When ancient wisdom beats modern industry - Rebecca Webster

翻译人员: nancy 郭 校对人员: suya f.

One fall evening in 1779,

1779 年的一个秋天晚上，

Seneca Chief Handsome Lake lay down

当塞内卡酋长汉德森·莱克

for what he thought would be his final rest.

躺下准备最后的休息时，

Instead, he had a vision that would change his life—

他突然想到了一个会改变他的一生

and countless others.

以及无数大众的想法。

Before this moment, the US military had unleashed a brutal, months-long campaign

在此之前，美军 发动了长达数月的残酷战役，

that plunged Handsome Lake’s village,

使汉德森·莱克的村庄

and the larger Haudenosaunee Confederacy it belonged to,

及其所属的更大的

into turmoil.

豪德诺索尼联盟陷入混乱。

The military’s attacks on the Haudenosaunee,

军方对豪德诺索尼 （他们通常将其称为易洛魁）

who they commonly referred to as the Iroquois,

的袭击

destroyed entire communities and killed many.

摧毁了整个社区，造成许多人死亡。

Suffering illness and despair,

饱受疾病和绝望的痛苦，

Handsome Lake prepared for death when suddenly,

汉德森·莱克准备好了 去面对最后的死亡，然而突然，

he found himself walking through a planted field.

他发觉自己正行走在一片田地上，

He felt something graze his shoulder and heard a woman call out behind him.

他察觉有什么东西正在刮他的肩膀， 并且听到身后一个女人的呼喊声，

But when he turned around, all he saw were the long, golden leaves of corn

但当他回眸一看，除了正在刮他肩膀的， 长长的，金黄色的玉米叶，

brushing against his shoulders.

他没有看到其他东西。

Again, he heard the woman’s voice.

这时，他再次听到了那个女人的声音。

She told Handsome Lake that she could sense his thoughts,

女人告诉莱克， 她能感觉到他的心之所想，

and that the recent devastation had also left her and her sisters

并且她说她理解莱克的绝望， 因为这次战争

with little hope for the future.

也几乎摧毁了她和姐妹 对未来的希望。

She asked if they could join him on his journey toward death.

她问莱克，自己与姐妹是否 可以加入他的将死之行。

At that moment, Handsome Lake realized the woman speaking was the spirit of the corn—

就在这时，莱克发现正在和他说话的 女人其实是玉米的精灵，

her sisters, the spirits of the beans and squash.

而她的姐妹则是豆子和南瓜精灵。

For generations, the Haudenosaunee had sustained themselves off these crops,

原来，豪德诺索尼的世世代代都是 靠着这三种农作物得以生存，

known as the Three Sisters.

而这三种农作物被称为“三姐妹”。

Planted together in the same mound, each sister helped the others grow.

在同一个土堆中生长的三姐妹 会帮助其他姐妹成长。

First, the corn, the eldest sister,

首先，是最年长的玉米大姐。

provides a long stalk that acts as a sturdy trellis.

玉米大姐会给其他姐妹 提供长而坚固的棚架。

Then the second sister, beans,

紧接着是二妹豆子。

sends out its stems with touch-sensing tips that search for nearby supports.

豆子会长出带着感觉器官的茎， 这个茎会去寻找附近的支撑物。

When they encounter the corn stalk, they wrap around it and climb upwards,

当其他姐妹遇到玉米杆的时候， 它们会顺势盘绕着向上爬。

their leaves capturing ever more light.

这样它们的叶片就能 吸收更多的阳光。

Reciprocally, when the corn faces heavy winds,

相反的，当玉米大姐遇到强风时，

the bean plant provides structural support.

二妹豆子会提供强而有力的支撑。

It also helps the corn grow by boosting the amount of available nitrogen—

它还会通过提供更多的氮 （一种植物生长的必要营养素）

an essential nutrient for plant growth.

来帮助玉米大姐生长。

The bean plant does this by releasing chemical messengers from its roots,

二姐豆子会在根部释放化学信号，

attracting rhizobia,

从而吸引根瘤菌

a kind of nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the soil.

（一种生活在土壤中的固氮细菌） 来做到这一点。

The bacteria infiltrate its cell walls,

细菌会渗入它的细胞壁，

then begin siphoning food from the bean plant.

然后开始 从豆类植物中汲取食物。

And in return, the rhizobia bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen

作为回报，根瘤菌 将大气中的氮转化

into a form of nitrogen the plants can use for growth.

为一种供植物生长的氮。

The third and lowest-lying sister, squash,

然后是三妹南瓜， 也是长得最矮的姐妹，

produces large, umbrella-like leaves that shade the soil and keep it moist.

会长出像雨伞一样的大树叶， 这个树叶可以覆盖土壤并保持土壤湿润。

Some squash varietals are even equipped with prickly hairs,

一些南瓜品种甚至带有刺毛， 这可以保护“三姐妹”免受

which protect the Three Sisters from foraging animals.

觅食动物的侵害。

Handsome Lake realized that if he left the world at that moment,

汉德森·莱克意识到， 如果他此时离去，

he would take the millennia-old knowledge of the Three Sisters with him,

他将带走这几千年来关于“三姐妹” 的故事，将传统连根拔起，

uprooting tradition, depriving his community of a lifeline,

并夺走社区的生命线，

and estranging the sisters from one another.

使姐妹们彼此疏远。

He couldn’t bear this fate.

他无法接受这样的命运，

So he promised instead to stay and re-teach his community

因此，他决定留下来， 并重新教导社区

how to care for the Three Sisters

如何照顾“三姐妹”，

and allow the crops to provide for them in return.

并让农作物作为回报 为他们提供食物。

Today, the Haudenosaunee continue to grow the Three Sisters.

如今，豪德诺索尼的人民 继续耕种着“三姐妹”。

And the ancient farming practice has inspired solutions to many issues

这种古老的耕种方法还启发了 人们想到许多解决

caused by modern and industrial farming.

由现代化工业式更种 方法带来的问题。

For example, monocropping,

例如，单一作物耕种法，即农民

where farmers plant a single type of plant in a field year after year,

年复一年地在田里 只种植一种植物，

depletes soil of nutrients.

这会耗尽土壤中的养分。

And, as of 2022, it’s estimated that one third of the world’s soil

截至2022年，据估计， 世界上三分之一的土壤

is moderately to highly degraded.

处于中度至高度退化状态。

While a majority of US farmland now utilizes some form of crop rotation,

尽管美国大部分农田都在 采用某种形式的轮作方法，

this practice alone might not adequately replenish the soil.

但光靠这种做法可能 不足以补充土壤的养分。

Meanwhile, crops tend to use ground nutrients more efficiently

然而·，农作物在近距离种植时

when grown together in close proximity, like the Three Sisters.

往往能更高效地利用土地的养分， 例如“三姐妹”。

Many modern farms also overuse nitrogen-based fertilizers.

许多现代农场还过度使用氮基肥料。

But since crops, on average, take up only half the nitrogen

但是，由于农作物平均只吸收这些肥料

released by these fertilizers,

释放的氮含量的一半，

the remainder is broken down by microbes in the soil

其余的氮会被土壤 中的微生物分解

and released as greenhouse gases—

并以温室气体的形式释放，

or it washes away and pollutes local bodies of water.

或者它们可能冲走并污染当地的水资源。

Planting beans, however, can decrease the need for fertilizer.

其实，种植豆类可以减少 植物对肥料的需求。

And current industrial farming practices are also water-intensive,

当前的工业化耕种方法 用水量极大，

demanding over 70% of the world's water.

需要世界 70％ 以上的水。

Incorporating low-lying cover crops like squash, however,

然而种植南瓜等低地覆盖的作物

can increase the soil’s water-holding capacity.

可以增加土壤的保水能力。

The success of the Three Sisters shows us that there are more sustainable ways

“三姐妹”的成功向我们 完美诠释了更可持续的粮食

to grow food.

种植方式。

And they’re just one example of regenerative agriculture—

然而它们只是再生型农业 的一个例子—

a practice with ancient roots that recognizes nature

这个农耕方法起源数百年前， 当时的人们将大自然

as a dynamic, interconnected system.

看作一个充满活力，相互关联的系统。

By implementing regenerative principles, we can aid— not degrade—

通过实施再生农耕方法，

我们可以帮助，而不是损伤， 为我们提供食物

the land that gives us food,

的土地，

while honoring those who preserved this transformative, traditional knowledge.

同时向那些保留这种 变革性传统知识的人致敬。