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Truffle Pig 猪的嗅觉
央视国际 2003年04月14日 17:27
Southern France － and a region， where a pig's acure sense of smell is highly valued. In fact， in the countryside of Lot the right pig with the most sensitive nose can soon be on the trail of a small fortune.
This is the land of the truffle！
These pigs are about to have their noses tested. Which one is going to be the best at sniffing out a hidden truffle.
Bits of truffle， a fungus， are tucked under Madame Aymard's foot. Pigs find them irresistible， but some pigs try harder than others...
Madame Aymard is expert at judging which pig is the most enthusiastic.
She makes her selection， the gifted apprentice is on its way to the privileged life of a"truffle pig".
The animal is going to have to earn its keep， and will need no training. If， as Madame Aymard expects， he is the "pig with the golden nose"， he will ensure an important contribution to the family's income.
How awful if the pig fails...and has to be exchanged for another. But the farmer is always prepared for that.
These oak woodlands are excellent truffle grounds. The family has owned the land for generations.
The new pig...now named Titou － will be sniffing in the footsteps of many sensitively nosed forbears.
The truffles are underground， out of sight. They are the fruiting bodies of a fungus on the roots of the oak.
A pigs nose is many times more sensitive than a humans.
Titou will soon catch the strong aroma of truffles， floating up from the soil － and then he'll root around to find them.
His ancestors， the wild boars have always hunted truffles. It's a natural partnership that also spreads truffle spores.
If Madame Aymard is not constantly alert， Titou will eat the precious delicacies.
But Madame Aymard has sharp eyes and an experienced hand throughout the long hours she and Titou will hut together.
Titou makes a find...
He's allowed a couple for himself － but most go into the basket － they are far too valuable for even the finest pig to scoff too many.
Truffles are only in season for four months － from November until March， and this is one of the very few regions in the world where they grow. They cnnot be cultivated. Their price at market will be high － truffles are the "black diamonds of France"， and for Titou such diamonds are a pig's best friend.
It's markey day at Lalbenque...Truffle buyers are here from gourmet restaurants all over Europe.
Each vendor has a basket crammed with the finest truffles － Madame Aymard has brought hers － Their price？...eight hundred dollars per pound.
Buyers examine these black diamonds with the skill of jewellers. The aroma is as "heady" as the prices， but every farmer knows his prosperity today is due to the special skills of the pigs whose noses have rooted out a fortune for them all.
Titou seems to know he's done well...Pigs are better truffle hunters than any dog. Madame Aymard can be proud of her choice. Their partnership is one of the strangest and most lucrative in the world.
猪的嗅觉
在法国南部地区
人们很看重猪的灵敏嗅觉
事实上 在农村
这些鼻子最敏感的猪
很可能为农民带来一笔小财富
这是一片菌地
人们要在这里测试这些猪的鼻子
看看哪一只能最准确地
闻出藏起来的块菌
一些块菌和真菌
藏在艾马尔夫人的脚下
有的猪以不可阻挡之势翻出了它们
但有些猪却找得很费劲
艾马尔夫人是专家
她能判断出哪头猪最灵敏
她做出了结论
这头充满天赋的新手
将逐渐成为享有特权的"块菌猪"
这头猪靠自己的本事挣饭吃
而且不需要训练
正如艾马尔夫人希望的那样
如果它是一头"金鼻子猪"
它会为增加家庭收入做出重要贡献
如果这头猪失败了该多糟糕
那就得换另外一头
对此 农夫们总是有准备的
这些栎木林是极好的块菌地
它是这个家庭几代人的财产
这头叫蒂图的猪一边走
一边沿路闻着块菌的气味
块菌深藏在地下 表面上看不到
它们是栎树根上结出的真菌
猪鼻子要比人鼻子灵敏好多倍
蒂图很快闻到了块菌的香味
这香味从土壤里飘散出来
蒂图顺着香味掘土寻找
蒂图的祖先 野猪也觅食块菌
它们与块菌之间 是天然的合作关系
因为它们同时也散播了块菌孢子
如果艾马尔夫人稍不留神
蒂图就可能吃掉这珍贵的美味
但艾马尔夫人目光锐利
是位有经验的老手
好几个小时的时间里
她都和蒂图一起寻找块菌
蒂图找到块菌了
主人只允许蒂图吃几个块菌
而大部分块菌要放进篮子里
这些块菌太宝贵了
即使是最好的猪
也不能让它吃掉太多
块菌生长的时间只有4个月
从11月到来年的3月
它们只在世界上
为数极少的几个地方生长
这是其中之一
块菌不能人工种植
所以它们在市场上的价格极高
块菌被称为"法国的黑钻石"
而对蒂图来说
这样的"钻石"是它最好的朋友
今天是拉尔邦克的集市
购买块菌的人
从欧洲各地的餐馆来到这里
每个小贩都带着装满块菌的篮子
艾马尔夫人也把她的块菌带来了
那么 块菌的价格是多少呢
每磅800美元
顾客们用珠宝商般挑剔的眼神
审视着这些"黑钻石"
它们的气味和价格一样令人陶醉
农夫们很清楚
他们今天的富足
都来自这些小猪的特殊技能
它们用灵敏的鼻子
为农夫们从地下发掘财富
蒂图好像知道它自己干得不错
猪在寻找块菌时比狗灵
艾马尔夫人为她的选择而自豪
她与蒂图之间
形成了一种世界上最奇妙
最赚钱的合作关系
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