英语翻译

ThefirsttomatoeswerefoundgrowingwildbyIndiansinPeruandEcuadorthousandsofyearsago.TheIndiansbroughtthetomatoplantwiththemwhentheymovednorthtoCentralAmerica.TheSpanishsoldiers,whoconqueredMexicointheearly1500stooktomatoplantstoSpain.

ThetomatosoonmadeitswayacrossEurope,buttheEnglishwerewaryofit.Theythoughtitwasnotmeanttobeeaten.Englishdoctorswarnedpatientsthattomatoeswerepoisonousandwouldbringdeathtoanybodywhoateone.

Forhundredsofyears,boththeEnglishandtheAmericanswoulddecoratetheirhomeswithtomatoplants,buttheyneverdaredtoeatthevegetable.ThismythmightstillprevailtodayhaditnotbeenforaNewJerseymannamedRobertJohnson.

In1808,JohnsonreturnedfromSouthAmericawithalargequantityoftomatoplants.HehadhopedtosellthemtotheAmericanmarket.Hegavetheplantstolocalfarmersandofferedaprizeforthelargesttomatogrown.ButthetomatowasstillrejectedinhishometownofSalem,NewJersey,andeverywhereelseaswell.Johnsondecidedtotakeadesperatemeasure.Hepubliclyannouncedhewouldstandonthestepsofthelocalcourthouseandeatabasketoftomatoesinpublic.

Thetownsfolkwereshocked.Johnson'sdoctorwarnedhewouldfoamatthemouth,thenfalldownanddieinafewminutes.

Finally,theimportantdayarrived.Twothousandpeoplesurroundedthecourthousetowatchamankillhimself(orsotheythought).ThecrowdfellintoadeadsilenceasJohnson,dressedinabrightsuit,walkedupthestepsofthecourthouse.Whentheclockstrucknoon,hepickedupatomatoandhelditup.Hethentalkedtothecrowd.

"Friends,Iwillnoweatmyfirsttomato."

Whenhetookhisfirstbite,awomaninthecrowdshriekedandfainted.Afterfinishingthetomato,Johnsonpickedupanotherandstartedeatingit.Anotherwomaninthecrowdfainted.

Soonthebasketwasempty.Thecrowdexplodedinapplause.RobertJohnsonbecameahero.Inlessthanfiveyears,thetomatobecameamajorcropinAmerica.

Today,over50000000bushelsoftomatoesareproducedeachyear.Over40000000casesoftomatojuiceareconsumedaswellasmillionsofbottlesofcatsup.ThetomatomightneverhavebecomeapartoftheAmericandiethadit