英语博客：Labels of the past.

　　have probably learned from my podcasts, that the region where I live is agricultural. It is rural, the communities are small, and its post native american indian roots lie in the apple tree. I realised the other day how I take the apple tree for granted. Not only is it everywhere in this and the surrounding towns, but there are so many businesses built around the fruit. There is a large juicing factory called Tree Top which, of course, uses apples. There is also a special candy, unique to this area, called Aplets and Cotlets. It is similar to Turquish Delight, just a little more rustic¹, and made of apples and apricots. Then there are businesses that supply the farming industry, the apple art and collectibles products, clothing, and the Apple Blossom Festival in the spring. There is always something on the calendar that has something to do with the apple. My husband is a fruit broker², believe it or not, and so I hear every day about conditions of apples, how they are being shipped abroad, and the global market. I visited his office this weekend, and came across some apple box labels that originated in this region. They were framed, and displayed in a group of about twenty. Though no longer in use, they reflect some of the history and culture of the inland Northwest. Native American indians feature on several of them, which makes sense; most of the towns in this area have Native American names, and were originally established by indians. Other labels show aspects of the landscape, such as mountains or rivers, and one is even called Trout³, after the fish which is found abundantly here.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary and expressions: post, to take for granted, rustic, believe it or not.
1. That is a post-war novel; it was written after the war.
2. I took our big garden for granted. Now we don't have one, so I really appreciate what we used to have.
3. The house is very rustic. It is not elegant or polished; it is simple and earthy.
4. That very short man is, believe it or not, an excellent basket ball player.

1 rustic   

adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬

参考例句：

• It was nearly seven months of leisurely rustic living before Michael felt real boredom.这种悠闲的乡村生活过了差不多七个月之后,迈克尔开始感到烦闷。
• We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.我们希望新鲜的空气和乡村的氛围能帮他调整自己。

2 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

3 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。