1.Onions have a very strong s m e l l ，w h i c h m a n y p e o p l e dislike；but for all that they are a very good and wholesome①food.The onion is a hardy plant，and is easily grown.Let us go to a seed-shop and buy an ounce of onion seeds.They are small and black，and are rather flat inshape.We shall dig and rake a nice seed-bed in our garden，and early in March we shall sow the onion seeds there.
2.We must rake the seeds into the ground so as to bury them about an inch deep，and then we must flatten the earth upon them by beating it with a spade.After the seeds have been in the earth for a fortnight or so，we shall see the young green shoots of the onions springing up like blades of grass.
3.But weeds will spring up with them，and these must be picked out.If the onions themselves have been planted closely①Wholesome，healthy；good for the body.
together，they must be “thinned”-that is to say，some of them must be taken out，so that the others may have room to grow to their full size.In August or September the onions will be fully grown，and they must then be pulled up and stored in a dry room till they are wanted for cooking.
4.If we do not pull up the onions，but leave them in the ground，each plant will send up a long，hollow flower-stalk，at the top of which there will grow a bunch of small white flowers，looking like a ball.
5.If we take an onion in our hand，we can see that in shape and in size.it is very much like an orange，and that the outside is covered with a thin brownskin.An onion can be easily pulled toFLOWER-HEAD OF ONION（洋葱的头状花序）pieces，for its bulb is made of a great
many thick juicy leaves，all growing closely together.
6.The onion plant has no stem or trunk that you can see at first；but when you pull one to pieces，or split it up with a knife，you notice a thin white plate at the bottom of the bulb，from which the white，thread-like roots grow downward.This is really the stem of the onion.
7.You will be sure to notice the strong smell of the onion，which will cling to your fingers for a time，even after you have washed them.If you eat some of the onion raw，you will find that it has a strong and rather burning taste.When it is cooked，itsflavour①is much improved②.
8.Very large onions，of a mild flavour，are sent to us from Spain③，and are therefore called Spanish onions.These onions①Flavour，that which makes a thing pleasant to the taste.
②Improved，made better.
③Spain，a country in the southwest of Europe.
SECTION OF ONION（洋葱截面）
have been left to grow for a very long time，and so we need not be surprised that they are so large.
9.In Spain the onion seed is sown in August，and the bulbs are not gathered until the following August.As a rule，we do not usually follow this plan in our country，for the frosts of our cold winters are apt to kill the young onion plants.
10.Do you know any plants which are of the same family①asthe onion？If you carefully examine the parts of the flower，and the leaves with their straight veins②，you will find that the onion has a family likeness to the leek，the tulip，and the lily.
SUMMARY
The onion is a hardy plant，the seeds of which should be sown in March；in August or September the plants will be fully grown.If the onions are left in the ground，each plant will send up a hollow flower-stalk，bearing at the top a round bunch of small white flowers.Its bulb consists of thick juicy leaves growing closely together.At the bottom of the bulb is a thin white plate-the real stem of the onion-from which the white thread-like roots grow.Spanish onions are very large and of a mild flavour.The onion is of the same family of plants as the leek，lily，and tulip.
①Family，class；kind.
②Veins，the small ribs which form the framework of the leaves.
【中文阅读】
1．洋葱①的味道非常浓烈，很多人都不喜欢；不过，它们的确是一种非常有益和健康的食物。洋葱对气候的适应性很强，因此特别容易生长。我们到种子商店去买上一盎司洋葱种子。这些黑色的小种子是扁平的形状。我们需要在花园中挖土、耙地，培育一片苗床。到了三月初的时候就可以把洋葱种子播下去了。
2．我们必须用耙子来播种，以确保把它们埋在地下一英寸左右的地方，然后反复地拍打铁锹将这片土地压平。等到种子埋入地下两周左右，我们就能看到绿色的洋葱嫩苗如草叶般破土而出。
3．然而，杂草也会随着这些嫩苗一起生长，必须将杂草清理干净。如果洋葱种植得过于密集，那么就需要对它们进行间苗②，也就是拔除一些洋葱幼苗，这样才能够确保剩下的幼苗获得足够的生长空间。到了八九月，洋葱就会完全成熟，要从地里拔出来，储存在干燥的地方，等到烹饪时再来取用。
4．如果我们没有拔出洋葱，而是把它们留在地里，那么每一株植物都会长出长长的空心花葶，其顶部又会生出一簇球状的白色小花。
5．把一颗洋葱拿在手中，仔细观察就会发现，它的形状、大小与橙子非常相似，只是洋葱的外面包裹了一层薄薄的褐色外皮③。我们可以轻而易举地将洋葱剥开，分成很多片，因为它的球茎由许多厚厚的多汁叶片构成，彼此之间紧密相连。
6．乍一看，洋葱似乎没有茎或干；不过，当你掰开洋葱或者用刀子切碎就会发现，球茎底部有一个白色的薄片，线状的根须从那里向下生长。这实际上就是洋葱的茎④。
7．毫无疑问，你一定会注意到洋葱那浓烈的味道，即便洗过手之后，你的手上还是会留有这种味道，需要一段时间才能散去。如果你生吃洋葱，那么就能够立刻体验到那种强烈的辛辣味道。烹饪之后，洋葱的味道会可口很多。
8．味道温和的巨型洋葱从西班牙传入英国，所以它们被称之为西班牙洋葱。这些洋葱的生长时间很长，因此，长得这么大也就不足为奇了。
9．在西班牙，人们在八月的时候播下洋葱的种子，直到第二年的八月才会采摘果实。不过，这种做法在英国通常并不适用，因为这里寒冷的冬季很可能会让洋葱幼苗夭折⑤。
10．你知道还有哪些植物与洋葱同属一类呢？如果你仔细观察，那么就会发现，芹菜、郁金香、百合它们的花朵和直直的叶脉都与洋葱非常相似。
译注
①洋葱属于“百合科-葱属”，原产西亚，可能是在西汉开通丝绸之路之后引入中国的。
②“间苗”也叫“疏苗”。农作物幼苗正在长出地面，或者完全长出来之后，为了保证农作物得到足够的阳光、空气和养分，需要拔除多余的幼苗，这个过程就是间苗。读者可能要问：既然知道幼苗要拔除，当初为什么干脆不少种一些呢？这是因为，播下去的种子不一定都能发芽，要保证足够的幼苗数量，需要多播种；要保证拔除的幼苗尽可能少，又需要少播种，这就构成了一对矛盾。现实中必须优先保证产量，所以还是要间苗。现在，随着选种技术的发展和储存条件的改善，种子的出苗率大大提高。只有洋葱等一些人工播种的蔬菜，才会进行间苗，大部分机械播种的农作物已经不间苗了。
③洋葱的外皮颜色有紫红、褐红、淡黄等多种。
④这种茎学名称为“盘状茎”或者“茎盘”，根是“弦线状须根”，入土很浅，吸收水分的能力不强。
⑤中国洋葱的播种时间南北差距较大，华南地区为近冬播种，长江流域为秋播，这些地方的洋葱跟“西班牙洋葱”一样，要通过越冬期。东北地区则以春播为主，跟比较寒冷的英国一样。
EGGS AND CHICKS