用的芳香浆糖。

　　London is not yet flowing with honey. Membership growth has slowed at the BBKA. The cost of hives has risen. Green types are planting bee-friendly gardens instead of hosting apiaries¹⁵ of their own. And the harsh winter of 2012, which killed around a third of all the colonies in Britain, has put some beginners off. Busy Londoners want to connect with nature, says Ms Woods. But without the sting of disappointment.

　　伦敦现在还没到蜂蜜泛滥的程度。养蜂协会新入会员增速也已有所下降。筑巢成本上升。绿色一族如今选择建造利于蜜蜂的花园，而非建设私人养蜂厂。2012的严冬导致英联邦近1/3的蜂巢毁于一旦，这让一些新手望而却步了。伍兹夫人说，繁忙的伦敦人想与自然亲近。繁忙的伦敦人希望与大自然亲近，但可不希望被蜇的满头包而扫兴而归。

　　1.start to 开始

　　例句:There has been a busy start to polling in today's local elections.

　　今天地方选举的投票一开始就人头攒动。

　　2.seem to 似乎

　　例句:I seem to fritter my time away at coffee mornings.

　　我似乎把时间全都浪费在咖啡早茶会上了。

　　3.feed on 以…为食，以…为能源

　　例句:The caterpillars¹⁶ feed on a wide range of trees, shrubs¹⁷ and plants.

　　毛虫以各类树木、灌木和植物为食。

　　4.instead of 代替；而不是

　　例句:Instead of complaining about what's wrong, be grateful for what's right.

　　别抱怨不好的事，要对好的事心存感恩。

1 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 swarms   

蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They came to town in swarms. 他们蜂拥来到城里。
• On June the first there were swarms of children playing in the park. 6月1日那一天，这个公园里有一群群的孩子玩耍。

3 attics   

n. 阁楼

参考例句：

• They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics. 他们把暂时不需要的东西放在抽屉里、壁橱中和搁楼上。
• He rummaged busily in the attics of European literature, bringing to light much of interest. 他在欧洲文学的阁楼里忙着翻箱倒笼，找到了不少有趣的东西。

4 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

5 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

6 by-product   

n.副产品，附带产生的结果

参考例句：

• Freedom is the by-product of economic surplus.自由是经济盈余的副产品。
• The raw material for the tyre is a by-product of petrol refining.制造轮胎的原材料是提炼汽油时产生的一种副产品。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

9 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

10 snugly   

adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地

参考例句：

• Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 abounds   

v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The place abounds with fruit, especially pears and peaches. 此地盛产水果，尤以梨桃著称。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This country abounds with fruit. 这个国家盛产水果。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

14 aromatic   

adj.芳香的，有香味的

参考例句：

• It has an agreeable aromatic smell.它有一种好闻的香味。
• It is light,fruity aromatic and a perfect choice for ending a meal.它是口感轻淡，圆润，芳香的，用于结束一顿饭完美的选择。

15 apiaries   

n.养蜂场，蜂房( apiary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

16 caterpillars   

n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带

参考例句：

• Caterpillars eat the young leaves of this plant. 毛毛虫吃这种植物的嫩叶。
• Caterpillars change into butterflies or moths. 毛虫能变成蝴蝶或蛾子。 来自辞典例句

17 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。