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titan arum / 巨魔芋/ (jùmóyù)

A: Did you know? The titan arum at the China National Botanical Garden has flowered.

你知道吗？中国国家植物园的巨魔芋开花了。

(nǐ zhīdào ma? zhōnɡɡuó ɡuójiā zhíwùyuán de jùmóyù kāihuā le.)

B: What is titan arum? I've never seen one. 

什么是巨魔芋？我从来没见过。

(shénme shì jùmóyù? wǒ cónɡlái méi jiànɡuò.) 

A: It is a large plant belonging to the genus Amorphophallus. Its stalk can reach three to four meters in length and it can weigh more than 100 kilograms.

它是一种巨大的魔芋属植物。叶柄可达3至4米,重量能超过100千克。

(tāshì yīzhǒnɡ jùdà de móyùshǔ zhíwù.yèbǐnɡ kědá sānzhìsì mǐ, zhònɡliànɡ nénɡ chāoɡuò yībǎi qiānkè.)

B: That sounds really peculiar. Let's go look at the flower. 

听上去真奇特。让我们去看看它的花吧。

(tīnɡshànɡqù zhēn qítè. rànɡ wǒmén qù kànkàn tāde huā bā.)

A: Then we'd better hurry.

那我们可要抓紧时间了。

(nà wǒmén kěyào zhuājǐn shíjiān le.)

B: Why do we have to hurry? Isn't it always there? 

为什么要抓紧时间呢？它不是一直都在那里么？

(wéi shénme yào zhuājǐn shíjiān ne? tā bùshì yīzhí dōuzài nàlǐ me?)

A: The titan arum's flower is huge and so uses up a lot of nutrients. Because of this, it only lasts about 48 hours.

巨魔芋花朵巨大,十分消耗养分。因此,它的花期只有48小时左右。

(jùmóyù huāduǒ jùdà, shífēn xiāohào yǎnɡfēn.yīncǐ, tāde huāqī zhīyǒu sìshíbā xiǎoshí zuǒyòu.)

B: Is the flower of the titan arum beautiful?

那巨魔芋的花漂亮吗？

(nà jùmóyù de huā piāoliànɡ ma?)

A: The flower of the titan arum is big and very beautiful, but you know that it has a very pungent scent.

巨魔芋的花很大而且十分美丽。但是你知道,它的气味很刺鼻。

(jùmóyù de huā hěndà érqiě shífēn měilì.dànshì nǐ zhīdào, tāde qìwèi hěn cìbí.)

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times