万花筒 2009-08-25&08-26 少一棵树，补种两棵

Drive through Aiken, South Carolina, and you can't miss the 19th century parkways shaded by 100-year-old oaks. But not all residents realize the city's treasure. Bob McCartney knows, he co-owned woodlanders - a nursery specializing in rare and unusual plants, when he wanted to branch out 30 years ago, the city let him.

"The one I'm planting is a Mexican maple¹, it's relatively² little known in the United States. This is probably the first one to be planted in South Carolina."

McCartney has planted so many different types of trees that the entire city Aiken has grown into an arboretum³.

"I couldn't even begin to walk through and tell anybody what his plannings are, because they are just way out there."

Including these mile-long stretching oaks - a virtual united nations of trees.

"All these are different oaks from all over the world, the first one there is native to Alabama and Texas, the next one to Mexico, Southern Europe, a hybrid⁴ from Holland."

Where other cities have heat island of asphalt. Aiken city's workers plant two trees for every one they remove. They know that trees build better soil, reduce water runoff, provide oxygen and valuable shade.

"It's a solution not just for the environment, we think it's a solution for the environment of your mind."

 

Reynolds Wolf, CNN.
 

1 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 arboretum   

n.植物园

参考例句：

• We can go to the arboretum in the southern suburb.我们可以去南郊的植物园。
• The arboretum is full of exotic flowers and rare herbs.植物园里长满了各种奇花异草。

4 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。