樱桃树和樱桃

The cherry-tree is a small tree which grows to a height of about twenty feet. Its stem is covered with a smooth brown bark, and its green leaves have saw-like edges, somewhat like the leaves of a rose-bush.

樱桃树是一种可以生长到20英尺左右高的小树。其茎干被一层光滑的棕色树皮包裹, 绿色的叶子则长有锯齿状边缘, 其外形与蔷薇的叶子相似。

A cherry-orchard¹ in spring, say in the month of May, is a beautiful sight. The trees are then covered with white blossoms, which make the branches look as if a shower of snow had fallen on them. Soon the grass below is also white with the falling blossoms. The perfume of the cherry-blossom is very delightful², and it attracts many insects looking for honey.

春季——比如五月——的樱桃园美不胜收。那时, 樱花怒放, 树枝上银装素裹。很快, 飘落的樱花掉在树下的草地上, 好像一层美丽的白雪。樱花的香味沁人心脾, 能吸引许多昆虫飞来收集花蜜。

Let us pluck one of the pretty white flowers with which each cherry-tree is covered. Once this flower was only a bud, and then it looked like a little green ball. Now that the bud has opened, we see its green covering or cup turned back, and we notice that this cup is made of five small green leaves which have partly grown together.

让我们从樱桃树上摘下一株美丽的樱花。曾几何时, 这株樱花还只是一个绿色小球般的花蕾。现在, 花蕾绽开了。我们能够看到, 绿色的包裹物或者说杯形结构已经向后弯曲。此时, 我们会注意到, 这种杯形结构实际上由五片部分连接的绿色萼片组成。

What we call the "flower" of the cherry-tree consists of five white leaves or petals³. Inside these petals are fifteen or twenty little dust-spikes or stamens, with yellow heads which are full of tiny yellow grains of pollen⁴. In the centre of the cherry-flower is the seed-vessel, which looks like a little green bag, with a long point called the style rising from it.

樱桃树的“花朵”有五个白色的花瓣。花瓣之中则长有15或20个小的粉穗或雄蕊, 顶部为黄色, 包含很多细小的黄色花粉颗粒。樱花的中部就是种皮, 外形像一个绿色小囊, 花柱从这里向外生长。

If you look at the flowers of the wild rose, of the strawberry, and of the apple, you will find that they are all very much like the flower of the cherry.

观察一下野生玫瑰、草莓以及苹果的花朵, 就会发现, 它们的结构与樱花非常相似。

In fact, all these four plants belong to the same class.

实际上, 这四种植物同属一个种类。

If we visit the orchard again in June, we shall find that all the white flowers have fallen off the cherry-trees, and that the seed-vessel of each flower has swollen⁵ into a green cherry.

到了六月, 再次前往樱桃园时就会看到, 那些白色花朵已经凋谢, 而花朵上的种皮则膨胀成为了一个绿色的樱桃。

Then later still, in July and August, the cherries will be ripe. Some trees produce white cherries, and others red cherries; and others still produce cherries which are nearly black. On the outside of each ripe cherry is a thin skin. Under this skin is a thick, sweet, fleshy pulp⁶, and this is the part of the fruit that we eat.

再过一段时间, 到了七八月份, 樱桃就会成熟。樱桃的颜色各不相同：白色、红色、甚至接近黑色。每一颗成熟的樱桃外面都包裹着一层薄衣, 里面则是甘甜、多汁的肥厚果肉, 我们吃的就是这一部分。

In the centre of the fruit we find a hard lump called the "stone. " If we break this stone open, we shall find a kernel⁷ inside. This is the true seed of the cherry-tree. If we plant a cherry-stone, it will in time break open, and a little cherry-tree will spring up from the kernel after it has lain in the ground several years.

樱桃的中间部分就是一个被称为“果核”的坚硬小块。打开这个果核, 会看到里面的果仁。这就是樱桃树的种子。将樱桃的果核种在地里, 到了适当的时候它就会裂开, 经过几年的时间之后, 一棵小的樱桃树就会从果仁中生长而出。

In most parts of Great Britain you will find the cherry growing wild in the woods and hedge-rows. But the fruit of these wild cherry-trees is not nearly so large or so sweet as that of the trees which are cultivated in our gardens and orchards⁸.

英国很多地方的森林、树篱等地都长有野生的樱桃树, 但是与种植在花园及果园中的樱桃相比, 果实远没有那么大, 也没有那么甜。

The wood of the cherry-tree is much used for making furniture. It is a hard wood, of a very pretty, brownish colour.

樱桃木主要用来制作家具, 这种硬木呈现出非常光亮的棕色。

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