英語聽力頻道為大家整理的VOA英語聽力練習(xí)下載：農(nóng)業(yè)報道 種甜菜，供大家參考:)
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報道。
Beets are a tasty root vegetable that do not require much work in the garden. People might think beets are always dark red. But they can also be pink, yellow or white. Beets with circles of red and white inside are known as candy cane or candy stripe beets. 甜菜是一種根莖有甜味的蔬菜，種植甜菜不需要太多勞動。人們或許認(rèn)為甜菜總是深紅色的，但也有粉色、黃色或白色的甜菜。內(nèi)部有紅白圓圈的甜菜被稱為棒棒糖或糖果條紋甜菜。
Beets are high in nutrients including folate, iron and fiber. They can be eaten fresh or frozen, canned or pickled. And not just the root but also the tops can be eaten. The leaves make good salads when the plants are young, and the greens can be cooked when the plants are older. 甜菜富含葉酸、鐵和纖維，可以生吃、冷凍、做罐頭或腌制，不僅根部可以吃，頭部也可食用。植株幼嫩時葉子還可以做沙拉，甜菜成熟后葉子可以煮著吃。
Beets like cool temperatures, between sixteen and eighteen degrees Celsius. They grow best in full sun and in loose soil that is not too wet. 甜菜喜好16到18度的涼爽氣候，在充足陽光和松軟不太濕的泥土中生長。
Remove stones from the soil while preparing the ground. And test the soil before adding lime and fertilizer. Some experts say the best fertilizers for beets are low in nitrogen. Beets need the acidity level in the soil to be six to seven and a half. 整理田地時應(yīng)把石塊撿出來，添加石灰和肥料之前做土壤測試。有的專家稱對甜菜的土壤含氮量很低，甜菜需要酸堿度為6到7.5的酸堿度。
Beet seeds can be planted as soon as the soil is able to be worked at the start of the growing season. Planting them every two to three weeks will provide a continuous harvest into the fall. 播種季開始后，只要土壤適宜就可以播種甜菜種子了。每兩三周播種一次就可確保秋季一直有收獲。
Iowa State University horticulture specialist Cindy Haynes suggests planting the seeds a little more than one centimeter deep. They should be planted in rows that are spaced thirty to forty-six centimeters apart. 愛荷華州立大學(xué)農(nóng)業(yè)專家Cindy Haynes建議將種子種在一公分以上的深度，行距應(yīng)保持在30到46公分E。
A beet seed is a fruit containing several seeds. Overcrowding the plants will mean that the roots cannot spread out and grow. Thin the beets by removing the smaller ones. These can be used as greens. 一顆甜菜的果實包含幾粒種子，播種過密的話，根部就無法延伸和成長。可以除掉小的植株，拔下來的甜菜苗可以食用。
Cindy Haynes says little or no fertilizer is needed in fertile soils. But once the seeds are planted, she does suggest covering the soil with a little mulch to protect it during rains and dry periods. She also suggests putting a fence around the plants to keep away rabbits and deer. Cindy Haynes說肥沃的土壤需要很少肥料，或者根本無需施肥。但一旦種子種下去，就得在雨季或干旱季節(jié)給土壤蓋上一層地膜。她還建議在植株周圍安置籬笆，不讓兔子和鹿進去。
She says the only work needed once beets have been thinned is weeding and, when the weather is dry, a weekly watering. 她說一旦除掉過密植株后，要做的是就是除草，天氣干燥時，每周要澆一次水。
For best results, beets should be picked when they are four to five centimeters across. Beets much larger than that can be tough and have to be cooked for a long time. 收獲甜菜的時機是直徑長到4到5公分時，再大些的甜菜會比較硬，需要烹煮很長時間。
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. For more gardening advice, go to 51voa.com. You can also find captioned videos of our reports on the VOA Learning English Channel on YouTube. I'm Bob Doughty.
詞匯學(xué)習(xí)：
1. nitrogen n. [化學(xué)] 氮
The plant requires nitrogen in order to make proteins. 植物需要氮以便制造蛋白質(zhì)。
2. mulch n. 覆蓋物，護蓋物；護根
In normal conditions, placing mulch around rose plants is a good idea. 正常情況下，在玫瑰周圍放置覆蓋物是個好主意。
3. horticulture n. 園藝，園藝學(xué)
The area has a long tradition of horticulture. 園藝是這個地區(qū)源遠(yuǎn)流長的傳統(tǒng)。
Beets are a tasty root vegetable that do not require much work in the garden. People might think beets are always dark red. But they can also be pink, yellow or white. Beets with circles of red and white inside are known as candy cane or candy stripe beets. 甜菜是一種根莖有甜味的蔬菜，種植甜菜不需要太多勞動。人們或許認(rèn)為甜菜總是深紅色的，但也有粉色、黃色或白色的甜菜。內(nèi)部有紅白圓圈的甜菜被稱為棒棒糖或糖果條紋甜菜。
Beets are high in nutrients including folate, iron and fiber. They can be eaten fresh or frozen, canned or pickled. And not just the root but also the tops can be eaten. The leaves make good salads when the plants are young, and the greens can be cooked when the plants are older. 甜菜富含葉酸、鐵和纖維，可以生吃、冷凍、做罐頭或腌制，不僅根部可以吃，頭部也可食用。植株幼嫩時葉子還可以做沙拉，甜菜成熟后葉子可以煮著吃。
Beets like cool temperatures, between sixteen and eighteen degrees Celsius. They grow best in full sun and in loose soil that is not too wet. 甜菜喜好16到18度的涼爽氣候，在充足陽光和松軟不太濕的泥土中生長。
Remove stones from the soil while preparing the ground. And test the soil before adding lime and fertilizer. Some experts say the best fertilizers for beets are low in nitrogen. Beets need the acidity level in the soil to be six to seven and a half. 整理田地時應(yīng)把石塊撿出來，添加石灰和肥料之前做土壤測試。有的專家稱對甜菜的土壤含氮量很低，甜菜需要酸堿度為6到7.5的酸堿度。
Beet seeds can be planted as soon as the soil is able to be worked at the start of the growing season. Planting them every two to three weeks will provide a continuous harvest into the fall. 播種季開始后，只要土壤適宜就可以播種甜菜種子了。每兩三周播種一次就可確保秋季一直有收獲。
Iowa State University horticulture specialist Cindy Haynes suggests planting the seeds a little more than one centimeter deep. They should be planted in rows that are spaced thirty to forty-six centimeters apart. 愛荷華州立大學(xué)農(nóng)業(yè)專家Cindy Haynes建議將種子種在一公分以上的深度，行距應(yīng)保持在30到46公分E。
A beet seed is a fruit containing several seeds. Overcrowding the plants will mean that the roots cannot spread out and grow. Thin the beets by removing the smaller ones. These can be used as greens. 一顆甜菜的果實包含幾粒種子，播種過密的話，根部就無法延伸和成長。可以除掉小的植株，拔下來的甜菜苗可以食用。
Cindy Haynes says little or no fertilizer is needed in fertile soils. But once the seeds are planted, she does suggest covering the soil with a little mulch to protect it during rains and dry periods. She also suggests putting a fence around the plants to keep away rabbits and deer. Cindy Haynes說肥沃的土壤需要很少肥料，或者根本無需施肥。但一旦種子種下去，就得在雨季或干旱季節(jié)給土壤蓋上一層地膜。她還建議在植株周圍安置籬笆，不讓兔子和鹿進去。
She says the only work needed once beets have been thinned is weeding and, when the weather is dry, a weekly watering. 她說一旦除掉過密植株后，要做的是就是除草，天氣干燥時，每周要澆一次水。
For best results, beets should be picked when they are four to five centimeters across. Beets much larger than that can be tough and have to be cooked for a long time. 收獲甜菜的時機是直徑長到4到5公分時，再大些的甜菜會比較硬，需要烹煮很長時間。
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. For more gardening advice, go to 51voa.com. You can also find captioned videos of our reports on the VOA Learning English Channel on YouTube. I'm Bob Doughty.
詞匯學(xué)習(xí)：
1. nitrogen n. [化學(xué)] 氮
The plant requires nitrogen in order to make proteins. 植物需要氮以便制造蛋白質(zhì)。
2. mulch n. 覆蓋物，護蓋物；護根
In normal conditions, placing mulch around rose plants is a good idea. 正常情況下，在玫瑰周圍放置覆蓋物是個好主意。
3. horticulture n. 園藝，園藝學(xué)
The area has a long tradition of horticulture. 園藝是這個地區(qū)源遠(yuǎn)流長的傳統(tǒng)。