美國語文第四冊 第74期：咖啡（01）
The coffee tree is a native of eastern Africa,
咖啡樹原產于非洲東部，
but it was in Arabia that it first became known to the people of Europe,
但最初是在阿拉伯為歐洲人所知，
and until about the year 1700 A. D. that country afforded the entire supply.
且直到約公元1700年，阿拉伯地區(qū)才開始全面種植咖啡。
Then the coffee seeds found their way to Java, by means of some traders,
然后，咖啡種子借助貿易商的傳播到達了爪哇島。
and one of the first plants grown on that island was sent as a present to the governor of the Dutch East India Company, who lived in Holland.
島上的第一株咖啡樹當做禮物送給了居住在荷蘭的東印度公司總督。
It was planted in the Botanical Gardens at Amsterdam,
人們將咖啡樹種植在了阿姆斯特丹的植物園里，
and in a few years seeds taken from it were sent to South America,
又過了些年，它的種子被帶到了南美洲。
where the cultivation of coffee has steadily increased, extending to the West Indies,
咖啡的種植在那里得到了穩(wěn)步增長，甚至延伸到了西印度群島。
until now the offspring of this one plant produce more coffee than is obtained from all the other plants in the world.
直到現在，這一株咖啡樹出產的咖啡豆比世界上任何咖啡樹都多。
The plant is an evergreen, and is from six to twelve feet high, the stem being from ten to fifteen inches in diameter.
咖啡樹是常綠植物，有6～12英尺高，樹干直徑有10～12英尺寬。
The lower branches bend down when the tree begins to grow old, and extend themselves into a round form somewhat like an umbrella;
當樹開始慢慢變老，靠下的樹枝會垂到地上，自己擴展成圓形，看起來像傘狀。
and the wood is so pliable that the ends of the largest branches may be bent down to within two or three feet of the earth.
它的木質非常柔軟，最大的樹枝頂端可能會垂到距地面2～3英尺的地方。
The bark is whitish and somewhat rough.
它的樹皮微微發(fā)白，略顯粗糙。
A tree is never without leaves, which are at small distances from one another, and on almost opposite sides of a bough.
樹都要有葉子，咖啡樹的每片葉子之間距離很小，分布在樹枝兩側。
Blossoms and green and ripe fruit may be seen on the same tree at the same time.
在同一棵樹上可以同時看到花、未成熟的果實和成熟的果實。
When the blossom falls off, there grows in its place a small green fruit, which becomes dark red as it ripens.
當花開敗之后，原來的地方會長出一個青綠的果實，等到成熟之后慢慢變成深紅色。
This fruit is not unlike a cherry, and is very good to eat.
它的果實和櫻桃沒什么不同，吃起來味道很不錯。
Under the pulp of this cherry is found the bean or berry we call coffee, wrapped in a fine, thin skin.
這個“櫻桃”的紫色下面就是我們稱之為的咖啡豆，包裹在一層很細薄的外皮里。
