英语博客：Oh my gosh, the crazy pruning.

　　Just opposite where we live is a cherry orchard¹. It must be about four or five acres. In the late winter or early spring, the trees get pruned². Excess branches are cut off in order to make the trees more productive. That system works, and is understood by everyone around here. It is part of being effective when growing fruit. The trouble is, that habit of seriously pruning³ fruit trees has crept into the rest of Wenatchee. Although Wenatchee is a dry valley, people over the years have made the effort to plant quite a number of trees. We also, thankfully, have quite a few very large trees that were planted by the first settlers. In a hot climate you need your shade. Most of the oldest trees have been left alone. They are splendidly huge, and spread out nicely. Of course, every now and then a limb must be cut off if it is diseased, or weak enough to blow off in a wind storm. However, if you look at the photo in the blogpage, you will get an idea of the crazy pruning that I have seen in quite a few places here in town. It alll started when I saw, in the main outside mall area, a shocking sight of big trees that have been cut in half; their top halves have been chopped off. It looks like a war zone! What were these pruners thinking? Who gave the instructions? Were these people actually licensed⁴? Ever since then, as I drive around town, with my camera at the ready, I have noticed more and more butchered trees. Then, about two weeks ago, a tree expert wrote in to the daily newspaper to comment on how unnecessary the pruning is, how it weakens the roots of a tree, and makes it more of a hazard. Being a tree lover myself, I am very alarmed, and I will certainly send in my thoughts to the towns newspaper, along with a number of photos of the disfigured trees of Wenatchee.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: productive, to creep, a settler, a limb.
1. There are many methods of making an orchard productive; pruning is one of them.
2. The cat crept into the pantry and started sniffing⁵ around for food.
3. The first settlers who came here planted fruit orchards⁶, and also many shade trees.
4. That limb needs to be cut off of the tree. It looks weak, and could be dangerous in a storm.

1 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

2 pruned   

v.修剪（树木等）( prune的过去式和过去分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• Next year's budget will have to be drastically pruned. 下一年度的预算将大幅度削减。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 pruning   

n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍，小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

5 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。