What really caused the Irish Potato Famine - Stephanie Honchell Smith

譯者: 穎君 紀 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

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

1845 年秋天，

馬鈴薯的嫩葉點綴著愛爾蘭鄉村地區。

dotted the Irish countryside.

For over 200 years, the South American vegetable had thrived

兩百多年來，這種南美蔬菜在愛爾蘭的

in Ireland’s rough terrain and unpredictable weather.

惡劣地形和變化莫測的 天氣下展現蓬勃生機。

Packed with carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals,

馬鈴薯富含碳水化合物、 維生素，和礦物質，

the potato was a remarkably nutrient-rich crop

是營養價值極高的作物，

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

讓較不寬裕的家庭也能 輕鬆維持營養均衡。

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

19 世紀中期，馬鈴薯 已取代了其他主食。

And since British mandates ensured Ireland’s more valuable

因為英國命令愛爾蘭將生產的 高價值農產品出口外銷，

agricultural products were exported,

roughly half the country’s 8.5 million residents

所以該國 850 萬人中， 約有一半幾乎全靠馬鈴薯度日。

lived almost entirely on potatoes.

But when harvesting began in 1845,

但 1845 年，農民開始收成時，

farmers found their potatoes blackened and shriveled.

發現他們種的馬鈴薯變黑、萎縮。

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

吃了這些馬鈴薯的人出現 嚴重的胃痛，甚至死亡。

Today, we know the culprit was Phytophthora infestans—

現在我們知道罪魁禍首是 「馬鈴薯晚疫黴」：

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

這種真菌會在異常潮濕的 季節大量增殖。

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

但當時它只被稱為「枯萎病」。

The fungus likely originated in the Americas,

這種真菌可能源於美洲，

traveling across the Atlantic on ships.

乘著船來到大西洋彼端。

And while it destroyed potato harvests across Europe,

雖然它摧毁了歐洲各地的馬鈴薯，

wealthier countries— then as today— generally fared better,

當時較富有的國家—現在也是如此， 相對來說狀況比較好，

as they had more resources to draw on.

因為他們還可以動用其他資源。

Meanwhile, the southern and western regions of Ireland

相對而言，愛爾蘭的南部和西部地區

were already impoverished and entirely dependent on the single crop,

原本已十分貧窮， 又完全依賴單一作物，

making them disproportionately vulnerable.

居民因此受到格外沈重的打擊。

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

對處於貧窮線的家庭， 糧食不足的衝擊通常最為明顯。

But while the failed harvest created a class crisis,

這場歉收造成了階級危機，

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

但政府的因應措施 則使之惡化成為舉國災難。

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

好幾世紀以來，愛爾蘭一直 受到英國不同力道的統治，

and by 1845, it was part of the United Kingdom

到了 1845 年，愛爾蘭 成為英國的一部分，

with its government based in London.

政府設在倫敦。

During the famine’s first year,

饑荒第一年，

this distant ruling body imported corn from North America

遠在倫敦的政府機關從北美進口玉米，

and offered the Irish employment on public works projects.

並提供公共工程計畫的 就業機會給愛爾蘭人。

But this relief only caused more problems.

但這些救濟措施導致更多問題。

Imported food was poorly distributed and offered insufficient nutrition,

進口食物分配不均，且營養價值不足，

making the previously healthy population more vulnerable to disease,

使之前健康的人們更容易得病，

and increasing maternal and child mortality.

還讓孕婦和兒童死亡率上升。

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

更糟的是，英國人繼續出口 愛爾蘭的作物和牲口。

Meanwhile, the public works projects required lengthy shifts

同時，公共工程計畫 需要工人長時間勞動，

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

且工作地點大多離家非常遠。

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

例如，無數悲劇事件之一： 湯瑪士・馬龍的故事—

who walked 18 kilometers roundtrip to work every day.

他每天上下班來回共走 18 公里。

One night, exhausted and starving,

有天晚上，他既疲倦又饑餓，

he collapsed and died just before reaching home,

一進家門就累倒，離世，

leaving behind his wife and six children.

留下妻子和六個孩子。

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

儘管這一年經歷了無數悲劇， 許多家庭還是勉強撐了過去。

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

但 1846 年，潮濕的天氣 再次到來，「枯萎病」更加惡化，

impacting 75% of Ireland's potato yield.

影響愛爾蘭整體 馬鈴薯產量的 75％ 。

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

饑荒第二年，英國的 救濟措施大幅減少。

And while international aid helped save lives,

雖然國際援助的確有救助到人民，

the overall need was enormous.

但整體需求太過沈重。

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

危機持續延燒，政府開始限制 誰有資格得到救濟，

and tasked Ireland with funding the relief efforts themselves

並要求愛爾蘭增加當地稅收， 來資助救援行動。

by increasing local taxes.

Most modern historians view these disastrous policies

現代歷史學家大多認為這些糟糕的 政策源自於幾個因素的結合：

as stemming from a mix of toxic religious ideology,

有害的宗教思想、

laissez-faire economic policies, and political infighting.

自由放任的經濟政策和政治內部衝突。

British news sources callously depicted the Irish

英國新聞報導無情地為愛爾蘭人

as lazy, simple-minded alcoholics,

貼上懶人、頭腦簡單的酒鬼等標籤，

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

某些倫敦決策者則認為這場饑荒 是上帝對這些罪惡行為的懲罰。

for these sinful behaviors.

其他政府官員則因內部政治角力，

Other government officials purposefully blocked efforts

to provide meaningful relief due to internal political rivalries.

刻意阻止愛爾蘭的饑荒救援行動。

As with famines and food insecurity today,

如同現今饑荒和糧食不足問題，

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

英國並不是缺乏資源 才無法幫助愛爾蘭，

but rather a lack of political will.

而是缺乏政治意願。

Seven years after the blight began,

「枯萎病」開始七年後，

Ireland’s weather patterns returned to normal

愛爾蘭的天氣模式恢復正常，

and the potato crop finally stabilised.

馬鈴薯收成終於回穩。

But over 1 million people had perished from starvation,

但超過 100 萬人因飢餓、 營養不良和疾病喪生。

malnutrition, and disease.

Between 1 and 2 million more fled the country,

一百至二百萬人離開祖國， 開啟人口外流的趨勢，

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

1920 年代，愛爾蘭的人口 已降至饑荒前的一半。

by the 1920s.

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

如今，氣候變遷使極端氣候 成為人類必須長期共處的日常現象，

leading countless agricultural communities to face similar struggles.

導致無數農業區域面臨類似的困境。

Just as in Ireland, farmers living on the margins

就像愛爾蘭的歷史一樣， 因為全球天氣模式變化，

are increasingly facing starvation, malnutrition, and disease

生計不穩定的農民面臨 饑餓、營養不良和疾病等問題，

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

但他們不是造成問題的人。

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

如果政府和相關單位 能提供他們所需的援助，

can provide the kind of aid these regions need:

悲慘的歷史就不會重演—

relief efforts that are coordinated and ongoing,

密切合作且長久的救援工作，

provide sufficient nutrition to prevent disease,

提供足夠的營養以預防疾病，

and are offered with compassion rather than judgment.

並且帶著關懷提供援助，不做批判。