In the south of Russia the ground is black—almost as black as coal—because the soil is so rich, probably the richest in the World. 俄罗斯南部，土地是黑色的——几乎和煤一样黑——因为这儿的土壤非常肥沃，可能是世界上最肥沃的土地，

So this part of Russia is called the Black Earth Land. 所以俄罗斯的这片土地被称为黑土地。

In parts of our country the rich soil usually goes down only a few inches before there is rock or clay, on which nothing will grow, 在美国有些地区，肥沃的土壤往往只有几英寸厚，下面就是任何植物都无法生长的岩石或者黏土了。

but in Russia the rich soil is so deep that you could dig down in some places three or four times your height before striking rock or clay in which nothing grows. 但在俄罗斯，肥沃的土层很厚很厚，有些地方你要是不断地向下挖，挖到有你身高的三四倍才会碰到什么都不能生长的岩石和黏土层。

In America many farms wear out, because there is such a thin layer of the rich soil that it is soon used up. 在美国，许多农场渐渐废弃了，因为那里肥沃的土壤层太薄，很快就被耗尽了。

This is the case on many farms in New England that were in use two hundred years ago but are now used up, 这就是新英格兰很多农场的现状，这些农场种了两百年了，现在土地已经非常贫瘠，

and so little will grow on them that the farmers move away and leave their farms, for they are no longer any good. 根本种不了庄稼，所以当地农民只能搬走，离开农场，因为这些农场不再有任何用处了。

In Russia, however, the rich soil never seems to wear out. Their farms are thousands of years old and still there is enough of this soil to grow food. 然而在俄罗斯，肥沃的土壤似乎永远都不会耗尽。那里的农田已经种了几千年了，仍有足够肥沃的土壤种植谷物。

In the Black Earth Land they raise great quantities of wheat and, as bread is made from wheat, this part of Russia is often called the Bread-Basket. 俄罗斯人在黑土地上大量种植小麦，因为面包是由小麦做的，所以俄罗斯的这个地区又常常被比喻“面包篮”。

There is one thing the farmers raise that may seem strange—that is, sunflowers—acres and acres of them. 农民们还种植一种似乎很奇怪的农作物——向日葵——成亩成亩的向日葵。

But they do not raise them for their flowers; they raise them for their seeds. 但是他们种植向日葵并不是为了向日葵花，而是为了获取它们的种子。

They eat sunflower seeds as we eat peanuts; 他们吃向日葵的种子——葵花籽——就像我们吃花生一样。

but the chief thing they do with them is to press the oil out of the seeds, for this oil is good for salad, for making soap and other things. 但是对他们来说，向日葵种子的主要用途是榨油，因为这种油很适合用来拌沙拉，还可以用于生产肥皂和其他东西。

The largest lake in the World is in the corner of Russia next to the Black Sea. 世界上最大的湖泊就靠近俄罗斯边疆，在黑海附近。

Rivers run into it but none run out of it, and so the lake is salt. It is called the Caspian Sea, for it is like a little ocean. 很多河流汇入湖中但是没有河流流出，所以这个湖是咸水湖，它被称作“里海”，因为它像一个小小的海洋。

As the March Hare in "Alice in Wonderland" said, You can draw water out of a water-well, 《艾丽丝漫游奇境记》中的三月兔说，你可以从水井中打水，

so I should think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well, and in the same way you get oil from an oil-well. 所以我认为你可以从糖浆井中打糖浆。同样，你可以从油井中打石油。