26.微生物沏茶

Passage Twenty-Six

Microbe brewing

微生物沏茶

【1】A cup's flavour(taste) depends on the bacteria living near the plant's roots,for the perfect cup of tea, does one add milk to boiling water, or the reverse? Neither, if new research in the journal Current Biology is to be believed. What must be prepared first, instead, are the microbes.

生长在茶树根附近的细菌影响茶的口味要沏一杯完美的茶，是先加沸水后加牛奶，还是步骤反过来？如果这项发表在《当代生物学》上的新研究是真的话，那么答案为,都不是。相反，首先必须要准备的是微生物。

【2】Scientists are increasingly aware that the fungi and bacteria living around a plant's roots can significantly(importantly) affect its growth.

科学家愈发明确，生活在植物根茎周围的真菌以及细菌对其生长有着巨大影响。

【3】Previous studies on Arabidopsis, a species of cress that is the lab rat of the botanical world, have shown that the presence of the right microbes can enhance(strengthen) the absorption of critical nutrients like iron, phosphorus and nitrogen.

拟南芥是水芹植物的一种，植物学界历来将其作为实验室里的“小白鼠”。此前对它的研究表明，环境中适当的微生物能够强化拟南芥对铁、磷、氮等重要营养物质的吸收。

【4】The possibility of enhanced nitrogen absorption was particularly intriguing to tea experts Wei Xin and Wenxin Tang at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China because tea plants rely upon nitrogen-rich ammonium in the soil around their roots to produce theanine, an amino acid that generates their distinctive(unique) savoury flavours.

中国福建农林大学茶叶专家辛伟和唐文鑫对氮强化吸收的可能性尤为感兴趣，因为茶叶植物依赖根茎周围土壤中的富氮铵来产生茶氨酸，这是一种能产生独特风味的氨基酸。

【5】Collecting the roots and leaves of 17 different tea varietals at different times of year, Dr Xin and Dr Tang found that theanine production varied widely, even among similar teas.

辛博士和唐博士在一年间的不同时期收集了17种茶叶根茎和叶子，发现即便是在类似茶叶品种中，茶氨酸的产量差异也很大。

【6】Some highly valued oolong teas (the term refers to those whose leaves are partially oxidised after harvesting), such as Rougui, produced a lot of the compound, whereas others, such as Maoxie, produced less.

一些价值极高的乌龙茶（乌龙茶是一种术语，指的是在采摘后经部分氧化的茶叶），比如肉桂茶，能生成许多茶氨酸，而例如毛蟹茶等其他茶叶产生的则较少。

【7】After growing these two varietals under identical(same) conditions, the researchers collected soil samples and used genetic analysis to identify which microbes were present around the roots.

在相同条件下培养肉桂茶和毛蟹茶这两类品种后，研究者收集了土壤样本并使用基因分析法来识别根茎周围存在何种微生物。

【8】The microbiomes of the two were very different. Crucially, Rougui had more microbes associated(related) with the metabolising of nitrogen than did Maoxie.

两种茶叶的微生物菌群大相径庭。尤为重要的是，相比于毛蟹茶，肉桂茶含有更多与氮代谢相关的微生物。

【9】Consequently, Rougui also showed a greater ability to absorb(recruit) nitrogen from ammonium in the soil. These differences were particularly stark(obvious) in the autumn, when the roots were accumulating theanine.

因此，肉桂茶从土壤的铵中吸收氮物质的能力更强。此类差别在茶叶根茎积累茶氨酸的秋季尤为明显，因为根部正在积累茶氨酸。

【10】This provoked(triggered) a natural question. If the microbial community found around Rougui were transplanted to other tea plants, might this increase their theanine production and, in turn, improve their flavour?

这自然引发了困惑。如果将肉桂茶周围的微生物群落移植到其他茶叶品种上，是否能增加其茶氨酸产量，并相应改善其风味？

【11】To explore(research) this, the researchers created a community of microbes made up of 21 bacterial strains that resembled the community found around autumnal Rougui roots and applied them to the roots of Maoxie plants.

为了研究该问题，研究人员建立了一个由21类细菌组成的微生物群，模拟了秋季肉桂茶根茎周围的微生物群，并将之移植到毛蟹茶的根茎部分。

【12】They report this week that this not only enhanced root growth in Maoxie seedlings by giving them a nitrogen boost, but also nearly tripled the theanine accumulation in the leaves.

他们于本周报告称此举不仅通过提高氮物质含量增强了毛蟹茶种子的根茎生长，而且也几乎使茶叶叶子中的茶氨酸累积增至三倍。

【13】While the time-consuming(expending) process of transforming leaves into drinkable tea has yet to be completed, the researchers have little doubt that there will be big differences.

虽然将茶叶叶子转化为可饮用茶叶的耗时研究过程还未完成，研究人员几乎确信这会产生很大不同。

【14】Flavours aside, the Rougui microbe sample that Dr Xin and Dr Tang worked with has the potential(underlying) to make a wider environmental impact. Most farmers, not just tea growers, add some form of nitrogen to their soil to enhance(strengthen) growth.

抛开风味不谈，辛博士和唐博士使用的肉桂茶微生物样本有可能对环境产生更大范围的潜在影响。不仅仅是茶农，大多数农民都会在土地中加入氮肥以提高作物产量。

【15】While some of this is absorbed by plants, most runs off during heavy rains and ends up polluting natural water bodies.

虽然作物会吸收其中一部分氮肥，但多数氮肥会随着暴雨流失，最终污染了自然水体。

【16】When the researchers applied their microbial cocktail to soil around the roots of Arabidopsis plants, they found that, just as with Maoxie, the newcomers enhanced nitrogen uptake.

研究者将微生物混合体移入拟南芥植物根茎周围的土壤后发现，与毛蟹茶一样，微生物混合体会增加植物的氮吸收。

【17】This hints that these microbes have the potential to create new flavours while also reducing agricultural pollution. That should be everyone's cup of tea.

这暗示出微生物有可能生成新风味，并同时减少农业污染。这应该是大家都喜闻乐见的一件事。