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 forth 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 wither 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 flannel, 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 acorn grow into a little oak? Take the acorn out of its cup, and hang it, with the point downwards, 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 chestnut, 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 touching 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。