VOA慢速英语 Agriculture Report - Growing Chili Peppers: A Heated

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
　
Chili¹ peppers

Some people who like to eat very hot chili peppers say that they can help you breathe better if you have a cold. Others believe that chilies² give you added energy. We cannot confirm those ideas. But we can tell you that people have been growing chilies for centuries, and there are many kinds.

In fact, a gardener at the Colorado State University Extension says there are between one hundred fifty and two hundred kinds of chili peppers.

Want to fire up your meals with homegrown chilies? They need a warm climate. If you plant the seeds outside when the weather is cool, place the seeds under a glass. That will add warmth from the sun and protect them from wind. You can also start the seeds in your home or a greenhouse.

If you plant inside, fill a seven and one-half centimeter pot with soil. The pot should have holes in the bottom so water can run out. Tap the sides of the pot to settle the soil.

Drop several seeds over the surface of the pot and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite, a substance that can hold air, water and nutrients³. Then cover the top of the pot with a see-through plastic bag. Hold the bag in place with a rubber band. Place the pot in a warm area.

When the chilies start growing, take off the bag. When the plants have reached about two centimeters high, place each one carefully in its own seven and one-half centimeter pot.

When the roots show through the holes in the bottom of the pot, transplant⁴ each seedling⁵ into a twelve centimeter pot. When the plants are twenty centimeters high, tie the plants to a stick placed in the pot to support them.

When the chili peppers are thirty centimeters high, pinch the tops off with your fingers. That should make new branches grow. When the first flowers show, give the plants some potash fertilizer. When the weather is warm, put them into five-liter pots and place them outside. Make sure they get a good amount of light and water.

Some people like to harvest the plants when the chilies are green. Others like their chilies red. Both give color, taste and differing amounts of heat to salads, soups, salsa and other foods.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. You can find transcripts⁶, MP3s and podcasts of our reports -- and write comments -- at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Bob Doughty⁷.

 

1 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

2 chilies   

n.红辣椒( chili的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some people like to harvest the plants, when the chilies are green. 一些人喜欢在辣椒长成绿色的时候就采摘。 来自互联网
• Sprinkle with scallions and sliced chilies and served hot. 洒上葱粒、辣椒丝，趁热上桌。 来自互联网

3 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 transplant   

n.移植的器官或植物；v.使迁移，使移居

参考例句：

• Some plants do not transplant well.有些植物不宜移植。
• Several of the patients had received kidney transplant.病人中有几位已接受了肾移植手术。

5 seedling   

n.秧苗，树苗

参考例句：

• She cut down the seedling with one chop.她一刀就把小苗砍倒了。
• The seedling are coming up full and green.苗长得茁壮碧绿。

6 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

7 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。