1.You all like to gather the yellow flowers called buttercups.The flowers are pretty，but there are other parts of the plant which you should look at.Let us dig up the whole plant with a big knife，and try to see all its parts，and learn what are their uses.
2.First，there are the roots，which areROOT（根）brown or white in colour.The roots fix the buttercup plant in the ground，and they also suck out of the soil a great deal of water every day.In this water there are many things taken from the soil which the plant needs for its food.
3.Then there is the green，branching stem.It holds up the leaves and the flowers，and spreads them out so that they can all get plenty of the fresh air and of the sunlight.
4.The green leaves are covered with tiny holes，too small for our eyes to see.Through these holes the leaves draw in air，and they use part of this air as food.So the food of the buttercup is air and water，and a small part of the earth which is mixed with the water.
5.The very young flowers of the buttercup are called buds.On the outside of each bud we see five little green leaves.These keep the bud safe from the cold and from the rain.
6.When the bud opens，we see five other golden-BUD（花蕾）yellow leaves inside it.Are these bright-coloured leaves of any use to the plant？Let us see.
7.Every buttercup flower has a little honey in its cup，and insects and bees are fond of this honey.When they see a gay blossom，they fly to it at once，for they hope to find honey there.
8.Now the flowers need the bees to carry their yellow dust from one blossom to another.This dust is needed to make good seeds for the flowers.You may see it on the little dust-spikes that stand upDUST-SPIKES（雄蕊）round the middle of the flower.
9.So you see the gay colour guides the bees to the honey，then the bees carry the flower dust to other flowers to make perfect seeds.In this way the flowers and the bees help each other.
SUMMARY
The buttercup is a plant with a pretty yellow flower.Its root is brown or white.Its branching stem holds up the leaves and the flowers so that they get plenty of fresh air and sunlight.The food of the buttercup is air，water，and earth mixed with water.The young flowers are called buds.Bees get honey from the buttercup，and in return carry the yellow dust from the little dust-spikes of one blossom to those of another.This helps to make good seed for the plant.
【中文阅读】
1．小朋友，你们都喜欢摘一种叫做“毛茛”的小黄花（buttercup）。这些花儿很漂亮，不过，这种植物的其他部分，你们也应该看一看。咱们用一把大刀子挖出一棵来，观察一下所有的部分，再了解一下这些部分都有什么用。①2．首先是“根”。根的颜色一般是棕色或者白色。根把毛茛固定在地上，每天还从土壤里吸收很多水分。这些水分里，有很多来自土壤的养分，是植物需要的“食物”。
3．然后，还有绿色的，分出枝叶的“茎”。茎支撑着“叶”和“花”，把它们分散开，这样，叶和花就都能得到足够的新鲜空气和阳光。
4．绿叶上面，满是细小的气孔。这些气孔小到我们的眼睛都看不见。叶子就通过这些气孔来吸入空气，空气里的一部分，也是植物的“食物”。毛茛的“食物”就是空气和水，还有溶解在水里的一部分土壤。
5．毛茛的花，在很小的时候，叫做“花蕾”。每一个花蕾的外面，我们都看见了五片小小的绿叶，学名叫“萼片”。这些萼片能保护花蕾不受寒冷和雨水的伤害。
6．花蕾打开的时候，可以看见五片金黄色的花瓣。这些色彩艳丽的花瓣，对植物有什么用吗？咱们再来看看。
7．每一朵毛茛花的花朵里面，都会有一点儿花蜜，蜜蜂和其他昆虫很喜欢这种花蜜。它们看见艳丽的花朵就会马上朝花朵飞过来，想在里面找到花蜜。②8．毛茛花也需要蜜蜂，把黄色的花粉③，从一朵花传到另一朵花。花需要这些花粉，才能制造出种子。在花朵中心立着的雄蕊上，你就能看见花粉。④9．小朋友，现在你明白了，艳丽的颜色可以把蜜蜂引来采花蜜，然后蜜蜂把花粉传到别的花上，让花制造出种子。这样，花与蜜蜂就是在互相帮助啦！
译注
①毛茛属于“双子叶植物纲”“毛茛目”“毛茛科”“毛茛属”，在中国分布很广。这篇课文主要是介绍植物的基本结构的。
②“艳丽”原文是gay，这是一种古老的用法。gay以前还曾经有“快乐”的意思，但现在gay最常用的含义是同性恋，其他的意义完全不用了。
③花粉的原文dust，学名只叫pollen。
④雄蕊的学名叫stamen，不是文中的dust-spike！
THE SHRIMP
