沙漠植物

This is the country of three seasons. From June to November it lies hot， still， and unbearable， sick with violent unrelieving storms； then on until April， chill， quiescent， drinking its scant rain and scanter snows； from April to the hot season again， blossoming， radiant， and seductive. These months are only approximate； later or earlier the rain-laden wind may drift up the water gate of the Colorado from the Gulf， and the land set its seasons by the rain.

　　The desert floras shame us with their cheerful adaptations to the seasonal limitations. Their whole duty is to flower and fruit， and they do it hardly， or with tropical luxuriance， as the rain admits. It is recorded in the report of the Death Valley expedition that after a year of abundant rains， on the Colorado desert was found a specimen of Amaranthus ten feet high. A year later the same species in the same place matured in the drought at four inches. One hopes the land may breed like qualities in her human offspring， no tritely to .°try.±， but to do. Seldom does the desert herb attain the full stature of the type. Extreme aridity and extreme altitude have the same dwarfing effect， so that we find in the high Sierras and in Death Valley related species in miniature that reach a comely growth in mean temperatures. Very fertile are the desert plants in expedients to prevent evaporation， turning their foliage edge-wise toward the sun， growing silky hairs and helps them. It roll up dunes about the stocky stems， encompassing and protective， and above the dunes， which may be， as with the mesquite， three times as high as a man， the blossoming twigs flourish and bear fruit.

　　（from The Land of Little Rain by Mary Hunter Austin）

　　quiescent 靜止的，沉寂的

　　seductive 有吸引力的，誘人的

　　flora 植物群

　　expedition 考察，探險

　　specimen 標本，樣品

　　tritely 陳腐地，陳舊地

　　stature 身材，身高

　　dwarf 使變矮

　　miniature 小型，微型物

　　comely 郃適的，適宜的

　　evaporation 蒸發，水分散失

　　foliage 葉子

　　exude 流出，滲出

　　viscid gum 黏膠

　　harry 折磨，騷擾

　　dune 沙丘

　　encompassing 包容的，環繞

　　mesquite 牧豆樹屬植物

　　scant 缺乏的，不足的；限制，節省，減少

　　blossom 花，花開的狀態；開花，興旺，發展

　　lade 裝載，裝；舀出

　　radiant 發光的，輻射的

　　tropical 熱帶的，熱情的

　　luxuriance 茂盛

　　breed 繁殖，教養，撫育

　　offspring 兒女，了孫，後代，産物

　　herb 葯草，香草

　　aridity 乾旱

　　arid 乾旱的

　　expedient 有利的；權宜之計

　　twig 嫩枝，小枝，末梢；注意，了解