双语纯茹素未必更环保肉类对地球生物至关重要

近年来素食主义倡导者大力宣扬素食的环保效应，称吃素食不只环保，还能解救地球。但是科学家最近标明，纯素并不能更环保，肉类对地球生物至关重要。

Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan.

闻名科学家说，在给地球生物供给食物方面，肉类至关重要。他们正告说，纯素并不会更环保。

vegan：adj.严厉的素食主义的

Experts from the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College said farmers were increasingly feeling demonised by the unsupported ‘meat is evil’ claims being promoted by environmental lobbyists.

爱丁堡大学和苏格兰乡村学院的专家说，环保游说人士宣扬未经证明的“肉是凶恶的”言辞，让农人日益感到自己被妖魔化。

demonise：vt.使成为魔鬼

Speaking at a panel in central London, they argued that meat was critical for the physical and mental health of children, particularly in developing countries, and said that moving away from livestock farming would not improve land use.

他们在伦敦市中心举办的一个专题小组讨论会上讲话，以为肉类对儿童身心健康至关重要，特别是在发展中国家。他们说，抛弃畜牧业并不能改进土地运用状况。

Prof. Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Edinburgh, said: “I think (livestock farmers) do feel they are being demonised.

爱丁堡大学全球农业和粮食安全学院主任杰夫·西姆教授说：“我以为（畜牧业者）确实感觉自己在被妖魔化。”

“Often the argument is made that going vegan would minimise land use, and the modelling studies that have been done demonstrate that that’s not the case.

他说：“常有人宣称，纯素能将土地运用降至最低水平，罢了有的模型研讨标明，状况并非如此。”

“We feel that while livestock production has a range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, the costs have perhaps been receiving far more attention recently than some of the benefits.

他说：“咱们咱们都以为，虽然畜牧出产在经济、社会和环境方面有着很多本钱及好处，但其本钱最近遭到的重视或许远超某些好处。”

“Meat has massive social benefits. It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy, highly bioavailable micronutrients, even small amounts of animal-sourced food have a really important effect on the development of children, in the developing world on their cognitive and physical development and they are really important.”

他说：“肉类有着巨大的社会效益。它是膳食中蛋白质、能量、高生物利费用的微量营养素的重要来历，即使是少数动物源性食物，对发展中国家儿童的认知和身体发育都有着很重要的影响，很重要。”

Prof Mike Coffey, from Scotland’s Rural College, added: “It’s completely unnecessary to go vegan.

苏格兰乡村学院的迈克·科菲教授弥补说：“纯素肯定没必要。”

“If everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the UK environment. Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”

他说：“假如每个人都成为纯素主义者，将对英国环境形成毁灭性影响。饲养动物招供食用有助于促进生物多样性。”

Researchers are currently attempting to breed more environmentally friendly cattle, which grow faster and eat less, which could further reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of methane released by cows.

研讨人员现在正试图饲养更环保的牛，它们长得较快、吃得较少，可以终究靠削减牛排放的甲烷量来进一步削减该职业的碳脚印。

Prof Coffey said that the difference in methane emissions from best and worst cattle was about 30 percent and that if all UK farmers used the most efficient animals this could reduce carbon emissions by nearly a third.

科菲教授说，最好的牛和最差的牛的甲烷排放量相差约30%，假如一切英国农人都运用最高效的牛，能使碳排放量削减近三分之一。

But Prof Coffey said the next stage will be trying to measure the methane given off by different breeds of cattle to find which are the lowest emitters.

科菲教授说，下一阶段将丈量不同品种的牛开释的甲烷，找出哪些牛排放甲烷最少。

Prof Coffey said that soon shoppers could be able to check meat labels to find out how much environmental impact their food has had.

科菲教授说，顾客很快就可以经过检查肉类标签，了解他们的食物对环境有多大影响。

He added: “My expectation is that at some point in the near future there will be product labels that relates to the efficiency or carbon impact of the food.”

他还说：“我估计在不久的将来，会有与食物的功率或碳影响有关的产品标签呈现。”

Professor Andrea Wilson, also of Edinburgh University, said more research was needed into the impact of veganism.

同样在爱丁堡大学供职的安德烈娅·威尔逊教授说，需要对纯素主义的影响进行更多研讨。

She added: “We know a lot about the livestock sector because people have looked at it. We actually know very little about the vegan sector.

她还说：“咱们对畜牧业了解颇多，由于人们对它有过研讨。咱们对纯素职业实际上知之甚少。

“The danger is we demonise one and jump too quickly to the other.”

她说：“风险在于，咱们将一方妖魔化，并且太快地转向另一方。”