Facts About Watermelons关于西瓜的知识

The watermelon， a simple everyday fruit that， in my opinion easily makes itinto my top 5. You can skip meals in summer， but you won’t miss watermelon.Needless to say， let’s discover some facts about watermelons.

西瓜是一种简单的日常水果，在我看来，它很容易进入我最爱的五大水果之列。你夏天可以不吃饭，但是不会不吃西瓜。不用再多说了，让我们来探索一些关于西瓜的知识吧。

1.Watermelons have been around for a long time.

西瓜已经存在很长时间了。

The watermelon’s origins1 are much unknown， many theories are held aroundthe world but the big contender2 is that this fruit is thought to originate in Egyptaround 4，000 years ago.

西瓜的起源并不为人所知，世界各地有很多说法，但最有说服力的说法是，这种水果大约在4000年前起源于埃及。

This kind of view is all down to one drawing that draws an oblong3 fruit muchlike the one we all know.

这种说法主要归结于一幅画，上面画了一个椭圆形的水果，很像我们都知道的那个。

Although we think watermelon is common， in fact， there are many varieties4 ofwatermelon. There are over 1200 varieties of watermelon all differing in texture5，taste， and look， some are black and some have yellow flesh.

尽管我们认为西瓜很普通，事实上，西瓜有很多品种。西瓜有1200多个品种，它们在质地、味道和外观上都不同，有些是黑色的，有些有黄色的果肉。

2.There are many watermelon world records.

关于西瓜的世界记录有很多遥

The most expensive watermelon ever sold was a Densuke， auctioned6 in 2008for 预650，000 （$6300）. It was one of the first harvested in Hokkaido， Japan. ThisJapanese fruit is pure black and averages a price of $250 per fruit！

有史以来卖得最贵的西瓜是2008年拍卖的一颗“田助西瓜”，拍卖价格高达65 万日元（约合6300 美元）。这是日本北海道第一批收获的西瓜之一。这种日本水果是纯黑色的，平均每个西瓜的价格是250 美元！

Watermelons always seem to be the go-to fruit for any chopping7， smashing8，slashing9， or squeezing10 demos and there are many world records for doing justthat.

西瓜似乎总是任何劈、砸、砍或挤压演示的必备水果，而且有很多这样做的世界纪录。

In 2014， Olga Liashchuk crushed 3 watermelons in 14.65 seconds， and shewon Guinness World Records for her efforts.

2014年，奥尔加·利亚舒克在14.65秒内夹爆了3 个西瓜，并因此获得了吉尼斯世界纪录。

In 2013 in Tennessee USA， Christopher Kent set the Guinness World Recordfor the largest and heaviest watermelon in the world， weighing an unbelievable350.5 pounds （159 kg）.

2013年，美国田纳西州的克里斯托弗·肯特创造了世界上最大最重的西瓜的吉尼斯世界纪录，种出了令人难以置信的重达350.5 磅（159 公斤）的西瓜。

A common watermelon weighs 25 pounds （11.33 kg）， so Christopher’swatermelon is 14 times heavier！

一个普通的西瓜重25 磅（11.33公斤），所以克里斯托弗的西瓜比普通西瓜重14倍！

3.Watermelons have different uses around the world.

西瓜在世界各地有不同的用途遥

Watermelons can be kept for months if kept in the right conditions. TheEgyptians， and many other cultures， grew this plant just for this very reason.

如果保存在合适的条件下，西瓜可以保存好几个月。埃及人和许多其他文化的人种植这种植物就是这个原因。

With water being so short， and watermelon being over 91% water， the fruitcould keep fresh and used during times of drought by smashing it to a pulp11and drained12. According to National Ggographic"， this technique was showed in1924 in Sudan.

由于水资源短缺，而西瓜含水量超过91%，因此可以在旱季时保鲜和通过将西瓜粉碎成果肉并沥干水分来加以利用。据《国家地理》报道，这项技术于1924年在苏丹被展示出来。

Watermelons， and in particular their seeds， are held highly across Asiathese days for their flavor and are often an important part of celebratingnational holidays. In China， the seeds are eaten during the Chinese New Year.

如今，西瓜，尤其是西瓜籽，因其味道在亚洲备受推崇，通常也是庆祝国家假日的重要组成部分。在中国，人们会在农历新年吃西瓜子。

4.Watermelon is a medical miracle that is said to help in many ways.

西瓜是一个医学奇迹袁据说在很多方面都有用遥

The juice can reduce13 muscle soreness as it contains Citrulline. It can improve eyesight and eye health as it’s so high in Vitamin A， and due to the high concentration14 of Lycopene， it can lower the risk of cancer.

因为西瓜汁含有瓜氨酸，所以它可以减少肌肉酸痛。因为它富含维生素A，所以它可以改善视力和眼睛健康。因为它富含番茄红素，所以可以降低患癌症的风险。

Whether you hate it or love it， one thing’s for sure， the watermelon really is a huge hit worldwide. Watermelon tastes great， and not only is it delicious when it’s fresh， but there are a lot of watermelon-flavored foods that are highly recommended15.

不管你喜不喜欢西瓜，有一件事是肯定的，那就是西瓜在全世界都大受欢迎。西瓜的口感极佳，不仅新鲜的西瓜好吃，还有很多西瓜味的食品也备受推崇。

So cut a piece of watermelon， sit down with a nice book and enjoy...

所以，切一块西瓜，坐下来读一本好书，享受吧……

（英语原文选自：thefactsite.com）