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Thirty years ago, crayfish were little more than a nuisance for the rice farmers of eastern and central China, but the invasive species has become big business for one city.
30年前，对于中国东部和中部的稻农来说，小龙虾是一个公害。然而，这个入侵的物种已经成为了一座城市的主要产业。
Nearly two of three crayfish eaten in Europe hail from the small town of Qianjiang in Hubei Province. Qianjiang sold $190 million worth of the crustacean to foreign buyers in 2015, up 27 percent year-on-year, becoming the country's largest crayfish export base.
出口到欧洲的龙虾，约有三分之二来自于湖北省潜江市这个小城市。潜江市2015年出口的小龙虾价值约1.9亿美元，同比增长27%，成为中国最大的小龙虾出口基地。
To sharpen its edge in the industry, the town set up a research institute dedicated to breeding crayfish in mid-June, shortly after it opened a vocational school to train cooks in preparing crayfish dishes.
潜江市开了一家职业学校专门培训烹饪小龙虾的厨师，不久之后的6月中旬，该市又建立了一个小龙虾养殖中心，以增强其产业优势。
China is the world's largest producer of crayfish, with annual output accounting for over 70 percent of the world's total. Native to North America, crayfish were brought to east China's Jiangsu Province by a Japanese merchant in the 1920s. They appeared in the Jianghan Plain, where Qianjiang is located, about 30 years ago. With fertile land and a large network of rivers and lakes, the plain is an ideal habitat for the species.
中国是世界是最大的小龙虾产地，年出口量占全球总份额的70%。小龙虾原产北美洲，上世纪20年代，一位日本商人将其引入到了中国江苏省。约30年前，小龙虾出现在了江汉平原，而这里正是潜江市所在地。凭借肥沃的土地和大型的河流湖泊网络，江汉平原成了小龙虾的理想栖息地。
They weren't always a welcome addition to the ecosystem, especially for local farmers. "They pinched off rice seedlings in the paddy fields, and made tunnels in ridges that caused water loss," said Liu Zhuquan from Baowan Village in Qianjiang.
除了生态系统外，他们并非总是如此的受欢迎，尤其是对于当地农民来说。潜江市宝湾村村民刘朱全说，“他们咬断田里的水稻苗，在垄上打洞使得水分流失。”
Later, however, villagers came to find the shellfish tasty and started raising them in the paddies in 2001.
不过，后来，人们发现这种甲壳类动物很美味，于是，自2001年就开始在稻田里养殖。
Liu said this summer his crayfish have sold for 60 yuan (about $9) per kilogram, while his rice goes for 32 yuan a kilogram -- both much higher than prices elsewhere.
刘朱全表示，今年夏天他的小龙虾卖到了60元（约9美元）一公斤，而他的大米卖32元一公斤--二者的价格都比其他地方的要高。
Farming crayfish and rice simultaneously does not require chemical fertilizers, pesticides or result in contaminated water, ensuring safe products. Green farming methods help improve the quality of both crayfish and rice, according to Jiang Youyu, head of Qianjiang's crayfish farming association.
潜江小龙虾养殖协会负责人江有玉介绍，养殖小龙虾和种大米，都不需要化肥、杀虫剂，也不会污染水源，保证了产品的安全。绿色农业技术又帮助提高了二者的质量。
E-commerce has helped expand the domestic market for Qianjiang crayfish, with revenue from online sales exceeding 100 million yuan last year. Spicy crayfish dishes are popular across the country to pair with beer on summer nights.
电子商务平台帮助潜江小龙虾扩大了国内市场业务，去年网络平台的营收超过了1亿元。中国各地都非常流行麻辣小龙虾配上啤酒作夜宵。
