《外刊精读》用真树做圣诞树你值得拥有

圣诞将至，然而新冠确诊人数仍居高不下，这为西方国家如何延续这个节日的庆祝传统画上了一个问号。提到圣诞节的传统，可能首先浮现在我们脑海的画面就是圣诞树。那么圣诞树有什么历史？它们都是用真树做成的吗？一起来听今天的讲解。  本篇课程首发于2020年12月14日  英文原文  Real Christmas Trees – Yes you can and should  用真树做圣诞树，你值得拥有  By BBC  When you think of Christmas, one of the first images to spring to mind is probably a Christmas tree, covered in twinkly decorations, lights and tinsel.  想到圣诞节，大家脑海里首先浮现的画面应该就是圣诞树，树上挂满了亮闪闪的装饰品、小灯泡和亮片。  Many people think the tradition of Christmas trees in Britain started with the Victorians. However, the tradition actually dates back further than that. It originally came from Germany, and was introduced to England during the Georgian period.  很多人认为，在英国，圣诞树的传统起源于维多利亚时代。然而，这一传统实际上可以追溯到更久远的时代。圣诞树的传统最早源于德国，在乔治王时代传入英格兰。  We are often told that cutting down trees has a negative impact on the environment. On a large scale, deforestation can cause climate change, flooding and increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. So why are we happy to have real Christmas trees in our living rooms for a few weeks a year?  人们常说，砍伐树木对环境有负面影响。大规模的森林砍伐会导致气候变化、洪水泛滥和大气中温室气体的增加。那么，为什么每年我们还是很乐于把真树摆在自家客厅放上几周呢？  Researchers have found that real Christmas trees have a smaller carbon footprint, and are therefore better for the environment than fake ones. Buying a real tree, which has been cut down, seems like it could be bad for the planet, but many trees in the UK have been grown specifically for use at Christmas and have been farmed responsibly. That means the grower has planted new trees for every one they chop down.  研究人员发现，用真树做的圣诞树碳足迹较小，也因此比假树对环境更有利。似乎买一棵被砍倒的真树对地球有害，但英国的许多树都是专门为圣诞节种植的，而且种植者对这些树是要负责的。这意味着种植者每砍下一棵树就会种上一棵新树。  The government has changed lockdown rules so that tree farms and sellers can open in England. What will become of other Christmas traditions remains to be seen.  由于英国政府已调整封锁规定，因此圣诞树种植农场和卖场能重新开放并售卖。当然，其他的圣诞节传统能否延续，就有待观察了。