VOA慢速英語:美國人喜歡圣誕樹

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語農(nóng)業(yè)報道。

Americans love Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association says more than 35 million of them were bought last year in the United States.

美國人喜歡圣誕樹。美國圣誕樹協(xié)會表示，去年美國售出了超過3500萬棵圣誕樹。

In large American cities, many people buy trees that have already been cut. But many people drive to a tree farm and cut them own tree. Some buy one from a catalogue or online, the tree is then delivered to their home.

在美國的大城市，很多人購買已經(jīng)砍好的樹，但也有很多人開車到林場自己去砍。還有些人通過商品目錄或上網(wǎng)購買圣誕樹，然后郵寄到家。

The National Christmas Tree Association represents growers and sellers of most of the farm-grown Christmas tress in the United States. It estimated that 10.9 million artificial trees were sold in 2012, compared to 24.5 million natural trees.

美國圣誕樹協(xié)會代表美國大多數(shù)林場種植圣誕樹的種植者和銷售商。據(jù)它估計，2012年美國售出了1090萬棵人造樹，與此相比售出的真樹為2450萬棵。

The group says the average cost of a natural tree was $40, and about $70 for an artificial one.

該協(xié)會表示，真樹的平均價格為40美元，而人造樹的價格為70美元。

Most Christmas trees are now grown on farms. The trees take six to ten years to grow. In some states, fewer than half of the planted trees survived the weather conditions to become Christmas trees.

大多數(shù)圣誕樹種在林場，它們需要6到10年長成。在一些州，種下的樹只有不到一半能夠經(jīng)受住氣候考驗成為圣誕樹。

To make sure there is always a supply, farmers usually plant one to three new saplings for every tree they cut down.

為了確保圣誕樹常年供給，農(nóng)民們通常每砍一棵樹就種植一到三棵樹苗。

The Christmas Tree Association says 40 percent of people who bought natural trees last year chose them at a farm and cut the tree themselves. The Association says real trees are better for the environment, that is because as Christmas trees grow, they collect carbon dioxide and other gases while supplying fresh oxygen. The trees also protect water supplies.

圣誕樹協(xié)會表示，去年40%購買真樹者到林場去挑樹并親自砍樹。該協(xié)會表示，真樹更加環(huán)保，這是因為在圣誕樹的生長過程中，它們會吸收二氧化碳和其它氣體同時釋放出新鮮氧氣。這些樹還能保障供水。

Christmas trees are grown on soil that does not support other crops. Some people throw away their natural tree when the holiday season ends. But many People recycle them. There are many ways to do this.

圣誕樹種在不支持種植其它農(nóng)作物的土壤中。有些人在假日結(jié)束后扔掉他們的真樹，但很多人會回收利用這些樹。回收利用的方法有很多種。

Christmas trees can be cut up to be used as fertilizer. They can also be cut and used to provent the wearing down of soil. Christmas trees helped many communities near the ocean following tropical Storm Sandy on the eastern coast of the United States. They were placed near large hills of sand to prevent the sand from blowing away.

圣誕樹可以被粉碎用作肥料，還能被切割后用于防止土壤消蝕。圣誕樹幫助美國東海岸鄰近大海的很多社區(qū)防范熱帶風(fēng)暴桑迪。它們被放在大沙堆附近防止沙子被吹走。

Artificial trees which come mostly from China can be reused for years. Families use them for an average of six to nine years before throwing them away. These trees can remain in a landfill for hundreds of years.

人造樹大多數(shù)來自中國，可以重復(fù)使用很多年。各家在扔掉它們之前平均使用6到9年。這些人造樹在垃圾場還能維持?jǐn)?shù)百年不腐爛。