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Recording 32
錄音32
In my talk today, I'm going to be looking at plants that have had an impact on our world and our history.
今天我將講講對我們整個世界和歷史產生影響的植物。
Let's start with the potato.
先從土豆講起。
It was originally one of the staple foods of Central and South America and when Spanish explorers traveled to the Americas some time in the 16th century, the potato found its way into Europe.
最初土豆是中美洲和南美洲人們的其中一種主食，在16世紀的某時，西班牙探險家去往美洲，土豆就這樣進入了歐洲。
This had several important consequences.
其重要影響不止一個。
In particular, it almost totally altered people's diet in many European countries.
尤為重要的是，這幾乎徹底改變了多數 歐洲國家人民的日常飲食。
The potato is also believed to have been responsible for the start of a new trend — that of migrating to America.
人們也相信，土豆是一個新潮流開始的原因——移居美洲。
So you could say that the humble potato actually allowed many people to change their lives.
所以，你可以這么說，不起眼的土豆真的讓許多人改變了生活。
However, there were also problems associated with this crop, largely in Ireland, where the poor were very much reliant on the success of the crops.
不管怎樣，這種作物也帶來了一些問題，主要是在愛爾蘭，那兒的窮人極度依賴土豆這種作物的豐產。
Sadly, a disease in the crop spread rapidly across the country and led to widespread potato crop failures in the mid- l800s.
不幸的是，一種作物疾病很快感染了全國，導致19世紀中期土豆普遍欠收。
This meant that millions suffered from starvation as a result.
這意味著上百萬人要忍饑挨餓的結局。
Let's move on to look at another plant from the same part of the world, the tobacco plant.
我們接著看另一種植物，來自同一個地方，煙草。
This originated in the Americas and had an enormous influence on the way North America developed in the 1800s.
煙草起源于美洲，對19世紀北美洲的發展有極重大的影響。
It's famed for being the original cash crop there and for funding a great deal of the development that occurred during this time.
煙草因其為美洲最初的經濟作物而著名，給那段時間大多數的發展提供了資金。
On the downside, the success of this crop resulted in a greater demand for slaves to work the crops and this eventually led to war breaking out between the Northern States and those in the South.
而往不好的方面看，這種作物的成功也導致了對種植作物的奴隸需求更大，最終導致（美國）南北戰爭的爆發。
Now, the next plant I'd like to mention is one known and used all around the world—tea.
我要提到的下一種作物是全世界都知道且在使用——茶。
It originated in China and in terms of its historical significance, it played a large part in the US independence from Great Britain.
茶起源于中國，說到其歷史地位，美國脫離英國獨立，茶起了重要作用。
This came about because the British government declared that the colonies had to pay a tax on the produce brought into America.
發生這一切的原因是英國政府宣布，所有的殖民地都要為引入美洲的農作物交稅。
It was because of the protest against these taxes that the American Revolution came about.
正是對這些賦稅的反抗引發了美國獨立戰爭。
The final plant I'll look at today is the White Mulberry.
今天我要講的最后一種作物是桑樹。
Again it originated in China and had an enormous influence on development in this part of the world, in particular in establishing trade between the East and the West.
同樣，桑樹起源于中國，也對此地發展產生了重要影響，特別是建立起東西方貿易。
Sadly, the increase in trade brought with it the spread of disease and weapons.
不幸的是，隨著貿易增長，疾病和武器也傳播開來。
