This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Companion planting is the idea that some kinds of plants can help each other grow. Plants that are compatible together generally have similar needs in terms of nutrients, soil and moisture levels.
混栽是一种让植物相互间帮助对方成长的想法。混栽的植物通常是在营养、土壤和湿度方面有近似的需求。

Advice about which plants are compatible is sometimes based more on tradition than proof. But experts say there is evidence to support certain combinations. These can improve harvests, reduce disease and help with pest control by attracting helpful insects.
关于什么植物混栽的建议，有时更多的是基于传统而非实验论证。但是专家称，有证据证明特定的组合。这些提高产量，减少疾病和通过吸引益虫来控制虫害。

For example, some kinds of soil bacteria take nitrogen from the air and make it into a form that plants can use. The plants hold the nitrogen in their roots. Legumes are especially good at this nitrogen-fixing. Then any crops that share the same space as the legumes can get the nitrogen as the roots decompose.
例如，一些土壤里的细菌会从空气中获取氮气，并将其转化为植物可用的形式。植物则会将氮保持在根部。豆科植物尤其擅长这种固氮。而任何与豆科植物种植在一起的农作物，都会在根部分解时与其一起获得氮。

Beans and potatoes can also share territory well because their roots reach different levels in the soil. Deep-rooted vegetables get nutrients and moisture from lower down in the soil, so they do not compete with plants with shallower roots.
豆类与土豆因为根部在土壤里的不同层次，所以他们能够非常好的共存。根部较深的蔬菜从土壤较底层获得养分与水分，所以他们不会与根部较浅的植物竞争。

But some plants placed together may harm each other’s development. For example, tomatoes do not like wet soil but watercress does, so you would probably want to keep them separated.
但是，有些植物种植在一起则可能伤害彼此的发展。例如，番茄不喜欢潮湿的土壤而水田芥则喜欢，所你可能会想将他们分开种植。

Some kinds of produce should be kept apart even after being harvested. This is because of ethylene gas. Ethylene is a plant hormone that can cause some foods to ripen too quickly. Apples release ethylene gas. Apricots, melons and tomatoes also release a lot of ethylene. Some vegetable are easily affected by ethylene, including asparagus, broccoli, cabbage and cucumbers.
某些种类的农产品即使在收获后也应当隔离开。这是因为乙烯。乙烯是一种植物激素，能够导致一些食物成熟太快。苹果会释放乙烯。杏、甜瓜和西红柿也释放乙烯。有些蔬菜很容易受乙烯影响，其中包括芦笋，西兰花，白菜和黄瓜。

This risk of ripening too soon is why markets often separate high ethylene-producing foods from those that are sensitive to the gas.
这种过快催熟的风险就是市场上经常将产生乙烯多的食物和对乙烯敏感的食物分开的原因。

But if you put an apple in a bag with a green banana, the ethylene from the apple will make the banana ready to eat sooner.
但如果你将一个苹果和未熟的香蕉放进一个袋子里，苹果释放的乙烯将使香蕉很快可以食用。

What about peaches, plums and nectarine? These kinds of fruit do not need any help from an apple -- they release enough ethylene to ripen themselves. But that does not mean there is no way to get the job done faster.
桃子、李子和油桃太硬不能吃? 这一类的水果不需要苹果的帮助，他们会释放足够的乙烯来让自己成熟。但是这并不意味着没有办法让他们熟得更快。

Growers suggest placing the fruit in a fruit bowl or in a paper bag with the top folded over. Keep the fruit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once the fruit is soft enough, either use it or put it in the refrigerator to keep it from getting too ripe. Yuck.
种植者建议把水果放在水果碗或者一个顶部折叠起来的纸袋里。在室内温度下保存，避免阳光直射。一旦水果到了合你心意的时候，要么吃了它；要么放进冰箱里，防止它变得太熟。