第60课 卷心菜

　　In some sandy places near the sea the cabbage plant grows wild. We should not care to eat wild cabbages; but by growing these plants in good ground, and sowing their seeds year after year, we should get after many years cabbages like those that are so good to eat.

　　在一些接近海边的多沙地带，长着野生的卷心菜。我们现在应该不想再吃野生卷心菜了。人们年复一年地在肥沃的土地上种植这些植物，播下种子，在很多年之后，就得到了非常美味的卷心菜。

　　Let us buy an ounce or two of cabbage-seed at some good seed-shop. When we see the little brown seeds, no wonder how so large a plant as the cabbage can grow out of each of them.

　　咱们在信得过的种子商店里，买上一两盎司卷心菜种子吧。看见这些小小的褐色种子，不禁要想，卷心菜那么大的植物，是怎么从这么小的种子里长出来的呢？

　　We shall dig and rake a small plot of our garden, and sow our cabbage-seeds there in the middle of summer. By the time autumn comes, we shall have many small green cabbage plants, each about two or three inches high.

　　我们应该在仲夏时节，在自家菜园里挖出一小块地，再用耙子耙一遍，把卷心菜种子播下去。到了秋天，就能有很多小小的卷心菜长出来了，每一株大约2–3英寸高。

　　We must then dig up these little plants, and plant them out again in good ground, about two feet apart. Here they will remain all the winter; and next spring they will begin to grow quickly. The leaves will cling closely together, and will form a hard mass, or "heart, " round which some larger leaves will grow loosely.

　　然后把这些小卷心菜挖出来，再种在肥沃的土地上，彼此间隔大概2英尺远。让它们在这儿过一个冬天，来年开春的时候，就会长得飞快。卷心菜的叶子会紧紧依靠在一起，形成一块比较硬的部分，这部分叫做“菜心”。外面还有些更大的叶子，长得松松的。

　　In March and April the spring cabbage is ready for use. We cut the cabbage from the top of its short stock or stem, strip off the rough outside leaves, and wash it well. Then the heart of the cabbage is boiled and eaten.

　　春天三四月，卷心菜就能吃了。我们把卷心菜从短短的“茎”或者“干”的顶部割下来，把外边硬硬的菜叶剥掉，洗干净，把菜心煮着吃。

　　All children ought to eat plenty of cabbage. It contains things that will make their blood pure, and will help to keep them in good health.

　　小朋友们都应该多吃卷心菜，因为里面的成分能净化血液，保持小朋友的身体健康。