34 The Octopus Plant

Unless you have visited the southern United States, you probably have never heard of kudzu. Kudzu, as any farmer in the South will sadly tell you, is a super-powered weed. It is a strong climbing vine. Once it gets started, kudzu is almost impossible to stop. It climbs to the tops of the tallest trees. It can cover large buildings. Whole bands of farmhouses have been known to disappear from view. It has even been said to engulf small, slow-moving children, but that is probably an exaggeration. Still, wherever it grows, it is this: a revitalizing plant is extremely hard to remove.

Kudzu was once thought to be a helpful plant. Originally from Asia, it was brought to America to help fight erosion. It was planted where its tough roots, which grow up to five feet long, could help hold back the soil. But the plant soon spread to places where it wasn’t wanted. Farmers now have to fight to keep it from eating up all the nutrients in the soil and killing other plants. In a way, it works as a sign of unemployment in the South; where there is no one to work the fields, kudzu soon takes over.

The northern United States faces no threat from kudzu. Harsh winters kill off its vines. The plant loves the warmth of the South. But the South surely doesn’t love it. If someone could invent some use for kudzu and take it off southern farmers’ lands, his or her fortune would be assured.

34 章鱼草

除非你去过美国南部，否则你可能从未听说过葛藤。任何美国南部的农民都会难过地告诉你，葛藤是一种超强的杂草。它是一种长势强劲的攀缘藤蔓。一旦生长起来，葛藤几乎无法被阻止。它能爬到最高的树顶，能覆盖大型建筑。整排农舍都曾因它从视野中消失。甚至有人说它会吞没行动缓慢的小孩，但这可能是夸张的说法。不过，无论它长在哪里，情况都是这样：这种极具生命力的植物极难铲除。

葛藤曾被认为是一种有益的植物。它原产于亚洲，被引入美国是为了防止水土流失。它被种植在其坚韧的根系（可长达五英尺）能够帮助固定土壤的地方。但这种植物很快蔓延到了不受欢迎的地方。现在农民们不得不努力阻止它耗尽土壤中的所有养分并杀死其他植物。从某种程度上说，它在美国南部成了失业的标志；哪里的田地无人耕种，葛藤很快就会占据那里。

美国北部不会受到葛藤的威胁，严冬会冻死它的藤蔓。这种植物喜爱南方的温暖，但南方肯定不喜欢它。如果有人能发明葛藤的某种用途，把它从南方农民的土地上清除掉，那他或她一定会发大财。