Crop circles

　　麥田怪圈

　　WHETHER extraterrestrials or pranksters are to blame, in the Wiltshire countryside crop circlesare costly: around ?1,000 each, says Tim Carson, a farmer in the village of Alton Barnes,whose land has been dotted by 125 circles since 1991. Lost crops have become part of hisannual routine, because his corner of the county is the global centre for crop circles. Fifty ormore formations appear in Britains fields each year, usually between May and August; aroundthree-quarters are in Wiltshire.

　　不論外星人還是某人惡作劇，Tim Carson這個(gè)生活在Alton Barnes的農(nóng)民正因Wiltshire郊外的麥田怪圈每年承受著1000英鎊的損失。自1991年起，他的田地里至今已有125個(gè)怪圈錯(cuò)落其中。因?yàn)樗诘泥l(xiāng)村一角正是全球怪圈的集中地，損失農(nóng)田對(duì)他來(lái)說(shuō)已是家常便飯。每年英國(guó)都會(huì)出現(xiàn)至少50個(gè)怪圈 ，通常這類事發(fā)生在5到8月，而其中約有三分之二在Wiltshire。

　　They are likely to make farmers especially cross in what has already been a tricky year. Fuel andfertiliser prices have risen; a dry spring means yields are expected to be down 25-30% on lastyear in the south-west. Now Wiltshire is being trampled by summer tourists, many of themmystically inclined. Some circular formations are visited by thousands of these enthusiasts,causing further damage to crops and sometimes property.

　　看來(lái)，今年他們的出現(xiàn)使得本已艱難度日的農(nóng)民日子更加不好過(guò)。原油、肥料價(jià)格上漲，加上一個(gè)干燥的春季這意味著西南部農(nóng)田的收獲預(yù)計(jì)會(huì)比去年少 25-30%。而如今Wiltshire還正遭受著游人的蹂躪，他們中的許多有神秘主義思想傾向。有時(shí)數(shù)千狂熱分子涌向某個(gè)怪圈，造成了更多作物甚至財(cái)物損失。

　　Occasionally, there is an upside for farmers. In 1998 commercial circle-makers acting forMitsubishi, a Japanese carmaker, paid Mr Carson for the right to cut an outline of a new modelnamed the Space Star in his fields. The commission more than compensated for the loss ofcrop, he says. Shredded Wheat, a breakfast cereal, once had its logo carved in a wheat field.Some landowners charge for entry or solicit donations, though the tale of the farmer whomade ?30,000 from tourists is exceptional.

　　偶爾地，也有對(duì)農(nóng)民來(lái)說(shuō)積極的一面。1998年，三菱為了打造商務(wù)麥田怪圈，付給Carson先生一筆費(fèi)用以求取他的田地里一個(gè)叫星空的新怪圈中的一塊。Carson稱補(bǔ)償?shù)某杲鸨葐螁螕p失田地要來(lái)的豐厚。小麥片，一種早餐谷物，曾把他的商標(biāo)刻在麥田。一些土地所有人收取準(zhǔn)入費(fèi)或征求捐贈(zèng)，盡管農(nóng)民以旅游創(chuàng)收3萬(wàn)英鎊的故事非常罕見(jiàn)。

　　But while farmers tend to suffer, others gain. Thecircles augment a mystical aura that emanates fromStonehenge, and that contributes hugely toWiltshires ?850m tourism industry. Visitor shopsare stuffed with crop-circle memorabilia; coachtours frequent them. At the Barge Inn, acommunity-owned pub in Honeystreet, drinkersenjoy tipples named Croppie, Alien Abduction andAway With The Fairies. The pub has customers fromall over the world, even out of season, and thenearby formations have no doubt benefited thebusiness, says Terry Kemp, who works there.

　　但就在農(nóng)民遭殃的時(shí)候，另一些人確從中獲利。這些怪圈提高了源自史前巨石柱的神秘氛圍，為Wiltshire8.5億磅的旅游業(yè)作出了巨大貢獻(xiàn)。商鋪里滿滿當(dāng)當(dāng)?shù)囟际躯溙锕秩Φ募o(jì)念品，一車車的游客已司空見(jiàn)慣。在Barge Inn，Honeystreet上的一家社區(qū)酒館里，人們樂(lè)衷于品嘗名為谷物，外星人的祝福及遠(yuǎn)離小精靈的烈酒。即使在不當(dāng)季的時(shí)候，酒館里也有來(lái)自全世界各地的顧客，在那里工作的Terry Kemp認(rèn)為附近的那些怪圈毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)幫了大忙。

　　The exact value of crop circles to the broader economy is unclear. Visit Wiltshire, the countystourism agency, is understandably reluctant to comment, given that acts of trespass andcriminal damage are involved. But perhaps if the upside were better understood, the benefitsmight be more fairly shared.

　　對(duì)整體經(jīng)濟(jì)來(lái)說(shuō)這些麥田怪圈的具體價(jià)值還不明朗。鑒于涉及未經(jīng)許可擅入私人土地及刑事?lián)p害類行為，可以理解Wiltshire這個(gè)鄉(xiāng)村旅游部不愿就此多談。不過(guò)假如人們能更理解好的一面，那也許就能被更公平地享有其中的利潤(rùn)。

　　Crop circles

　　麥田怪圈

　　WHETHER extraterrestrials or pranksters are to blame, in the Wiltshire countryside crop circlesare costly: around ?1,000 each, says Tim Carson, a farmer in the village of Alton Barnes,whose land has been dotted by 125 circles since 1991. Lost crops have become part of hisannual routine, because his corner of the county is the global centre for crop circles. Fifty ormore formations appear in Britains fields each year, usually between May and August; aroundthree-quarters are in Wiltshire.

　　不論外星人還是某人惡作劇，Tim Carson這個(gè)生活在Alton Barnes的農(nóng)民正因Wiltshire郊外的麥田怪圈每年承受著1000英鎊的損失。自1991年起，他的田地里至今已有125個(gè)怪圈錯(cuò)落其中。因?yàn)樗诘泥l(xiāng)村一角正是全球怪圈的集中地，損失農(nóng)田對(duì)他來(lái)說(shuō)已是家常便飯。每年英國(guó)都會(huì)出現(xiàn)至少50個(gè)怪圈 ，通常這類事發(fā)生在5到8月，而其中約有三分之二在Wiltshire。

　　They are likely to make farmers especially cross in what has already been a tricky year. Fuel andfertiliser prices have risen; a dry spring means yields are expected to be down 25-30% on lastyear in the south-west. Now Wiltshire is being trampled by summer tourists, many of themmystically inclined. Some circular formations are visited by thousands of these enthusiasts,causing further damage to crops and sometimes property.

　　看來(lái)，今年他們的出現(xiàn)使得本已艱難度日的農(nóng)民日子更加不好過(guò)。原油、肥料價(jià)格上漲，加上一個(gè)干燥的春季這意味著西南部農(nóng)田的收獲預(yù)計(jì)會(huì)比去年少 25-30%。而如今Wiltshire還正遭受著游人的蹂躪，他們中的許多有神秘主義思想傾向。有時(shí)數(shù)千狂熱分子涌向某個(gè)怪圈，造成了更多作物甚至財(cái)物損失。

　　Occasionally, there is an upside for farmers. In 1998 commercial circle-makers acting forMitsubishi, a Japanese carmaker, paid Mr Carson for the right to cut an outline of a new modelnamed the Space Star in his fields. The commission more than compensated for the loss ofcrop, he says. Shredded Wheat, a breakfast cereal, once had its logo carved in a wheat field.Some landowners charge for entry or solicit donations, though the tale of the farmer whomade ?30,000 from tourists is exceptional.

　　偶爾地，也有對(duì)農(nóng)民來(lái)說(shuō)積極的一面。1998年，三菱為了打造商務(wù)麥田怪圈，付給Carson先生一筆費(fèi)用以求取他的田地里一個(gè)叫星空的新怪圈中的一塊。Carson稱補(bǔ)償?shù)某杲鸨葐螁螕p失田地要來(lái)的豐厚。小麥片，一種早餐谷物，曾把他的商標(biāo)刻在麥田。一些土地所有人收取準(zhǔn)入費(fèi)或征求捐贈(zèng)，盡管農(nóng)民以旅游創(chuàng)收3萬(wàn)英鎊的故事非常罕見(jiàn)。

　　But while farmers tend to suffer, others gain. Thecircles augment a mystical aura that emanates fromStonehenge, and that contributes hugely toWiltshires ?850m tourism industry. Visitor shopsare stuffed with crop-circle memorabilia; coachtours frequent them. At the Barge Inn, acommunity-owned pub in Honeystreet, drinkersenjoy tipples named Croppie, Alien Abduction andAway With The Fairies. The pub has customers fromall over the world, even out of season, and thenearby formations have no doubt benefited thebusiness, says Terry Kemp, who works there.

　　但就在農(nóng)民遭殃的時(shí)候，另一些人確從中獲利。這些怪圈提高了源自史前巨石柱的神秘氛圍，為Wiltshire8.5億磅的旅游業(yè)作出了巨大貢獻(xiàn)。商鋪里滿滿當(dāng)當(dāng)?shù)囟际躯溙锕秩Φ募o(jì)念品，一車車的游客已司空見(jiàn)慣。在Barge Inn，Honeystreet上的一家社區(qū)酒館里，人們樂(lè)衷于品嘗名為谷物，外星人的祝福及遠(yuǎn)離小精靈的烈酒。即使在不當(dāng)季的時(shí)候，酒館里也有來(lái)自全世界各地的顧客，在那里工作的Terry Kemp認(rèn)為附近的那些怪圈毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)幫了大忙。

　　The exact value of crop circles to the broader economy is unclear. Visit Wiltshire, the countystourism agency, is understandably reluctant to comment, given that acts of trespass andcriminal damage are involved. But perhaps if the upside were better understood, the benefitsmight be more fairly shared.

　　對(duì)整體經(jīng)濟(jì)來(lái)說(shuō)這些麥田怪圈的具體價(jià)值還不明朗。鑒于涉及未經(jīng)許可擅入私人土地及刑事?lián)p害類行為，可以理解Wiltshire這個(gè)鄉(xiāng)村旅游部不愿就此多談。不過(guò)假如人們能更理解好的一面，那也許就能被更公平地享有其中的利潤(rùn)。