我的世界本周方块：苔藓

For many, many years, Minecraft has included a mossy variant of cobblestone . It’s most often found deep underground in dungeons, but can also be acquired in jungle temples, underwater ruins, giant tree taiga biomes, and some villages.
数年来，Minecraft 中就已经有了圆石的生苔变种。它更常见于地下深处的地牢里，同时也能从丛林神庙、海底废墟、巨型针叶林群系和一些村庄中被获取到。

But what happens when that mossy cobblestone is left alone to grow, and grow and grow, for centuries? Even millennia? I’ll tell you what happens. You get our block of the week: pure, unadulterated moss.
但，在苔石上的苔藓几千年甚至上万年孤零零的生长过程中，又发生了些什么变化？让我来告诉你吧。你得到了我们的本周方块：纯净、纯粹的苔藓。

The moss block is a feature of the lush caves biome, which you won’t find in a regular game yet because we’re still working on it. If you’re extra-keen, then you can generate a lush caves biome in a buffet or custom world. For the rest of you, you’ll want to hunt around in shipwrecks, or track down a wandering trader, to get hold of this wondrous material.
苔藓块是繁茂洞穴的一个特性，你不能在平时的游戏中见到它，因为我们仍然在开发这个特性。不过你要是超喜欢它的话，那么你可以在一个自选世界或者自定义世界中生成繁茂洞穴。对剩下的那些人来讲，你们可以在沉船中四处寻宝，或者寻找一个流浪商人来获得这奇特的材料。

Why do I call it wondrous? Well, moss blocks have the ability to spread to other blocks nearby – but only under special circumstances. Normally, moss will sit there, look pretty, and not do anything. Like me when the deadline for this column is approaching. But apply a little bit of bonemeal, and the moss goes crazy, like my editor when I don’t file my column on time.
为什么我说它很奇特？是这样的，苔藓块可以向周围的方块蔓延，但仅仅是在特殊的情况之下。平时，苔藓只会静静地呆在那里，闭月羞花，一动不动。就像是这个专栏截止日期快到时我的状态。但是只要给它撒上一丢丢骨粉，苔藓就会疯狂地生长，就像我的我没有及时完成专栏时我文本编辑器的状态。

Bonemealed moss blocks will suddenly sprout layers of grass, tall grass, moss carpet, and even azalea bushes. But what’s more, they’ll also convert other blocks nearby into moss! You’ll want to experiment a little to find out exactly which blocks are convertible, but it works for most forms of dirt and stone.
被撒了骨粉的苔藓块会突然长出一个个草、高草、苔藓地毯甚至杜鹃花丛。但是不仅如此，他们还会将附近的方块变成上苔藓！你或许想搞个小实验来看看到底哪种方块可以变化，但其实它对大部分泥土和石头都能奏效。

In the real world，moss is a collection of species of small，flowerless plants that grow on rocks and trees in damp，shady places。Unlike most plants, mosses don’t have little tubes inside their bodies to transport water and nutrients around. Instead, they absorb both of those things through their leaves.
在现实世界中，苔藓是一些长在潮湿、阴暗的岩石上、树上的没有花朵的小植物的统称。不像大多数植物一样，苔藓的身体内部并没有小小的管道来帮助它们运输水和营养物质。取而代之的是，它们会通过叶片来吸收这些物质。

Mosses are very old. They’ve been around for at least 300 million years and probably quite a lot longer. That’s at least partly because they’re quite happy to live in situations that other species would reject – look between the paving slabs of the city you live in, or on its roof tiles, and you’ll find moss.
苔藓十分的古老。它们已经在世界上存在了至少3亿年，也可能比这还长。至少部分原因是它们很喜欢生活在别的物种不会生长的环境中 —— 只要看看你生活的城市的人行道的砖缝中，或者是在屋顶的瓦片上，你就能发现它们的踪影。

In the past, people collected mosses for all kinds of different reasons. They’re comfortable to sit or lie on, they’re insulating, and they suck up liquids. North American tribal peoples often used them for diapers, and to dress wounds, for example, and they were still being used as bandages as late as the First World War.
在过去，人们有很多原因收集苔藓。它们坐上去或者躺上去非常的舒服，它们能够隔热，又能够吸收液体。举个例子，北美部落民族将它们常当作尿布使，也用它们来包扎伤口，而且直到第一次世界大战时它们仍然被当作绷带使用。

Today, they’re used for decoration more than anything else – florists use them in their flower arrangements, architects use them to build fancy-looking moss walls that supposedly clean the air, and in Mexico moss is even used as a Christmas ornament.
如今，它们用作装饰比用在其它地方都要多 ——  花店插花要用到它，建筑师还可以用他们建造奇特据说能够净化空气的苔藓墙，并且在墨西哥它们甚至用来当作圣诞节装饰。

So in summary, there are loads of good reasons to use moss in your next Minecraft build. Just be careful you don’t bonemeal your home and turn it all into moss!
总结一下，这里有又多又好的理由在你的 Minecraft 建筑中使用苔藓。就是要小心在撒骨粉的时候别把你的家变成苔藓！

来源：最亮的信标

---