VOA慢速英语2013 Agriculture Report - Friends With Benefits, in the Plant World

 

Agriculture Report - Friends With Benefits, in the Plant World

农业报道 - 植物世界的互惠互利

From VOA Learning English, This is the Agriculture Report in Special English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Companion planting is the idea that some kinds of plants can help each other grow. Plants that are compatible together generally have similar needs in terms of nutrients¹, soil and moisture levels.

混栽的想法在于某些种类的植物有助于彼此生长。互相兼容的植物一般在养分、土壤和水分含量上有类似需求。

Advice about which plants are compatible is sometimes based more on tradition than proof. But experts say there is evidence to support certain combinations. These can improve harvests, reduce disease and help with pest control by attracting helpful insects.

有关哪些植物能够互相兼容有时候更多取决于传统而不是论证。但专家表示某些组合有证据作为支持。这些组合可以提高收成、减少疾病，并且通过吸引益虫来帮助控制虫害。

For example, some kinds of soil bacteria take nitrogen from the air and make it into a form that plants can use. The plants hold the nitrogen in their roots. Legumes are especially good at this nitrogen-fixing. Then any crops that share the same space as the legumes can get the nitrogen as the roots decompose².

例如，某些类型的土壤细菌从空气中吸收氮并将其转化成为一种植物能够利用的形式。这类植物将氮保存到根部，豆类尤其擅长于这样固氮。这样共享土壤的任何作物，例如豆类，可以在根部分解时获得这些氮。

Beans and potatoes can also share territory well because their roots reach different levels in the soil. Deep-rooted vegetables get nutrients and moisture from lower down in the soil, so they do not compete with plants with shallower roots.

菜豆和马铃薯也能很好地分享领土，因为它们的根在土壤中的深度不同。深根类蔬菜从更深的土壤中获得养分和水分，因此它们不会与浅根植物竞争。

But some plants placed together may harm each other's development. For example, tomatoes do not like wet soil but watercress does, so you would probably want to keep them separated.

但有些植物放到一块可能会损害各自的发展。例如，西红柿不喜欢潮湿的土壤，但豆瓣菜却喜欢潮湿的土壤，所以你可能需要将它们分开。

Some kinds of produce should be kept apart even after being harvested. This is because of ethylene gas. Ethylene is a plant hormone³ that can cause some foods to ripen⁴ too quickly. Apples release ethylene gas. Apricots, melons and tomatoes also release a lot of ethylene. Some vegetable are easily affected⁵ by ethylene, including asparagus, broccoli⁶, cabbage and cucumbers.

某些种类的农产品即使在收获后也应当隔离开。这是因为乙烯。乙烯是一种植物激素，能够导致一些食物成熟太快。苹果会释放乙烯。杏、甜瓜和西红柿也释放乙烯。有些蔬菜很容易受乙烯影响，其中包括芦笋，西兰花，白菜和黄瓜。

This risk of ripening⁷ too soon is why markets often separate high ethylene-producing foods from those that are sensitive to the gas.

这种过快催熟的风险就是市场上经常将产生乙烯多的食物和对乙烯敏感的食物分开的原因。

But if you put an apple in a bag with a green banana, the ethylene from the apple will make the banana ready to eat sooner.

但如果你将一个苹果和未熟的香蕉放进一个袋子里，苹果释放的乙烯将使香蕉很快可以食用。

What about peaches, plums and nectarines? These kinds of fruit do not need any help from an apple -- they release enough ethylene to ripen themselves. But that does not mean there is no way to get the job done faster.

桃子、李子、油桃呢？这类水果不需要苹果帮忙，它们能够释放足够多的乙烯使自身成熟。但这并不意味着没办法使这个成熟的过程更快一些。

Growers suggest placing the fruit in a fruit bowl or in a paper bag with the top folded over. Keep the fruit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once the fruit is soft enough, either use it or put it in the refrigerator to keep it from getting too ripe. Yuck.

种植者建议将这些水果放入水果盘或纸袋里并盖好。将这些水果保持在室温下避免阳光直射。一旦水果足够软了，要么吃了它，要么把它放入冰箱以防止它变得太熟。

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, I'm Jim Tedder⁸.

1 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 decompose   

vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂

参考例句：

• The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。
• Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。

3 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

4 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

7 ripening   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成

参考例句：

• The corn is blossoming [ripening]. 玉米正在开花[成熟]。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• When the summer crop is ripening, the autumn crop has to be sowed. 夏季作物成熟时，就得播种秋季作物。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网