The coffee tree is a native of eastern Africa,
咖啡樹(shù)原產(chǎn)于非洲東部,
but it was in Arabia that it first became known to the people of Europe,
但最初是在阿拉伯為歐洲人所知,
and until about the year 1700 A. D. that country afforded the entire supply.
且直到約公元1700年,阿拉伯地區(qū)才開(kāi)始全面種植咖啡。
Then the coffee seeds found their way to Java, by means of some traders,
然后,咖啡種子借助貿(mào)易商的傳播到達(dá)了爪哇島。
and one of the first plants grown on that island was sent as a present to the governor of the Dutch East India Company, who lived in Holland.
島上的第一株咖啡樹(shù)當(dāng)做禮物送給了居住在荷蘭的東印度公司總督。
It was planted in the Botanical Gardens at Amsterdam,
人們將咖啡樹(shù)種植在了阿姆斯特丹的植物園里,
and in a few years seeds taken from it were sent to South America,
又過(guò)了些年,它的種子被帶到了南美洲。
where the cultivation of coffee has steadily increased, extending to the West Indies,
咖啡的種植在那里得到了穩(wěn)步增長(zhǎng),甚至延伸到了西印度群島。
until now the offspring of this one plant produce more coffee than is obtained from all the other plants in the world.
直到現(xiàn)在,這一株咖啡樹(shù)出產(chǎn)的咖啡豆比世界上任何咖啡樹(shù)都多。
The plant is an evergreen, and is from six to twelve feet high, the stem being from ten to fifteen inches in diameter.
咖啡樹(shù)是常綠植物,有6~12英尺高,樹(shù)干直徑有10~12英尺寬。
The lower branches bend down when the tree begins to grow old, and extend themselves into a round form somewhat like an umbrella;
當(dāng)樹(shù)開(kāi)始慢慢變老,靠下的樹(shù)枝會(huì)垂到地上,自己擴(kuò)展成圓形,看起來(lái)像傘狀。
and the wood is so pliable that the ends of the largest branches may be bent down to within two or three feet of the earth.
它的木質(zhì)非常柔軟,最大的樹(shù)枝頂端可能會(huì)垂到距地面2~3英尺的地方。
The bark is whitish and somewhat rough.
它的樹(shù)皮微微發(fā)白,略顯粗糙。
A tree is never without leaves, which are at small distances from one another, and on almost opposite sides of a bough.
樹(shù)都要有葉子,咖啡樹(shù)的每片葉子之間距離很小,分布在樹(shù)枝兩側(cè)。
Blossoms and green and ripe fruit may be seen on the same tree at the same time.
在同一棵樹(shù)上可以同時(shí)看到花、未成熟的果實(shí)和成熟的果實(shí)。
When the blossom falls off, there grows in its place a small green fruit, which becomes dark red as it ripens.
當(dāng)花開(kāi)敗之后,原來(lái)的地方會(huì)長(zhǎng)出一個(gè)青綠的果實(shí),等到成熟之后慢慢變成深紅色。
This fruit is not unlike a cherry, and is very good to eat.
它的果實(shí)和櫻桃沒(méi)什么不同,吃起來(lái)味道很不錯(cuò)。
Under the pulp of this cherry is found the bean or berry we call coffee, wrapped in a fine, thin skin.
這個(gè)“櫻桃”的紫色下面就是我們稱(chēng)之為的咖啡豆,包裹在一層很細(xì)薄的外皮里。