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The Food Factory
食物工廠
Did you know that plants make food for themselves?
你知道植物會給自己生產食物嗎？
You may be surprised, when you read this story, to find out that you have eaten some of their food.
讀到這則故事的時候，你可能會驚訝地發現你吃過它們的食物。
Mary Jane was watering the grass while her grandmother sat on the porch and sewed.
瑪麗·簡正在給草地澆水，她的奶奶正坐在門廊縫衣物。
"Grandmother," called Mary Jane, "this grass has enough water.
奶奶，這塊草地已經澆足水了，瑪麗·簡說道。
Now I will water your plants."
現在我要給你的植物澆水了。
"My plants?" smiled Grandmother.
我的植物？奶奶笑到。
"You have been watering them.
你一直在給它們澆水啊。
Every growing thing that is not an animal is a plant.
每個生長著的東西不是動物就是植物。
Flowers and grass and trees and pumpkins are all plants."
花草樹木和南瓜都是植物。
"Oh," cried Mary Jane, "may I pull up just one grass plant and look at it?"
哦，是嗎？瑪麗·簡叫到，那我能拔起一株小草看看它嗎？
"Yes, indeed," said Grandmother.
當然可以了，奶奶說。
Mary Jane pulled up one of the little plants.
瑪麗·簡拔起了一株小草。
At the top were two blades of grass, and at the bottom was a thick root with tiny hairs on it.
小草的頂部是兩片葉子，下面是粗壯的根莖，根莖上長著細小的須毛。
After Mary Jane had looked at the grass plant, she said, "Now, Grandmother, I will water your flower plants,
瑪麗·簡看完小草說，奶奶現在我要給你的花澆水了，
"The little girl was very careful to get all the water on the plants and not a drop on herself.
小姑娘非常小心，讓水全部都澆到植物上，而不滴到自己身上
So, when she had finished, Grandmother gave her a beautiful peach.
于是，在她完成后，奶奶給了她一個漂亮的桃子。
"Grandmother," said Mary Jane, as she ate her peach, "you always say that I must eat good food so that I will grow and be strong. How do plants grow without eating?"
奶奶，你總是說我要好好吃飯，才能長大長高，那植物不吃飯，它們是怎么長大的呢？瑪麗·簡一邊吃著桃子一邊問。
"Oh, but they do eat," said Grandmother.
哦，不，它們是吃東西的，奶奶說。
"Where do they get their food?" asked the surprised little girl.
那它們從哪得到食物呢？小姑娘驚奇地問道。
"Plants make their food," answered Grandmother, "Each plant is like a factory.
植物自己給自己創造食物，奶奶回答道，每種植物都像是一座工廠。
Now, of course, any kind of factory must have something to work with."
當然，任何的工廠都要有東西來加工。
Mary Jane began to laugh. "Yes," she said. "You can't make something out of nothing."
瑪麗·簡笑了起來，沒錯，她說，你也不能憑空制造出東西啊。
"No, indeed," said Grandmother. "The food factory makes its food from air, water, and parts of the ground."
奶奶說，嗯，那是當然的啦。這座工廠可以利用空氣、水和土壤中的成分生產食物。
