As I walk around the Pella area these days, or drive anywhere in the region, there are bright orange pumpkins1 in many yards, in gardens2 large and small, and there are also huge piles of them at every grocery store3 and market. It reminds me once again that summer is past and another autumn is at hand4.
Pumpkins, native plants to North and South America, are only one of the types of the fruit found on plants in the gourd5 or melon family (Cucurbitaceae), and they became known to our first settlers who came from Europe to colonize6 in what is now the United States. The Native Americans, or Indians7 as they are known to us, grew many types of them and valued them for eating, so pumpkins were among the food items which Indians gave to the early colonists8 who faced hunger in the early colonial times.
Pumpkins are not only tasty9 food, but they have been part of our Halloween10 ritual11 of hollowing out12 the seed-filled center, carving13 faces on the large orange fruits, and often placing a candle14 within the Jack-O’-Lantern and lighting the candle to show the toothy15 smile, frown, eyes, nose and many other artistic designs engraved16 into the surface of the pumpkin.
Pumpkins as well as many other types of gourds are grown primarily17 for their interesting colors and shapes and are often part of an autumn decoration18 for a front porch, a window, etc. And, growing them has become so popular that there are local, state, and national contests for the largest pumpkin. Our Iowa farmers grow many large pumpkins for this type of competition19, and recently we read in the newspapers of a very large pumpkin grown in our area which was a contender20 for the “World’s Biggest Pumpkin” competition. Big pumpkins are given special care, special fertilizers in the soil, and extra water to maximize21 their growth. The biggest pumpkin in Iowa in 2007 weighed 1,667 pounds and six ounces, but fell just short of the record of 1,683 set a few years ago in Massachusetts22 by about 16 pounds23. The grower says that he’ll try again next year.
I do like pumpkin pie22, and as Halloween passes and we approach Thanksgiving Day, I hope I can help eat some of this wonderful dessert that I have eaten for as long as I can remember.
Notes:
1. pumpkins：南瓜
2. gardens: cultivated areas where plants are grown for food or decoration.
3. grocery store: a commercial establishment selling food and household items (食品杂货店).
4. at hand: near, coming soon (近在手边，即将到来).
5. gourd: 葫芦
6. colonize: establish a settlement or new area (移居于殖民地).
7. Native Americans, or Indians：土著美国人或印第安人
8. colonists：殖民主义者
9. tasty: delicious, good tasting (味道好).
10. Halloween: the night of the 31st of October that is said to be the time when ghosts and witches can be seen (十月三十一日诸圣日前夕，据说这时能够看到鬼巫).
11. ritual: a set of fixed actions performed regularly as part of a ceremony (仪式).
12. hollowing out: making an empty space in the center of a larger object (中间弄空).
13. carving: cutting, usually with a sharp knife (雕刻).
14. candle：蜡烛
15. toothy: having or showing prominent teeth, as in a smile (露齿的).
16. engraved: cut into the surface or the area to be cut; usually with a knife of some sort (刻上，雕上).
17. primarily：主要地，首要地
18. decoration: an attractive item to accompany or beautify some celebration or for special purpose (装饰，装饰品).
19. competition: 比赛，竞赛
20. contender: 竞争者，参赛者
21. maximize: enhance or enable to make greater (使增加到最大程度).
22. Massachusetts: a state in the northeastern part of the U.S. (麻萨诸塞州，位于美国东北部).
23. The biggest pumpkin in Iowa in 2007 weighed 1,667 pounds and six ounces, but fell just short of the record of 1,683 set a few years ago in Massachusetts22 by about 16 pounds.: 2007年爱荷华州最大的南瓜重量为1667镑6两，刚好没有达到记录，距离几年前在麻萨诸塞州创立的1683磅的记录还差16磅).
24. pumpkin pie: 南瓜馅饼
