时差N小时 蒲公英的诞生

They're a home owner's nemesis¹ and a young kid's delight. Whether they're yellow flowers dotting an otherwise perfect lawn or white puffs² ready to be blown away by a sudden gust³, dandelions are either hated or loved by just about everybody. What looks like a single yellow flower growing in your lawn is actually many flowers grouped together. Each section of the flower that looks like a petal⁴ is actually an individual flower in its own right.

蒲公英是房子主人的克星，却能给孩子们带来欢乐。无论是点缀在完美的草坪上的黄色花朵，还是忽然一阵风刮来就会被吹走的纯白蓬松的果实，蒲公英让每个人又爱又恨。蒲公英黄色的花朵看上去像是一朵，但实际上是许多花朵的组合。那些看起来类似花瓣的部分，实际上都是一朵独立的花。

A dandelion is an aggregate⁵ of many small flowers and each individual flower has its own stamens and pistil, and therefore can reproduce without fertilization. After a dandelion has bloomed, each of the individual flowers within a single dandelion forms a seed. The seed is attached to fluffy⁶ white threads, which allow the seed to fly to a place where, if it meets favorable conditions, it can germinate⁷ to create another dandelion. Even if you hate this common weed, you've got to respect its tenacious⁸ spirit.

蒲公英是许多小小花朵的集合，且每朵花都有自己的雄蕊和雌蕊。蒲公英绽放之后，每个单独的花朵内都会形成种子。种子就是那毛茸茸的白色线球，这样种子能随风飞到别处，如何遇到适宜的环境，它就能发芽，长成另一株蒲公英。即使你讨厌这种普通的植物，但必须尊重它顽强的精神。

Dandelions are native to six continents, and are found throughout the world except in the tropics. Their impressive roots, which can be up to a foot long, allow them to thrive in inhospitable environments, like big cities, where most flowers and weeds can't even survive.

蒲公英原产于六个大陆，除了热带，世界的任何地方都能找到它们的身影。令人惊叹的是，它们的根部长达一英尺，这样的根部使它们能在荒凉的环境中茁壮成长，例如不适合许多花草生存的大城市。

Cut off a dandelion at the surface and the root will grow another plant. But dandelions aren't just annoying weeds; they've been used throughout history in a variety of ways. Dandelion leaves have been eaten as salad greens and dried to make dandelion tea; and dandelion flowers have been used to make wine and schnapps. In addition, the milky⁹ juice of one kind of dandelion has been used to make a natural rubber.

将蒲公英的表面或者根部切断，就会重新长出一株蒲公英来。然而，蒲公英并不是令人头疼的杂草。历史上有各种关于食用蒲公英的记载。蒲公英的叶子可做成沙拉食用，也可晒干用来泡茶。蒲公英的花朵能用来酿葡萄酒和松子酒。此外，有一种蒲公英的白色汁液可用来制作天然橡胶。

1 nemesis   

n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手

参考例句：

• Uncritical trust is my nemesis.盲目的相信一切害了我自己。
• Inward suffering is the worst of Nemesis.内心的痛苦是最厉害的惩罚。

2 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

3 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

4 petal   

n.花瓣

参考例句：

• Each white petal had a stripe of red.每一片白色的花瓣上都有一条红色的条纹。
• A petal fluttered to the ground.一片花瓣飘落到地上。

5 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

6 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

7 germinate   

v.发芽；发生；发展

参考例句：

• Seeds will not germinate without water.没有水，种子是不会发芽的。
• Can thin and hollow seeds germinate?瘦瘪的种子能够发芽吗？

8 tenacious   

adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的

参考例句：

• We must learn from the tenacious fighting spirit of Lu Xun.我们要学习鲁迅先生韧性的战斗精神。
• We should be tenacious of our rights.我们应坚决维护我们的权利。

9 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。