时差N小时:蒲公英的诞生

They're a home owner's nemesis and a young kid'sdelight. Whether they're yellow flowers dotting anotherwise perfect lawn or white puffs ready to beblown away by a sudden gust, dandelions are eitherhated or loved by just about everybody. What lookslike a single yellow flower growing in your lawn isactually many flowers grouped together. Each sectionof the flower that looks like a petal is actually anindividual flower in its own right.

蒲公英是房子主人的克星，却能给孩子们带来欢乐。无论是点缀在完美的草坪上的黄色花朵，还是忽然一阵风刮来就会被吹走的纯白蓬松的果实，蒲公英让每个人又爱又恨。蒲公英黄色的花朵看上去像是一朵，但实际上是许多花朵的组合。那些看起来类似花瓣的部分，实际上都是一朵独立的花。

A dandelion is an aggregate of many small flowers and each individual flower has its ownstamens and pistil, and therefore can reproduce without fertilization. After a dandelion hasbloomed, each of the individual flowers within a single dandelion forms a seed. The seed isattached to fluffy white threads, which allow the seed to fly to a place where, if it meetsfavorable conditions, it can germinate to create another dandelion. Even if you hate thiscommon weed, you've got to respect its tenacious spirit.

蒲公英是许多小小花朵的集合，且每朵花都有自己的雄蕊和雌蕊。蒲公英绽放之后，每个单独的花朵内都会形成种子。种子就是那毛茸茸的白色线球，这样种子能随风飞到别处，如何遇到适宜的环境，它就能发芽，长成另一株蒲公英。即使你讨厌这种普通的植物，但必须尊重它顽强的精神。

Dandelions are native to six continents, and are found throughout the world except in thetropics. Their impressive roots, which can be up to a foot long, allow them to thrive ininhospitable environments, like big cities, where most flowers and weeds can't even survive.

蒲公英原产于六个大陆，除了热带，世界的任何地方都能找到它们的身影。令人惊叹的是，它们的根部长达一英尺，这样的根部使它们能在荒凉的环境中茁壮成长，例如不适合许多花草生存的大城市。

Cut off a dandelion at the surface and the root will grow another plant. But dandelions aren'tjust annoying weeds; they've been used throughout history in a variety of ways. Dandelionleaves have been eaten as salad greens and dried to make dandelion tea; and dandelion flowershave been used to make wine and schnapps. In addition, the milky juice of one kind ofdandelion has been used to make a natural rubber.

将蒲公英的表面或者根部切断，就会重新长出一株蒲公英来。然而，蒲公英并不是令人头疼的杂草。历史上有各种关于食用蒲公英的记载。蒲公英的叶子可做成沙拉食用，也可晒干用来泡茶。蒲公英的花朵能用来酿葡萄酒和松子酒。此外，有一种蒲公英的白色汁液可用来制作天然橡胶。