When ancient wisdom beats modern industry - Rebecca Webster

譯者: 麗玲 辛

One fall evening in 1779,

1779 年的一個秋天傍晚，

Seneca Chief Handsome Lake lay down

塞內卡酋長英俊萊克躺了下來 (Seneca Chief Handsome Lake)，

for what he thought would be his final rest.

他認為這將是他最後的安息。

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

然而，他卻遇見一個改變自己

and countless others.

以及無數其他人生命的異象。

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

在此之前，美軍發動了一場 長達數月的殘酷戰役，

that plunged Handsome Lake’s village,

使英俊萊克的村莊

and the larger Haudenosaunee Confederacy it belonged to,

及其所屬廣大的 豪德諾桑尼聯盟陷入混亂。

into turmoil.

The military’s attacks on the Haudenosaunee,

軍隊襲擊豪德諾桑尼人 （他們通常稱之為易洛魁人），

who they commonly referred to as the Iroquois,

destroyed entire communities and killed many.

摧毀了整個社區，並造成許多人死亡。

Suffering illness and despair,

飽受疾病和絕望之苦的英俊萊克

Handsome Lake prepared for death when suddenly,

正準備死去，突然，

he found himself walking through a planted field.

他發現自己正走過一片有耕種的田地。

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

他感覺到有東西掠過他的肩膀， 也聽到一個女人在背後叫他。

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

但是當他轉身時， 他只看到玉米的長長金色葉子

brushing against his shoulders.

輕輕刷過他的肩膀。

Again, he heard the woman’s voice.

再次，他聽到了女人的聲音。

She told Handsome Lake that she could sense his thoughts,

她告訴英俊萊克， 她能感知他的想法，

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

最近的災難也讓她和姐妹們 對未來失去了希望。

with little hope for the future.

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

她問她們是否可以和他 一起踏上死亡之旅。

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

此時，英俊萊克意識到 說話的女人是玉米精靈——

her sisters, the spirits of the beans and squash.

而她的姐妹們就是豆子和南瓜精靈。

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

世世代代，豪德諾桑尼人靠著這些

known as the Three Sisters.

被稱為「三姐妹」的 作​​物維持生計。

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

三姐妹種植在同一個土丘上， 每個人都幫助其他姐妹生長。

First, the corn, the eldest sister,

首先是玉米，作為年長的姐姐，

provides a long stalk that acts as a sturdy trellis.

提供了堅固的莖作為支撐。

Then the second sister, beans,

然後，第二個姐妹豆子

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

會長出帶有觸摸感應尖端的莖， 尋找附近的支撐物。

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

當它們遇到玉米莖時， 它們會纏繞其並向上攀爬，

their leaves capturing ever more light.

它們的葉子捕捉到更多的光線。

Reciprocally, when the corn faces heavy winds,

當玉米面臨強風時，

the bean plant provides structural support.

豆子提供結構支撐，作為報答。

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

它還可以透過增加有效氮的含量 來幫助玉米生長，

an essential nutrient for plant growth.

有效氮是植物生長的必需營養素。

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

豆類植物透過從根部釋放化學信使，

attracting rhizobia,

吸引根瘤菌（一種生活在土壤中的 固氮細菌）來做到這一點。

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

The bacteria infiltrate its cell walls,

細菌滲透到其細胞壁，

then begin siphoning food from the bean plant.

然後開始從豆科植物中吸收食物。

And in return, the rhizobia bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen

作為回報，根瘤菌將大氣中的氮

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

轉化為植物可以利用的形式。

The third and lowest-lying sister, squash,

第三個也是地勢最低的姐妹是南瓜，

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

它會長出大而傘狀的葉子， 為土壤遮蔭並保持濕潤。

Some squash varietals are even equipped with prickly hairs,

有些南瓜品種甚至長有刺毛，

which protect the Three Sisters from foraging animals.

可以保護三姐妹免受動物覓食的侵害。

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

英俊萊克意識到，如果他這時候離世，

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

他就會帶走三姐妹千年的知識，

uprooting tradition, depriving his community of a lifeline,

連根拔起傳統，剝奪社區的生命線，

and estranging the sisters from one another.

並使三姐妹彼此疏遠。

He couldn’t bear this fate.

他無法承受這樣的命運。

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

因此，他承諾留下來，

how to care for the Three Sisters

重新教導他的社區如何照顧三姐妹，

and allow the crops to provide for them in return.

並讓這些農作物提供糧食回報。

Today, the Haudenosaunee continue to grow the Three Sisters.

如今，豪德諾桑尼人繼續種植三姐妹。

And the ancient farming practice has inspired solutions to many issues

這種古老的農法為現代工業化農業

caused by modern and industrial farming.

帶來的許多問題提供了解決方案。

For example, monocropping,

例如，單一作物種植，

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

即農民年復一年地在田地裡 種植單一類型的植物，

depletes soil of nutrients.

這會耗盡土壤的養分。

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

截至 2022 年， 估計全球三分之一的土壤

is moderately to highly degraded.

已有中度至高度的退化。

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

雖然美國大部分農地現在 都採用某種形式的輪作，

this practice alone might not adequately replenish the soil.

但僅靠這種做法可能 無法充分補充土壤養分。

Meanwhile, crops tend to use ground nutrients more efficiently

同時，像三姐妹一樣， 農作物緊鄰種植時，

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

往往會更有效地利用地壤養分。

Many modern farms also overuse nitrogen-based fertilizers.

再者，許多現代農場過度使用氮肥。

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

但由於農作物平均只吸收 這些肥料釋放的一半氮，

released by these fertilizers,

the remainder is broken down by microbes in the soil

其餘部分會被土壤中的 微生物分解並釋放，

and released as greenhouse gases—

成為溫室氣體，

or it washes away and pollutes local bodies of water.

或被沖走並污染當地水域。

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

然而，種植豆子可以減少 對肥料的需求。

And current industrial farming practices are also water-intensive,

目前的工業農業法 也需要極多的水資源，

demanding over 70% of the world's water.

佔了全球 70% 以上。

Incorporating low-lying cover crops like squash, however,

然而，種植像南瓜 這樣的低矮覆蓋作物，

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

三姐妹的成功向我們表明， 種植糧食有更永續的方式。

to grow food.

And they’re just one example of regenerative agriculture—

它們只是再生農業的一個例子，

a practice with ancient roots that recognizes nature

這是一種具有古老根源的做法，

as a dynamic, interconnected system.

認識到自然是一個動態、 相互關聯的系統。

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

通過實施再生原則，我們可以 幫助——而不是破壞——

the land that gives us food,

供給食物的土地，

while honoring those who preserved this transformative, traditional knowledge.

同時向保存這些變革性 傳統知識的人致敬。