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【In the Garden: Growing Onions】
TEXT:This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報(bào)道。
Onions come in different sizes, shapes, colors and flavors, from mild and sweet to hot and strong. A full-grown onion plant has roots, bulbs and leaves. The leaves are long, thin and hollow. The
y stand straight up and thicken at the bottom to form a bulb.
洋蔥的大小，形狀，顏色不一，口味等各不相同，從清甜到辛辣不等。一個(gè)成熟的洋蔥包括根、球莖和葉子。洋蔥葉子細(xì)長、中空。洋蔥直立生長，并在底部增厚形成球莖。
Onions are biennials; their life cycle is two years long. But they are usually picked during their first year after flowers form and the bulbs stop growing.
洋蔥是兩年生植物，它們的生命周期是兩年。但洋蔥通常會(huì)在生長周期的第一年開花并且球莖停止生長后采摘。
Onions grow best in loose, fertile soil. They can grow in many different climates. In cooler climates, onions may need fourteen to fifteen hours of daylight to start forming bulbs. In warmer climates, onions can begin developing bulbs with fewer hours of daily sun.
洋蔥最適宜在疏松、肥沃的土壤生長。洋蔥可以在許多不同氣候條件下生長。在寒冷氣候下，洋蔥可能需要14-15小時(shí)日照才能開始形成球莖。而在溫暖氣候條件下，洋蔥能夠在幾個(gè)小時(shí)日照的情況下形成球莖。
Barbara Fick is an extension agent at Oregon State University in the northwestern United States. She says a faster way to grow onions is to plant what are called sets.
芭芭拉?菲克（Barbara Fick）是美國西北部的俄勒岡州立大學(xué)的一名推廣員。她說，種植洋蔥的一種更快的方式是種植所謂的塊莖。
BARBARA FICK: "Well, onion sets are actually small plants, versus starting with a seed. So when you have a set, onion set, it actually is, you know, the small bulb. So it does not take as long to grow."
菲克：“和從播種開始種植洋蔥相比，洋蔥塊莖實(shí)際上是一種幼苗。所以洋蔥塊莖實(shí)際上就是小洋蔥。”
Organic material like compost or leaf mulch can help onions grow in heavy soil.
堆肥或葉子覆蓋膜等有機(jī)肥可以幫助洋蔥在質(zhì)地堅(jiān)硬的土壤中生長。
The bulbs can be pulled from the ground once their tops have dried and fallen over. Onions can be stored for months. But Barbara Fick says stored onions need to be cured first.
當(dāng)洋蔥球莖頂部的葉子干枯、脫落后，就可以把洋蔥球莖從地里拔出。洋蔥可以存放幾個(gè)月之久。但Barbara Fick稱，存儲(chǔ)洋蔥必須先進(jìn)行處理。
BARBARA FICK: "Curing is a way of making sure those leaves on the outside are nice and dry."
菲克：“干燥過程是確保洋蔥外部的葉子良好、干燥。”
Here are some directions from editors at the National Gardening Association.
以下是美國園藝協(xié)會(huì)編輯們給出的一些指導(dǎo)建議。
First, dry the onions in the sun for a day or so. Then bring them out of direct sun for two to three weeks. Spread them out in any warm, airy place that is covered. Or cover the onions with a light cotton sheet held in place with stones along the edge.
首先，把洋蔥在陽光下曝曬一天左右，然后在陽光不能直射的地方晾曬。在遮蓋陽光的溫暖通風(fēng)的地方鋪開。或者用輕薄的棉布蓋好洋蔥，并把棉布邊緣用石頭壓住。
The sheet will keep the sun from burning the bulbs. Don't worry about rain. And do not use a plastic or canvas sheet. Heavy coverings will trap moisture and keep the onions from drying fully.
棉布可以防止太陽把洋蔥完全曬干。不要擔(dān)心下雨，不要使用塑料或帆布覆蓋。嚴(yán)實(shí)覆蓋物可以鎖住水分防止洋蔥完全曬干。
Turn the bulbs a couple of times to help them dry evenly.
翻動(dòng)洋蔥數(shù)次以使其均勻干燥。
After curing the onions, you can hang them indoors in mesh bags to dry even more. There should be no wet spots on the onions when they are put in storage. Editors at the National Gardening Association say the longer onions are cured, the better they will keep.
干燥后的洋蔥可以裝入網(wǎng)袋掛在室內(nèi)使其更干一些。在洋蔥放入儲(chǔ)藏室之前，必須確保洋蔥外表上沒有濕斑。美國園藝協(xié)會(huì)的編輯們表示，洋蔥干燥時(shí)間越長，儲(chǔ)存時(shí)間也越長。
Some people cut off the top leaves before curing onions. If you do that, do not cut the leaves any closer than two and a half centimeters from the bulb.
一些人在洋蔥干燥前剪去鱗莖頂部的葉子。在剪葉子時(shí)，不要剪掉鱗莖附近2.5厘米以內(nèi)的葉子。
