ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michael Pollan - Environmental writer
Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he explains how our food not only affects our health but has far-reaching political, economic, and environmental implications. His new book is In Defense of Food.

Why you should listen

Few writers approach their subjects with the rigor, passion and perspective that's typical of Michael Pollan. Whereas most humans think we are Darwin's most accomplished species, Pollan convincingly argues that plants — even our own front lawns — have evolved to use us as much as we use them.

The author and New York Times Magazine contributor is, as Newsweek asserts, “an uncommonly graceful explainer of natural science,” for his investigative stories about food, agriculture, and the environment. His most recent book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, was named one of the top ten nonfiction titles of 2006.

As the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley, Pollan is cultivating the next generation of green reporters.

More profile about the speaker
Michael Pollan | Speaker | TED.com
TED2007

Michael Pollan: A plant's-eye view

Michael Pollan以植物角度看世界

Filmed:
1,767,571 views

如果人類的意識並不是達爾文演化論的最極致表現,那會怎麼樣?如果我們只是玉米企圖統治世界所操弄的棋子呢?作家Michael Pollan希望我們能以植物的角度看世界。
- Environmental writer
Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he explains how our food not only affects our health but has far-reaching political, economic, and environmental implications. His new book is In Defense of Food. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
It's a simple簡單 idea理念 about nature性質.
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關於自然,我有一個單純的想法,
00:20
I want to say a word for nature性質
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我想為自然講幾句話,
00:22
because we haven't沒有 talked that much about it the last couple一對 days.
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因為我們這幾天都沒怎麼談到大自然。
00:24
I want to say a word for the soil and the bees蜜蜂 and the plants植物 and the animals動物,
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我要為土壤、蜜蜂、植物和動物說幾句話,
00:29
and tell you about a tool工具, a very simple簡單 tool工具 that I have found發現.
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並向大家介紹我所發現的一個相當簡單的工具,
00:34
Although雖然 it's really nothing more than a literary conceit自負; it's not a technology技術.
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它其實只不過是一種想法,不算是什麼科技,
00:39
It's very powerful強大 for, I think, changing改變 our relationship關係 to the natural自然 world世界
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但我認為它有能力改變我們跟大自然的關係,
00:45
and to the other species種類 on whom we depend依靠.
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也能改變我們與我們所仰賴的生物間的關係。
00:48
And that tool工具 is very simply只是, as Chris克里斯 suggested建議,
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這個工具就像克里斯所說的一樣簡單,
00:51
looking at us and the world世界 from the plants'植物“ or the animals'動物' point of view視圖.
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就是從植物或動物的觀點來看我們人類和看這個世界。
00:56
It's not my idea理念, other people have hit擊中 on it,
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這不是我獨到的見解,先前就有人提過了,
01:00
but I've tried試著 to take it to some new places地方.
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但我希望能以新的角度來詮釋。
01:04
Let me tell you where I got it.
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我的靈感是從哪裡來的呢?
01:06
Like a lot of my ideas思路, like a lot of the tools工具 I use,
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就如同我想出的其他點子跟工具一樣,
01:09
I found發現 it in the garden花園; I'm a very devoted忠誠 gardener園丁.
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我是在花園裡找到靈感的。我是一個認真的園丁,
01:13
And there was a day about seven years年份 ago: I was planting種植 potatoes土豆,
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七年前的某一天,我在種馬鈴薯,
01:17
it was the first week of May可能 --
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那時是五月的第一個星期,
01:19
this is New England英國, when the apple蘋果 trees樹木 are just vibrating振動 with bloom盛開;
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我住在新英格蘭,蘋果花正迎風搖曳,
01:24
they're just white白色 clouds above以上.
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像一朵朵白雲高掛在天上,
01:26
I was here, planting種植 my chunks,
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我則忙著栽種馬鈴薯,
01:29
cutting切割 up potatoes土豆 and planting種植 it,
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一塊塊的切好,種進土裡。
01:31
and the bees蜜蜂 were working加工 on this tree;
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蜜蜂們也在樹梢間穿梭忙碌著,
01:34
bumblebees大黃蜂, just making製造 this thing vibrate顫動.
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大黃蜂飛舞著,樹枝因而顫動。
01:36
And one of the things I really like about gardening園藝
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我喜歡園藝,
01:39
is that it doesn't take all your concentration濃度,
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其中一個原因是我不需要太專心,
01:42
you really can't get hurt傷害 -- it's not like woodworking木工 --
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這不像木工,你不會因為不專心而弄傷自己,
01:44
and you have plenty豐富 of kind of mental心理 space空間 for speculation推測.
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你可以放手讓思緒在別處飛舞。
01:48
And the question I asked myself that afternoon下午 in the garden花園,
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那天下午,我和大黃蜂一起在花園裡工作,
01:52
working加工 alongside並肩 that bumblebee熊蜂,
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我問了我自己一個問題:
01:55
was: what did I and that bumblebee熊蜂 have in common共同?
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我倆有何相似之處?
01:59
How was our role角色 in this garden花園 similar類似 and different不同?
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我倆在這花園裡所扮演的角色,有何相似或相異之處?
02:03
And I realized實現 we actually其實 had quite相當 a bit in common共同:
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這時我才發現,我們其實有很多共同點。
02:05
both of us were disseminating傳播 the genes基因 of one species種類 and not another另一個,
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我們都在為我們選定的品種傳播基因,
02:11
and both of us -- probably大概, if I can imagine想像 the bee's蜜蜂 point of view視圖 --
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而且如果我能聽得見蜜蜂的心思,它一定也和我一樣
02:16
thought we were calling調用 the shots鏡頭.
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覺得我們是萬物的主宰。
02:18
I had decided決定 what kind of potato土豆 I wanted to plant --
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我決定要種哪個品種的馬鈴薯,
02:22
I had picked採摘的 my Yukon育空 Gold or Yellow黃色 Finn芬恩, or whatever隨你 it was --
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不管是什麼品種,都是我做決定選的,
02:26
and I had summoned傳喚 those genes基因 from a seed種子 catalog目錄 across橫過 the country國家,
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我從全國的種子目錄裡挑選我要的種子,
02:31
brought it, and I was planting種植 it.
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帶回來並把它種下。
02:33
And that bee蜜蜂, no doubt懷疑, assumed假定 that it had decided決定,
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而蜜蜂也認為它有決定權,
02:37
"I'm going for that apple蘋果 tree, I'm going for that blossom開花,
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我要去那棵蘋果樹,我要去那朵花,
02:40
I'm going to get the nectar花蜜 and I'm going to leave離開."
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我要去採花蜜,我要走了。
02:43
We have a grammar語法 that suggests提示 that's who we are;
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我們都習慣以這種角色自居,
02:48
that we are sovereign君主 subjects主題 in nature性質, the bee蜜蜂 as well as me.
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認為自己是大自然的主宰,蜜蜂和我都這麼想。
02:53
I plant the potatoes土豆, I weed野草 the garden花園, I domesticate the species種類.
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我種下馬鈴薯,我除掉雜草,我培育這些品種。
02:59
But that day, it occurred發生 to me:
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可是就在那一天,我突然發覺,
03:01
what if that grammar語法 is nothing more than a self-serving自顧自 conceit自負?
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這種想法或許只是我們自欺欺人的妄想?
03:04
Because, of course課程, the bee蜜蜂 thinks he's in charge收費 or she's in charge收費,
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當然,蜜蜂也認為自己有主宰權,
03:08
but we know better.
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但我們知道不是這樣,
03:10
We know that what's going on between之間 the bee蜜蜂 and that flower
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我們很清楚蜜蜂和花之間是怎麼回事,
03:14
is that bee蜜蜂 has been cleverly巧妙 manipulated操縱 by that flower.
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蜜蜂其實是被那朵聰明的花操縱著。
03:18
And when I say manipulated操縱, I'm talking about in a Darwinian達爾文 sense, right?
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我所謂的「操縱」,是以進化論的角度來講,
03:21
I mean it has evolved進化 a very specific具體 set of traits性狀 --
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花朵發展出一套獨特的特徵來誘惑蜜蜂,
03:24
color顏色, scent香味, flavor味道, pattern模式 -- that has lured引誘 that bee蜜蜂 in.
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包括顏色、氣味、味道和花色等。
03:29
And the bee蜜蜂 has been cleverly巧妙 fooled上當 into taking服用 the nectar花蜜,
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蜜蜂被花朵巧妙地拐來採蜜,
03:33
and also picking選擇 up some powder粉末 on its leg,
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採蜜時一些花粉會沾到腳上,
03:36
and going off to the next下一個 blossom開花.
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並隨著蜜蜂到下一朵花上。
03:38
The bee蜜蜂 is not calling調用 the shots鏡頭.
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蜜蜂不是花朵的主宰,
03:41
And I realized實現 then, I wasn't either.
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我發現我也不是馬鈴薯的主宰。
03:43
I had been seduced誘惑 by that potato土豆 and not another另一個
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我被這種馬鈴薯誘惑,卻沒有被其他品種誘惑,
03:46
into planting種植 its -- into spreading傳播 its genes基因, giving it a little bit more habitat棲息地.
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因此我種植這種馬鈴薯,為它傳播基因,用更多的田來繁殖它。
03:51
And that's when I got the idea理念, which哪一個 was, "Well, what would happen發生
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就在這時我有了這個想法,
03:55
if we kind of looked看著 at us from this point of view視圖 of these other species種類 who are working加工 on us?"
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何不從這些利用我們的生物的角度來審視自己?
03:58
And agriculture農業 suddenly突然 appeared出現 to me not as an invention發明, not as a human人的 technology技術,
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以這種觀點來看,農業就不再是人類的發明,也不是人類的科技,
04:03
but as a co-evolutionary協同進化 development發展
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而是種同步進化的發展。
04:05
in which哪一個 a group of very clever聰明 species種類, mostly大多 edible食用 grasses, had exploited利用 us,
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這一群很聰明的植物,大部分都是可食的穀物,利用了我們,
04:11
figured想通 out how to get us to basically基本上 deforest迪弗利斯 the world世界.
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讓我們來為它們砍伐森林,拓展耕種面積,
04:16
The competition競爭 of grasses, right?
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這簡直就是植物之間的競爭,對嗎?
04:19
And suddenly突然 everything looked看著 different不同.
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以這種觀點來看事情,每一件事都有不同的意義了,
04:21
And suddenly突然 mowing刈草 the lawn草坪 that day was a completely全然 different不同 experience經驗.
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就連割草這件事,也變成了一個前所未有的經驗。
04:25
I had thought always -- and in fact事實, had written書面 this in my first book;
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我在我的第一本書裡提及一件事,那是一本談園藝的書,
04:28
this was a book about gardening園藝 --
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我提到我一直認為
04:29
that lawns草坪 were nature性質 under culture's文化的 boot,
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草坪是被踐踏在人類文化腳下的大自然,
04:34
that they were totalitarian極權主義 landscapes景觀,
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是專制人類塑造出的景觀,
04:36
and that when we mowed them we were cruelly殘酷 suppressing抑制 the species種類
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每次我們割草,我們就是在殘忍的壓制它,
04:40
and never letting出租 it set seed種子 or die or have sex性別.
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不讓它自由播種、死亡或交配,
04:44
And that's what the lawn草坪 was.
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這就是草坪。
04:46
But then I realized實現, "No, this is exactly究竟 what the grasses want us to do.
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但我發現,「不,這其實正是草所期望的,
04:50
I'm a dupe欺騙. I'm a dupe欺騙 of the lawns草坪, whose誰的 goal目標 in life is to outcompete勝出 the trees樹木,
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我是個傻瓜,我上了草的當!草生存的目標就是戰勝大樹,
04:57
who they compete競爭 with for sunlight陽光."
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戰勝一直與它競爭陽光的大樹。」
05:00
And so by getting得到 us to mow the lawn草坪, we keep the trees樹木 from coming未來 back,
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每次當我們割草或修剪樹葉,我們就抑制樹的生長,
05:04
which哪一個 in New England英國 happens發生 very, very quickly很快.
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要不然在新英格蘭,樹葉很容易就長回來。
05:07
So I started開始 looking at things this way
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我開始從這樣的角度來看事情,
05:10
and wrote a whole整個 book about it called "The Botany植物學 of Desire慾望."
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甚至寫了一本書叫《慾望植物園》。
05:12
And I realized實現 that in the same相同 way you can look at a flower
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我發現,以相同的角度來看待花朵,
05:16
and deduce推斷 all sorts排序 of interesting有趣 things about the taste味道 and the desires慾望 of bees蜜蜂 --
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你就可以推測出蜜蜂的口味和需求,
05:21
that they like sweetness甜美, that they like this color顏色 and not that color顏色, that they like symmetry對稱 --
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看它們是否喜歡甜味、喜歡某種顏色、喜歡對稱的花朵。
05:27
what could we find out about ourselves我們自己 by doing the same相同 thing?
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那麼,以同樣的角度來看我們自己,又可以發現什麼呢?
05:30
That a certain某些 kind of potato土豆, a certain某些 kind of drug藥物,
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某種馬鈴薯、某種藥物、
05:33
a sativa-indica水稻秈 Cannabis cross交叉 has something to say about us.
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甚至是工業大麻和印度大麻的混種,都有對人類的觀察評語,
05:39
And that, wouldn't不會 this be kind of an interesting有趣 way to look at the world世界?
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用這種角度來觀察世界不是很有趣嗎?
05:44
Now, the test測試 of any idea理念 -- I said it was a literary conceit自負 --
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我說過這個想法只是一種妄想,要證實這個想法
05:48
is what does it get us?
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就得看我們從中學到什麼?
05:51
And when you're talking about nature性質, which哪一個 is really my subject學科 as a writer作家,
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當各位談到大自然,也就是我寫作的主題,
05:55
how does it meet遇到 the Aldo阿爾 Leopold利奧波德 test測試?
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你一定想知道這個想法是否符合阿爾多.李奧帕得標準?
05:58
Which哪一個 is, does it make us better citizens公民 of the biotic生物 community社區?
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它能否幫助我們成為生物界的好公民?
06:02
Get us to do things that leads引線 to the support支持 and perpetuation永存 of the biota生物,
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讓我們做出能支持生物圈永續生存的事,
06:09
rather than its destruction毀壞?
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而不去破壞它?
06:10
And I would submit提交 that this idea理念 does this.
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我在此報告,這種想法確實能幫助我們做到這一切。
06:12
So, let me go through通過 what you gain獲得 when you look at the world世界 this way,
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讓我為各位介紹,你以這樣的角度看世界會有什麼好處,
06:15
besides除了 some entertaining娛樂 insights見解 about human人的 desire慾望.
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先撇開有關人類慾望的有趣觀察不談,
06:20
As an intellectual知識分子 matter, looking at the world世界 from other species'種類' points of view視圖
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就身為有智能的人類來說,以其他生物的觀點來看世界,
06:27
helps幫助 us deal合同 with this weird奇怪的 anomaly不規則,
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能幫助我們解釋這種怪異的現象,
06:30
which哪一個 is -- and this is in the realm領域 of intellectual知識分子 history歷史 --
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也就是在人類的歷史中,
06:34
which哪一個 is that we have this Darwinian達爾文 revolution革命 150 years年份 ago ...
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150年前所發生的達爾文革命...
06:39
Ugh. Mini-Me小我. (Laughter笑聲)
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啊!渺小的人類...
06:44
We have this intellectual知識分子, this Darwinian達爾文 revolution革命 in which哪一個, thanks謝謝 to Darwin達爾文,
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感謝達爾文讓我們瞭解,
06:50
we figured想通 out we are just one species種類 among其中 many許多;
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我們只是眾多物種中的一種。
06:52
evolution演化 is working加工 on us the same相同 way it's working加工 on all the others其他;
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我們跟其他生物一樣會演進,
06:56
we are acted行動 upon as well as acting演戲;
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會影響別的物種,同時被別的物種影響,
06:58
we are really in the fiber纖維, the fabric of life.
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我們的命運深深地交纏在一起。
07:02
But the weird奇怪的 thing is, we have not absorbed吸收 this lesson 150 years年份 later後來;
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但奇怪的是,150年後竟然沒有人能記取教訓,
07:06
none沒有 of us really believes相信 this.
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沒有人真的相信達爾文的話。
07:08
We are still Cartesians笛卡爾 -- the children孩子 of Descartes笛卡爾 --
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我們還是笛卡爾的信徒,甚至是笛卡爾的後代,
07:13
who believe that subjectivity主觀性, consciousness意識, sets us apart距離;
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我們相信個人的主觀意識讓我們彼此不同,
07:18
that the world世界 is divided分為 into subjects主題 and objects對象;
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這個世界有主觀意識,也有客觀意識,
07:21
that there is nature性質 on one side, culture文化 on another另一個.
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有大自然,也有人類文化。
07:24
As soon不久 as you start開始 seeing眼看 things from the plant's工廠 point of view視圖 or the animal's動物 point of view視圖,
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一旦我們開始以植物或動物的角度來觀察事情,
07:29
you realize實現 that the real真實 literary conceit自負 is that --
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我們就會發現真正可笑的想法是:
07:33
is the idea理念 that nature性質 is opposed反對 to culture文化,
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「大自然是和文化對立的」、
07:37
the idea理念 that consciousness意識 is everything --
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「意識代表一切」。
07:41
and that's another另一個 very important重要 thing it does.
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但以動植物的角度來看世界
07:44
Looking at the world世界 from other species'種類' points of view視圖
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還有另一個重要的功能,
07:47
is a cure治愈 for the disease疾病 of human人的 self-importance虛榮.
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就是去治療人類妄自尊大的毛病。
07:51
You suddenly突然 realize實現 that consciousness意識 --
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你會突然發現,我們所謂的意識,
07:56
which哪一個 we value and we consider考慮
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我們所珍視的意識,
08:00
the crowning加冕 achievement成就 of nature性質,
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我們認為是大自然傑作的意識,
08:02
human人的 consciousness意識 -- is really just another另一個 set of tools工具 for getting得到 along沿 in the world世界.
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只不過是另一種讓我們得以在世上生存的工具罷了。
08:07
And it's kind of natural自然 that we would think it was the best最好 tool工具.
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一般人都自然地認為意識是最好的工具,
08:11
But, you know, there's a comedian喜劇演員 who said,
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但就像一位喜劇演員所說過的:
08:13
"Well, who's誰是 telling告訴 me that consciousness意識 is so good and so important重要?
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「是誰說意識有多好?有多重要?
08:17
Well, consciousness意識."
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不過就是意識嘛。」
08:19
So when you look at the plants植物, you realize實現 that there are other tools工具
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所以當你觀察植物時,你會發現他們也有自己的工具,
08:23
and they're just as interesting有趣.
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也是一樣的神奇。
08:25
I'll give you two examples例子, also from the garden花園:
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我來舉兩個花園裡的例子,
08:29
lima利馬 beans. You know what a lima利馬 bean does when it's attacked襲擊 by spider蜘蛛 mites蟎蟲?
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例如青豆。你知道紅蜘蛛危害青豆時,青豆會怎樣嗎?
08:34
It releases發布 this volatile揮發物 chemical化學 that goes out into the world世界
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它會散發出一種化學氣味,
08:37
and summons傳票 another另一個 species種類 of mite
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吸引另一種蜘蛛來,
08:40
that comes in and attacks攻擊 the spider蜘蛛 mite, defending衛冕 the lima利馬 bean.
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攻擊紅蜘蛛,以保護青豆。
08:44
So what plants植物 have -- while we have consciousness意識, tool工具 making製造, language語言,
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人類有意識,可以運用工具和語言,
08:50
they have biochemistry生物化學.
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植物則有自己的生化武器,
08:52
And they have perfected完善 that to a degree far beyond what we can imagine想像.
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這種武器的精良程度遠超過我們所能想像,
08:57
Their complexity複雜, their sophistication詭辯, is something to really marvel奇蹟 at,
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其複雜與精細度也是令人歎為觀止。
09:02
and I think it's really the scandal醜聞 of the Human人的 Genome基因組 Project項目.
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我認為這是人類基因組計劃的大醜聞,
09:04
You know, we went into it thinking思維, 40,000 or 50,000 human人的 genes基因
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因為一開始我們以為人類會有4、5萬個基因,
09:09
and we came來了 out with only 23,000.
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可是卻只發現2萬3千個,
09:13
Just to give you grounds理由 for comparison對照, rice白飯: 35,000 genes基因.
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再和稻米做比較:3萬5千個基因。
09:21
So who's誰是 the more sophisticated複雜的 species種類?
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到底誰才是比較複雜的物種呢?
09:24
Well, we're all equally一樣 sophisticated複雜的.
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其實,我們一樣複雜,
09:25
We've我們已經 been evolving進化 just as long,
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我們都花了同樣長的時間進化,
09:28
just along沿 different不同 paths路徑.
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只是循著不同的路徑進化而已。
09:31
So, cure治愈 for self-importance虛榮, way to sort分類 of make us feel the Darwinian達爾文 idea理念.
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所以,治療人類妄自尊大的解藥,也可以讓我們體會到達爾文的真意。
09:39
And that's really what I do as a writer作家, as a storyteller說故事的人,
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而我,身為一個作家,一個說故事的人,
09:42
is try to make people feel what we know and tell stories故事 that actually其實
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就是要告訴大家我們知道的事、我們是如何成為人,
09:49
help us think ecologically生態.
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幫助大家從生態的角度思考。
09:50
Now, the other use of this is practical實際的.
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另一個例子很實際,
09:52
And I'm going to take you to a farm農場 right now,
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我要說的是─我要帶大家到農場去,
09:54
because I used this idea理念 to develop發展 my understanding理解 of the food餐飲 system系統
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我以植物的觀點來看事情,也幫助我瞭解了整個食物鏈,
09:58
and what I learned學到了, in fact事實, is that we are all, now, being存在 manipulated操縱 by corn玉米.
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我發現,其實我們都被玉米操弄了。
10:03
And the talk you heard聽說 about ethanol乙醇 earlier today今天,
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各位今天所聽到有關生化乙醇的演說,
10:08
to me, is the final最後 triumph勝利 of corn玉米 over good sense. (Laughter笑聲) (Applause掌聲)
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在我看來,正是玉米的最終勝利。(笑)
10:13
It is part部分 of corn's玉米的 scheme方案 for world世界 domination統治.
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這是...(掌聲)這是玉米佔領地球的陰謀。
10:21
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
10:22
And you will see, the amount of corn玉米 planted種植的 this year will be up dramatically顯著 from last year
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各位會發現,自去年以來,玉米的種植面積已大幅提升,
10:26
and there will be that much more habitat棲息地
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因為人類認為自己需要生化乙醇,
10:28
because we've我們已經 decided決定 ethanol乙醇 is going to help us.
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將來玉米田面積將更大。
10:30
So it helped幫助 me understand理解 industrial產業 agriculture農業,
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這讓我...這讓我瞭解了工業化農業,
10:34
which哪一個 of course課程 is a Cartesian笛卡爾 system系統.
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這種農業當然也信奉笛卡兒的教條,
10:36
It's based基於 on this idea理念 that we bend彎曲 other species種類 to our will
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相信我們可以依照人類的意志栽種植物,
10:39
and that we are in charge收費, and that we create創建 these factories工廠
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我們具有主控權,是我們創造了這種工廠,
10:42
and we have these technological技術性 inputs輸入 and we get the food餐飲 out of it
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我們具有這種科技技術,我們可以栽種植物獲取食物,
10:45
or the fuel汽油 or whatever隨你 we want.
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或是取得燃油,或任何我們想要的東西。
10:48
Let me take you to a very different不同 kind of farm農場.
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我們來看看另一種完全不同的農場,
10:50
This is a farm農場 in the Shenandoah雪蘭 Valley of Virginia弗吉尼亞州.
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這個農場位於維吉尼亞州的謝南德谷地,
10:53
I went looking for a farm農場 where these ideas思路
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我在那裡找到了一個
10:56
about looking at things from the species'種類' point of view視圖 are actually其實 implemented實施,
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完全以植物的觀點看世界的農場,
11:00
and I found發現 it in a man. The farmer's農民 name名稱 is Joel喬爾 SalatinSalatin.
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農場主人是喬依.薩拉丁,
11:02
And I spent花費 a week as an apprentice學徒 on his farm農場,
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我花了一個星期的時間在他的農場裡參與實作。
11:05
and I took away from this some of the most hopeful有希望 news新聞 about our relationship關係 to nature性質
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我在那裡看到了人類與自然所能發展出最有希望的關係,
11:11
that I've ever come across橫過 in 25 years年份 of writing寫作 about nature性質.
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那是我25年來以大自然為素材的寫作經驗裡第一次看到,
11:14
And that is this:
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就是這個。
11:15
the farm農場 is called Polyface多面, which哪一個 means手段 ...
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這個農場叫做「眾生農場」(Polyface),
11:18
the idea理念 is he's got six different不同 species種類 of animals動物, as well as some plants植物,
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在這個農場,他以共生的方式,
11:22
growing生長 in this very elaborate闡述 symbiotic共生 arrangement安排.
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養了六種不同的動物,還有一些植物。
11:25
It's permaculture永續農業, those of you who know a little bit about this,
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他們採用永續農藝,你們懂一些的,
11:27
such這樣 that the cows奶牛 and the pigs and the sheep and the turkeys火雞 and the ...
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牛、豬、羊、火雞和...
11:35
what else其他 does he have?
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還有什麼呢?
11:37
All the six different不同 species種類 -- rabbits, actually其實 --
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反正有六種不同的動物,對,還有兔子,
11:39
are all performing執行 ecological生態 services服務 for one another另一個,
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每一種動物都能為另一種動物提供生態服務,
11:42
such這樣 that the manure肥料 of one is the lunch午餐 for the other
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像是某種動物的糞便可能就是另一種動物的食物,
11:45
and they take care關心 of pests害蟲 for one another另一個.
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他們彼此也會互相幫忙抓害蟲。
11:47
It's a very elaborate闡述 and beautiful美麗 dance舞蹈,
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我很難描述,那真是大自然的精心設計,
11:50
but I'm going to just give you a close-up特寫 on one piece of it,
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但我還是想讓你們看看其中一個實例,
11:53
and that is the relationship關係 between之間 his cattle黃牛 and his chickens, his laying鋪設 hens母雞.
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就是牛和雞之間的關係,那種雞是蛋雞,
11:59
And I'll show顯示 you, if you take this approach途徑, what you get, OK?
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我要告訴各位,如果你採用這種方法,會有什麼結果,好嗎?
12:04
And this is a lot more than growing生長 food餐飲, as you'll你會 see;
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你會看到,這不僅僅只是人類在生產食物而已,
12:06
this is a different不同 way to think about nature性質
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這讓我們以另一種方式來思考大自然,
12:08
and a way to get away from the zero-sum零和 notion概念,
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也讓我們擺脫零和遊戲,即笛卡兒
12:12
the Cartesian笛卡爾 idea理念 that either nature's大自然 winning勝利 or we're winning勝利,
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不是天勝就是人勝,
12:15
and that for us to get what we want, nature性質 is diminished減少.
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我們盡取所需,耗損自然的觀點。
12:19
So, one day, cattle黃牛 in a pen鋼筆.
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牧場的牛關在廉價電圍欄裡,
12:21
The only technology技術 involved參與 here is this cheap低廉 electric電動 fencing擊劍:
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是這裡唯一稱得上科技的東西,
12:24
relatively相對 new, hooked迷上 to a car汽車 battery電池;
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只用個還算新的汽車電池供給電力,
12:26
even I could carry攜帶 a quarter-acre四分之一英畝 paddock牧場, set it up in 15 minutes分鐘.
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就連我也能在15分鐘內架設好約0.1公頃的圍欄。
12:30
Cows奶牛 graze輕擦 one day. They move移動, OK?
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牛群們在牧場上吃草,輪流在不同地點放牧,
12:34
They graze輕擦 everything down, intensive集約 grazing放牧.
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他們會吃光所有的草,一點也不剩。
12:36
He waits等待 three days,
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農場主人等了三天,
12:38
and then we towed拖曳 in something called the EggmobileEggmobile.
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然後牽來一台載雞的拖車,
12:41
The EggmobileEggmobile is a very rickety搖搖晃晃 contraption玩意兒 --
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拖車搖搖晃晃,
12:44
it looks容貌 like a prairie草原 schooner大篷車 made製作 out of boards --
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像是用紙板做成的牧場大篷車,
12:47
but it houses房屋 350 chickens.
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裡面住了350隻雞。
12:49
He tows this into the paddock牧場 three days later後來 and opens打開 the gangplank跳板,
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三天後,他把拖車牽到牧場裡,放下一個跳板,
12:55
turns them down, and 350 hens母雞 come streaming down the gangplank跳板 --
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350隻母雞立刻從跳板上走下來,
12:59
clucking咯咯, gossiping閒聊 as chickens will --
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嘰嘰咕咕地叫個不停。
13:01
and they make a beeline直線 for the cow patties肉餅.
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直直走向牛糞,
13:06
And what they're doing is very interesting有趣:
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做著你想不到的事情,
13:08
they're digging挖掘 through通過 the cow patties肉餅
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他們在翻啄牛糞,
13:10
for the maggots, the grubs蠐螬, the larvae幼蟲 of flies蒼蠅.
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找尋蛆、雞母蟲和蒼蠅的幼蟲。
13:14
And the reason原因 he's waited等待 three days
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農場主人之所以等上三天,
13:16
is because he knows知道 that on the fourth第四 day or the fifth第五 day, those larvae幼蟲 will hatch孵化
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是因為他知道蒼蠅的幼蟲會在第四天或第五天就會長成蒼蠅,
13:21
and he'll地獄 have a huge巨大 fly problem問題.
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到時麻煩可就大了;
13:23
But he waits等待 that long to grow增長 them as big and juicy多汁 and tasty可口 as he can
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但他還是希望儘可能讓這些蟲子長大一點,才會更美味,
13:29
because they are the chickens'雞' favorite喜愛 form形成 of protein蛋白.
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因為這些蟲子是母雞最喜愛的蛋白質來源。
13:32
So the chickens do their kind of little breakdance霹靂舞
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這些母雞跳來跳去,
13:34
and they're pushing推動 around the manure肥料 to get at the grubs蠐螬,
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把牛糞翻得到處都是,只為了找到蟲子,
13:38
and in the process處理 they're spreading傳播 the manure肥料 out.
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但他們卻順道把牛糞給散佈出去了。
13:41
Very useful有用 second第二 ecosystem生態系統 service服務.
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這一招很有用,算是第二層的生態服務。
13:45
And third第三, while they're in this paddock牧場
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第三層則是由在牧場上的母雞
13:48
they are, of course課程, defecating排糞 madly發狂
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排出糞便,
13:51
and their very nitrogenous含氮 manure肥料 is fertilizing施肥 this field領域.
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裡面含有大量氮肥,順道再為牧草施肥。
13:57
They then move移動 out to the next下一個 one,
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接下來牛和雞都會移到下一塊牧場,
13:59
and in the course課程 of just a few少數 weeks, the grass just enters進入 this blaze火焰 of growth發展.
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而幾個星期之後,這塊牧場上又會長出亮眼的牧草。
14:07
And within four or five weeks, he can do it again.
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讓牧人於四五星期後再如法炮製一番,
14:09
He can graze輕擦 again, he can cut, he can bring帶來 in another另一個 species種類,
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再放牧牛,收割牧草,帶來另一種動物,
14:12
like the lambs羔羊, or he can make hay乾草 for the winter冬季.
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像是羊,農場主人也可以為過冬準備乾草。
14:17
Now, I want you to just look really close up onto what's happened發生 there.
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我希望各位仔細看看這個農場裡發生的事,
14:21
So, it's a very productive生產的 system系統.
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這是一個很有生產力的系統,
14:22
And what I need to tell you is that on 100 acres
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我要告訴各位,這個牧場有40.5公頃,
14:24
he gets得到 40,000 pounds英鎊 of beef牛肉; 30,000 pounds英鎊 of pork豬肉; 25,000 dozen eggs;
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生產出約1.8萬公斤牛肉,1.4萬公斤豬肉,2萬5千打雞蛋,
14:29
20,000 broilers肉雞; 1,000 turkeys火雞; 1,000 rabbits --
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還有2萬隻嫩雞,1千隻火雞,1千隻兔子等,
14:32
an immense巨大 amount of food餐飲.
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真是龐大的食物量。
14:34
You know, you hear, "Can organic有機 feed飼料 the world世界?"
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老是有人問:「有機農業能餵飽全世界的人嗎?」
14:36
Well, look how much food餐飲 you can produce生產 on 100 acres if you do this kind of ...
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看看這個農場,你就會知道40.5公頃的土地能生產出多少食物,
14:41
again, give each species種類 what it wants,
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你只要給每種生物它所需要的東西就行了。
14:44
let it realize實現 its desires慾望, its physiological生理 distinctiveness獨特.
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他們自己知道自己要些什麼,每種生物都有不同的需求,
14:48
Put that in play.
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順應自然就對了。
14:50
But look at it from the point of view視圖 of the grass, now.
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現在,我們以牧草的角度來看這件事,
14:53
What happens發生 to the grass when you do this?
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當我們這樣經營牧場時,牧草會怎麼樣?
14:55
When a ruminant反芻動物 grazes擦傷 grass, the grass is cut from this height高度 to this height高度,
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當有動物吃掉牧草時,牧草的高度就下降,
15:01
and it immediately立即 does something very interesting有趣.
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這時它立刻做出個有趣反應。
15:03
Any one of you who gardens花園 knows知道 that there is something called the root-shoot根冠 ratio,
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如果有人喜歡園藝,應該就聽過「根冠比」這個名詞,
15:07
and plants植物 need to keep the root mass
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植物讓根部與莖葉
15:11
in some rough balance平衡 with the leaf mass to be happy快樂.
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維持某種特定比例,植物才能長得好,
15:14
So when they lose失去 a lot of leaf mass, they shed roots;
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所以當牧草的葉子都被吃掉後,他們的根部也會脫落,
15:18
they kind of cauterize them and the roots die.
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有點像是腐蝕掉根部,讓根部脫落死亡。
15:21
And the species種類 in the soil go to work
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接下來在土壤裡的生物就有得忙了,
15:24
basically基本上 chewing咀嚼 through通過 those roots, decomposing分解 them --
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他們會嚼食這些牧草根,分解他們,
15:28
the earthworms蚯蚓, the fungi菌類, the bacteria -- and the result結果 is new soil.
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包括蚯蚓、真菌和細菌都以此為生,接下來就產生了新的土壤。
15:34
This is how soil is created創建.
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土壤是這麼產生的,
15:37
It's created創建 from the bottom底部 up.
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是由土裡的生物製造的,
15:38
This is how the prairies草原 were built內置,
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因此才會有草原,
15:40
the relationship關係 between之間 bison野牛 and grasses.
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牛和牧草的關係才會因應而生。
15:43
And what I realized實現 when I understood了解 this --
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當我瞭解了這一層關係後,我發現─
15:46
and if you ask Joel喬爾 SalatinSalatin what he is, he'll地獄 tell you he's not a chicken farmer農民,
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如果你問喬依.薩拉丁是扮演什麼角色,他會說他不是雞農,
15:50
he's not a sheep farmer農民, he's not a cattle黃牛 rancher農場工人; he's a grass farmer農民,
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他不是牧羊人,他也不是放牧牛的人,他只是個牧草農人,
15:55
because grass is really the keystone拱心石 species種類 of such這樣 a system系統 --
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因為牧草才是這整個體系裡最重要的一環。
15:59
is that, if you think about it, this completely全然 contradicts相矛盾 the tragic悲慘 idea理念 of nature性質 we hold保持 in our heads,
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如果你仔細思考這件事,這完全顛覆了我們對於大自然的刻板印象,
16:08
which哪一個 is that for us to get what we want, nature性質 is diminished減少.
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以往我們只在乎我們得到什麼,卻不在乎大自然損失了什麼,
16:14
More for us, less for nature性質.
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我們給自己很多,給大自然卻很少。
16:16
Here, all this food餐飲 comes off this farm農場, and at the end結束 of the season季節
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這個農場能生產各式食物,然而在歲末時,
16:21
there is actually其實 more soil, more fertility生育能力 and more biodiversity生物多樣性.
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土壤卻更多更肥沃,物種更豐富多樣。
16:28
It's a remarkably異常 hopeful有希望 thing to do.
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這是一件很值得我們去做的事,
16:31
There are a lot of farmers農民 doing this today今天.
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有許多農人已經在這樣做了,
16:33
This is well beyond organic有機 agriculture農業,
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這已經超越了有機農業,
16:36
which哪一個 is still a Cartesian笛卡爾 system系統, more or less.
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因為有機農業或多或少還是信奉笛卡兒教條。
16:39
And what it tells告訴 you is that if you begin開始 to take account帳戶 of other species種類,
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這種農業給我們的教訓是,如果我們開始考慮其他物種的生存,
16:45
take account帳戶 of the soil, that even with nothing more than this perspectival透視的 idea理念
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考慮土壤的肥沃,那麼只要我們秉持這種理念,
16:52
-- because there is no technology技術 involved參與 here except for those fences圍欄,
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我們就能取得我們所需要的食物,並藉此復育地球生態,
16:56
which哪一個 are so cheap低廉 they could be all over Africa非洲 in no time --
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因為這裡面除了圍欄之外,沒有什麼高科技的東西,
17:01
that we can take the food餐飲 we need from the Earth地球
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推廣的成本很低,
17:05
and actually其實 heal癒合 the Earth地球 in the process處理.
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我們可以將這種農業推廣到非洲去。
17:10
This is a way to reanimate復活 the world世界,
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我們可以讓地球生態恢復生機,
17:12
and that's what's so exciting扣人心弦 about this perspective透視.
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這也是這觀點如此令人振奮的原因。
17:14
When we really begin開始 to feel Darwin's達爾文 insights見解 in our bones骨頭,
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當我們打從內心服膺達爾文理論時,
17:18
the things we can do with nothing more than these ideas思路
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光是抱持這種觀點,就能讓我們
17:23
are something to be very hopeful有希望 about.
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做出非常有前景的事來。
17:25
Thank you very much.
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謝謝各位!
Translated by Marie Wu
Reviewed by Ching-Yi Wu

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michael Pollan - Environmental writer
Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he explains how our food not only affects our health but has far-reaching political, economic, and environmental implications. His new book is In Defense of Food.

Why you should listen

Few writers approach their subjects with the rigor, passion and perspective that's typical of Michael Pollan. Whereas most humans think we are Darwin's most accomplished species, Pollan convincingly argues that plants — even our own front lawns — have evolved to use us as much as we use them.

The author and New York Times Magazine contributor is, as Newsweek asserts, “an uncommonly graceful explainer of natural science,” for his investigative stories about food, agriculture, and the environment. His most recent book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, was named one of the top ten nonfiction titles of 2006.

As the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley, Pollan is cultivating the next generation of green reporters.

More profile about the speaker
Michael Pollan | Speaker | TED.com