《经济学人》双语：昆虫可吃（哪些昆虫可被人类食用）
《经济学人》双语：昆虫可吃？哪些昆虫可被人类食用？
文/Irene-自由英语之路
【本篇内容简述】
【Para1】引入：从以昆虫为食的动物数量增加讲起，欧盟授权在家禽和猪饲料中使用昆虫法律生效。
【Para2】以前的动物饲料：加工动物蛋白，大豆，鱼粉，有的导致疯牛病，又有的对环境有害。
【Para3&5】昆虫的好处：几乎不需要土地和水，用农业副产品，食物废料就可喂养，符合动物的胃口。能提高生长速度和免疫系统，还能填饱肚子，绿色环保。
【Para4】昆虫的弊端：价格贵，贵2-3倍以上。规模生产可能有助于缩小价格差距。举了荷兰银行预测的例子。
【Para6】市场大：举了个例子，甲虫幼虫公司nsect。
【Para7】结尾与评论：欧洲规定三种昆虫（黄粉虫、蝗虫和蟋蟀）也可供人类食用。人们兴趣不大。
标题：
Edible insects
A bug’s life
The EU lets farm animals and people eat insects
食用昆虫
虫子的一生
欧盟允许农场动物和人吃昆虫
But they are pricey
但是它们还很贵
Paragraph 1：
FIRST IT WAS pets, then fish. Now it’s poultry and pigs. The list of animals allowed to feed on insects is growing.
首先是宠物，然后是鱼。现在是家禽和猪。允许以昆虫为食的动物数量正在增加。
A new EU law authorising the use of insect protein in poultry and pig feed came into force earlier this month, a significant milestone for an industry keen to worm its way into the animal-feed business.
一项新的欧盟授权在家禽和猪饲料中使用昆虫蛋白的法律，在本月早些时候已经生效，这对于一个渴望进入动物饲料行业的行业来说是一个重要的里程碑。
Paragraph 2:
Since a ban on processed animal protein was imposed in 2001 in the wake of the “mad cow” crisis, soy and fishmeal have become the bedrock of animal feed in Europe.
自从2001年“疯牛病”危机后禁止加工动物蛋白以来，大豆和鱼粉已成为欧洲动物饲料的基石。
But their production needs lots of space and can be harmful to the environment, so feed manufacturers are looking for alternatives.
但是它们的生产需要很大的空间，而且可能对环境有害，因此饲料制造商正在寻找替代品。
Paragraph 3:
Insects are just the ticket. They are reared in vertical farms that require little land or water, and they can be fed on agricultural by-products or food waste such as rotting fruit and vegetables.
昆虫正是所需。它们在几乎不需要土地和水的垂直农场中饲养，可以用农业副产品或腐烂的水果和蔬菜等食物废料喂养。
They’re also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.
它们也是天作之合。大多数野生鱼类、鸟类和猪都吃昆虫。
Paragraph 4:
The one thing going against them is price: insect protein is two to three times more expensive than fishmeal, and many times pricier than soy.
有一个弊端，那就是价格：昆虫蛋白比鱼粉贵两到三倍，比大豆贵很多倍。
Scaling up production may help reduce the disparity.
规模生产可能有助于缩小价格差距。
Rabobank, a Dutch lender, predicts that global insect production will reach 500,000 tonnes a year by 2030, up from just 10,000 tonnes currently, and that prices will tumble.
荷兰合作银行预测，全球昆虫产量将从目前的1万吨增加到2030年产50万吨，价格将大幅下跌。
Paragraph 5:
Insect companies have worked hard on their pitch. Research suggests insects may be more than mere feed, boosting growth rates and immune systems as well as filling stomachs.
昆虫公司在他们的养殖产地努力工作。研究表明，昆虫可能不仅仅是食物，还能提高生长速度和免疫系统，还能填饱肚子。
They also offer the prospect of a green, local protein.
它们还提供了一种绿色的本地蛋白质的前景。
Paragraph 6:
Poultry and pig feed are by far the largest animal-feed markets, but they’re more competitive than food for pets or fish.
家禽和猪饲料是迄今为止最大的动物饲料市场，但它们比宠物或鱼类食品更具竞争力。
For that reason, says Antoine Hubert, CEO of nsect, a mealworm (beetle larvae) firm, insect protein will probably be used only in premium meat at first.
由于这个原因，甲虫幼虫公司nsect的首席执行官安托万·休伯特说，昆虫蛋白质最初可能只用于优质肉类。
Paragraph 7:
This year the European Food Safety Agency has ruled that three species of insects (yellow mealworm, locusts and house crickets) are safe for humans to eat as well.
今年，欧洲食品安全局裁定，三种昆虫（黄粉虫、蝗虫和蟋蟀）也可供人类食用。
Oddly, people seem less keen on the idea than chickens and pigs.
奇怪的是，人们的昆虫食欲似乎没有像对鸡和猪那样热衷。
（恭喜读完，本篇英语词汇量371个左右）
原文出自2021年9月18日《The Economist》Europe版块。
精读笔记来源于：自由英语之路，仅供个人英语学习交流使用。
【重点词汇】（9个）
edible/edbl/
adj. 可食用的
poultry/pltri/chickens, ducks and geese , kept for their meat or eggs.
n. 家禽；家禽肉
come into force
生效
worm one"s way into
混进，费一番功夫打入
fishmeal/fmil/used as feed for farm animals, as a fertilizer, etc.
n. 鱼粉
that"s the ticket
所需要的东西；一切正好
natural fit
自然的契合,天作之合
mealworm/milwm/
n. 面粉中的甲虫之幼虫；大黄粉虫幼体
larva/lɑv/
n. 幼体，[昆] 幼虫
【重点句子】（3个）
Insects are just the ticket.
昆虫正是所需。
They’re also a natural fit. Most wild fish, birds and pigs eat insects.
它们也是天作之合。大多数野生鱼类、鸟类和猪都吃昆虫。
Research suggests insects may be more than mere feed, boosting growth rates and immune systems as well as filling stomachs.
研究表明，昆虫可能不仅仅是食物，还能提高生长速度和免疫系统，还能填饱肚子。
【重点词根】（1+4个）
edible＝ed-吃 + -ible。
词根ed- 源自拉丁语 edere "to eat."= eat, 表示“吃”，如：
edacious [des] adj. 贪吃的；狼吞虎咽的
esurience[i"sjurins] n. 饥饿, 暴食, 贪吃
comestible [kmestbl] adj. 可食用的
prandial [prndl] adj. 膳食的；正餐的
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