摘要：01 The first half of the scientific name for the fiendishly fickle cocoa tree means “food of the gods”. By the time Theobrama caca
Big chocolate has a growing taste for lab-grown Cocoa
01 The first half of the scientific name for the fiendishly fickle cocoa tree means “food of the gods”. By the time Theobrama cacao was christened by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist, in 1753, wealthy Europeans, like the Mayans before them, were already worshipping its seeds. Three centuries on, demand for cocoa, the basic ingredient for chocolate, is still climbing heavenwards. Supply cannot keep pace.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. fiendishly /ˈfiːndɪʃli/
词性：adv.
释义：极其地
例句：Fiendishly fickle cocoa tree.
翻译：极其善变的可可树。
2. christened /ˈkrɪsnd/
词性：v.
释义：命名
例句：Christened by Carl Linnaeus.
翻译：由林奈命名。
3. worshipping /ˈwɜːʃɪpɪŋ/
词性：v.
释义：崇拜
例句：Wealthy Europeans worshipping its seeds.
翻译：富裕的欧洲人崇拜其种子。
4. ingredient /ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/
词性：n.
释义：成分
例句：Basic ingredient for chocolate.
翻译：巧克力的基本成分。
5. climbing /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
词性：v.
释义：攀升
例句：Demand climbing heavenwards.
翻译：需求向天攀升。
6. naturalist /ˈnætʃrəlɪst/
词性：n.
释义：博物学家
例句：Swedish naturalist Linnaeus.
翻译：瑞典博物学家林奈。
02 An unholy combination of disease, climate change and poor farming practices in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, where about 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown, has caused a severe shortage. Prices hit a record high of more than $12,000 in December. Although they have since eased, falling to $8,000 a tonne this month, that is more than triple the price three years ago (see chart). To survive, sweet-makers have raised their prices and pushed chocolate-free treats, such as gummies. They are working on more innovative solutions, too.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. unholy /ʌnˈhəʊli/
词性：adj.
释义：可怕的
例句：Unholy combination of factors.
翻译：可怕的因素组合。
2. severe /sɪˈvɪə/
词性：adj.
释义：严重的
例句：Caused severe shortage.
翻译：导致严重短缺。
3. eased /iːzd/
词性：v.
释义：缓解
例句：Prices have since eased.
翻译：价格此后有所缓解。
4. pushed /pʊʃt/
词性：v.
释义：推广
例句：Pushed chocolate-free treats.
翻译：推广无巧克力零食。
5. innovative /ˈɪnəveɪtɪv/
词性：adj.
释义：创新的
例句：Working on innovative solutions.
翻译：研究创新解决方案。
6. farming practices /ˈfɑːmɪŋ ˈpræktɪsɪz/
词性：n.
释义：耕作方式
例句：Poor farming practices.
翻译：不良的耕作方式。
03 Lindt, a Swiss chocolatier, launched a limited-edition snack bar with Planet A Foods, a German startup which roasts and ferments sunflower seeds to mimic the taste of cocoa. Even more exciting, says Darren O’Brien of Mondelez, a snack giant, is real cocoa that is grown, or “cultured”, in a laboratory from plant cells. Last year his firm invested in Celleste Bio, an Israeli startup focused on extracting cocoa butter (the fatty bit of the bean that gives chocolate its pleasing texture) from lab-grown cocoa.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. limited-edition /ˈlɪmɪtɪd ɪˈdɪʃən/
词性：adj.
释义：限量版的
例句：Launched limited-edition snack bar.
翻译：推出限量版零食棒。
2. mimic /ˈmɪmɪk/
词性：v.
释义：模仿
例句：Mimic the taste of cocoa.
翻译：模仿可可的味道。
3. cultured /ˈkʌltʃəd/
词性：adj.
释义：培育的
例句：Cocoa grown in laboratory.
翻译：实验室培育的可可。
4. extracting /ɪkˈstræktɪŋ/
词性：v.
释义：提取
例句：Extracting cocoa butter.
翻译：提取可可脂。
5. fatty /ˈfæti/
词性：adj.
释义：脂肪的
例句：Fatty bit of the bean.
翻译：豆类的脂肪部分。
6. pleasing /ˈpliːzɪŋ/
词性：adj.
释义：令人愉悦的
例句：Gives pleasing texture.
翻译：带来愉悦的口感。
04 Others have also taken an interest. Last month Barry Callebaut, another Swiss chocolate-maker, entered into a partnership with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences to develop cell-culture technology for cocoa. Meiji, a Japanese confectioner, has backed California cultured, an American startup that is developing lab-grown cocoa for use in chocolate sweets, beverages and ice cream. Alan Perlstein, the startup’s founder, proudly claims that it has “cracked” dark chocolate, which is trickier becuse it has fewer filler ingredients. It is now building a big demonstration facility and preparing to apply for regulatory approval.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. partnership /ˈpɑːtnəʃɪp/
词性：n.
释义：合作伙伴关系
例句：Entered into partnership.
翻译：建立合作伙伴关系。
2. confectioner /kənˈfekʃənə/
词性：n.
释义：糖果商
例句：Japanese confectioner Meiji.
翻译：日本糖果商明治。
3. backed /bækt/
词性：v.
释义：支持
例句：Meiji has backed startup.
翻译：明治支持初创公司。
4. trickier /ˈtrɪkiə/
词性：adj.
释义：更棘手的
例句：Trickier because fewer fillers.
翻译：因填充料少而更棘手。
5. demonstration /ˌdemənˈstreɪʃən/
词性：n.
释义：示范
例句：Building demonstration facility.
翻译：建设示范设施。
6. regulatory /ˈreɡjələtəri/
词性：adj.
释义：监管的
例句：Applying for regulatory approval.
翻译：申请监管批准。
05 Playing God comes with risks. In 2021 investors poured almost $1.4bn into lab-grown meat and seafood, swayed in part by environmental and Ethical arguments. Yet the technology is still not ready for prime time. It has also been dragged into America’s culture wars, with some Republican states having pre-emptively banned it. cultivated-meat firms raised just $139m in 2024, according to the Good Food Institute, an Alternative-meat advocacy group.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. swayed /sweɪd/
词性：v.
释义：影响
例句：Swayed by environmental arguments.
翻译：受环保论点影响。
2. ethical /ˈeθɪkəl/
词性：adj.
释义：伦理的
例句：Ethical arguments for lab meat.
翻译：实验室肉类的伦理论点。
3. dragged /dræɡd/
词性：v.
释义：卷入
例句：Dragged into culture wars.
翻译：卷入文化战争。
4. pre-emptively /priˈemptɪvli/
词性：adv.
释义：先发制人地
例句：Pre-emptively banned it.
翻译：先发制人地禁止。
5. alternative-meat /ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv miːt/
词性：n.
释义：替代肉类
例句：Alternative-meat advocacy group.
翻译：替代肉类倡导组织。
6. poured /pɔːd/
词性：v.
释义：投入
例句：Investors poured $1.4bn.
翻译：投资者投入14亿美元。
06 Growing plant cells such as cocoa is cheaper and easier than growing animal tissue, reckons David Welch of Synthesis Capital, which invests in food tech. Because it is an ingredient rather than an end product, it might also face less political opposition. With big companies now backing the sector, the technology for other cultivated plant cells, such as coffee, could “accelerate as well”, says Mr Welch.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. reckons /ˈrekənz/
词性：v.
释义：认为
例句：Reckons it is cheaper.
翻译：认为这样更便宜。
2. opposition /ˌɒpəˈzɪʃən/
词性：n.
释义：反对
例句：Face less political opposition.
翻译：面临较少政治反对。
3. accelerate /əkˈseləreɪt/
词性：v.
释义：加速
例句：Technology could accelerate.
翻译：技术可能加速发展。
4. cultivated /ˈkʌltɪveɪtɪd/
词性：adj.
释义：培育的
例句：Other cultivated plant cells.
翻译：其他培育的植物细胞。
5. ingredient /ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/
词性：n.
释义：原料
例句：As an ingredient rather than product.
翻译：作为原料而非最终产品。
6. tissue /ˈtɪʃuː/
词性：n.
释义：组织
例句：Growing animal tissue.
翻译：培育动物组织。
07 As yet, none of the cell-culture startups has regulatory approval. Most expect to become commercially viable in years, rather than months. And big chocolate companies think lab-grown cocoa will supplement, rather than replace, the tree-grown variety. Even so, the firms involved could help save the cell-culture industry—and perhaps the Desperate chocoholics of the future, too.
点击空白处查看词汇解析
1. commercially viable /kəˈmɜːʃəli ˈvaɪəbl/
词性：adj.
释义：商业可行的
例句：Become commercially viable.
翻译：变得商业可行。
2. supplement /ˈsʌplɪment/
词性：v.
释义：补充
例句：Supplement tree-grown variety.
翻译：补充树生品种。
3. involved /ɪnˈvɒlvd/
词性：adj.
释义：涉及的
例句：Firms involved in research.
翻译：涉及研究的公司。
4. desperate /ˈdespərət/
词性：adj.
释义：绝望的
例句：Desperate chocoholics.
翻译：绝望的巧克力爱好者。
5. regulatory approval /ˈreɡjələtəri əˈpruːvl/
词性：n.
释义：监管批准
例句：None has regulatory approval.
翻译：尚未获得监管批准。
6. cell-culture /sel ˈkʌltʃə/
词性：n.
释义：细胞培养
例句：Cell-culture industry.
翻译：细胞培养产业。
精读分析
①短语
1、 原文：Big chocolate has a growing taste for lab-grown cocoa 词典：a taste for：to develop a liking or preference for something after trying it
喜欢，逐渐对某事产生兴趣或偏好
例句：I never thought I would like hiking, but after I got a taste for it, I started going on hikes every weekend.
我从没想到自己会喜欢徒步，但尝试之后，我开始每个周末都去徒步。
After visiting Thailand, I got a taste for spicy dishes.
去泰国旅行后，我渐渐喜欢上了辣的菜肴。
Scientists think our ancestors developed a taste for meat around 2.5 million years ago.
科学家认为我们的祖先在大约250万年前逐渐爱上了吃肉。
2、 原文：Supply cannot keep pace.
词典：keep pace（或 keep pace with）：to go or make progress at the same speed as someone or something else
跟上……的步伐，进度一致，不落后
例句：Our production can’t keep pace with the orders coming in.
我们的产量跟不上来的订单。
The law has not kept pace with technology.
法律已经跟不上科技的发展。
He couldn’t keep pace with the class and eventually dropped out.
他跟不上班上节奏，最后退学了。
3、 原文：They are working on more innovative solutions, too.
词典：work on：to spend time repairing or improving something; to try to persuade someone
努力改进某事；尝试说服某人
例句：His dancing technique is good, but he needs to work on his stamina.
他的舞蹈技巧不错，但需要提升体力。
I’m working on my father to get him to take me to the airport.
我正在努力说服我爸带我去机场。
She spent months working on the project before it was accepted.
她花了几个月努力改进项目，最后才被接受。
4、 原文：Last year his firm invested in Celleste Bio, an Israeli startup focused on extracting cocoa butter (the fatty bit of the bean that gives chocolate its pleasing texture) from lab-grown cocoa.
词典：extract from：to remove or take out something from something else
从……中提取，拿出
例句：They used to extract iron ore from this site.
他们曾经从这个地方提取铁矿。
The oil extracted from olives is used for cooking.
从橄榄中提取的油用于烹饪。
He extracted a copy of the document from the archives.
他从档案中提取了一份文件副本。
5、 原文： It is now building a big demonstration facility and preparing to apply for regulatory approval.
词典：apply for：to request something officially, usually in writing or by sending in a form
申请（通常是书面或表格形式）
例句：We’ve applied for a grant to get funding for the project.
我们已经申请了资助来支持这个项目。
Roger applied for a scholarship to Yale.
罗杰申请了耶鲁的奖学金。
I applied for a new passport online last week.
我上周在线申请了新护照。
6、 原文：In 2021 investors poured almost $1.4bn into lab-grown meat and seafood, swayed in part by environmental and ethical arguments.
词典：in part：partly or to some degree; not wholly
部分地，在某种程度上
例句：The deadline for applications is being extended, in part because of the postal strike.
申请截止日期部分延长，是因为邮政罢工的原因。
Stress worsens the problem, in part by causing the release of cortisol and adrenaline.
压力在某种程度上加剧了问题，因为它会导致皮质醇和肾上腺素释放。
The report was true, in part, but some details were exaggerated.
报告有部分内容是真的，但有些细节被夸大了。
7、 原文：It has also been dragged into America’s culture wars, with some Republican states having pre-emptively banned it.
词典：drag into（drag someone into something）：to force someone to become involved in an unpleasant or difficult situation
把某人卷入（不愉快或困难的情境）
例句：Don’t drag me into your argument! It has nothing to do with me.
别把我拉进你们的争吵！这跟我没关系。
We got dragged into a long debate we didn’t want to be in.
我们被卷入了一场我们根本不想参与的冗长辩论。
He was dragged into the scandal despite his innocence.
尽管他无辜，却被牵扯进那场丑闻中。
8、 原文：Cultivated-meat firms raised just $139m in 2024, according to the Good Food Institute, an alternative-meat advocacy group.
词典：according to：in conformity with; as stated by someone or something; depending on
根据……；按照……；据……说
例句：According to rumors I’ve heard, he was fired for stealing from the company.
据我听说的传言，他是因为偷公司的东西被解雇了。
She always did everything according to the rules.
她总是按规定办事。
According to the weather forecast, it’ll be snowing tomorrow.
根据天气预报，明天会下雪。
9、 原文：Growing plant cells such as cocoa is cheaper and easier than growing animal tissue, reckons David Welch of Synthesis Capital, which invests in food tech.
词典：such as：used to introduce an example or series of examples
比如……，例如……
例句：You will need some form of identification, such as a driver’s license.
你需要某种形式的身份证件，比如驾驶执照。
She enjoys active hobbies, such as hiking and swimming.
她喜欢积极的爱好，例如徒步和游泳。
Solutions for vision problems, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, include glasses.
针对于视力问题，如近视和远视的解决方案包括戴眼镜。
10、 原文：Most expect to become commercially viable in years, rather than months.
词典：rather than：instead of; in preference to
而不是；与其……不如……（表示选择）
例句：I’d rather walk rather than take the bus.
我宁可走路也不坐公交。
She chose tea rather than coffee.
她选择喝茶，而不是咖啡。
We should focus on helping rather than criticizing.
我们应该专注于帮助，而不是批评。
② 长难句分析
1、原文：By the time Theobrama cacao was christened by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist, in 1753, wealthy Europeans, like the Mayans before them, were already worshipping its seeds.
分析：本句中首先为时间状语从句，从句中主语为Theobrama cacao，谓语为was christened，a Swedish naturalist为 Carl Linnaeus的同位语，in 1753为时间状语，主句中主语为wealthy Europeans，like the Mayans before them为介词短语表修饰，主句谓语为worshipping，宾语为its seeds。
译文：1753年，瑞典自然学家卡尔·林奈将可可树命名为Theobrama cacao，而在此之前，富裕的欧洲人就和之前的玛雅人一样，已然开始对其种子心生崇拜。
2、原文：An unholy combination of disease, climate change and poor farming practices in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, where about 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown, has caused a severe shortage.
分析：本句主语为An unholy combination of disease, climate change and poor farming practices，in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana为地点状语，后为where引导的定语从句，从句中主语为70% of the world’s cocoa，谓语为is grown，主句谓语为has caused，宾语为a severe shortage。
译文：全球70%的可可都来自科特迪瓦和加纳，但疾病、气候变化以及落后的农耕技术造成了供应短缺。
③ 写作技巧
By the time Theobrama cacao was christened by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish naturalist, in 1753, wealthy Europeans, like the Mayans before them, were already worshipping its seeds.
表达：“Christen”最初的本义源自基督教礼仪，指的是给婴儿施洗礼（baptize），同时赋予名字。在这种语境下，它与宗教仪式紧密相关，通常表示“以基督之名为人施洗”。随着时间推移，这个词的用法逐渐延伸，出现了更广泛的比喻义。它可以表示“给某人或某物命名、命名仪式”，不再局限于宗教场景。例如，船只下水时被“christened”意味着它正式获得名称并开始使用。此外，它还可以用来表示“首次使用”某物或开启某一用途，比如“christening a new stadium”就指的是首次启用体育场。在较正式的语境中，“christen”带有一种“庄重的命名或启用”的色彩，它强调的是赋予身份、象征意义或一种全新的开始。
例句：The new research vessel was christened Endeavour during a ceremony attended by international scientists.
这艘新研究船在一场有国际科学家出席的仪式上被正式命名为“奋进号”。
④段落大意
【1】人们对可可的需求持续攀升
【2】可可供应短缺，价格飙升，糖果制造商寻求多种解决办法
【3】各大公司采取措施，而实验室可通过细胞培养产出可可
【4】众多糖果品牌和科技方合作培养可可
【5】但同时该技术还面临着种种风险
【6】培育植物细胞技术也许将加速发展
【7】但该技术仍然有望挽救细胞培育产业及巧克力产业
来源：趣闻捕手一点号