双语：西红柿是水果还是蔬菜

Is Tomato a Fruit or Vegetable?

Do you enjoy eating ketchup on your fries?

你喜欢在薯条上涂番茄酱吗？

If so, you must like the essential ingredient in the sauces, tomatoes.

如果是这样，你一定喜欢这种酱料中的关键成分——西红柿。

The tomato originally comes from South America and has been eaten by people there for thousands of years.

西红柿原产于南美洲，那里的人们已经食用了数千年。

Today, tomatoes are popular all over the world.

如今，西红柿在全世界都很受欢迎。

However, when they were first introduced, there was quite a bit of controversy and apprehension surrounding them.

然而，当它们最初被引进时，围绕着它们有相当多的争议和担忧。

Tomatoes were first planted by the Aztecs in Central America.

西红柿最初是由中美洲的阿兹特克人种植的。

In fact, ancient Aztec writings mention recipes for dishes of tomatoes.

事实上，古代阿兹特克人的文献中提到了西红柿菜肴的食谱。

Spanish soldiers conquered the Aztecs and brought tomato seeds back with them to Europe.

西班牙士兵征服了阿兹特克人，并将西红柿种子带回欧洲。

In Europe, these yellowish tomatoes were first called "apples of gold ".

在欧洲，这些淡黄色的西红柿最初被称为“金苹果”。

For a long time, people in Northern Europe and North America did not eat these "apples of gold".

很长一段时间里，北欧和北美的人们都不吃这些“金苹果”。

The tomato plant looked similar to the nightshade plant, a deadly poison, so they were afraid to eat them.

西红柿植株看起来与有毒的颠茄植株相似，所以他们不敢吃西红柿。

German people even thought that if someone ate tomatoes, he or she would change into a werewolf.

德国人甚至认为，如果有人吃了西红柿，他或她就会变成狼人。

But finally, by the mid - 1800s people all over the world had accepted the tomato.

但最终，到19世纪中叶，全世界的人都接受了西红柿。

However, the tomato was due for more controversy.

然而，西红柿还会引发更多的争议。

Do you think the tomato is a fruit or vegetable?

你认为西红柿是水果还是蔬菜？

Actually the tomato is a fruit. But in America, the tomato is a vegetable by law.

实际上，西红柿是一种水果。但在美国，法律规定西红柿是蔬菜。

Why is the tomato legally a vegetable in America?

为什么在美国法律上西红柿是蔬菜呢？

In the 1800s, there was no import tax in fruit from other countries.

在19世纪，来自其他国家的水果没有进口税。

At that time, many tomatoes were coming from other countries into America, and American tomatoes farmers became worried about making a living.

当时，许多西红柿从其他国家进入美国，美国的西红柿种植者开始担心生计问题。

The government made the tomato a vegetable by law so that non - American tomatoes would be taxed.

政府通过法律将西红柿定为蔬菜，以便对非美国产的西红柿征税。

2025年6月8日于经典龙苑