VOA标准英语2010年-Thousands of Orchids on View at US Bot

For centuries, orchids² have cast a quiet spell. They have been hunted and collected on every continent - except Antarctica.  Books, movies, paintings, and photographs document one of the most sophisticated flower markets.  Every year the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC assemble an orchid¹ exhibit that attracts collectors and fans from all over.  This year it runs for three months until April.

Clive Atyeo has been breeding orchids for 48 years. Over the last 17,  he's been taking care of the orchid collection at the U.S. Botanic Garden.  "And I am still in love with my wife and the orchids, the orchids are part of my family," he says.

The orchids in the Botanic Garden's greenhouse belong to about 5,000 species and there are more than 8,000 plants. It's the Botanic Garden's largest collection. "I think when most people come in contact with orchids, I think the orchids take hold of them, it's like you get hooked on them. How can you not like that?"

Atyeo moves through the greenhouse like it's his own house. "This one has been blooming for awhile, beautiful," he says.

He knows every plant, its health, awards and history.  He also has tricks up his sleeve: how to care for each, especially when when it comes to re-potting them. "Orchids are prone³ to virus and what I am going to do is sterilize⁴ the cutters, so I use a flame, to sterilize the tool," he says.

And so, with tender, loving care, hundreds of orchids are groomed⁵ for the Garden's annual exhibit. "We have a lot of orchids set aside for the show," he says.

From the greenhouse, these orchids are carefully transported to the Botanic Garden, at the base of the U.S. Capitol.    

About two thousand plants in bloom are being shown there.

Eric Leavitt supervises the operation.  He explains how the orchids are made to bloom in time for the show. "We run temperatures according to what helps them initiate⁶ flower buds.  Last fall we turned down temperatures, down into the 50s in this greenhouse, which initiates⁷ flower buds," he says.

Leavitt says some flowers can last several months and that vanilla⁸ comes from an orchid. "It's a family that is comprised of more than 20,000 species, all of them are blooming plants," he says.

Leavitt says some collectors will pay thousands of dollars for a rare orchid. "You are probably going to see several hundred species at one time at the exhibit. Some of those is hard to put a price on, but I would say through the entire show we got to have $50,000, $60,000 worth of orchids sitting in the show at one time. That would be a conservative estimate I think."

After months of preparation. the show is open to the public. Cam Rankin came from New Hampshire and has spent the morning admiring the flowers. "They almost seem like they are reaching out wanting to kiss you.  I love them all. They  are fantastic," he says.

Monica Jimenez and her daughters came from Colombia, a country that has a large  number of orchid species. "This is a beautiful exhibit. Everybody should come see it," she says.

University of Maryland professor Frank Stevens came to spend a day at the Botanic Garden.  He says it's an oasis⁹ in the city.  "It's a place where you can come and relax and soothe¹⁰ yourself and work on mental health," he says.

And so, for beauty, for mental health, great photographs or collecting, orchids seem to please us all.

 

1 orchid   

n.兰花，淡紫色

参考例句：

• The orchid is a class of plant which I have never tried to grow.兰花这类植物我从来没种过。
• There are over 35 000 species of orchid distributed throughout the world.有35,000多种兰花分布在世界各地。

2 orchids   

n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wild flowers such as orchids and primroses are becoming rare. 兰花和报春花这类野花越来越稀少了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She breeds orchids in her greenhouse. 她在温室里培育兰花。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

4 sterilize   

vt.使不结果实；使绝育；使无效；杀菌，消毒

参考例句：

• Antiseptic is used to sterilize the skin before giving an injection.杀菌剂被用于在注射前给皮肤消毒。
• He pricks the blister on his heel with a sterilize needle.他用一根消过毒的针扎破他脚后跟上的水泡。

5 groomed   

v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗

参考例句：

• She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。
• Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练，准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

7 initiates   

v.开始( initiate的第三人称单数 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• The booklet initiates us into the problems of living abroad. 这本小册子使我们对国外的生活情况有了初步了解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everybody initiates and receives messages in some form or other. 每个人都以各种不同的方式发出并接收信息。 来自辞典例句

8 vanilla   

n.香子兰，香草

参考例句：

• He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
• I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。

9 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

10 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。