听力文本

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Some people say eating hot chili peppers can help you breathe easier if you have a cold. Others believe that chilies give you more energy. All we know is that people have been growing chilies for centuries. And there are plenty of different kinds of chili peppers to choose from, along with different levels of heat.

Want to spice up your meals with homegrown chilies? They need a warm climate. If you plant the seeds outside when the weather is cool, place a glass over them. 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 chili peppers inside, fill an eight-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. Vermiculite is a material that can hold air, water and nutrients. 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 eight-centimeter pot.

When the roots show through the holes in the bottom of the pot, transplant each seedling 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 get new branches to 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 mild chilies, others like plenty of heat. Some like to harvest the plants when the chilies are green. Others like their chilies red. Either way can give color and taste to many different foods.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. You can find more gardening advice and share your own stories from the garden at voaspecialenglish.com. You can download transcripts and MP3s of all of our programs. You can also find captioned videos of Special English reports at the VOA Learning English channel on YouTube. I'm Steve Ember.

译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载

词汇解释

1.nutrient n. 营养物；滋养物

In her first book she explained the role of vegetable fibres, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.

在她第一本书中，她解释了植物纤维、维生素、矿物质和其他重要营养物质的作用p_e0Y=xnN;X1X(rX3。

2.seedling n. 秧苗，幼苗；树苗

She cut down the seedling with one chop.

她一刀就把小苗砍倒了9#a_@tYSgM7f。

3.vermiculite n. 蛭石（一种隔热材料）

Vermiculite is a material that can hold air, water and nutrients.

蛭石是一种可以保持空气，水分和养料的材料W,11vY&)1F。

4.pinch vt. 捏；勒索；使苦恼；掐掉某物，修剪

The gardener pinched out the weak shoot on a plant.

园林工人掐掉植物上发育不良的芽dwkcau6vM.^vBJ5Trt。

内容解析

1.The pot should have holes in the bottom so water can run out.

run out 用完；耗尽；跑出；到期；伸向

The water runs out at the other end of the pipe.

水从管子的另一端流出去0ivniGTQfC#+!o19A,Fx。

You'd better go home before your money runs out.

你最好别等钱花光再回家0T8+QkW81FZU。

2.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.

a good amount of 大量

The boat shiped a good amount of water.

船里进了大量的水WI)|zuB9aXWH)xNOq。

Don't forget to rub a good amount of sunscreen lotion all over your body.

别忘了全身上下要抹上大量的防晒乳液(D~H13NF^O3^tj8%=Q。

参考译文

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道cik*K^p;LPkxOfF2,r(e。

有人说感冒时吃红辣椒可以使呼吸畅通，也有人认为辣椒给人能量DO&WWFp.6]KEk]i_48aq。我们知道的是，人们种植辣椒已有几百年的历史OZhP3eLX];yrDXjDC。有很多种的辣椒可供选择，其热辣的程度也不同WJ8ucAK==-u9N8.~。

想在食物里添加自己种的辣椒以添加滋味吗？辣椒需要温暖的气候，如果将种在凉爽的气候下，应该给辣椒盖上一层玻璃q-^~dyq.mZxGLTDy。这样就可以增加从太阳获取的热量，又能保护不受风的破坏Ozh)r7V~ULTqi。可以先把种子种在家里或温室里P30Ei%k5K]=E。

如果把辣椒种在室内，找个8公分的罐子装满土6g3q3_Y1Y~a|xM974Qy(。罐子底部应有孔，这样水可以流出JM=|Zs^wQGib。轻打罐子边缘让土壤紧实Sy]xddA,.mzTdQ19_。

把几颗种子撒在罐子表面，覆盖上薄薄的一层蛭石-fBg4#@iTB]neegD(。蛭石是一种能保持空气、水和营养的物质CLFR|13KbBf3Xp;4。然后在罐子顶部覆盖上透明塑料袋GU#v1l2,vWA(7。用皮筋绑紧袋子，把罐子放在温暖的地方5uBP-Xm8_r_TuqR。

辣椒开始生长时，将袋子去掉crYTXJes124xRnH4n。植株长到两公分高时，将每棵植株分别种在8公分高的罐子里kQIz.0w+RYLHAh。

当根部透出罐子底部时，将每棵幼苗都转移到12公分高的罐子里H,_39I#0a50JH;u)。当植株长到20公分高时，在罐子里插上一根木棍，将植株和木棍绑在一起以支撑幼苗生长WJXL*nZ2R@SN。

当辣长到30公分时，用手将顶部去掉gx(ODXmU97wH。这样新的枝条就能生长了，开出第一朵花时，给植株施上钾肥w3o4z1)Hm9oAVP0vdeh。天气温暖时，将植株转移到5升容量的罐子里，然后放外面#gpOuT;yR~。确保植株有足够的光线和水分V.QglOj4)CrP73SJna。

有的人喜欢微辣的辣椒，有的人喜欢非常辣的J!]o4X2sHMQ0I。有的人喜欢在辣椒还青的时候收获，有的人喜欢红辣椒SPb)96^6c1。不管怎样，都能给各种食物增添色彩和风味rK|~sdG77[&3smYp6(h。

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道，作者Jerilyn WatsonnnStvNR7XVl#2ah%Q。你可登陆voaspecialenglish.com获取更多园艺建议并分享自己的园艺故事Nzo2w@enU.1eXx。还可下载全部节目的文本和mp3音频i^[.(.;Q2S。还可在YouTube的美国之音英语学习频道寻找有字幕的视频报道，我是史蒂夫·恩伯LN74rC[2zG。

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