這些令人驚嘆的樹木之一將被加冕為英國的年度樹木

這些令人驚嘆的樹木之一將被加冕為英國的年度樹木

Britain is home to some of the most majestic trees on Earth, many of them having spread their roots for centuries.

英國是地球上一些最雄偉樹木的家園，其中許多樹木的根系已經(jīng)伸展了數(shù)百年。

The yews of Kingley Vale have existed in South Downs for thousands of years. They are some of the oldest living things in the United Kingdom, and they're in the running for Britain's Tree of the Year. (Photo: Jim Champion [CC BY-SA 2.0]/Flickr)

So when a contest comes along that aims to crown one of them as the fairest of them all, you might imagine the competition would be tight.

因此，當一場旨在為其中一名選手加冕為最公平選手的比賽開始時，你可能會認為競爭會很激烈。

The thing is, the trees don't care so much about all the pageantry. It's people who cast the votes. And trees, which can literally be the pillars of a community, mean a lot to people.

問題是，樹木并不太在意所有的華麗。是人民在投票。樹木是社區(qū)的支柱，對人們來說意義重大。

In that spirit, the Woodland Trust, one of the biggest conservation charities in the United Kingdom, has unveiled its shortlist for England's Tree of the Year.

本著這種精神，英國最大的環(huán)保慈善機構(gòu)之一林地信托基金會(Woodland Trust)公布了英格蘭年度樹木的候選名單。

The trees don't have to boast towering dimensions or trace a lineage spanning millennia. They might, in fact, simply tell a story. Last year's winner, for example, was a beech tree grafted into the shape of the letter "N."

這些樹并不一定要擁有高聳的規(guī)?；蚩缭綌?shù)千年的譜系。事實上，他們可能只是簡單地講一個故事。例如，去年的冠軍是一棵嫁接成字母“n”形狀的山毛櫸樹。

That would stand for Nellie. And the man who shaped it back in the early 20th century, a miner named Vic Stead. He used the tree to successfully woo his love. It worked, and the tree has since been named Nellie's Tree.

那將代表奈莉。還有在20世紀早期塑造它的人，一個叫維克·斯特德的礦工。他用這棵樹成功地贏得了他的愛情。它起了作用，這棵樹后來被命名為奈莉的樹。

Whoa, Nellie. (Photo: Christine Johnstone [CC BY-SA 2.0]/Wikimedia Commons)

Britain, for all its storied trees, isn't alone in honoring them. Europe has its own Tree of the Year contest also aimed at highlighting their towering importance. (In fact, the winners of England's contest and others in the U.K. will go on to represent the U.K. in the European contest.)

除了英國，還有許多其他的國家也向這些樹致敬。歐洲也有自己的“年度樹”評選活動，旨在突出它們的重要性。(事實上，英格蘭和其他英國選手的冠軍將代表英國參加歐洲賽場。)

The Dragon Tree of Brightstone

光明石的龍樹

Legend has it that this tree was once a dragon that terrorized the local village. (Photo: Sarah Louise Dawber)

Then there's a tree that would seem as at home in Middle Earth as it does on the Isle of Wight: the Dragon Tree of Brighstone. Its limbs are so vast, one of them actually serves a bridge over the brook below. The tree's epic — and downright strange — proportions may actually stem from disaster. Experts suggest at one point, it was toppled by a storm. But being the Dragon Tree and all, its branches found a way to re-root. And hence, it rose again.

還有一種樹，在中土世界看起來就像在懷特島上一樣自在:光明石之龍樹。它的四肢是如此之大，其中的一條甚至可以作為下面小溪上的橋梁。這棵樹的史詩般的比例——完全奇怪的比例——實際上可能源于災難。專家表示，它曾一度被暴風雨掀翻。但作為一棵龍樹，它的枝干找到了重新生根的方法。因此，它又上升了。

Or, if you prefer to stick with the Tolkien-esque narrative, some people claim the tree was once an actual dragon.

或者，如果你更愿意堅持托爾金式的敘述，一些人聲稱這棵樹曾經(jīng)是一條真正的龍。

The Fallen Tree, Richmond Park

倒下的樹，里士滿公園

But when it comes to trees rising from the dead, it's hard to top the Fallen Tree in London's Richmond Park. According to the Woodland Trust, this mighty oak was blown over in a storm — and yet it "flourished despite its unusual position.

但是，說到從死里復活的樹木時，很難不提在倫敦里士滿公園里倒下的樹。據(jù)林地信托基金會稱，這棵高大的橡樹在暴風雨中被吹倒了——然而，“盡管它的位置不同尋常，它卻枝繁葉茂”。

"Now its branches all grow from one side of the trunk, reaching upwards as if each one was a small tree."

“現(xiàn)在它的樹枝都從樹干的一邊長出來，向上延伸，好像每一根都是一棵小樹。”

If you happen to know any of them — and perhaps think one is particularly worthy of the crown — you can cast your vote through the Woodland Trust website here. The voting closes on Sept. 27.

如果你碰巧認識他們中的任何一個——也許你認為其中一個特別配得上皇冠——你可以通過林地信托網(wǎng)站在這里投票。投票將于9月27日結(jié)束。