The Lintong Pomegranate

臨潼除了火晶柿子及柿子餅外，還有美味可口的石榴。

石榴品種較多，是果中之名門望族。石榴生命力很強，可四海為家，我國各地均有栽種，但尤以臨潼石榴最佳，臨潼石榴的栽培歷史相當悠久。石榴原產(chǎn)于中亞、西亞，相傳西漢張騫出使西域時引進我國，先在長安御花園和帝王離宮臨潼溫泉宮栽植。經(jīng)過2 000年的繁殖和人工培育，現(xiàn)在，在全國各地都有栽培，但最負盛名者仍屬臨潼石榴。

臨潼石榴，色紅果大，皮薄籽滿，色澤鮮艷，大小均勻，有甜有酸，味香可口，營養(yǎng)豐富，含糖量高達14%左右；丙種維生素含量比梨或蘋果高出兩倍，且含有較多的磷酸鈣；臨潼石榴不但是美味鮮果，還是很好的中藥材，對于驅蟲殺菌、幫助消化、止痢治瀉等都有很好的療效。

臨潼石榴品種多達50多種，產(chǎn)量高達1 000多萬千克，居全國之首，驪山山麓的驪山、斜口、代王、韓峪等鄉(xiāng)是著名的石榴之鄉(xiāng)。石榴是西安傳統(tǒng)的出口產(chǎn)品，在東南亞和港澳地區(qū)久負盛名。臨潼石榴分為酸、甜兩種，均色紅個大，汁多皮薄。

每年九、十月間是臨潼石榴的成熟季節(jié)。此時，當你去聞名遐邇的旅游之鄉(xiāng)臨潼旅游時，就會看到一簍簍、一筐筐的石榴貨攤擺放在道路兩側，延綿數(shù)里之遙。剛摘下來的新鮮石榴，艷紅誘人，散發(fā)出撲鼻的清香，令人垂涎欲滴，品嘗美味佳果，陡增無窮樂趣。

Besides the Huojing Persimmon and the pancake，there are many delicious pomegra－nates in Lingtong.

There are many varieties of pomegranates. The pomegranates have a strong vitality and can be grown everywhere.They are planted all over China，but the best are the pomegranates of Lintong.They have a long history.The pomegranates were origi nally grown in Central Asia.It is said that they were introduced to China by Zhang Qian when he was sent to the Western Region as an envoy in the Western Han Dynasty.It was first grown in the Hot Spring Palace in Lintong.With 2 000 years of propagation and cultivation，pomegranates are now grown all over the country.But the pomegranates in Lingtong are the most famous.

The pomegranates are big and red with a thin skin，full granules，even sizes and fresh colors. They are sweet and a little sour with a good taste and full of nutrition，containing as much as 14% sugar and Vitamin C.It is two times higher than other fruit such as pears and apples.They also have more calcium phosphate.The pomegranates have a curative pro－perty in Chinese medicine while they also serve as fresh fruit.They have a curative effect on bacterial dysentery and diarrhea；they can function as anathematic and bactericide and can help with digestion as well.

With as many as 50 varieties and an output of over 10 000 000 kilograms，the pomegra－nates occupy first place in China.Lishan，Xie－kou，Daiwang and Hanyu at the foot of Lishan Mountain are the counties producing the famous pomegranates. They are the traditional export product of Xi'an，and have been popular in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong District of China as well as Macao District of China for a long time.There are two kinds of pomegranates：sweet and sour.Both of them are juicy，red，and big with thin skin.

The pomegranates become ripe in September and October.If you go to Lingong for a tour at that time，you'll see basket after basket of pomegranates for miles along both sides of the road.The freshly picked pomegranates，red and enchanting，give off a fragrance，which makes one eager to try one. Why not！It's great fun.

快樂旅途

倔強的馬

A Stubborn Horse

大作家瘋了，但現(xiàn)在似乎還有恢復的希望。六個月以來，他都坐在打字機旁用心地敲一部小說。終于，他宣稱書已寫好并把它拿到精神病醫(yī)生那里。醫(yī)生急切地大聲朗讀起來：

“杰克遜將軍跨上他的忠實的馬，喊道：‘駕，駕，駕，駕……’”醫(yī)生翻了翻剩下的手稿?！拔灏夙摷埦谷恰{，駕’！”他驚奇地說。

“是匹倔強的馬，”作家解釋道。

The great novelist had gone mad，but now there seemed to be some hope for his recovery. For six months，he had been sitting at his typewriter pounding out a novel.Finally，he pronounced it completed and brought the book to his psychiatrist，who eagerly began reading it aloud：

“General Jackson leaped upon his faithful horse and yelled，‘Giddyap，giddyap，giddyap，giddyap.’”The doctor thumbed through the rest of the manuscript.“There's nothing here but 500pages of giddyaps！”he exclaimed.

“Stubborn horse，”explained the novelist.