作者：小雅和英美友人
Grow有三个意思，你知道几个？
Soil、earth、Mud、dirt、dust这几个词有什么区别？
铁锹到底是spade还是shovel？
今天是植树节，虽然我们找不到户外植树的场地，但是在自己家的花盆里种点东西，还是可以实现的。
美国的National Planting Day是不久前才设立的，时间是在9月Labor Day（劳工节）后的第一个星期六。但是，在4月22日的Earth Day（地球日）种树早已是一种传统，很多学校会在这一天举办tree-planting ceremony（种树仪式）。
Planting with a Child 和孩子一起种东西
Mom: Would you like to grow some flowers and vegetables this spring?
妈妈：今年春天你想不想种点花和蔬菜？
Grow：种，亦可用plant，但grow还包含使之生长的各种照料。植物相关的场景中，grow有三个意思：(1) 种、(2) 生长、(3) 长出......，在文中都会涉及到。
Child: Yes, please!
宝宝：嗯！
Mom: Okay, first we need some little pots, trowels, and soil.
妈妈：好的，咱们先找几个小花盆、铲子和土。
亦可将soil替换为dirt和earth，soil、earth、mud、dirt、dust这几个词的比较见文章结尾。
在美式英语中，spade = trowel = 铲子，在英式英语中，spade = shovel = 铁锹。在英式英语中，spade和shovel的细微区别是，spade是平头的，shovel是尖头的，但通常可以混用。
We will also need to pick our seeds.
咱们还要选一下种子。
What would you like to grow?
你想种什么？
Child: I would like to grow carrots, peas, tomatoes, and sunflowers.
宝宝：我想种胡萝卜、豌豆、西红柿，还有向日葵。
Mom: OK, let's start with tomatoes.
妈妈：好的，咱们先种西红柿。
Now let's scoop some soil out of the big bag and put it into our little pots, filling them almost to the top.
现在咱们从大袋子里挖出一些土，往咱们的小花盆里装，往里填差不多到顶儿。
Next, we put a few seeds into the soil.
然后咱们把一些种子放到土里。
Then, we gently place some more soil on top of them.
然后我们轻轻地往它们上面再盖一些土。
Child: Like this, Mommy?
宝宝：是这样吗，妈妈？
How many seeds do I need?
我需要多少种子啊？
Mom: Let's start with four or five.
妈妈：先用四五个吧。
Next we will use this spray bottle that is filled with water to give them a little water, like gentle rain.
然后咱们用这个装满水的喷壶，给它们浇点水，就像小雨一样。
Plants need water to grow.
植物有水才能生长。
Child: They also need sun!
宝宝：它们还需要太阳！
Mom: That is right, so we will put these on the windowsill to grow.
妈妈：是的，所以我们要把它们放到窗台上生长。
When they have started to grow and sprout, we can move them into the back garden into bigger pots.
等它们开始长了，开始发芽了，咱们可以把它们挪到后花园的大花盆里。
* Seedling比sprout更成熟，但通常可以混用。
(A week later)
（一周后）
Child: Mommy, they are starting to grow little leaves!
宝宝：妈妈，它们开始长小叶子了！
Mom: Great!
妈妈：太好了！
We will first start by putting them outside during the day and bringing them inside at night.
咱们开始先把它们白天放到外面，晚上拿回屋里。
That way they can get used to being outside.
这样它们才能慢慢适应呆在室外。
Once they are ready, we need to dig a little hole with our trowel in the soil.
到时候我们需要用铲子在土里挖一个小坑。
Then we will gently take the seedling out of the little pot and put it into the hole.
然后咱们轻轻地把小芽从小花盆里拿出去，放到坑里。
Use your hands to push the soil around the seedling and pat it down gently.
用手把土堆到小苗周围，轻轻往下拍一拍。
Let's water them and leave them to grow!
咱们给它们浇浇水，让它们自己长！
Child: I can't wait to eat them!
宝宝：我都等不及吃它们了！
（后三幅图片摘自Child's Play出版社系列绘本Helping Hands之Grow it!）
附录：Dirt, mud, soil, earth, dust的区别(1) Dirt 土
I have dirt on my shoes.
我的鞋上有土。
(2) Mud 泥，即wet dirt
We got lots of mud on the car.
咱们车上蹭上好多泥。
(3) Soil 土壤，和earth的区别是，soil可以是人造的
Let's buy some artificial soil in the gardening store.
咱们去园艺店买点儿人造土。
(4) Earth 自然的土壤
Good earth has lots of important nutrients for plants.
好的土壤能为植物提供很多重要的营养。
(5) Dust 灰尘
The room is covered with dust.
房间里布满了灰尘。
【你和宝宝说英语】
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