What really caused the Irish Potato Famine - Stephanie Honchell Smith

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: suya f.

In the fall of 1845, the bright green leaves of potato plants

1845 年秋， 马铃薯植物的鲜绿叶片

dotted the Irish countryside.

遍布着爱尔兰的乡村。

For over 200 years, the South American vegetable had thrived

200 多年来，这种南美蔬菜 在爱尔兰的崎岖地形

in Ireland’s rough terrain and unpredictable weather.

以及多变的天气中顽强生长。

Packed with carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals,

富含碳水化合物、 维生素和矿物质，

the potato was a remarkably nutrient-rich crop

马铃薯是一种 富于营养的作物，

that made it easy for less wealthy families to maintain a balanced diet.

是不怎么富裕的家庭 眼中健康的食材。

By the mid-19th century, potatoes had supplanted other staple foods.

到 19 世纪中叶， 马铃薯已经取代了其他主食。

And since British mandates ensured Ireland’s more valuable

而且，由于英国规章 导致爱尔兰更具价值的

agricultural products were exported,

农产品被出口，

roughly half the country’s 8.5 million residents

该国 850 万居民中大约一半

lived almost entirely on potatoes.

基本上依靠马铃薯生存。

But when harvesting began in 1845,

但当 1845 年收成来到时，

farmers found their potatoes blackened and shriveled.

农民发现他们的马铃薯 变黑并枯萎了。

Those who ate them suffered severe stomach cramps and even death.

食用它们的人会出现严重的 胃痉挛甚至死亡。

Today, we know the culprit was Phytophthora infestans—

今天，我们知道其罪魁祸首是 马铃薯晚疫病（Phytophthora infestans）

a fungus that flourished in the season’s unusually damp weather.

一种在此季节异常潮湿的环境中 迅速扩散的真菌。

But at the time it was simply called “the blight.”

但它当时被直接称为“病原”。

The fungus likely originated in the Americas,

这种真菌大概起源于美洲，

traveling across the Atlantic on ships.

乘船穿越大西洋。

And while it destroyed potato harvests across Europe,

尽管它摧残了 整个欧洲的马铃薯收成，

wealthier countries— then as today— generally fared better,

类似于今天， 较富裕国家的情况稍好些，

as they had more resources to draw on.

因为它们掌握更多的资源。

Meanwhile, the southern and western regions of Ireland

然而，爱尔兰的南部与西部

were already impoverished and entirely dependent on the single crop,

本身很贫困， 还单独依赖此作物，

making them disproportionately vulnerable.

致使它们额外脆弱。

The impacts of food insecurity are often most severe at the poverty line.

食物缺乏的影响 对贫困人口最为明显。

But while the failed harvest created a class crisis,

尽管粮食歉收 造成了阶级危机，

the government's response turned it into a national catastrophe.

政府的反应却 使其成为了全国性的灾难。

For centuries, Ireland had been under varying degrees of English control,

几个世纪以来，爱尔兰 一直处于不同程度的英国控制下，

and by 1845, it was part of the United Kingdom

到 1845 年它已并入英帝国，

with its government based in London.

其政府设在伦敦。

During the famine’s first year,

在饥荒的第一年，

this distant ruling body imported corn from North America

这个遥远的执政机构 从北美进口了玉米，

and offered the Irish employment on public works projects.

并为爱尔兰提供了 公共设施项目的就业机会。

But this relief only caused more problems.

但是这类举措只是造成更多的问题。

Imported food was poorly distributed and offered insufficient nutrition,

进口食品分配不均，营养缺乏，

making the previously healthy population more vulnerable to disease,

使以前健康的人群更易患病，

and increasing maternal and child mortality.

孕妇与新生儿的死亡率上升。

Worse still, the British continued to export Ireland’s grain and livestock.

更糟糕的是，英国继续出口 爱尔兰的谷物和牲畜。

Meanwhile, the public works projects required lengthy shifts

以及，公共设施项目需要长时间的

of grueling manual labour and were far from where most workers lived.

艰苦体力劳动， 和许多工人的住处距离较远。

For example, just one of countless tragic incidences is the story of Thomas Malone,

例如，无数悲惨事件中的一例 是托马斯·马龙（Thomas Malone）的故事，

who walked 18 kilometers roundtrip to work every day.

他每天往返走 18 公里去上班。

One night, exhausted and starving,

在一天晚上， 饿着肚子，精疲力竭，

he collapsed and died just before reaching home,

他在到家之前倒地死亡，

leaving behind his wife and six children.

留下了妻子和六个孩子。

Despite the year’s countless tragedies, many families managed to scrape by.

尽管这一年发生了无数的悲剧， 许多家庭还是设法挺过难关。

But in 1846, the damp weather returned and the blight worsened,

但到 1846 年，潮湿的天气回归， 疫病更为恶劣，

impacting 75% of Ireland's potato yield.

影响了爱尔兰马铃薯产量的 75%。

British relief efforts diminished substantially in the famine’s second year.

在饥荒的第二年， 英国的救济行为大幅减少。

And while international aid helped save lives,

尽管国际援助带来一定效果，

the overall need was enormous.

总体需求是巨大的。

As the crisis wore on, the government limited who was eligible for relief

随着危机的持续， 政府开始限制发放救济，

and tasked Ireland with funding the relief efforts themselves

并命令爱尔兰自己

通过抬高地方税来 维护救济工作的资金。

by increasing local taxes.

Most modern historians view these disastrous policies

大多数现代历史学家 认为这些灾难性的政策

as stemming from a mix of toxic religious ideology,

源于恶性的宗教意识形态、

laissez-faire economic policies, and political infighting.

宽松的经济政策和政治内斗。

British news sources callously depicted the Irish

英国报道一概地将爱尔兰人

as lazy, simple-minded alcoholics,

描绘成慵懒，头脑简单的酗酒者，

and some London decision-makers believed the famine was God’s punishment

一些伦敦的官员认为饥荒是

for these sinful behaviors.

对于这些罪恶的惩罚。

Other government officials purposefully blocked efforts

由于内部政治竞争， 其他政府官员故意

to provide meaningful relief due to internal political rivalries.

阻止实际的救济措施。

As with famines and food insecurity today,

类似于当今的粮食缺乏，

it wasn't a lack of resources preventing the British from aiding Ireland,

并不是资源本身匮乏， 而是政治立场

but rather a lack of political will.

使英国未能支援爱尔兰。

Seven years after the blight began,

疫病开始七年后，

Ireland’s weather patterns returned to normal

爱尔兰的天气恢复正常，

and the potato crop finally stabilised.

马铃薯收成才稳定下来。

But over 1 million people had perished from starvation,

但超过 100 万人已经死于饥饿、

malnutrition, and disease.

营养不良和疾病。

Between 1 and 2 million more fled the country,

另外 100 至 200 万人移出国境，

beginning a trend that dropped Ireland’s population to half its pre-famine levels

这样的趋势使爱尔兰人口 至 1920 年代降到饥荒前

by the 1920s.

水平的一半。

Today, climate change is making extreme weather more common and sustained,

如今，气候变化使 极端天气更加频繁与持久，

leading countless agricultural communities to face similar struggles.

导致无数农业社区 面临类似的困境。

Just as in Ireland, farmers living on the margins

就像爱尔兰的经历， 生活在边缘地域的农民

are increasingly facing starvation, malnutrition, and disease

更普遍地遭受饥饿、 营养不良与疾病，

due to global weather patterns for which they bear little responsibility.

原因是人为改变的气候规律。

But history doesn’t have to repeat itself if governments and institutions

但是，当政府和机构

为这些地区提供合理的援助，

can provide the kind of aid these regions need:

即协调持续的，提供 足够营养来预防疾病，

relief efforts that are coordinated and ongoing,

provide sufficient nutrition to prevent disease,

富于同理心而非批判性的行动，

and are offered with compassion rather than judgment.

历史将不必重演。