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Despite this grisly reality — and the widely reported effects of the factory-farm industry on America's lands,
盡管現實已經如此可怕——盡管疫情來襲之前，
communities, animals and human health long before this pandemic hit —
有關工業化養殖行業對美國土地、社區、動物及人類健康的危害早已被廣泛報道了許久——
only around half of Americans say they are trying to reduce their meat consumption.
依然只有一半左右的美國人表示自己正在努力降低肉類消費。
Meat is embedded in our culture and personal histories in ways that matter too much,
感恩節的火雞，棒球比賽現場的熱狗，無論是哪種形態，
from the Thanksgiving turkey to the ballpark frank.
肉都早已深植于我們的文化以及我們個人的過往生活，我們對其早已無法割舍。
Meat comes with uniquely wonderful smells and tastes, with satisfactions that can almost feel like home itself.
肉有著獨特的芳香和味道，能帶來幾乎可以和家相媲美的滿足感。
And what, if not the feeling of home, is essential?
除了家的感覺，又有什么算得上缺之不可的東西呢？
And yet, an increasing number of people sense the inevitability of impending change.
盡管如此，感覺到改變食肉這一習慣的潮流已經無可避免的人已經越來越多。
Animal agriculture is now recognized as a leading cause of global warming.
如今，畜牧業已經被認為是全球變暖的罪魁禍首之一。
According to The Economist, a quarter of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 say they are vegetarians or vegans,
《經濟學人》的報道顯示，25~34歲的美國人中有四分之一的人稱自己是素食主義者或純素食主義者，
which is perhaps one reason sales of plant-based "meats" have skyrocketed,
或許，植物“肉”銷量的飆升就有這方面的原因，
with Impossible and Beyond Burgers available everywhere from Whole Foods to White Castle.
全食超市，白色城堡等各大品牌才會相繼推出“不可思議漢堡”，“超越漢堡”等植物肉漢堡。
Our hand has been reaching for the doorknob for the last few years.
過去幾年，我們一直在試圖將手伸向植物肉這一大門。
Covid-19 has kicked open the door.
新冠肺炎卻直接將其踹開了。
At the very least it has forced us to look.
最起碼，它強行撐開了我們的眼睛。
When it comes to a subject as inconvenient as meat,
談及肉這樣棘手的話題時，
it is tempting to pretend unambiguous science is advocacy,
我們就會情不自禁地假裝涇渭分明的科學才是我們應該提倡的東西，
to find solace in exceptions that could never be scaled and to speak about our world as if it were theoretical.
就會情不自禁地設法用無法延伸的特例自我安慰，用紙上談兵的方式談論現實世界。
Some of the most thoughtful people I know find ways not to give the problems of animal agriculture any thought,
我認識的部分有識之士都在設法回避畜牧業產生的問題，
just as I find ways to avoid thinking about climate change and income inequality, not to mention the paradoxes in my own eating life.
就像我努力回避氣候變化、收入不平等問題——我自己的飲食生活中的悖論問題就更不用說了——一樣。
One of the unexpected side effects of these months of sheltering in place is that it's hard not to think about the things that are essential to who we are.
究竟什么才是我們真正無法割舍的東西？我們已經很難不去想這一問題。連月以來的隔離帶來了諸多意料之外的結果，對這一問題的思考便是其中之一。
We cannot protect our environment while continuing to eat meat regularly.
繼續保持定期吃肉的習慣，我們就無法保護我們的環境。
This is not a refutable perspective, but a banal truism.
這一觀點不僅不是什么可以推翻的觀點，還是一個不言自明，再普通不過的真理。
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