This is the VOA Special English
Agriculture Report.
An
evergreen tree is a Christmas
tradition in many American homes. The tree is usually a
pine or
fir
dressed with lights and other
colorful decorations.
evergreen tree: árbol de hoja perenne;
pine: pino;
fir: abeto;
dressed with: adornado con;
colorful: coloridas;
Families
might buy a cut tree or go
to a tree farm and cut one down themselves. Some people bring a live
tree in a pot into their home for the holidays and then
put it back
outdoors.
might buy: pueden comprar;
tree farm: vivero forestal;
put it back
outdoors: regresarlo al exterior;
Some people
rent a Christmas tree.
Companies might bring the same live tree to the same family
year after
year. Or the tree might get planted in a park or
someplace else where it
could help the environment.
rent: alquilan;
the same live tree: el mismo árbol vivo;
year after
year: año tras año;
someplace else: en algún otro lugar;
environment: entorno, medio ambiente;
There are some trees that can
be reused year after year because they are made of plastic or metal. Or,
instead of a tree, some people have a small,
sweet-smelling rosemary
plant, cut to look like a little Christmas tree.
be reused: ser reutilizados;
instead of a tree: en lugar de un árbol;
sweet-smelling rosemary
plant: romero perfumado;
cut to look like: podado imitando;
Another popular evergreen this time
of year is the mistletoe plant. It has small
berries and leaves
that feel like leather. The traditional Christmas mistletoe is
native to
Europe.
mistletoe plant: planta de muérdago;
berries: bayas, frutos;
that feel like leather: que al tacto se asemejan al cuero;
native to: originario de;
Ancient
Druids believed mistletoe had
magical powers. The plant can be found
growing on apple trees,
lindens,
maples and
poplars. Mistletoe is a
parasitic plant. It connects itself
to a tree and steals nutrients and water.
druids: los druidas (clase social elevada en la sociedad celta);
magical powers: poderes mágicos;
growing on: creciendo sobre;
apple trees: manzanos;
lindens: tilos, tilas;
maples: arces;
poplars: álamos, chopos;
parasitic: parásita;
steals nutrients: absorbe (roba) los nutrientes;
Today mistletoe is
best known as an
excuse to steal a kiss at a Christmas party. Kissing is a tradition if
two people stand under mistletoe
hung in a doorway.
best known as: más famoso por ser;
to steal a kiss: robarse un beso;
stand under: se paran debajo de;
hung in a doorway: colgados del dintel de una puerta;
Another plant
that many people connect with Christmas is the
poinsettia. Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They
can be white or pink, but most are
bright red. They
are named after the first American
ambassador to
Mexico. Joel Poinsett liked them enough
to send them
back to the United States.
poinsettia: flor de Nochebuena (Mexico);
estrella federal (Argentina);
bright red: rojo brillante;
ambassador to: embajador de;
to send them
back: para llevárselas;
Babies or pets
that chew on
poinsettias might get sick. But experts say the plant is not
as
poisonous as some people think.
that chew on: que mastican;
might get sick: pueden sentirse descompuestos;
as
poisonous as: tan tóxica como;
Like millions of other houses, the
home of America's first president is decorated for Christmas. George
Washington's Mount Vernon Estate is in Virginia.
Visitors can hear stories about
what
Christmas was like at Mount Vernon in the eighteenth century. The museum
where visitors begin their tour is decorated with Christmas trees.
what
Christmas was like at: cómo era la Navidad en;
Yet Mount Vernon
would not have had
Christmas trees during the late 1700s, when Washington
led
the country. They did not become popular in the United States until the
1800s.
yet:
a pesar de eso;
would not have had: no habría tenido;
led: condujo;
Visitors learn that
in Washington's
time, there was greenery inside the mansion, but that was probably the
extent of the decorations.
in Washington's
time: en la época de Washington;
greenery: vegetación;
extent: extensión.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Bob Doughty.