Lesson 61 The Snow-drop
第61课 雪花莲
When the new year comes, the snow-drop is the first of all the flowers to put forth its lovely white blossoms. We call it the "snow-drop," not only because its flowers are "white as snow," but also because they are often seen in early spring pushing their way through the snow which then covers the ground. Look at the way in which the flower droops or hangs down its head, and you will see the reason for calling it a drop or droop.
每当新年来临的时候，雪花莲总是第一个绽放出美丽动人的白色花朵。我们之所以称它为“雪花莲”，不仅仅是因为这种植物的花朵“洁白如雪”，还在于它经常在早春时便破土而出，穿过地面上的积雪，展现自己婀娜的身姿。看看花朵那垂首思索或低头不语的姿态，你便能够明白花名中“水滴”或“垂下”的由来。
The snow-drop was brought to this country from abroad many years ago. It is quite at home with us now, and in a few places it may even be found growing wild. But its usual home is in our gardens and orchards.
许多年以前，雪花莲从海外来到英国。如今，它已经很适应英国的水土了，在有些地方，甚至在野外安家落户。不过，一般还是种在我们的花园及果园之中。
Let us pull up a snow-drop, roots and all, and see what the entire plant is like. We notice at once that it has a little, egg-shaped bulb, about half an inch in thickness. White, thread-like roots hang down from this bulb, while from its upper end there rise two narrow green leaves, six or eight inches in length.
让我们连根拔起一株雪花莲，仔细观察这种植物的结构。大家首先看到的就是一个厚度约为半英寸的蛋形鳞茎，而线状的白色根部就是从这里向下延伸，鳞茎顶端则长出两片狭窄的绿叶，长度为六到八英寸不等。
Between these two leaves the flower-stalk grows up, surrounded by a green, folding leaf. Near its top the flower-stalk bends over, so that the single white flower at its end hangs downwards.
位于这两片叶子中间的花柄向上生长并且被包裹在一片绿叶中间。叶柄从靠近顶部的位置开始弯曲，因此，每一株雪花莲都会呈现出低头思索的样子。
Let us look very closely at this pretty white flower. It is made of three large and three small white leaves. Inside these are six dust-spikes or stamens, which grow on the top of the seed-vessel. You can see the lower part of this seed-vessel outside the flower. It looks like a small green swelling at the top of the flower-stalk.
让我们仔细看看它那漂亮的白色花朵。花瓣共分六片，三大三小。生在种皮顶部的是六根粉穗或雄蕊，你可以看到花朵外面的种皮下半部分。它看起来就像一块很小的绿色隆起，生长在花柄顶部。