美国语文第三册 第86期:印第安玉米(2)

 　　The moisture and earthy matter, drawn¹ through the roots, become sap. 玉米的根从土壤里吸取水分和养分，成为树液，

　　This passes through the stalk, and enters the leaves. 经由茎部传输到叶子。

　　There a great change takes place which results in the starting of the ears and the growth of the grain. 这为植物带来巨大的变化，因此得以抽穗，最终长出颗粒。

　　The maize² plant bears two kinds of flowers,—male and female. 玉米开的花有两种——雄花和雌花。

　　The two are widely separated. 两种花很不一样，雄花呈穗状；

　　The male flowers are on the tassel³; the fine silk threads which surround the ear, and peep out from the end of the husks, are the female flowers. 而那种围绕着包谷生长并在包皮的末端隐约露出的丝一样的细线，就是雌花。

　　Each grain on the cob is the starting point for a thread of silk; 玉米穗轴上的每一个颗粒都是一束丝状雌花的起点，

　　and, unless the thread receives some particle of the dust which falls from the tassel flowers, the kernel⁴ with which it is connected will not grow. 除非花束获得来自于穗状雄花的微粒，否则它所连接的内核就无法成长。

　　The many uses of Indian corn and its products are worthy⁵ of note. 印第安玉米及其产品的广泛用途值得详细注解：

　　The green stalks and leaves make excellent fodder⁶ for cattle. 绿色的玉米茎和叶子是喂牛的好饲料。

　　The ripe grain is used all over the earth as food for horses, pigs, and poultry⁷. 成熟的玉米粒在全世界都被广泛用作饲料，喂养马、猪、家禽等。

　　Nothing is better for fattening⁸ stock. 它还是最好的积肥用料。

　　Green corn, or "roasting ears," hulled⁹ corn and hominy, New England hasty pudding, and succotash are favorite dishes with many persons. 嫩玉米、烤或煮熟的玉米、去皮玉米、玉米粥、新英格兰玉米粉糊或是豆煮玉米是许多人们的最爱。

　　Then there are parched¹⁰ corn and pop corn—the delight of long winter evenings. 还有烘烤玉米片和爆米花，在漫漫冬夜里为人们带来欢乐。

　　Corn starch¹¹ is an important article of commerce. 玉米淀粉是一种重要的商品。

　　Sirup and sugar are made from the juice of the stalk, and oil and alcohol from the ripened¹² grain. 玉米茎的汁液是提炼糖和糖浆的原料。成熟的玉米粒是油和酒精的来源。

　　Corn husks are largely used for filling mattresses¹³, and are braided into mats, baskets, and other useful articles. 玉米的包皮用途也很广泛，它可以是床垫的填充物，或者经过编织成为各种垫子、篮子和其他用品。

　　Thus it will be seen how varied¹⁴ are the uses of Indian corn. 由此可见，印第安玉米全身都是宝。

　　And besides being so useful, the plant is very beautiful. 它不但用途多样，还是一种美丽的植物。

　　The sight of a large cornfield in the latter part of summer, 盛夏时节，一望无际的玉米地，

　　with all its green banners waving and its tasseled¹⁵ plumes¹⁶ nodding, is one to admire, and not to be forgotten. 绿色的叶子像旗帜一样迎风飞舞，流苏璎珞般的包谷随风点头，这是多么赏心悦目而又令人难忘的景色！

1 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

2 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

3 tassel   

n.流苏，穗；v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须

参考例句：

• The corn has begun to tassel.玉米开始长出穗状雄花。
• There are blue tassels on my curtains.我的窗帘上有蓝色的流苏。

4 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

5 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

6 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

7 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

8 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 hulled   

有壳的，有船身的

参考例句：

• Rice is gathered, cleaned and hulled before being sold. 稻子先收割，弄干净，去壳，才出售。
• Scrape the hulled beans together. 把剥好的豆子胡噜到一堆儿。

10 parched   

adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干

参考例句：

• Hot winds parched the crops.热风使庄稼干透了。
• The land in this region is rather dry and parched.这片土地十分干燥。

11 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。

12 ripened   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They're collecting the ripened reddish berries. 他们正采集熟了的淡红草莓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The branches bent low with ripened fruits. 成熟的果实压弯了树枝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

14 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

15 tasseled   

v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的过去式和过去分词 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰

参考例句：

16 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。