美国语文第四册 第74期：咖啡（01）
The coffee tree is a native of eastern Africa,
咖啡树原产于非洲东部，
but it was in Arabia that it first became known to the people of Europe,
但最初是在阿拉伯为欧洲人所知，
and until about the year 1700 A. D. that country afforded the entire supply.
且直到约公元1700年，阿拉伯地区才开始全面种植咖啡。
Then the coffee seeds found their way to Java, by means of some traders,
然后，咖啡种子借助贸易商的传播到达了爪哇岛。
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.
岛上的第一株咖啡树当做礼物送给了居住在荷兰的东印度公司总督。
It was planted in the Botanical Gardens at Amsterdam,
人们将咖啡树种植在了阿姆斯特丹的植物园里，
and in a few years seeds taken from it were sent to South America,
又过了些年，它的种子被带到了南美洲。
where the cultivation of coffee has steadily increased, extending to the West Indies,
咖啡的种植在那里得到了稳步增长，甚至延伸到了西印度群岛。
until now the offspring of this one plant produce more coffee than is obtained from all the other plants in the world.
直到现在，这一株咖啡树出产的咖啡豆比世界上任何咖啡树都多。
The plant is an evergreen, and is from six to twelve feet high, the stem being from ten to fifteen inches in diameter.
咖啡树是常绿植物，有6～12英尺高，树干直径有10～12英尺宽。
The lower branches bend down when the tree begins to grow old, and extend themselves into a round form somewhat like an umbrella;
当树开始慢慢变老，靠下的树枝会垂到地上，自己扩展成圆形，看起来像伞状。
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.
它的木质非常柔软，最大的树枝顶端可能会垂到距地面2～3英尺的地方。
The bark is whitish and somewhat rough.
它的树皮微微发白，略显粗糙。
A tree is never without leaves, which are at small distances from one another, and on almost opposite sides of a bough.
树都要有叶子，咖啡树的每片叶子之间距离很小，分布在树枝两侧。
Blossoms and green and ripe fruit may be seen on the same tree at the same time.
在同一棵树上可以同时看到花、未成熟的果实和成熟的果实。
When the blossom falls off, there grows in its place a small green fruit, which becomes dark red as it ripens.
当花开败之后，原来的地方会长出一个青绿的果实，等到成熟之后慢慢变成深红色。
This fruit is not unlike a cherry, and is very good to eat.
它的果实和樱桃没什么不同，吃起来味道很不错。
Under the pulp of this cherry is found the bean or berry we call coffee, wrapped in a fine, thin skin.
这个“樱桃”的紫色下面就是我们称之为的咖啡豆，包裹在一层很细薄的外皮里。
