《海外英语》“大师谈翻译”擂台（2011年12月）

本期“大师谈翻译”是关于南瓜的故事。除了与万圣节有着密切关系，你还了解关于南瓜的什么知识吗？不妨一试下面这篇小文章吧。感兴趣的同学可以将译文发送至oenglish@163.com，并在主题上注明“大师谈翻译”字样。我们会挑选出数篇文章发给方老师修改，并将修改过程刊登在杂志上。欢迎大家踊跃投稿。

注意：请各位同学投稿时不要忘记注明姓名、地址哦，谢谢！翻译原文我们会在杂志官网、人人网、新浪博客同时发布。

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Pumped Up

In the world of giant pumpkins, a 500-pounder is a pip-squeak. “People don’t even blink at them.” Says Danny Dill of Howard Dill Enterprises, which sells seeds whose DNA destines them for hugeness. The record is 1689 pounds, set in 2007. “Within five years,” predicts Dill, “you’ll see a 2000-pound pumpkin.”

Dill’s late dad was a giant-pumpkin pioneer. In the 1960s the fan of “biggest vegetable” contests fixated on pumpkins-much of their weight is water, so supersizing is relatively easy. Lots of nutrients and water work wonders on the right seed. Today farmers and obsessed amateurs worldwide pollinate a female flower from an apt male bloom and pick one pumpkin per vine to pamper. “My wife says I love the pumpkin more than I love her.” Says Jamie Johnson of Arvade, Colorado, who tends his crop an hour each summer night.

After vying for prizes that can hit $10000, the gourds become jack-o’-lanterns, compost, even boats for a wacky regatta. Sadly, huge pumpkins aren’t as flavorful as the typical 20-pound specimen. Not that growers mind: They’re in it for the zen of gardening and the thrill of a colossal squash. “I don’t even like pumpkin pie,” says Jim Gerhardt of Berks County, Pennsylvania. –Marc Silver