The English oak is one of Britain's most iconic trees.
英国橡树是英国最具标志性的树木之一。
Broad and majestic, this tree supports more species than any other native tree in the UK, from blackbirds, to squirrels to butterflies.
这棵树宽阔而雄伟，它支持的物种比英国任何其他本土树木都多，从黑鸟到松鼠再到蝴蝶。
For centuries it has stood watching the landscapes change and our societies evolve.
几个世纪以来，它一直站立着，见证着风景的变化和我们社会的演变。
The question is, can a tree remember, learn and adapt to new environments within its lifetime?
问题是，一棵树能否在其一生中记住、学习并适应新环境？
Does wisdom lie within its boughs?
智慧是否藏在其树枝中？
Trees provide a physical record of their life experiences in their growth rings.
树木在其年轮中提供了它们生活经历的物理记录。
Dendrochronologists take samples from a tree trunk and are able to see whether a tree has been through a forest fire, periods of drought or a rainy season.
树轮年代学家从树干取样，能够看到一棵树是否经历过森林火灾、干旱时期或雨季。
But these markings are more than just battle scars.
但这些标记不仅仅是战斗伤痕。
An organisation called Membra studies a number of UK tree species to see how they 'remember' and respond to environmental stress.
一个名为Membra的组织研究了许多英国树种，以了解它们如何“记住”并应对环境压力。
Their research shows that environmental events do not change the tree's genetic code, but they can change how its genes react, which helps the tree adapt and defend itself against future drought, disease or climate extremes.
他们的研究表明，环境事件不会改变树木的遗传密码，但可以改变其基因的反应方式，这有助于树木适应并防御未来的干旱、疾病或极端气候。
So, trees don't have conscious memories of events like humans do – they remember through biological, structural changes.
因此，树木不像人类那样有意识的事件记忆——它们通过生物、结构变化来记忆。
That's a tree's defence in its own lifespan, but can their memories be passed down to future generations?
这是树木在其自身寿命内的防御，但它们的记忆能否传递给后代？
Membra's research found that seedlings were more tolerant to drought when their parents had experienced repeated drought.
Membra的研究发现，当亲本经历过反复干旱时，幼苗对干旱的耐受性更强。
And in one of the world's largest climate change experiments, published in Nature Climate Change by Richard Norby and colleagues, they pumped extra CO2 into an oak forest.
在世界上最大的气候变化实验之一中，由Richard Norby及其同事发表在《自然气候变化》上，他们向橡树林中泵入了额外的二氧化碳。
Not only did the trees absorb more CO2, but the offspring of those trees also grew faster and were more resistant to disease, suggesting that tough conditions might make trees' offspring more resilient.
这些树木不仅吸收了更多的二氧化碳，而且它们的后代也生长得更快，对疾病的抵抗力更强，这表明恶劣的条件可能使树木的后代更具韧性。
There has been a wave of tree planting schemes throughout the UK, with aims to improve biodiversity and our defence against climate change.
整个英国掀起了一股植树计划的浪潮，旨在提高生物多样性和我们对气候变化的防御能力。
Fast-growing and short-lived tree species are often favoured in these schemes to quickly increase tree numbers.
在这些计划中，快速生长且寿命短的树种通常受到青睐，以快速增加树木数量。
But trees that live longer, like oaks, which have a greater memory and resilience, could be a better choice.
但寿命更长的树木，如橡树，具有更强的记忆力和韧性，可能是更好的选择。
