您现在的位置: Language Tips> Audio & Video> Special Speed News  
 





 
Special trees and plants are part of the Christmas
[ 2007-12-25 09:46 ]

 

Download

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

December 25th is Christmas. The holiday has many traditions. Some special trees and plants are part of the Christmas tradition.

One of the most popular is the evergreen tree. It is usually a pine or a fir. It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. Many people buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put it in their house and hang small lights and colorful objects on its branches. Some people buy living trees and plant them after the Christmas holiday. Others cut down a tree or buy a cut tree.

Another popular evergreen plant is mistletoe. It has small white berries and leaves that feel like leather. The traditional Christmas mistletoe is native to Europe. Mistletoe is a parasite plant. It grows by connecting itself to a tree and stealing the tree's food and water. It can be found on apple trees, lindens, maples and poplars. Priests of the Druid religion of ancient Britain and France believed mistletoe had magical powers. Today, some people hang mistletoe in a doorway at Christmas time. If you meet someone under the mistletoe, tradition gives you permission to kiss that person.

Poinsettia Poinsettia One of the most popular plants at Christmas is the poinsettia. These plants are valued for their colorful bracts, which look like leaves. Most poinsettias are bright red. But they also can be white or pink. Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They are named after America's first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He liked the plant and sent some back to the United States. Many people believe that poinsettias are poisonous. But researchers say this is not true. They say the milky liquid in the plant's stem can cause a person's skin to become red. If children or animals eat the leaves they may become sick, but they will not die.

Two thick, sticky substances from trees have been part of Christmas from the beginning. They are frankincense and myrrh. Both have powerful, pleasant smells. Tradition says three wise men carried them as gifts to the Christ child in Bethlehem.

Finally, there are several herbs used in Christmas foods, drinks and decorations. One is sage. Its leaves are cooked with turkey or goose. And sweet-smelling rosemary plants are hung on doors or cut to look like little Christmas trees.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. We wish all of our listeners happy holidays. I'm Steve Ember.

frankincense:乳香

rosemary:迷迭香

 

(Source: VOA 英语点津姗姗编辑)

 
 
相关文章 Related Stories
 

 

 

 
 

本频道最新推荐

     
  Special trees and plants are part of the Christmas
  Johnny Cash: A world famous country music performer
  Bush thanks US troops on Christmas Eve
  Income tax threshold proposed to rise
  White Christmas: One of the best loved holiday songs

论坛热贴

     
  开个题目大家扯:hotel & restaurant
  追求某人
  请教工商年检如何翻译
  How to translate “中国老字号”into English?
  "港股直通车"怎么翻译?
  两免一补怎么说?