2018年CRI "Uncle Pumpkin" in Shandong breed gigantic pumpkins

 

Shouguang in Shandong Province is known as a township of vegetables.

In recent years Shouguang has sped up its transformation¹ toward modern agriculture, with local farmers have been learning new techniques to grow better quality products.

At the annual International Vegetable Exhibition in Shouguang, a patch of colorful gigantic pumpkins³ are catching⁴ eyes.

These pumpkins, which can weigh up to 250 kilograms each, are all bred by a famous local farmer named Zhao Lihua.

Zhao Lihua is known to the locals as 'Uncle Pumpkin².'

Pumpkins raised by him have now become the symbol of Shouguang vegetables.

"From the very first vegetable exhibition I followed my father and presented potted plants at the event; including potted pumpkins. We have developed different varieties of potting then. That's when I was thinking if there are some breeds that can shock the audience. In the following years I started to try the gigantic pumpkins."

A dozen years ago Zhao Lihua began his journey to cultivate giant pumpkins.

To breed the perfect pumpkin, you almost have to live in the greenhouse.

He says even though pumpkins grow up big and solid, he says they're actually very delicate.

Pumpkins can be very sensitive to temperature fluxuations.

Zhao recalls a year when snow affected⁵ all his pumpkins.

"Seven or eight years ago there was a major snowfall in Shouguang. Many greenhouses were crushed. Two of mine collapsed⁶. Those days were very cold and the pumpkins were in a key growing phase. When the weather became better the vegetables had matured already and they didn't grow very well. I was really depressed⁷ at the time."

Zhao Lihua's wife Jia Wenhua says her husband can be really "stubborn" when looking after these pumpkins.

"He is an honest man, very perseverant. Sometimes I would persuade him to stop working but I never successfully dragged him out of the greenhouses. I am very worried about him for working all day every day on pumpkins."

After countless⁸ experiments and trials, Zhao Lihua was finally able to breed enormous sized pumpkins.

"There is one pumpkin I grew this year that weighed 250 kilograms. For next couple of years I wish I can grow some 300 or 350 kilogram pumpkin. When the weight reaches 500 kilograms, it would be possible for me to break Guinness world record."

In Shouguang, there are many farmers like Zhao Lihua.

They have dreams, techniques and more importantly the determination to plant high quality vegetables.

By 2017, advanced agricultural technologies and breeding techniques have been popularized at almost every farming household in Shouguang.

1 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

2 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

3 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

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 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

7 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

8 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。