But how did the festive Christmas tradition of kissing under mistletoe come about?

但是這充滿節慶氛圍的聖誕節傳統，在槲寄生下接吻是怎麼來的呢？

The long-lived custom intertwines the mythology and biology of this intriguing plant.

該傳統來自於這種有意思的植物在神學以及生物學方面的結合。

There are more than 1,000 species of mistletoe, which grows the world over.

槲寄生的品種有一千多種，生長在世界各地。

In fact, the ancient Europeans were so captivated by the plant's unusual growth habits that they included it in their legends and myths.

事實上，古歐洲人對於這種生長習性很特別的植物十分著迷，所以他們將這種植物寫入他們的傳奇故事以及神話當中。

In ancient Rome, Pliny the Elder described how the Druid priesthood in ancient England believed that mistletoe was a plant dropped down from heaven by the gods.

在古羅馬，老普林尼敘述了在遠古時的英格蘭，德魯伊的神職人員是如何相信槲寄生是上帝從天堂扔下人間的植物。

That explained its unlikely position amongst the high branches of certain trees.

這就解釋了為什麼它可以生長在某些樹的高枝上。

They also believed it had powers of healing and bestowing fertility.

他們還相信槲寄生可以療傷並賦予生命。

Meanwhile, Scandinavian legend told of the plant's mystical qualities in the story of the God Baldr, and his adoring mother, Frigg, goddess of love, marriage, and fertility.

同時，斯堪地那維亞的傳說講訴了這種植物的神秘特質，是關於巴爾德和他受人崇拜的母親弗麗嘉的故事，而弗麗嘉是掌管著愛、婚姻和生育的女神。

Frigg loved her son so much that she commanded every plant, animal, and inanimate object to vow they'd never harm him.

弗麗嘉太愛他的兒子了，所以她要求所有的植物、動物，以及沒有生命的物體都發誓永遠不能傷害她的兒子。

In her fervor, however, she overlooked the mistletoe.

她十分熱忱，但她卻忽略了槲寄生。

The mischievous god Loki realized this oversight and pierced Baldr's heart with an arrow carved from a mistletoe branch.

愛惡作劇的洛基發現了這個疏忽，就用箭刺穿了巴爾德的心，這箭是用槲寄生的樹枝雕刻的。

Frigg cried tears of such sadness that they formed the mistletoe's pearly berries, making the other gods pity her and agree to resurrect Baldr.

弗麗嘉傷心得落淚了，而淚滴就成為了槲寄生珍珠般的果實，在其他神的同情下，便同意讓巴爾德復活了。

Hearing the news, Frigg became so overjoyed that she transformed the mistletoe from a symbol of death into one of peace and love.

聽到這個消息弗麗嘉十分開心，她將象徵著死亡的槲寄生轉化成了 象徵和平與愛的植物。

She mandated a one-day truce for all fights, and that everyone embrace beneath its branches when they passed to spread more love into the world.

她下令這一天所有的戰爭都要休戰，而每個從槲寄生樹枝下走過的人都要相互擁抱，使更多的愛在這個世界上傳遞。

In the 17th century, British colonists arriving in the New World found a different, but very similar looking species of mistletoe.

十七世紀，英國殖民者來到了新世界，發現了一種很特別，但是又有相似外觀的槲寄生品種。

They applied it to these tales of magic, fertility, and love, spreading the mistletoe-hanging tradition from Europe into America.

他們將這種槲寄生與神話、生育還有愛聯繫起來，將槲寄生的傳說從歐洲傳播到了美洲。

By the 18th century, people in Britain had turned this into a Christmas tradition, but this custom comes down to more than just human imagination.

到了十八世紀，英國人將這一傳統轉變成了一個聖誕習俗，但是歸根結底，這一習俗不僅僅是人類的想像。

All of it was inspired by the plant's intriguing biology.

所有這些都是由這個植物奇特的生物屬性所啟發。

We see mistletoe as a festive decoration, but draped on tree boughs in the wild, it's known as a partly parasitic plant.

我們將槲寄生作為聖誕的裝飾，但是在野外，它墜在大樹枝上，被視為寄生植物。

Mistletoe relies on modified roots called haustoria that penetrate the tree bark and siphon off the water and minerals, trees carry up their trunks.

槲寄生靠著吸器，也就是特化根，來穿透樹皮、抽吸樹木用來維持樹幹的水分與礦物質 。

To colonize nearby trees with its seeds, mistletoe depends on birds and other creatures to do the dispersing.

為了在周圍的樹上大量繁殖，槲寄生靠鳥和其他生物來播種。

Birds that eat the mistletoe's sticky white berries sometimes get rid of the gluey seeds by wiping them off onto tree bark.

鳥吃了槲寄生黏稠的白色漿果後，有時為了擺脫黏黏的種子，會蹭樹皮來將黏液擦掉。

Or with a bit of luck, they excrete the indigestible seed onto a tree where it germinates and starts to grow.

或許幸運的話，它們會將未能消化的種子排泄到樹上，它便會開始發芽和生長。

With its resilience and foliage that stays lush, even while the surrounding trees lose their leaves, you can see why mistletoe captivated our superstitious ancestors.

就算周圍的樹都在掉葉子，它仍有著很強的恢復力和茂盛的枝葉， 可想而知槲寄生為何可以讓我們迷信的先人如此著迷了 。

They saw these as signs of the plant's magical qualities and fertility.

他們把這看作是這種植物神奇的特性和繁衍不息的標誌。

Even today, the mistletoe inspires wonder with the diversity of wildlife it supports.

即使是今天，槲寄生也仍在製造奇蹟，滋養著各種各樣的野生生命。

More than just a parasite, it's also known as a keystone species.

它不僅是一種寄生植物，同時也是十分重要的品種。

It's eaten by a diversity of animals, including deer, elk, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, robins, bluebirds, mourning doves, and the butterfly genus, Delias.

許多動物都以它為食，包括鹿麋、鹿、松鼠、花栗鼠、豪豬、鶇、知更鳥、哀鴿、以及艷粉蝶屬。

Some mistletoe species produce dense bushes, which are excellent nesting locations for a variety of birds.

某些槲寄生可以幫助形成密集的灌木叢，這些灌木叢對許多鳥兒來說是絕佳的憩息地 。

And despite their parasitic relationship with trees, mistletoes can also help other plants.

盡管它們和樹存在寄生關係，槲寄生也可以幫助其他植物。

For instance, juniper sprouts near mistletoe to benefit from the visiting berry-eating birds.

例如，杜松就在槲寄生附近生長，因為它們會得利於前來吃漿果的小鳥。

Through the many benefits it provides, mistletoe influences diversity, and allows ecosystems to flourish.

槲寄生有如此多的益處，它影響了多種物種，也讓生態系統生生不息。

You might even say that for this iconic plant, life imitates legend.

你或許還會說，對於這種出眾的植物，它的生命就像是傳說。

In the wild, mistletoe has the power to bring things together, and in our own traditions, we see that happening, too.

在野外，槲寄生擁有促成團結的力量，而在我們的傳統中，它也是如此。