Fungi play an important role in ecosystems, are a source of food, and make key contributions to the world of medicine. So, why do we know so little about them?

真菌在生态系统中发挥着重要作用，是食物的来源，并对医学界做出重要贡献。 那么，为什么我们对它们知之甚少呢？

An estimated two million fungal species – more than 90% of all fungi – have yet to be described by science, according to Rebecca Morelle, science reporter for the BBC. In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 25,000 species of fungi – five or six times more than plants. Scientists are trying to find out more about this largely unexplored world, but it is challenging. Dr Martyn Ainsworth, a senior researcher from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, says: 'We can grow a certain number in the lab, but there is a whole host of fungi that we cannot grow in the lab. This has held back a lot of research.'

据 BBC 科学记者 Rebecca Morelle 称，估计有 200 万种真菌（占所有真菌的 90% 以上）尚未被科学描述。 据认为，仅在英国就有大约 25,000 种真菌——比植物多五六倍。 科学家们正试图找到更多关于这个很大程度上未开发的世界的信息，但这具有挑战性。 伦敦基尤皇家植物园的高级研究员 Martyn Ainsworth 博士说：“我们可以在实验室中培养一定数量的真菌，但还有大量的真菌我们无法在实验室中培养。 这阻碍了很多研究。

The fact that we know so little about the world of fungi leads many of us to misunderstand them. 'A lot of people are afraid of poisonous mushrooms', says Dr Jassy Drakulic, a plant pathologist, 'but only a very small proportion of the thousands of species of fungi in the world can cause disease'. Most are harmless and often beneficial, called by some 'the hidden helpers of our environment'. Some fungi provide food and shelter for wildlife, help plants absorb water and nutrients and recycle waste and dead matter. Other types of fungi grow on the roots of trees and plants, forming a huge underground network that helps nourish trees. 'Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work', adds Dr Ainsworth.

我们对真菌世界知之甚少这一事实导致我们中的许多人误解了它们。 “很多人都害怕有毒的蘑菇”，植物病理学家 Jassy Drakulic 博士说，“但在世界上数千种真菌中，只有极小部分会导致疾病”。 大多数是无害的，而且通常是有益的，被一些人称为“我们环境的隐藏帮手”。 一些真菌为野生动物提供食物和住所，帮助植物吸收水分和养分，并回收废物和死物。 其他类型的真菌生长在树木和植物的根部，形成一个巨大的地下网络，有助于滋养树木。 “真菌确实是完成所有工作的幕后团队”，Ainsworth 博士补充道。

So, next time you add mushrooms to your dinner, take a painkiller for a headache, or go for a walk through the woods, remember to thank the living things that made it all possible – fungi.

因此，下次您在晚餐中加入蘑菇、服用止痛药治疗头痛或在树林中散步时，请记住感谢使这一切成为可能的生物——真菌。

词汇表

fungi （复数）真菌，真菌类植物
ecosystem 生态系统
source of 来源
make a contribution 作出贡献
fungal species 真菌种类
unexplored 未经研究的，无人涉足的
botanic 植物（学）的
lab 实验室
a whole host of 许多，大量
poisonous 有毒的
proportion 部分，比例
disease 疾病
shelter 栖息地，住所
wildlife 野生动植物
absorb 吸收
nutrient 养分，营养物
waste 废物
dead matter 枯死物，死亡有机物
root 根部
nourish 滋养