VOA慢速英語:圣誕花一品紅的故事

圣誕花一品紅的故事

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

這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報道。

Poinsettias are the best-selling potted flowering plant in the United States. Red poinsettias are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations, which is why almost all of them are sold at wintertime. The Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans bought $250 million worth of poinsettias last year.

一品紅是美國最暢銷的盆栽開花植物。紅色的一品紅是圣誕慶?；顒拥膫鹘y(tǒng)組成部分，這也就是為什么幾乎所有這種花都在冬季出售的原因。美國農(nóng)業(yè)部估計，去年美國人購買了價值2.5億美元的一品紅。

The poinsettia is native to Central America and needs warmth to grow. Bright red poinsettias are the best known. But there are about one hundred different kinds, in colors including white, pink, yellow and purple.

一品紅原產(chǎn)于中美洲，需要在溫暖環(huán)境中生長。鮮紅色的一品紅最為有名。但它還有大約100種不同顏色，其中包括白色、粉紅色、黃色和紫色。

The flowers of the poinsettia are very small. Around the flowers are colorful leaves called bracts. These bracts are what give the plants their beauty.

一品紅的花非常小，圍繞著花的是被稱為苞片的色彩鮮艷的葉子。苞片使得它尤為美麗。

The poinsettia is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett from South Carolina. In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed him as the United States' first minister to Mexico. Poinsett had an interest in plants. He saw the colorful plants growing in the wild. Wild poinsettias can grow up to four meters tall. He liked them so much that he sent some cuttings back to the United States.

一品紅因為南卡羅來納州的喬爾·羅伯茨·波因塞特(Joel Roberts Poinsett)而得名。1825年，美國總統(tǒng)約翰·昆西·亞當(dāng)斯(John Quincy Adams)任命他為美國首任駐墨西哥大使。波因塞特對植物很有興趣。他看到這種色彩鮮艷的植物生長在野外。野生的一品紅能夠長到4米多高。他很喜歡這種植物，就送了一些插枝回美國。

The botanical name for the plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima. In Latin, that means "most beautiful euphorbia." There are hundreds of related plants, including rubber trees, trees that produce castor and tung oil, and the cassava, a root crop.

這種植物的學(xué)名是Euphorbia pulcherrima。在拉丁語中的意思就是美麗的大戟科植物。大戟科植物有數(shù)百種，包括橡膠樹，產(chǎn)生蓖麻油和桐油的樹，以及木薯這種塊根作物。

People who are allergic to the latex produced by rubber trees can develop a mild skin rash from poinsettia plants. Babies and pets that chew on poinsettias can get sick. But experts say the plant is not as poisonous as some people think.

對橡膠樹產(chǎn)生的樹膠過敏的人會因為一品紅患上輕度皮疹。孩子或?qū)櫸锝懒艘黄芳t會生病。但專家表示，這種植物并不像有些人想的那么有毒性。

In the 1920s, Albert Ecke and his son Paul became interested in the poinsettia's ability to flower in winter. Paul Ecke thought it would be a good plant to display at Christmastime.

在20世紀(jì)20年代，阿爾伯特·艾克(Albert Ecke)和他的兒子保羅開始對一品紅冬季開花的本事產(chǎn)生了興趣。保羅·艾克認(rèn)為它是一種圣誕期間展示的很好的植物。

They started a farm near Encinitas, California. At first, Paul Ecke, and later his son, grew large plants in fields. Then they sent them to growers by train. Growers would divide the large plants into cuttings, to raise smaller ones in greenhouses until the holidays.

他們在加州Encinitas市附近開辦了一家農(nóng)場。起初，保羅，以及后來他的兒子在地里種植這種大型的植物。然后用火車將它們發(fā)給種植者。種植者將這種大型植物分成插枝，在溫室中培育這種小的插枝，直到假日來臨。

In the 1960s came poinsettias that grew best in containers. The Eckes started to sell cuttings from these new plants. Today Ecke Ranch remains a major supplier in the United States and around the world. In August, Paul Ecke's grandson announced that the company was joining the Dutch-based Agribio Group.

20世紀(jì)60年代有了在容器中生長很好的一品紅。艾克一家開始銷售這些新植物的插枝。如今艾克農(nóng)場仍然是美國和世界各地一品紅的主要供應(yīng)商。今年8月，保羅·艾克的孫子宣布，該公司已經(jīng)并入荷蘭Agribio集團。