VOA慢速英语2017 一种被遗忘的美国水果再次流行起来

Paw¹ Paws², a Forgotten American Fruit, Become Popular Again

Have you ever heard of a paw paw?

你听说过木瓜吗？

If not, do not feel bad. Most Americans do not know of the fruit, although it is native to the United³ States.

如果没听过也没关系。大多数美国人都不知道这种水果，虽然它是美国本土出产的。

Once, however, it was one of the most popular fruits in North America.

然而，它曾经一度是北美最受欢迎的水果之一。

Happily, those who love the paw paw are trying to return it to its former position in American foods.

幸运的是，喜欢木瓜的那些人正试图让它重返在美国水果中的昔日地位。

America’s tropical⁴ fruit

美国的热带水果

A paw paw is a tropical-like fruit that grows on trees found all over the eastern United States. It’s also the largest edible⁵ fruit native to the US.

木瓜是一种生长在树上的热带水果，这种果树在美国东部随处可见。它也是美国本土出产的最大的可食用水果。

It is similar to a typical mango in size. It has a dull green-colored skin, and a soft, almost-creamy orange inside.

它的大小跟普通芒果差不多。它的表皮是暗绿色的，里面有柔软的、近似奶油色的瓜瓤。

Most people agree that the pawpaw tastes like a combination⁶ of a banana, an apricot and a mango. Most people are very surprised by its sweet taste.

大多数人都认为木瓜的味道就像是香蕉、杏和芒果的结合。大多数人对它甜甜的口味非常惊讶。

At one time, it could be found as far west as Nebraska. It also grows along the East Coast from New York to Florida. The fruit has a very short harvest season, from two to three weeks in September and October.

曾经一度，在远到西部的内布拉斯加州都能找到这种果树。它还沿着东海岸生长在从纽约到佛罗里达州这片辽阔的区域。这种水果的收获季节是在9到10月的两三周里，时间非常之短。

?A forgotten history

一段被遗忘的历史

The paw paw was an important food for Native Americans and even early European settlers.

木瓜对美国土著，甚至早期的欧洲移民者来说，都是一种非常重要的食物。

Paw paws reportedly were a favorite treat of George Washington⁷, the first U.S. president, who especially liked them cold. Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president, was also a fan of the fruit. He planted paw paws at Monticello, his home in Virginia. He also sent paw paw seeds to his friends in France. American explorers⁸ Lewis and Clark wrote in their journals⁹ about the paw paw.

木瓜据说是美国第一任总统华盛顿最爱的美味，尤其是冰镇木瓜。美国第三任总统杰斐逊也是这种水果的粉丝。他在蒙蒂塞洛庄园种植了木瓜，这是他在弗吉尼亚州的家。他还给他的法国朋友寄去了木瓜种子。美国探险家刘易斯和克拉克在他们的杂志上也写到了木瓜。

Today, paw paws remain popular in the Appalachian mountain area.

今天，木瓜在阿巴拉契亚山区仍然很受欢迎。

Not easily commercialized

不容易被商业化

The paw paw has never been sold commercially¹¹. The fruit requires a very special environment -- low, wet areas that sometimes flood.

木瓜从未被商业化销售。这种水果需要非常特殊的环境，它喜欢生长在低洼、潮湿，有时候会发洪水的地区。

In addition, the fruit is good to eat for only two to three days after harvesting. This makes it hard to sell anywhere distant from the paw paw tree it came from.

此外，木瓜只有在收获之后的两到三天内最好吃。这使得它很难销售到远离结果的木瓜树的任何地方。

Making a comeback

卷土重来

Planters are again growing paw paw trees and harvesting the fruit. In several states farmers have organized “paw paw festivals” to reintroduce people to the food.

种植者再次开始种植木瓜树和收获这种水果。有几个州的农民组织了“木瓜节”，让人们再度认识这种水果。

At such a festival in Maryland recently, farmers displayed different products made with paw paws. There were paw paw jams, pies, gelato, and beer.

在马里兰州最近一个这类节日上，农民们展示了各种木瓜产品，有木瓜做的果酱、馅饼、冰激淋甚至是啤酒。

Michael Judd helped organize the Maryland paw paw festival.

迈克尔·贾德（Michael Judd）协助组织了马里兰州木瓜节。

“It has that energy, and the people here today, there's an excitement, because they are trying something totally new but also exotic¹² that grows here.”

他说：“它有这种能量。今天这里的人们非常激动，因为他们正在尝试一些全新的东西，但是这种异国风味就出产于此。”

Farmers are trying to grow kinds of paw paw that will be easier to ship and sell commercially. Donna and Jim Davis are paw paw farmers in Westminster, Maryland. They told National Public Radio that they purchased their paw paw trees in the 1990s and now sell the fruit at farmers markets and online.

农民们正在试图种植易于运输和商业销售的木瓜品种。唐娜和吉姆·戴维斯是马里兰州威斯敏斯特种植木瓜的瓜农。他们对美国国家公共广播电台表示，他们在上世纪90年代买入了木瓜树，现在在农贸市场和网上销售这种水果。

So, who knows? Maybe the paw paw will show up soon at a market near you.

那么，天知道呢？也许木瓜很快就会在你附近的市场上出现。

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

dull - adj. not bright

creamy - adj. smooth and soft

commercial¹⁰ - adj. related¹³ to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services

edible – adj. suitable or safe to eat

1 paw   

n.手掌，手爪；v.以蹄扒地，笨拙地使用，费力地前进

参考例句：

• He served as a cat's paw.他充当爪牙。
• Don't paw at everything you see.别见什么摸什么。

2 paws   

n.爪子( paw的名词复数 )；手

参考例句：

• Take your filthy paws off me! 把你的脏手从我身上拿开！
• Take your dirty little paws off me! 别用你的小黑手抓着我。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

4 tropical   

adj.热带的，热带的，炎热的

参考例句：

• You must grow these tropical flowers in a glasshouse.你必须把这些热带花卉种在温室里。
• This disease is widespread in tropical areas.这种疾病在热带地区蔓延很广。

5 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

6 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

7 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

8 explorers   

n.探险家，勘探者( explorer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them. 勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The explorers had to rough it when they got into the jungle. 那些探险者进入丛林后，不得不过着艰苦的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 journals   

n.（某学科或专业的）杂志( journal的名词复数 )；期刊；日志；（用于报纸名）…报

参考例句：

• Which journals does the library subscribe to? 图书馆订有哪些报刊？
• This short story was published by two journals of repute. 这篇短篇小说由两种著名的杂志刊出。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 commercial   

adj.商业的，商用的，商品化的；n.广告节目

参考例句：

• He has gained a footing in the commercial world.他已在商界取得立足之地。
• The plane did not fly the usual commercial route.飞机没有沿通常的商业航线飞。

11 commercially   

adv.商业上的

参考例句：

• She was keen to exploit her discovery commercially. 她渴望把自己的发现用到商业上。
• The laboratory is still owned by the government but is now commercially operated. 这个实验室仍为政府所有，但现在实行商业化运作。

12 exotic   

adj.奇异的，异乎寻常的，外（国）来的，外国产

参考例句：

• There are some exotic words in English language.英语中有一些外来词。
• She likes to wear exotic clothes.她喜欢穿奇装异服。

13 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。