英国语文第三册 第67期:花的习性(下)

 When it shuts itself up, it forms a little green ball, not unlike a pea,  当它闭合时，形成一个绿球，有点像豌豆，

and can hardly be known from the green grass amidst which it lies. 在草丛中很难被认出来。

But look next morning, and the ball is open, showing, as the poet says, "a golden tuft within a silver crown¹."  但是到了第二天早上，花球又开放了，正如诗人说的，“带有银色花冠的金篮花”

It is a very beautiful sight indeed to see the grass spangled with daisies, shining in the bright sun. 看到草丛中的雏菊在太阳的照射下闪闪发光，确实是一幅美景。

It is said that this flower was at first called day's eye, because it opens its eye at the dawn of day;  据说最初这种花叫做日光眼，因为在破晓时分会睁开眼睛，

and that afterwards the name became daisy. The golden flowers of the dandelion are shut up every night;  后来名字就变成雏菊了。蒲公英的金色花朵每晚都会闭合，

and they are folded so closely² together in their green coverings, that they look like buds³ which had never been opened.  它们在绿色的覆盖物上如此近的折叠在一起，看起来像从未开放过的花蕾。

In places where the sun is very hot, the dandelion shuts itself up even during the day;  在一些阳光很毒的地方，蒲公英甚至在白天也会闭合，

and in this way it is sheltered in its green covering from the sun, and kept from fading. 用这种方法躲避炎热的太阳，防止凋谢。

Some flowers hang down their heads at night, as if nodding in their sleep;  一些花儿在晚上会低下头颅，好像在点头睡觉一样。

but in the morning they lift them up again, to welcome the light. Other flowers have a particular time to open.  但是到了早上，他们又会抬起头，迎接阳光的到来。其他的花儿有的会在特别的时间开放。

The evening primrose⁴, for example, is so called because it does not open till evening. 比如，夜来香，因为它到晚上才开放，名字由此而来。

Through spring, summer, and autumn, we have a constant succession⁵ of flowers,  春天，夏天和秋天，我们会相继欣赏到不同的花，

each having its own season, and opening at its appointed time, every year. 每一种花都有季节性，在每年特定的时间开放。

1 crown   

n.王冠，王权，顶点；v.使...成王，加冕，居...之顶

参考例句：

• He won the crown in 1973.他荣获1973年冠军称号。
• They wanted to crown Caesar king.他们想立凯撒为王。

2 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

3 buds   

芽( bud的名词复数 )； 苞； 半开的花； 未长大的叶

参考例句：

• the first buds appearing in spring 春天的初芽
• Willow trees breaking out into buds foretell the coming of spring. 柳枝绽青报春来。

4 primrose   

n.樱草，最佳部分，

参考例句：

• She is in the primrose of her life.她正处在她一生的最盛期。
• The primrose is set off by its nest of green.一窝绿叶衬托着一朵樱草花。

5 succession   

n.连续，一连串，一系列；v.接替，继任

参考例句：

• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
• His succession as headmaster was not in any doubt.他继任校长是确定无疑的。