太空中制作的食物

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This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside The UK.

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订阅Apple Podcasts上的BBC播客高级版，抢先收听你最喜欢的节目，比如《邪恶天才》、《好与坏亿万富翁》和《你对我已死》。

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你也可以通过Amazon Music订阅，免费收听我们的一系列播客，没有广告。

You can also enjoy a range of our podcasts ad free with an Amazon Music subscription.

这是来自BBC Learning English的下载。

This is a download from BBC Learning English.

要了解更多信息，请访问我们的网站。

To find out more, visit our website.

六分钟英语。

Six Minute English.

来自bbclearningenglish.com。

From bbclearningenglish.com.

你好。

Hello.

这里是BBC英语学习的六分钟英语。

This is six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

我是尼尔。

I'm Neil.

我是乔治娜。

And I'm Georgina.

去年十一月，美国宇航局启动了一项非常特别的送货服务，一枚火箭将四吨物资送往国际空间站。

Last November, NASA launched a very unusual home delivery service a rocket carrying four tonnes of supplies to the ISS, the International Space Station.

在这些科学设备中，有十二瓶来自法国著名波尔多地区的红葡萄酒。

Among the scientific equipment were 12 bottles of red wine from the famous Bordeaux region of France.

宇航员们可能想在晚餐时喝一杯葡萄酒，但这些瓶子的真正目的是探索在太空生产食物和饮料的可能性，不是为宇航员，而是为地球上的人们。

The astronauts might have wanted a glass of wine with dinner, but the real purpose of the bottles was to explore the possibility of producing food and drink in space not for astronauts, but for people back on Earth.

在今天的节目中，我们将了解如何在太空种植植物，以培育出更高产、更能抵御地球气候变化的作物。

In today's programme, we'll be finding out how growing plants in space can develop crops which are more productive and more resistant to climate change here on Earth.

我们会听到植物如何在几乎没有或完全没有自然光的环境中生长。

We'll hear how plants can grow in environments with little or no natural light.

但首先，是今天的测验问题。

But first, today's quiz question.

在太空里种出的第一种食物是什么？

What was the first food grown in space?

是土豆、生菜还是西红柿？

Was it a) potatoes b) lettuce or c) tomatoes?

嗯，在电影《火星救援》里，一个被困的宇航员在火星上种土豆。

Well, in the film, The Martian, a stranded astronaut grows potatoes on Mars.

我知道那只是电影，但我选土豆。

I know it's only a film, but I'll say a) potatoes.

好的。

Okay.

我们稍后会揭晓答案。

We'll find out the answer later.

现在，你可能好奇没有自然光怎么种植物。

Now, you might be wondering how it's possible to grow plants without natural light.

英国公司Vertical Future一直在和NASA合作，通过开发室内种植方法来解决这个问题。

British company, Vertical Future, has been working on this problem by developing indoor farming methods in partnership with NASA.

这是他们的研究主管Jen Bromley，在BBC世界服务节目《食物链》中解释这个过程。

Here's their head of research, Jen Bromley, explaining the process to BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain.

基本上，我们使用LED照明，而且用的是调整到特定波长的LED灯。

Basically, use LED lighting, and we use LED lights that are tuned to specific wavelengths.

所以，如果你想象一下彩虹的样子，植物看起来是绿色的原因是因为它没有利用所有的绿光，实际上它反射了很多绿光。所以这里看起来是粉色的原因是因为我们实际上只用红光和蓝光来种植植物，这基本上定制了光照食谱，所以当你看着这些植物时，它们看起来有点黑，因为它们不反射任何光。

So if you imagine what the rainbow looks like the reason a plant looks green is because it's not using all the green light it actually reflects a lot of that back so the reason why it looks pink in here is because we're actually only using red light and blue light to grow the plants and that essentially tailors the light diet so that the plants look kind of black when you look at them because they're not reflecting any light.

它们非常高效，它们利用了照射到它们身上的每一个光子。

They're being super efficient they're using up every photon that hits them.

太空中缺乏自然光，所以植物是用LED灯来种植的。

The lack of natural light in space means that plants are grown using LED lights.

LED是发光二极管的缩写，一种电子设备，当电流通过时会发光。

LED is an abbreviation of light emitting diode an electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it.

在地球上，植物看起来是绿色的，因为它们会反射特定波长的光。

On Earth, plants look green because they reflect back any light travelling at a certain wavelength.

两个光波之间的距离让我们看到彩虹般的各种颜色。

The distance between two waves of light which makes things appear to us in the various colours of the rainbow.

但当科学家控制供给植物的波长时，植物就能吸收每一个光子粒子，从而看起来是黑色的。

But when scientists control the wavelengths being fed, plants are able to absorb every photon particle of light energy making them appear black.

每一束照到叶子上的光粒子都会被吸收，并通过光合作用转化为植物的养分。

Each particle of light that hits the leaves is absorbed and through photosynthesis is converted into plant food.

NASA发现，不同的颜色组合或光照配方可以改变植物的形状、大小，甚至味道。

NASA found that different colour combinations or light recipes can change a plant's shape, size and even flavour.

但缺乏自然光并不是在太空种粮食的最大障碍。

But the lack of natural light isn't the biggest obstacle to growing food in space.

下面请佛罗里达肯尼迪航天中心的首席植物科学家乔亚·马萨来讲解。

Here's Joya Masa, chief plant scientist at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to explain.

微重力确实很有挑战性，但植物很神奇。

Microgravity is really challenging, but plants are amazing.

它们能适应很多不同的环境，我们称之为可塑性，因为它们能开启或关闭基因，来真正适应各种条件。

They can adapt to so many different environments and we call this plasticity because they can turn on or off their genes to really adapt to all sorts of conditions.

这就是为什么你在地球上不同的地方能看到植物生长。

And that's why you see plants growing in different areas on Earth.

同一种植物可能看起来差别很大，因为它正在适应那个特定地点的环境。

The same type of plant may look very different because it's adapting to the environment in that specific location.

在地球上，植物利用重力来定位自己。

On Earth, plants use gravity to position themselves.

芽向上长，根向下长。

Shoots grow up, roots grow down.

但在太空中就不是这样了，因为微重力，也就是更弱的重力，会让物体漂浮起来，看起来失重。

But this doesn't apply in space because of microgravity the weaker pull of gravity making things float and seem weightless.

植物能在这些条件下生存，全靠它们的可塑性，也就是生物体通过改变自身生物结构来适应和应对环境变化的能力。

Plants can only survive in these conditions due to their plasticity the ability of living organisms to adapt and cope with changes in the environment by changing their biological structure.

植物通过操纵基因来适应太空环境。

Plants adapt themselves to being in space by manipulating their genes.

植物和动物细胞里的化学物质和DNA，控制着它们的发育和行为。

Chemicals and DNA in the cells of plants and animals which control their development and behaviour.

在太空的低重力环境中，植物会感到压力，但它们会通过基因适应。

In the low gravity atmosphere of space, plants become stressed but they adapt genetically.

结果，当它们回到地球时，它们变得更加强壮，更能抵抗其他不那么有压力的事件。

And as a result, they're stronger and more resilient to other, less stressful events when they return home to Earth.

就像那些现在正在绕地球飞行的红葡萄酒瓶一样。

Like those bottles of red wine orbiting Earth as we speak.

微重力对葡萄酒有机成分的影响将被研究，有望为在地球气候变化中种植粮食提供解决方案。

The effects of microgravity on the wine's organic composition will be studied and could hopefully offer solutions for growing food in Earth's changing climate.

那么，尼尔，如果不是红葡萄，太空里种出的第一种食物是什么？

So, Neil, if it wasn't red grapes, what was the first food grown in space?

啊，是的。

Ah, yes.

在今天的测验问题中，我问了太空里种出的第一种植物是什么。

In today's quiz question, I asked what the first plant grown in space was.

我说的是a，土豆。

I said a) potatoes.

但实际上答案是b，生菜。它在国际空间站上生长了十五个月，然后在十五分钟内就被吃掉了，成了第一份太空沙拉。

But in fact it was b) lettuce grown over fifteen months on the ISS and eaten in fifteen minutes in the first ever space salad.

今天我们讨论了在太空种植植物的可能性，用的是LED灯，也就是用电发光的设备。

Today, we've been discussing the possibilities of growing plants in space using LED lights devices that use electricity to produce light.

植物生长所需的能量包含在光子或光粒子中，它们以不同的波长传播，波长就是光波之间的距离，这决定了物体呈现不同的颜色。

The energy needed for plants to grow is contained in photons or light particles travelling at different wavelengths distances between light waves which make things look different colours.

植物经过数千年的进化，已经适应了地球上的强重力。

Plants have evolved over millennia using the strong gravity on Earth.

但在太空中，由于微重力，也就是引力减弱，物体就会漂浮起来，看起来失重，所以情况就变了。

But this changes in space because of microgravity the weaker gravitational pull making things in space float and seem weightless.

幸运的是，植物会利用基因，也就是DNA中负责生长的化学物质，通过改变自身的生物结构来适应新环境，这个过程叫做可塑性。

Luckily, plants use their genes the chemicals in DNA responsible for growth to adapt to new environments by changing their biological structure a process known as plasticity.

所有这些都让宇航员在太空里也能享受一杯红酒和一份绿色沙拉。

All of which makes it possible for astronauts to enjoy a glass of wine and green salad in space.

还有基因更强的植物样本，可以带回地球研究。

And genetically stronger plant specimens to study back on Earth.

今天的节目就到这里，欢迎下次继续收听《六分钟英语》。

That's all for today, but join us again soon at six Minute English.

再见。

Bye for now.

再见。

Bye.

这里是BBC的《六分钟英语》。

Six Minute English from the BBC.

无论你在哪里收听，都可以通过BBC播客获取更多内容。

Get more with BBC podcasts wherever you listen.

订阅Apple Podcasts上的BBC播客高级版，抢先收听你最喜欢的节目，比如《邪恶天才》《好坏的亿万富翁》和《你死我活》。

Be the first to listen to your favorite shows, like evil genius, good bad billionaire, and you're dead to me with a subscription to BBC podcasts premium on Apple Podcasts.

你还可以通过订阅Amazon Music，免广告收听我们的各类播客。

You can also enjoy a range of our podcasts ad free with an Amazon Music subscription.