1.When the new year comes，the snow-drop is the first of all the flowers to put forth its lovely white blossoms.We call it the “snow-drop，”not only because its flowers are “white as snow，”butalso because they are often seen in earlyspring pushing their way through the snow which then covers the ground.Look at the way in which the flower droops or hangs down its head，and you will see the reason for calling it a drop or droop.
2.The snow-drop was brought to this country fromabroad①many years ago.It is quite at home with us now，and in a few places it may even be found growing wild.But its usual home is in our gardens and orchards②.
3.Let us pull up a snow-drop，roots and all，and see what the entire③plant is like.We notice at once that it has a little，egg-shaped bulb④，about half an inch in thickness.White，thread-like①Abroad，another country；away from home.
②Orchards，fruit-gardens.
③Entire，whole.
④Bulb，a bulging or ball-like root.
roots hang down from this bulb，while from its upper end there rise two narrow green leaves，six or eight inches in length.
4.Between these two leaves the flower-stalk grows up，surrounded①by a green，folding leaf.Near its top the flower-stalk bends over，so that the single white flower at its end hangsdownwards.
5.Let us look very closely at this pretty white flower.It is made of three large and three small white leaves.Inside these are six dust-spikes or stamens，which grow on the top of the seed-vessel.You can see the lower part of this seed-vessel outside the flower.It looks like a small green swelling at the top of the flower-stalk.If you cut this seed-vessel across with a pen-knife，you will find inside it some tiny young green seeds.
6.Within the flower of the snow-drop you
can see some green stripes on the white leaves；FLOWER AND SEEDVESSEL（花朵与种皮）and as you are looking closely at it，you may perhaps notice that the flower has a sweet smell.Both the smell and the green marks attract②flying insects to the flower，and guide them down into its honey-cup.These insects，as you know，carry the pollen③dust from flower to flower，and so help the snow-drops to form their seeds.
7.Why do the flowers of the snow-drop hang down their heads？If they did not do so，the heavy rains of early spring would soon wash all the honey out of their cups，and all the pollen dust from their dust-spikes.In February the insects go to sleep in the afternoon，and then，too，the snow-drop shuts up its blossoms；they do not open till the next morning，when the insects are again on the wing.
①Surrounded，shut in round about；enclosed.
②Attract，draw.
③Pollen dust，yellow dust found in flowers.
8.Do you know any other plant which is very much like the snow-drop？After the snow-drop has gone，the pretty yellow daffodil appears in the woods during March and April.If you pull a daffodil flower to pieces，you will find that in the number of itsparts，and in the way in which they are arranged①，it is very like thesnow-drop.The daffodil-or “Lent-lily②”as it is also called-grows very well in a garden，or in a flower-pot.You must plant the bulbs in the autumn，and they will flower in the next spring.
SUMMARY
The snow-drop is so called from its white drooping flower，and also because it pushes its way through the snow.It is not a native of this country.It has a little egg-shaped bulb，with small thread-like roots，and two narrow green leaves.The flower-stalk bends over at the top.The flower has three large and three small white leaves，inside of which are six stamens.Below the stamens is the seed-vessel.The green stripes on the leaves and the sweet smell of the flower attract insects，and by them the pollen dust is carried from blossom to blossom.The droop of the flower prevents the honey and the pollen from being washed away by the rain.A flower which much resembles the snow-drop is the daffodil.The bulbs of these flowers must be planted in the autumn.
【中文阅读】
1．每当新年来临的时候，雪花莲①总是第一个绽放出美丽动人的白色花朵。我们之所以称它为“雪花莲”，不仅仅是因为这种植物的花朵“洁白如雪”，还在于它经常在早春时便破土而出，穿过地面上的积雪，展现自己婀娜的身姿。看看花朵那垂首思索或低头不语的姿态，你便能够明白花名中“drop”（水滴）或“droop”（垂下）的由来。
2．许多年以前，雪花莲从海外来到英国。如今，它已经很适应英国的水①Arranged，set in order.
②Lent，a fast of forty days in spring，held in remembrance of Christ‘s fast in the wilderness.
土了，在有些地方，甚至在野外安家落户。不过，一般还是种在我们的花园及果园之中。
3．让我们连根拔起一株雪花莲，仔细观察这种植物的结构。大家首先看到的就是一个厚度约为半英寸的蛋形鳞茎②，而线状的白色根部就是从这里向下延伸，鳞茎顶端则长出两片狭窄的绿叶，长度为六到八英寸不等。
4．位于这两片叶子中间的花柄向上生长并且被包裹在一片绿叶中间。叶柄从靠近顶部的位置开始弯曲，因此，每一株雪花莲都会呈现出低头思索的样子。
5．让我们仔细看看它那漂亮的白色花朵。花瓣共分六片，三大三小。生在种皮顶部的是六根粉穗或雄蕊，你可以看到花朵外面的种皮下半部分。它看起来就像一块很小的绿色隆起，生长在花柄顶部。用一把小刀将这个种皮切开，就能看到里面尚未成熟的绿色小种。
6．你可以看到，雪花莲花朵里面的白色花瓣上有一些绿色条纹；凑近观察，你还会闻到甜美的花香。这种香味与绿色条纹都能够吸引飞虫并引导它们来到自己的蜜腺之中。大家知道，这些昆虫可以携带花粉并且在花朵之间进行传播。如此一来，雪花莲便能够结出果实。
7．雪花莲为什么总是低着头呢？如果它们不是保持这种姿态，那么早春的大雨一定会将蜜腺中的花蜜与雄蕊中的花粉全部冲洗一空。到了二月，昆虫们在午后时分都会沉沉睡去，而雪花莲也会闭合自己的花朵。到了第二天清晨，昆虫们又开始挥舞翅膀，采集花粉；而雪花莲则再次绽放。
8．你还知道其他与雪花莲相似的植物吗？到了三四月份，雪花莲凋谢之后，漂亮的黄色水仙花就出现在了树林之中。如果你分解开一朵水仙花，就会发现，它的花朵结构与花瓣数量都与雪花莲非常相似。无论是在花园还是在花盆中，水仙花（又名“百合花③”）都能够顺利生长。记住，水仙花的鳞茎必须在秋天种下，这样它们就能够在来年春天开出美丽的花朵。
译注
①雪花莲：雪花莲也叫“雪钟花”，属于“石蒜科”“雪钟花属”。雪花莲的花期并不在阳历新年，而在2-3月的早春。它原产于地中海沿岸，后来被引进到英国。现在野生的雪花莲已经被国际自然保护联盟（International Union for Conservation of Nature，IUCN）列入2011年的《濒危物种红色名录》（2011Red List of Threatened Species）。
②鳞茎：鳞茎也叫球茎，是一种经过“特化”的茎，某些种子植物休眠的时候，用它来提供养分。后面还要提到一种典型的鳞茎，是一种“味道十足”的东西。
③四旬斋百合：“百合花”的原文lent-lilies是“四旬斋百合”的意思。Lent 代表“四旬斋”，也叫“大斋节”，在每年复活节之前的四十天，来自《圣经·新约》中耶稣接受魔鬼四十天试探的传说。这四十天是早春时节，水仙恰巧在这一时期开花，因此得名。
THE PATIENT DONKEY