(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
People have been growing chrysanthemums for more than two thousand years. Mums make bright and colorful gardens. People in China and other Asian cultures make tea with the flowers. Giacomo Puccini, the great Italian composer, even named one of his works after chrysanthemums, "Crisantemi."
(MUSIC: Manhattan String Quartet)
One basic kind of mum is the hardy or garden mum. The other basic kind is the florist mum. The garden mum is better able to handle different growing conditions.
There are many varieties of mums. The decorative mum is often seen in gardens. Another popular type, the quill mum, has long, straight petals like a tube or needle.
Chrysanthemum blooms can be white, yellow, gold, red or other colors. The plants often grow one meter high.
The soil for chrysanthemums should be kept moist but well drained so it does not get too wet.
Newly planted mums should be watered two or three times a week, depending on conditions. Plants established in the ground may do well just with normal rainfall.
Mums grow best in full sunshine. They produce colorful blooms when days get shorter and nights get longer. The life cycle of the plant depends on the amount of daylight. This is why experts advise against placing mums near nightlights or streetlights. The light may interfere with their normal growth cycle. The plants may develop buds too soon.
In climates where temperatures fall below freezing, plant mums at least six weeks before the first frost is expected. That way, the plants will be well established for cold weather.
Placing mulch around the plants can protect them from the cold. Consider using straw or shredded leaves for the mulch. The material will also add nutrients to the soil.
Some gardeners say the most beautiful presentation comes from planting mums close together. But be sure to leave enough space to let air flow between the plants. If not, there may be a greater chance of disease.
To get more blooms, gardeners pinch back the branches when new growth has reached fifteen centimeters. Squeeze about five to seven centimeters off each branch. Pinch it again when a branch grows another twelve to fifteen centimeters. Stop the pinching about one hundred days before you want the plants to bloom.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Jim Tedder.
文本来自51voa，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.chrysanthemum n.菊花
It was a special tea which tasted of chrysanthemum.
它是一种有菊花味的特别茶叶。
2.quill n.羽茎,大翎毛,鹅毛笔
The duke wrote a letter with a quill pen.
公爵用一根羽毛笔写信
3.mulch n.护盖物, 护根
Mulch keeps garden plants from freezing.
护根物使花园里的植物免于被冻死
4.shred v.撕成碎片
I was shredding top-secret documents at that time.
我当时正把机密文件切碎。
内容解析
1.The light may interfere with their normal growth cycle. The plants may develop buds too soon.
interfere with 干扰，干涉；妨碍；触动或弄坏；乱动；与……抵触
The trees interfere with the view.
那些树挡住了视线。
Who interfered with my papers?
谁乱动了我的文件了?
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
人类种植菊花已有2000多年的历史，菊花令花园更明媚鲜艳。中国和其他亚洲国家用菊花制茶，伟大的意大利作曲家柯摩·普契尼曾将其一部作品命名为《菊花》。
一种很基本的菊花品种叫园艺菊，另一种基本品种叫切花菊，园艺菊更能适应不同的生长环境。
菊花分很多品种，装饰菊通常种在花园。另一种很常见的菊花叫翎毛菊，其花瓣细长呈针或管状。
菊花可以开出白色、黄色、金色、红色等颜色的花朵，其植株常高达1米。
栽培菊花的土壤应保持湿润，但要排水方便，这样就不会太湿。
新载的菊花每周必须浇水两到三次，依情况而定。种在地上的菊花，只要有正常的雨水就可生长良好。
菊花必须光照充足，当天短夜长时，菊花就会开出鲜艳的花朵。菊花的生命周期取决于日照时间，所以专家建议不要把菊花放在夜灯或街灯附近，因为其光线会影响到菊花的正常生长周期，导致花蕾过早开放。
在零度以下的气候条件下，要至少在第一次霜降的六周之前种植菊花，这样菊花才能很好地适应寒冷天气。
在菊花周围放置覆盖物以抵御严寒，可以用稻草或碎叶作为覆盖物，这些材料还可以增加土壤的营养成分。
有些园艺家称密集种植菊花会很漂亮，但一定要保持足够的距离，使空气流通。否则很容易患病。
要长出更多花朵，园艺人员要在新枝长至15厘米时进行剪枝，每根枝条剪去5-7厘米。当枝条再长12至15厘米时再次进行剪枝。在你希望的花期的前100天就要停止剪枝。
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道，我是吉姆·特德。
