英国学生科学读本 第10期:种子(2)

 　　Lesson 10 SEEDS II

　　第十课 种子（2）

　　Let us take another bean and plant it in a pot of earth, and leave it to grow there. If we keep the earth moist and warm, the bean will soon grow into a plant, and will put forth¹ green leaves.

　　咱们再拿一颗大豆种子, 把它种在一个有土的花盆里, 让它在那儿生长。要是能让土壤一直温暖潮湿, 豆子很快就会长成一棵幼苗, 长出绿色的叶子来。

　　But as the plant grows, the two fat seed-leaves wither² away and become thin and dry. BEAN WITH SEED-LEAVES SHRIVELLED （枯萎的大豆带着子叶）

　　可是, 大豆在生长的时候, 两片肥厚的子叶就会渐渐凋谢, 变得干枯。

　　At first the good stuff in them serves as food for the young bean; but when its new leaves and its roots have grown big and strong, they themselves take food for the plant from the earth and from the air. The leaves take in air through many tiny holes which are on their under - sides. The roots suck in water and other things from the ground.

　　一开始, 豆苗是从子叶中吸取养料的, 但是豆苗的叶子和根长大了以后, 就可以自己从土壤中、从空气中吸取养料了。叶子的下面有很多小孔, 可以吸进空气。根从土地中吸收水, 也吸收别的东西。

　　Would you like to see a plant grow up quickly from a seed? Then spread some mustard-seed on a piece of flannel³, and keep the flannel moist with water in a saucer. It will only be a day or two before the young plants spring up. They will grow best if you keep the saucer in a dark place.

　　你想看见一颗种子很快长成一棵幼苗吗? 那就把一点儿芥菜子洒到一块法兰绒布上, 把绒布浸在一碟子水里面。只要一两天工夫, 芥菜的幼苗就会长出来了！把碟子放在暗处, 芥菜会长得最好。

　　Or, would you like to see an acorn⁴ grow into a little oak? Take the acorn out of its cup, and hang it, with the point downwards⁵, from a piece of wood lying across the top of a glass or of a bottle with a wide neck.

　　还有, 你想不想看见一颗橡子长成一棵小树? 把橡子从杯子形状的硬壳里拿出来, 尖儿朝下, 系上一根细线吊起来, 把细线的另一头拴在一根木棍上, 把木棍放在一个玻璃杯上, 或者广口瓶上。

　　Now pour water into the bottle until the water just touches the tip of the acorn. Keep the bottle in a dark place for a few days, and the young shoots will soon appear. A little white root will grow down into the water, and a small stem with a few green leaves on it will rise up into the air.

　　然后往瓶子里倒水, 直到水面刚刚碰到橡子下面的尖儿为止。把瓶子在暗处放上几天, 橡子就会很快地发芽, 让小小的白色的根伸到水里, 让茎带着几片绿叶长到空中！

　　You may do the same thing with a chestnut⁶, and in that case also a pretty little tree will grow in a month or so from the seed.

　　小朋友也可以这么种栗子, 过上大概一个月, 小小的栗子树就会从种子里长出来了。

　　More water should be poured into the glass as it is needed, so as to keep the water just touching⁷ the point of the acorn or the chestnut.

　　要是杯子（瓶子）里的水少了, 就要再往里倒水, 让水面碰到橡子或者栗子的尖儿。

1 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 wither   

vt.使凋谢，使衰退，(用眼神气势等)使畏缩；vi.枯萎，衰退，消亡

参考例句：

• She grows as a flower does-she will wither without sun.她象鲜花一样成长--没有太阳就会凋谢。
• In autumn the leaves wither and fall off the trees.秋天，树叶枯萎并从树上落下来。

3 flannel   

n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服

参考例句：

• She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
• She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。

4 acorn   

n.橡实，橡子

参考例句：

• The oak is implicit in the acorn.橡树孕育于橡子之中。
• The tree grew from a small acorn.橡树从一粒小橡子生长而来。

5 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

6 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

7 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。