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When I think of alcohol the images that spring to mind
一想到酒 我就会顿时联想到
are bars the clatter of glasses the pouring of liquids.
酒吧里的觥筹交错和杯中美酒
And alcohol is just a sort of product that we have created.
酒就是人类制造的一种产品
But thats not true is it?
但事实并非如此
In fact you have to go back 80 million years
其实 八千万年前
to its first and most simple use a poison.
酒的最初功效很简单 就是毒药
This is a war between different types of bugs of micro-organisms.
它是不同病菌和微生物竞争产生的结果
I've come to a cherry orchard in Kent to meet Dr Quain
此次我来到肯特的樱桃园咨询奎恩博士
an expert in microbiology.
他是位微生物学专家
We talk about yeast bacteria fungi.
说到酵母 细菌和真菌
What they want is to survive and beat off competitors.
物竞天择适者生存的法则同样适用于它们
Rotting fruit contains sugars-glucose fructose-things that bugs want.
腐烂的水果含有葡萄糖和果糖
But yeast has been pretty damn clever.
但是酵母非常狡猾
What it said was "I'm gonna take some of that sugar
酵母说"我要吃点糖"
"and I'm gonna make something which is a by-product of eating sugar."
"因此我会制造一种新的副产物"
And that by-product is alcohol.
其实就是乙醇
