How Do Seeds Travel? 种子是如何传播的?

If you look closely at a puffy dandelion， you can see that the top of it is covered with fluffy seeds. When the wind blows by， or when you make a wish and blow all of the seeds away， you're helping those seeds travel somewhere new.

如果你仔细观察蓬松的蒲公英，你会发现它的顶部覆盖着轻软的种子。当风吹过，或者当你许个愿，把所有的种子吹走时，你在帮助这些种子传播到新的地方。

像这样播撒种子对植物很有帮助。种子需要旅行，因为它们需要一个好的地方生长。植物通常一次性结出大量种子。如果种子都在母本旁生长，那么这些种子的生长空间就不够。为了生长，大多数种子需要远行。

And spreading seeds like this is really helpful for plants. Seeds need to travel because they need a good place to grow up. Plants tend to make a lot of seeds all at once. If they all tried to grow right next to the parent plant， there wouldn't be enough space for all of them. To grow， most seeds need to travel away.

So how do seeds travel？ How a seed gets around depends on its structure， or what it looks like. For instance， the fluffy little tufts at the top of the dandelion seeds are like a kite or a feather. Their function， or their job， is to make the seeds fly！

那么，种子是如何传播的呢？种子如何传播取决于它的结构，或者说它的样子。例如，蒲公英种子顶部毛茸茸的小簇毛就像风筝或羽毛一样。它们的功能，或者说它们的工作，就是让种子飞起来！

Other seeds might travel in totally different ways—like a coconut. Coconut palms tend to grow near water， so when the coconut falls down， it might end up in the water. Then， the coconut floats. It's a little bit like a boat. The coconut floats someplace new， and grows into a big coconut palm tree.

其他种子可能以完全不同的方式传播——比如椰子。椰子树通常生长在靠近水的地方，所以当椰子掉下来后，它可能最终会在水里。然后，椰子浮起来，有点像船。椰子漂浮到新的地方，长成一棵大椰子树。

Some seeds travel using animal helpers—like burrs. If you open a burr， you'll find seeds inside. And the outside of the burr is covered with tiny hooked structures. These little hooks can stick to clothes， or fur or feathers. When burrs get stuck to an animal's fur， the animal usually carries them someplace new without realizing it.

一些种子借助动物传播——比如带芒刺的果实。如果你打开一个带芒刺的果实，你会发现里面有种子。而带芒刺的果实外部覆盖着微小的钩状结构。这些小钩子可以粘在衣服、毛皮或者羽毛上。当带芒刺的果实粘在动物的毛皮上时，动物通常会无意识地将它们带到新的地方。

Theres another way that animals can move seeds. Some animals， like squirrels， carry seeds of nuts away to eat later. Sometimes， they bury their seeds in the ground for safe-keeping. And if the squirrels forget where they put their seeds， the seeds grow into new plants. Lots of oak trees grow from acorns that squirrels forgot about.

Its amazing that there are different ways that seeds have to travel around. If you want to find out how the plants near you move their seeds， just look closely at what structure is covering those seeds. Do they have wings for flying？ Or tiny hooks for sticking？ Or maybe theres something else！

动物还可以通过另一种方式传播种子。有些动物，比如松鼠，会把坚果的种子带走，过段时间再吃。有时，它们会把种子埋在地下以保证安全。如果松鼠忘记把种子埋在哪里，种子就会长成新的植物。很多橡树都是由松鼠遗忘的橡子长成的。

种子有不同的传播方式真的令人惊讶！如果你想知道附近的植物是如何传播它们的种子的，只要仔细看看这些种子外部的结构。它们有飞翔的“翅膀”吗，还是有粘住东西的小钩子？或许它们有别的东西！

Vocabulary

spread v.（現在分词spreading）传播function n.作用

structure n.结构;构造float v.（第三人称单数floats）漂浮

feather n.羽毛stick v.（现在分词sticking）粘贴;粘住