VOA慢速英语2012 Agriculture Report - A Flower in Winter: The Story of the Poinsettia（在线收听）

Agriculture Report - A Flower in Winter: The Story of the Poinsettia

农业报道 - 圣诞花一品红的故事

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report in Special English.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Poinsettias are the best-selling potted flowering plant in the United States. Red poinsettias are a traditional part of Christmas celebrations, which is why almost all of them are sold at wintertime. The Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans bought $250 million worth of poinsettias last year.

一品红是美国最畅销的盆栽开花植物。红色的一品红是圣诞庆祝活动的传统组成部分，这也就是为什么几乎所有这种花都在冬季出售的原因。美国农业部估计，去年美国人购买了价值2.5亿美元的一品红。

The poinsettia is native to Central America and needs warmth to grow. Bright red poinsettias are the best known. But there are about one hundred different kinds, in colors including white, pink, yellow and purple. 

一品红原产于中美洲，需要在温暖环境中生长。鲜红色的一品红最为有名。但它还有大约100种不同颜色，其中包括白色、粉红色、黄色和紫色。

The flowers of the poinsettia are very small. Around the flowers are colorful leaves called bracts. These bracts are what give the plants their beauty.

一品红的花非常小，围绕着花的是被称为苞片的色彩鲜艳的叶子。苞片使得它尤为美丽。

The poinsettia is named for Joel Roberts Poinsett from South Carolina. In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed him as the United States' first minister to Mexico. Poinsett had an interest in plants. He saw the colorful plants growing in the wild. Wild poinsettias can grow up to four meters tall. He liked them so much that he sent some cuttings back to the United States.

一品红因为南卡罗来纳州的乔尔·罗伯茨·波因塞特（Joel Roberts Poinsett）而得名。1825年，美国总统约翰·昆西·亚当斯（John Quincy Adams）任命他为美国首任驻墨西哥大使。波因塞特对植物很有兴趣。他看到这种色彩鲜艳的植物生长在野外。野生的一品红能够长到4米多高。他很喜欢这种植物，就送了一些插枝回美国。

The botanical name for the plant is Euphorbia pulcherrima. In Latin, that means "most beautiful euphorbia." There are hundreds of related plants, including rubber trees, trees that produce castor and tung oil, and the cassava, a root crop.

这种植物的学名是Euphorbia pulcherrima。在拉丁语中的意思就是美丽的大戟科植物。大戟科植物有数百种，包括橡胶树，产生蓖麻油和桐油的树，以及木薯这种块根作物。

People who are allergic to the latex produced by rubber trees can develop a mild skin rash from poinsettia plants. Babies and pets that chew on poinsettias can get sick. But experts say the plant is not as poisonous as some people think.

对橡胶树产生的树胶过敏的人会因为一品红患上轻度皮疹。孩子或宠物嚼了一品红会生病。但专家表示，这种植物并不像有些人想的那么有毒性。

In the 1920s, Albert Ecke and his son Paul became interested in the poinsettia’s ability to flower in winter. Paul Ecke thought it would be a good plant to display at Christmastime.

在20世纪20年代，阿尔伯特·艾克（Albert Ecke）和他的儿子保罗开始对一品红冬季开花的本事产生了兴趣。保罗·艾克认为它是一种圣诞期间展示的很好的植物。

They started a farm near Encinitas, California. At first, Paul Ecke, and later his son, grew large plants in fields. Then they sent them to growers by train. Growers would divide the large plants into cuttings, to raise smaller ones in greenhouses until the holidays.

他们在加州Encinitas市附近开办了一家农场。起初，保罗，以及后来他的儿子在地里种植这种大型的植物。然后用火车将它们发给种植者。种植者将这种大型植物分成插枝，在温室中培育这种小的插枝，直到假日来临。

In the 1960s came poinsettias that grew best in containers. The Eckes started to sell cuttings from these new plants. Today Ecke Ranch remains a major supplier in the United States and around the world. In August, Paul Ecke's grandson announced that the company was joining the Dutch-based Agribio Group.

20世纪60年代有了在容器中生长很好的一品红。艾克一家开始销售这些新植物的插枝。如今艾克农场仍然是美国和世界各地一品红的主要供应商。今年8月，保罗·艾克的孙子宣布，该公司已经并入荷兰Agribio集团。