英國學生科學讀本 Lesson 78 紫羅蘭與三色堇(2)

This is because they grow beneath the ground, where the sun's light does not reach them. The green colour of plants is produced by the action of the sun's light. Plants grown in the dark are white and unhealthy.

這是因為它生長在陽光無法照射到的地下。只有在陽光的照耀下, 植物才會呈現(xiàn)出漂亮的綠色。生長在陰暗處的植物通常都只有病態(tài)的白色。

Sunlight is also necessary for the proper growth of a plant. The food which the roots draw from the soil, and the food which the leaves draw from the air, are changed by the action of light, and are made into starch and other substances which build up the plant. We need not wonder, therefore, that plants spread out their leaves to get as much sunlight as they can.

植物的正常生長同樣需要陽光。根從土壤中汲取食物、葉子從空氣中吸收養(yǎng)分, 而它們正是通過陽光的作用才能夠轉化為構成植物本身的淀粉與其他物質。因此, 我們看到的植物都會盡量伸展葉子, 獲得更多陽光。也就不足為奇了。

Look at the curious shape of the flower. Do you see how it hangs on the end of a long flower-stalk, and how it always tries to face the sun? At the back of the flower are five small greenish sepals; then come five brightly-coloured petals , blue or white in the violet, yellow or purple in the pansy. The petals are of different shapes, and the lowest of them has a long, hollow spur. Inside the petals are five little yellow dust-spikes, and in the centre of the flower is the green vessel with a hooked top, which contains the young seeds.

注意觀察花朵的奇怪形狀。你有沒有注意到, 它究竟是如何懸掛在一根長長的中空花莖頂端, 總是面向陽光的呢? 花朵的背面長有五片很小的綠色萼片;然后就是五片顏色明亮的花瓣：紫羅蘭是藍色或白色, 三色堇是黃色或紫色。花瓣的形狀各不相同, 其中位置最低的一個長有長長的中空突起。五個黃色的小雄蕊位于花瓣之中, 而整個花朵的中間則是一根頂部呈鉤型的綠色管狀結構, 幼嫩的種子就包裹在其中。

The flowers of the sweet violet are rather small and darkly coloured, and they are not easily seen by insects. That is why the plant has such a sweet smell. It needs a strong perfume to attract the insects.

香堇菜的花朵不是很大, 顏色較暗, 所以昆蟲很難發(fā)現(xiàn)。正因為如此, 它們才會發(fā)散出如此甜香的味道, 因為香味成為了它們吸引昆蟲的有效手段。

英語美文