英国学生科学读本 第68期:风信子(2)

 　　In the centre of the flower is the green seed-vessel; and if we cut this across, we shall find that it is divided into three parts, each of which contains several young seeds.

　　位于花朵中间的就是绿色种皮, 我们将其切开, 就会发现, 种皮分为三个部分, 其中每一个都包含若干小种子。

　　After the flowers have been open for a few days, the seed-vessels swell¹ and become hard. The rest of the flower then withers² away. The seed-vessel turns brown as it ripens³, and in autumn it splits open and scatters⁴ its little black seeds on the ground. These seeds then take root, and producenew hyacinth plants.

　　风信子的花儿盛开几天之后, 种皮便会膨胀, 变硬, 花朵的其他部分则逐渐枯萎。种皮成熟之后变成棕色, 到了春天, 种皮裂开, 于是, 里面的黑色种子落到了地上。随后, 这些种子生根发芽, 成长为新的风信子。

　　What is the use of its bulb to the hyacinth? The bulb is a kind of store-house, in which the plant lays up food during the summer, so that it may be able to grow quickly, and to flower early in the next spring. As the leaves and flowers grow, they use up all the food contained in the bulb, and it slowly wastes away.

　　风信子的球茎有什么用呢? 它就像是一个储藏室, 可以让风信子在夏天的时候储备食物, 从而让自己快速生长, 在来年的春季早一些盛开花朵。随着叶子与花朵的生长, 风信子会把球茎中储存的养分全部消耗完毕, 球茎也就逐渐失去了作用。

　　But after the flowers have ripened⁵ and formed their seeds, the plant sets to work to make a new bulb, either above or on one side of the old one. Thus the same hyacinth plant grows on in the ground year after year, forming a new bulb every year.

　　然而, 当花朵成熟, 形成种子时, 原有的球茎上方或者一边就会长出新的球茎。因此, 年复一年, 新的球茎总是能够在原地生长成为另外一株风信子。

　　Did you ever buy hyacinth bulbs to grow in pots or glasses, or in your garden? Such hyacinths are somewhat different from the wild ones. Their six petals⁶ are joined together, except at the tips. The flowers are crowded more closely together on the flower-stalk than they are in the wild hyacinth, and are of more varied⁷ colours. I hope that you will one day try to grow a hyacinth in a glass of water.

　　你是否买过风信子球茎, 种植在花盆、玻璃瓶或花园之中? 这些风信子与野生的有所不同。六个花瓣除了顶部, 其余部分全部连接在一起。与野生风信子相比, 家养风信子花茎上的花朵彼此依靠得更加紧密, 而且颜色更加丰富。希望有一天你们可以亲手在一杯水中栽种一株风信子。

1 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

2 withers   

马肩隆

参考例句：

• The girl's pitiful history would wring one's withers. 这女孩子的经历令人心碎。
• "I will be there to show you," and so Mr. Withers withdrew. “我会等在那里，领你去看房间的，"威瑟斯先生这样说着，退了出去。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 ripens   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The sun ripens the crops. 太阳使庄稼成熟。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then their seed ripens, and soon they turn brown and shrivel up. 随后，它们的种子熟了，不久就变枯萎。 来自辞典例句

4 scatters   

v.（使）散开， （使）分散，驱散( scatter的第三人称单数 )；撒

参考例句：

• He scatters money about as if he were rich. 他四处挥霍，好像很有钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Truth raises against itself the storm that scatters its seeds broadcast. 真理引起了反对它自己的狂风骤雨，那场风雨吹散了真理的广播的种子。 来自辞典例句

5 ripened   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They're collecting the ripened reddish berries. 他们正采集熟了的淡红草莓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The branches bent low with ripened fruits. 成熟的果实压弯了树枝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 petals   

n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
• The petals of many flowers expand in the sunshine. 许多花瓣在阳光下开放。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。