AGRICULTURE REPORT - Do-It-Yourself Growing Tomatoes
农业报道 - 自己动手种番茄
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这是美国之音慢速英语节目的农业报道。
Today we talk about tomatoes.
今天我们来说一下关于番茄的话题。
Tomatoes are generally easy to grow. Experts at the University of Illinois Extension( 伊利诺伊斯大学 ) suggest you start seeds indoors if the ground is still cold. For best results with the least risk, they say, plant when the soil is warm, soon after the frost-free( 结霜的 ) date for your area.
通常，番茄较容易种。伊利诺伊大学的专家建议当周围气温仍然寒冷，你在室内播种。他们建议说在你当地结霜后但土地还是温暖的时候种番茄，效果是最好的并且最少风险的。
Be prepared to cover early plantings during the night if there is still a risk of freeze. Black plastic mulch can help keep them warm. Better to wait until the soil is warm to use organic （有机的） mulch.
晚间假如仍然有结霜的风险，做好盖住新种番茄的准备。黑色塑胶薄膜对保持它们温度。更好的是等到土壤温暖时才用有机薄膜。
When transplanting, use starter fertilizer （起始肥料） .
当要搬移时，要使用起始肥料。
Small plants called dwarfs( 小矮人 ) may be placed a third of a meter apart in rows. If you grow staked plants, set the sticks in the ground about half a meter apart. Some larger varieties of tomatoes may need about a meter between plants and at least a meter and a half between rows. The idea is to leave enough space for harvesting.
名为小矮人的小树种可能每一排需要相隔三分之一米。假如你种中等的，在树的周围架上树枝，每排隔开 0.5 米左右。一些更大的品种可能需要每棵树相隔 1 米，每排至少相隔 1.5 米。这样做的目的是为收成留有足够的空间。
Work the soil to remove weeds （杂草） . But do not work the soil too deeply or you could damage the tomato plants.
翻动泥土除去杂草。 不过不要翻得太深，否则，你会伤害到番茄的。
Water the plants regularly during long dry periods. Give them plenty of water. Plants in containers may need water daily or even more than once a day.
在长时间干旱的时期，固定时间地给植物浇水，给它们足够的水分。盆栽可能每天都需要浇水，甚至一天不止一次。
Some gardeners train （培养） tomato plants to grow on cages or trellises （格子棚） . Whatever you choose, make sure the supports （支架） are tall enough. Most modern tomato plants grow about a meter tall. Others reach almost two meters.
一些花农将番茄养植于笼子里或格子棚。无论你选择将番茄种在哪，保证支架足够高。大部分现代的番茄长有 1 米高左右。其他的几乎达到 2 米的高度。
Experts at Purdue University Extension in Indiana say tomatoes started from seed take forty-five to ninety days till harvest. The average air temperature should be about twenty-four degrees Celsius. In that case, you can pick the tomatoes when they are firm （结实的） and fully colored. But if the weather is very hot, pick the tomatoes every day or two. Let them soften and develop their full color indoors.
普渡大学的专家说番茄从播种到收成花费 45 到 90 天的时间。平均气温需在 24 摄氏度左右。在盆子里，你需要在它们结实并完全变色后，将它们捡起。不过当天气很热时，每一天或两天就得捡一次番茄。在室内，让它们舒服和完全生长出它们的颜色。
There was a time when people thought tomatoes were poisonous. In fact, they are just the opposite. Tomatoes are good for you. But are they a fruit or a vegetable?
曾经有一段时间，人们认为番茄是有毒的。事实上，恰好相反，番茄是对人体有益的。但是它们是水果，还是蔬菜？
Technically, a tomato is a fruit -- the fruit of the tomato plant. As the experts at AskOxford.com explain: "True fruits are developed from the ovary （子房） in the base of the flower, and contain the seeds of the plant (though cultivated forms （人工培植的品种） may be seedless)." But some fruits, including tomatoes, may be called "vegetables" because they are used in savory foods instead of sweet cooking. Got that?
学术上，番茄是一种水果，一种番茄树上的水果。如专家在 AskOxford.com 上解释说：“真正的水果，在花朵的基础上，在植物的子房中生长出来的，并且包含着植物的种子（虽然人工培植的品种可能是无籽的）”但是一些水果，包括番茄，可能被称为蔬菜，因为它们用于美味的食物而不是甜美的煮食。明白了吗？
