Michelle Gabriel

We dont usually think about fruit being that expensive. In fact， we can finda banana for less than a dollar in most places！

我們通常不會想到水果會那么貴。事實上，我們在大多數(shù)地方都能找到一根不到一美元的香蕉！

Fruit is meant to be a good part of a balanced1 diet， so even if you oftenspend a few dollars more on your favorite fruit， at least its worth it.

水果是均衡飲食的重要組成部分，所以即使你經(jīng)常在你最喜歡的水果上多花幾塊錢，至少它是值得的。

Even pineapples， a tropical2 fruit which can only be grown in certainclimates3， are still easy to find almost anywhere. Thanks to mass production4，even after shipping costs they still wont be too expensive at the end. But what ifI tell you there is a certain type of pineapple that is worth thousands of dollars？

甚至菠蘿這種只能在特定氣候條件下生長的熱帶水果，在幾乎任何地方都很容易找到。由于它是大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)的，即使加上運輸成本，它們最終也不會太貴。但如果我告訴你有一種菠蘿值幾千美元呢？

To be fair5， that wouldnt be too far off from how things were a few centuries ago.

平心而論，這與幾個世紀前的情況相差并不太遠。

Looking into the past

回顧過去

For better understanding， lets go back to the past！

為了更好地理解這一事實，讓我們回到過去吧！

In the 1700s， pineapples used to be a symbol of status6 and wealth7.

在18 世紀，菠蘿曾是地位和財富的象征。

This was because they werent grown in Europe， so when world explorers8brought back this unusual new fruit， its supply9 was low and demand10 was high.In those days， one pineapple would cost todays equivalent11 to $8，000 dollars！

這是因為它們不是生長在歐洲的，所以當各國探險家們帶回這種不常見的新水果時，它變得供不應(yīng)求。那時候，一個菠蘿的價值相當于今天的八千美元！

Of course， pineapples are now easily bought by everyone， so the symbol isgone. But there are still a few pineapples with a high price tag on them.

當然，現(xiàn)在幾乎每個人都很容易能買到菠蘿，于是這個象征就消失了。但是仍然有一些菠蘿上貼著昂貴的價格標簽。

At the Lost Gardens of Heligan in the United Kingdom， youll find pineapplesgrown in mud structures12 heated with rotting manure13. But dont worry—thepineapples never come into the manure.

在英國海利根的失落花園，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)菠蘿生長在用發(fā)酵肥料加熱的泥土建筑中。但別擔心———菠蘿從來沒有真正接觸到肥料。

Its an old way to grow this tropical fruit in a colder climate. In fact， thestructure these rare pineapples are grown in was unearthed14 in 1991. It was rebuiltjust two years later and then could be used as before.

這是在較冷氣候下種植這種熱帶水果的古老方法。事實上，種植這些珍稀菠蘿的建筑是1991 年出土的，修了兩年就可以和以前一樣使用。

How much does it cost to grow these pineapples？

種植這些菠蘿要花多少錢？

These special pineapples arent even on the market—so theyre priceless15.But it takes two years to grow a pineapple， and the cost to make each pineapple is$1，300. So if theyre not for sale， where do they go？

這些特別的菠蘿根本不在市場上出售，所以它們是無價的。然而，種植一個菠蘿需要兩年的時間，每個菠蘿的成本是1300 美元。如果它們不出售，它們會去哪里呢？

The successfully16 grown pineapples go right back to the staff17 who grewthem as an appreciation18 for growing them in the first place. But， one of thepineapples has been given away.

種植成功的菠蘿首先直接回到種植菠蘿的員工那里，作為對他們種植菠蘿的感謝。但是，其中一個菠蘿被送人了。

The second pineapple ever grown in the Lost Gardens was given to QueenElizabeth II as a gift for her 50th wedding anniversary19.

英國失落花園中種植的第二個菠蘿被贈送給了英國女王伊麗莎白二世，作為她結(jié)婚50 周年紀念日的禮物。

If one of these pineapples were to go up for auction20 or sale， thesepineapples would be worth $16，000！

如果這些菠蘿中有一個被拿去拍賣或出售，這種菠蘿會價值16000 美元！

Notes

1. balanced 平衡的

2. tropical 熱帶的；熱帶地區(qū)的

3. climate 氣候

4. mass production 大量生產(chǎn)

5. fair 公平的；合理的

6. status? 地位

7. wealth 財富；富有

8. explorer 探險者；勘探者

9. supply 供給；補給

10. demand 要求；需求

11. equivalent? 等量物；等價物

12. mud structure 泥結(jié)構(gòu)

13. rotting manure 腐爛中的肥料

14. unearth 從地下挖掘；挖出

15. priceless 無價的

16. successfully 成功地；順利地

17. staff 全體員工；全體雇員

18. appreciation 感激；感謝

19. anniversary 周年紀念日

20. auction 拍賣