熱量低，不發胖，減肥好幫手。可是不甜，有點澀的難吃記憶，讓愛減分了。蔬菜讓我們又愛又有點糾結。世園會「三百園」之一就是百蔬園，到底蔬菜有什麼獨特的魅力呢？
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food, collectively referring to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, roots and seeds.蔬菜指供人類或動物食用的植株或植株器官，包括所有可食用的花、果實、莖、葉、根和種子。
在農業出現以前，人們是狩獵採集者，收集可食用的果實、堅果、莖、葉、球莖和塊莖，撿拾動物屍體或獵捕動物來獲取食物。
Forest gardening in a tropical jungle clearing is thought to be the first example of agriculture. Useful plant species were identified and encouraged to grow while undesirable species were removed. Plant breeding through the selection of strains with desirable traits such as large fruit and vigorous growth soon followed.
位於熱帶地區的森林園藝被認為是最早的農業活動。人們辨別種植有用的植株品種，並篩除不理想品種。如大果型等理想特性的篩選，促進了產量的快速增長。
While the first evidence for the domestication of grasses such as wheat and barley has been found in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East, it is likely that various groups of people around the world started growing crops in the period 10,000 BC to 7,000 BC.
中東兩河流域及附近的新月沃地是小麥和大麥等禾本科植物最早的馴化之地。世界上的人們早在公元前10000到7000多年前，就已經開始種植農作物。
Subsistence agriculture continues to this day, with many rural farmers in Africa, Asia, South America and elsewhere using their plots of land to produce enough food for their families, while any surplus produce is used for the exchange of other goods.
自給自足的小農經濟一直延續至今。非洲、亞洲、南美和其它地區的農民們依賴自家有限的土地，自給自足，餘糧才用於商品交換。
Low in fat and calories, vegetables can supply dietary fiber, essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Owing to these merits, vegetables are favored in a healthy diet. Those who consume more vegetables have a reduced risk of cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease and other chronic ailments.
蔬菜低脂肪，低熱量，且富含膳食纖維、維生素、礦物質和微量元素。因此，它們被視為健康飲食。經常食用蔬菜能降低患癌症、中風、心臟病和其它慢性疾病的風險。
Vegetables also contain toxins and antinutrients which hinder the absorption of nutrients. The function of toxins are, as natural defenses, used to ward off the insects, predators and fungi that might attack the plant. However, these toxins can be deactivated by adequate cooking.
蔬菜中也含有毒素和阻礙人體營養吸收的抗營養素。毒素是一道天然防禦，能驅趕昆蟲、捕食者和危害植物的真菌。不過，這些毒素都可以通過適當的烹飪消除。
Dietary Guidelines for Chinese People (2016) by the Chinese Nutrition Society recommends consuming 300 to 500 grams of vegetables daily, half of which should be dark-colored vegetables, and that vegetables should be eaten at every meal.
中國營養學會提出的《中國居民膳食指南（2016）》中，建議每天攝入300到500克蔬菜，深色蔬菜應佔二分之一，並做到餐餐有蔬菜。
We are quite familiar with vegetables, but do you know where they are from, and what parts of them we eat? Let's look at three types of vegetables we consume.
我們對蔬菜十分熟悉，但它們從哪裡來？哪個部位可供食用？下面一起來看看三個例子。
Eggplant originates in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, with ancient India as the first place to domesticate it. China is thought to be the second birthplace of the eggplant.
茄子起源於東南亞，古印度是最早種植地。中國被認為是茄子的第二故鄉。
The spongy, absorbent fruit of the plant is widely used in cooking many different cuisines. Raw eggplant can have a bitter taste, with an astringent quality, but it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, which may enrich dishes.
海綿質地又極具吸收性的茄子常見於不同菜餚中。生茄子苦中帶點澀，但在翻炒過後變得軟綿，味道豐富。茄子能吸收大量的油脂和湯汁，增加了風味。
In Chinese cuisine, eggplant can be braised with soy sauce, or roasted and served with garlic, chili and coriander.
在中餐中，紅燒茄子和撒著大蒜、辣椒、香菜的烤茄子都十分常見。
The tomato is native to South America. In early 19th century tomatoes finally arrived in Asia. By the mid-19th century, the tomato gained much popularity and started being used widely in Syria, Iran and China.
西紅柿起源於南美洲，在19世紀早期傳入亞洲。到19世紀中葉，西紅柿更受歡迎，在敘利亞、伊朗和中國流傳開來。
When the tomato made its way to Europe, many were convinced that the fruit was poisonous, because it was classified alongside the deadly belladonna and nightshade.
西紅柿傳入歐洲時，因為與致命的顛茄和茄屬植物歸為一類，被認為帶有毒性。
In Italy, tomatoes were grown mainly as ornamentals early on after their arrival in Italy, such as a tabletop decoration in Florence, until it was incorporated into the local cuisine in the late 17th or early 18th century.
西紅柿最開始進入義大利時，主要用來作裝飾，如裝點弗洛倫薩地區的餐桌。直到17世紀末或18世紀初，才被納入了當地菜譜中。
Tomatoes were not grown in England until the 1590s. Despite knowing tomatoes were consumed in Italy and Spain, the British still believed them to be poisonous. However, by the mid-18th century, tomatoes were widely eaten in Britain.
西紅柿在16世紀90年代進入英國。儘管知道義大利人和西班牙人吃西紅柿，英國人依然認為它有毒。一直到18世紀中葉，英國人才普遍接受這種蔬菜。
Tomatoes are consumed in diverse ways, raw or cooked, in many dishes, sauces, salads and drinks. Selective breeding has managed to refine the tomato into a very nutritious food, filled with vitamins A, C and E as well as antioxidants.
西紅柿的食用方法多種多樣，生吃或做菜、炸醬、沙拉、果汁都行。通過選擇育種，西紅柿提高了營養價值，富含維生素A、C、E和抗氧化物等。
The cucumber originated in India, where a great many varieties have been observed. Around the second to third millennia BC, early Indian civilization managed to domesticate the cucumber and start infusing it into their rich cuisine. Cucumbers were introduced to China by Zhang Qian when he visited the western region in the Han Dynasty.
黃瓜起源於印度，在印度也發現了許多黃瓜品種。在公元前3000到2000年之前，印度先民開始培育黃瓜，並以此豐富菜餚。漢代張騫出使西域後，將黃瓜帶回中國。
They have a mild, refreshing taste with high water content. They can be pleasant to eat in hot weather and help prevent dehydration.
黃瓜清香爽口、柔嫩多汁，最適合在炎熱的夏天享用了，還能預防身體脫水。
Cucumbers can be sliced in a salad, directly eaten as a snack or cooked as a meal. Some people use cucumber to soothe sunburn and cucumbers are also as components in a number of beauty products.
黃瓜可以切片放入沙拉中，也可以直接當做零食，抑或做菜。人們也會敷黃瓜面膜，修復曬傷肌膚。同時，在眾多美容產品中也有黃瓜的成分。
All these three vegetables have become incorporated into our daily lives and offer us rich nutrition.
茄子、西紅柿和黃瓜都已和我們的日常生活融為一體，為我們提供豐富的營養物質。
這是世園會故事的最後一期啦，感謝大家支持哦~
Editor: Zhang Xi
Interns: Chen Xianglan