Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - Rekindle your memory｜又中又英

A newspaper article I read recently rekindled my memory about a newspaper article I read many years ago. Both articles were about plants. The article I read recently was about a study that showed plants can make sounds when they are stressed. The article I read many years ago was about Prince Charles, now King Charles, who said he talked to his plants. If something rekindles your memory, it means it makes you remember something from a long time ago. Seeing a picture of your grown-up friends can rekindle your memory about growing up with them.

Humans use their mouths to grouse or grumble when they complain about things. The word “grouse” means a type of bird, but it can also mean complaining in an angry way. If you grumble, it means you complain in an annoyed way. Plants don’t have mouths but researchers in Israel found they can also make noises when they are stressed. The researchers put plants in soundproof wooden boxes with two microphones pointing at their stems. They found the plants make nervous, popping noises when they are dehydrated (not having enough water) or when their stems are being trimmed. Humans can’t directly hear these noises but some animals or insects, such as mice and moths, can.

People ridiculed Prince Charles when he said he talked to his plants. But experts now say he wasn’t barking up the wrong tree. To bark up the wrong tree means to be wrong about the reason for something. Experts now say plants can communicate with each other and talking to them helps them grow.
＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

我最近讀到的一篇新聞報道，重新喚起我多年前讀過另一篇新聞報道的記憶（rekindled my memory）。那篇我最近讀到的文章，是關於一個研究顯示，植物在緊張的時候可以發出聲響。而我多年前讀到的報道，則是關於查理斯王子，即現在的英國國王查理斯三世，說他會跟他的植物說話。若某事rekindles your memory，意即它令你記起很久以前的一些物事。看到你那些已長大成人的朋友的照片，可以喚起你從前跟他們一起長大的記憶（rekindle your memory）。

人類要抱怨某事時，會用嘴去grouse或grumble。Grouse是松雞，但它也可以解作憤憤不平地埋怨；若你grumble，意即你在發牢騷、咕噥抱怨。植物沒有嘴巴，但以色列的研究員發現它們在緊張的時候也可以製造聲音。研究員將植物放在一個隔音的木箱中，用兩個咪高峰對着它們的莖。他們發現，當植物不夠水份、脫水（dehydrated）時，又或當它們的莖被修剪時，它們就會發出緊張、爆裂的聲響。人類不能直接聽到這些聲響，但一些動物或昆蟲，例如老鼠和蛾，就可以。

人們嘲笑查理斯王子說他會跟自己的植物說話。但專家們現在指出，他並非barking up the wrong tree——to bark up the wrong tree是指捕風捉影，找錯了事情的緣由、錯怪了人。現在專家們說，植物可以互相溝通，而跟它們說話有助它們生長。[email protected]
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧