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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
GardeningOne of the quiet joys of
Gardening
One of the quiet joys
of life in the southern part
of Ontario, Canada, is gardening.
Whether pursued as a hobby
or solely1 to improve
the esthetic2 value of one's home,
the pleasure derived3 is only exceeded
by the therapeutic4 benefit.
The exercise involved in working
in a garden is helpful in
keeping people in good physical condition.
It has become a ritual
for homeowners to spend
late winter weekends browsing5
through seed catalogues while
sitting on their couch.
They make lists of items
they wish to purchase
and often make notations6 right
on the catalogue as they make
decisions about this year's garden.
If they order early,
there is usually a discount coupon7,
allowing a percentage of
the cost to be
deducted8 from the price.
Often the coupon needs to
be detached from the catalogue
and mailed to the company
along with the order.
This is an extra bonus
for the consumer. The investment cost
required is nominal9 when the amount
of pleasure generated is considered.
The seed companies will
usually warrant the plants,
and often a refund10 is offered
if the plants do not thrive.
The shipment from the
seed company's warehouse11 is awaited
with eager anticipation12.
Its appearance means that
spring will soon arrive.
The glossy13 pages of the catalogues
provide a preview of the visual
delights that can be grown.
Pictures show an array of
flowers that dazzle the eye.
There are monochromatic14 displays
as well as others that
are a fusion15 of the complete
spectrum16 of the rainbow's colors.
Also included in the publication
are pictures and descriptions
of vegetables, shrubs17, and trees.
Avid18 gardeners subscribe19 to magazines
that specialize in articles
and ads about this enjoyable pastime
and people literally20 read
each issue from cover to cover.
Descriptions of plants include
implicit21 instructions on whether
to plant them in sun or shade.
Specification22 as to the amount
of irrigation required is also stated.
Elaborate irrigation systems are sometimes
installed or a trench23 for
improving the water flow is used.
Controls are needed on
irrigation systems because if
the ground becomes too saturated24
the soil in the garden
will be too muddy to
allow anyone to work in it
until it dries out.
If there is too much
water constantly, the garden
will become a swamp
and impossible to cultivate.
(Many people like to preserve
the natural habitat of birds
and wildlife in a marsh25.
These areas are usually protected
by the government and
although important to our environment,
are not considered gardens.)
Geographic26 location is important for plants.
Certain plants are only suitable
for propagation close to the equator.
Others need to be several degrees
of latitude27 away from the equator.
Longitude28 is also a factor
and most companies clearly state
the conditions that will
provide the optimum chances
for the plants survival.
Canadians grow tulips imported
from Holland and they do well
in the Southern Ontario climate.
Because it is late spring
before plants can survive
outdoors in Southern Ontario,
it is common for people to
start their plants indoors.
Seeds are planted in small containers
and continue to grow indoors
until the appropriate size
is achieved. Sometimes ultraviolet light
is used to encourage plant growth.
When the mercury rises and
the danger of frost is past,
the plants are then transplanted
to the garden or to a flowerbed.
Plants are nourished from
the soil, but to provide
optimum food, fertilizer can be
applied29 to encourage vigorous growth.
Sometimes fertilizer is diluted30
with water while other kinds
are dispersed31 with a spreader that
flings the fertilizer granules in a
small radius32 around the plants.
The water soluble33 fertilizer will
then be absorbed into the soil
the next time it rains.
Just as people need minerals,
such as calcium34 and zinc35,
to be healthy, plants also need
minerals but phosphorous and nitrogen
are better food for them.
1 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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2 esthetic | |
adj.美学的,审美的;悦目的,雅致的 | |
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3 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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4 therapeutic | |
adj.治疗的,起治疗作用的;对身心健康有益的 | |
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5 browsing | |
v.吃草( browse的现在分词 );随意翻阅;(在商店里)随便看看;(在计算机上)浏览信息 | |
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6 notations | |
记号,标记法( notation的名词复数 ) | |
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7 coupon | |
n.息票,配给票,附单 | |
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8 deducted | |
v.扣除,减去( deduct的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9 nominal | |
adj.名义上的;(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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10 refund | |
v.退还,偿还;n.归还,偿还额,退款 | |
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11 warehouse | |
n.仓库;vt.存入仓库 | |
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12 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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13 glossy | |
adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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14 monochromatic | |
adj.单色的,一色的 | |
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15 fusion | |
n.溶化;熔解;熔化状态,熔和;熔接 | |
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16 spectrum | |
n.谱,光谱,频谱;范围,幅度,系列 | |
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17 shrubs | |
灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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18 avid | |
adj.热心的;贪婪的;渴望的;劲头十足的 | |
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19 subscribe | |
vi.(to)订阅,订购;同意;vt.捐助,赞助 | |
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20 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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21 implicit | |
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的 | |
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22 specification | |
n.详述;[常pl.]规格,说明书,规范 | |
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23 trench | |
n./v.(挖)沟,(挖)战壕 | |
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24 saturated | |
a.饱和的,充满的 | |
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25 marsh | |
n.沼泽,湿地 | |
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26 geographic | |
adj.地理学的,地理的 | |
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27 latitude | |
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 | |
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28 longitude | |
n.经线,经度 | |
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29 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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30 diluted | |
无力的,冲淡的 | |
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31 dispersed | |
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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32 radius | |
n.半径,半径范围;有效航程,范围,界限 | |
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33 soluble | |
adj.可溶的;可以解决的 | |
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34 calcium | |
n.钙(化学符号Ca) | |
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35 zinc | |
n.锌;vt.在...上镀锌 | |
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