Most food ferments when bacteria living in it eat sugars and nutrients in the food.
大部分食物发酵是因为细菌消耗掉了食物的糖分和其它营养。
The bacteria subsequently produce waste in the form of acids and other chemicals that affect the appearance, smell, and taste of the food.
随后，细菌代谢产生酸和其他化学物质会影响食物的外观，气味和口感。
In other words, bacterial waste is what causes food to rot and appear moldy.
也就是说，细菌的代谢物才是食物腐烂、发霉的罪魁祸首。
But like most life forms, bacteria need water to thrive.
和大多数生物一样，细菌也需要水来繁殖。
While many foods contain a good deal of water, honey contains almost none.
许多食物都含有大量水分，而蜂蜜几乎没有任何水分。
What little water exists in honey binds to its sugars and enzymes, leaving little for bacterial growth.
蜂蜜中仅有的水分会跟糖分还有酶结合，细菌几乎没有水分可以繁殖。
Unsealed, honey will attract water from the air and eventually ferment. But sealed, honey lasts for ages.
解封的蜂蜜会吸收空气中的水分然后发酵。而密封的蜂蜜可保存数年。
Of course, even sealed honey will eventually crystallize and turn hard, but this doesn't mean it's spoiled.
当然了，密封状态下的蜂蜜最终也会结晶、变硬，但是并不意味着变质。
In fact, even years later, it's as good as new.
实际上，即使数年过后，蜂蜜仍旧新鲜如初。
译文为秀哈英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载!
