喜马拉雅伟哥背后的故事

China's appetite for an obscure fungus found on caterpillars and foraged in remote regions of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan has pushed prices to levels usually reserved for precious metals. But the competition for retrieving them can sometimes prove fatal.

中国对一种不常见的真菌的兴趣已经把它的价格推升到了以前只有贵金属才能达到的高位。不过，为了收集这种真菌而进行的竞争有时候却是致命的。这种真菌寄生在死去的毛毛虫体内，一般要在西藏、尼泊尔和不丹等偏远地区才能找到。

Traditional herbalists believe the yarchagumba fungus boosts sexual performance and can cure other ailments as well. It is typically boiled in water to make a tea, ground into a powder and then sprinkled on food, or added whole to soups or stews.

传统中医认为冬虫夏草有壮阳治病的疗效。可以煮茶服用或研磨成粉加少量到食物中，或整只煮汤食用。

Some Chinese like to incorporate it into their Chinese New Year's feasts as well. Earlier this week, Australian customs authorities intercepted a bounty of food as Chinese tourists on charter flights to the country tried to bring more than 60 pounds of fresh fruit, pig's trotters, chicken feet and yarchagumba.

一些中国人还喜欢在农历新年的时候喝虫草汤。本周较早时候，澳大利亚海关人员在搭乘航班入境该国的中国旅客身上截获了大量食物。这些旅客曾试图把超过60磅重的新鲜水果、猪蹄、鸡爪和虫草带入澳大利亚。

The fungus is among several unusual commodities and collectibles whose prices are climbing as Chinese investors speculate in nontraditional markets.

虫草也是几种少见的投资品和收藏品之一。受中国投资者在非传统市场上从事的投机活动的推动，虫草的价格正在上升。

Does ingesting caterpillar fungus really provide the boost that so many seek? There hasn't been any definitive research conducted by Western scientists. But because its value is already somewhere between silver and gold, it is likely to inspire more spats in the future.

食用寄生在毛毛虫身上的真菌真的能像许多人希望的那样起到进补的作用吗？迄今为止没有任何西方科学家对此进行过权威的研究。不过，由于价格已经介于白银和黄金之间，虫草未来很可能会引发更多的关注。