英国学生科学读本 Lesson 75 蒲公英(4)
随着幼年蒲公英逐渐长大, 它们就会限制彼此的生长空间。
Did you ever look for dandelions on a cold wet day?
你有没有在清冷的雨天看到过蒲公英?
It is not easy to see them then, for their pretty golden crowns have all vanished.
那时候的蒲公英不是很容易被人察觉, 因为它们那漂亮的金色花冠已经消失不见。
The two outer circles of green leaves have closed round them, so that each head looks like a big green bud that has not yet opened.
外围的两圈绿色小片(总苞片)把叶子包裹了起来, 看起来就像是巨大的绿色蓓蕾, 还没有打开。
In this way the little yellow flowers that form the head are kept safe and warm till finer weather comes.
这样一来, 构成头状花序的黄色小花就得到了保护并且能够获得温暖, 直到天气情况有所好转。
It is not only in rainy weather that the gay dandelions wrap themselves up in their green mantles.
明亮的蒲公英不止是遇到雨天时才会包裹在绿色的遮挡物之下。
Every evening, when the sun is setting and the air becomes chill, they close themselves up, or go to sleep, as we say.
当太阳下山、夜晚降临时, 空气变冷, 蒲公英的花序便合了起来, 或者说是进入了睡眠。
When pulling a dandelion to pieces, you must have noticed the milky juice that runs out of every part of the plant.
当你把蒲公英撕扯成一块一块时, 肯定注意到有种乳白色液体从各个地方流了出来。
This juice is very sticky, and it has a bitter taste.
这种液体极富粘性, 带有些许苦味。
It is useful to the plant to have such a bitter juice;
对蒲公英来说, 能够分泌这种液体对它们很有好处：
many animals do not like the taste of it, and so the plant is not eaten up by sheep or cows or horses.
很多动物都不喜欢这样的味道, 所以羊、牛、马就不会把它们当做食物了。
Is the dandelion of any use?
蒲公英有什么用处吗?
Yes: people dry the roots, and then roast them and grind them into a brown powder, from which they make a drink somewhat like coffee.
当然有。人们将蒲公英的根晒干, 经过烘烤之后磨成棕色粉末, 然后就可以制作成一种类似咖啡的饮品。
A medicine is also prepared from the roots.
蒲公英的根还可以入药。
The young leaves of the dandelion may be eaten as a salad; and they will serve as food for silkworms instead of mulberry leaves.
蒲公英的嫩叶可以当做沙拉食用;它们还可以替代桑叶用作蚕的饲料。
Boys who keep tame rabbits often gather dandelion leaves for them, and the rabbits like very much to eat them.
饲养家兔的孩子们经常收集蒲公英的叶子, 因为这些宠物非常喜欢嚼食它们。
英语美文
