英語の後に日本語が続きます。
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is native to China but now can be found across Japan. The plant produces flowers from November to February and fruits from May to June. The fruits are orange and shaped like a Chinese lute or pipa (枇杷), which is why the plant is called as such, "pipa" in Chinese while "biwa" in Japanese. The same Chinese characters but are not pronounced the same. Although the flowers are plain, the fruits are so orange, and sweet and juicy that the trees in my neighborhood produce many fruits every year but I've never had a chance to taste them.
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is native to China but now can be found across Japan. The plant produces flowers from November to February and fruits from May to June. The fruits are orange and shaped like a Chinese lute or pipa (枇杷), which is why the plant is called as such, "pipa" in Chinese while "biwa" in Japanese. The same Chinese characters but are not pronounced the same. Although the flowers are plain, the fruits are so orange, and sweet and juicy that the trees in my neighborhood produce many fruits every year but I've never had a chance to taste them.
By the way, loquats always bring back fond memories of my childhood.
When I was a second-grader, I lived in a town in southern Japan where there were many wild Amanatsu orange and loquat trees. One day my baby brother and I decided to go on a loquat picnic - just the two of us. I got up early and prepared lunch boxes, and after breakfast, we left home for a place with many loquat trees a few kilometers away. As soon as we got there, we started picking these orange fruits, and after that, had lunch there while talking about the harvest that day, i.e., about 20 fresh big loquats, and brought them home.
Looking back, however, something is bugging me. Were these loquat trees wild? Might they be planted trees in a loquat farm? I remember a couple of people there staring at us, not saying anything.
Now I'm pretty sure that that was a loquat farm and they were loquat farmers who were kind and generous enough to let local kids pick the loquats they'd grown without saying anything. I no longer remember exactly where that was, but these orange round fruits always remind me of this small adventure.
Looking back, however, something is bugging me. Were these loquat trees wild? Might they be planted trees in a loquat farm? I remember a couple of people there staring at us, not saying anything.
Now I'm pretty sure that that was a loquat farm and they were loquat farmers who were kind and generous enough to let local kids pick the loquats they'd grown without saying anything. I no longer remember exactly where that was, but these orange round fruits always remind me of this small adventure.
 |
| 202511/28 |
 |
| 2021/5/27 |
 |
| 2021/5/27 |
 |
| 2021/5 |
(If you wish to post your comment but don't have a Google account, select "anonymous" from the drop down menu titled "comment as"!)
枇杷（ビワ）です。中国原産。11月から2月に花を、5月から6月に実を付けます。楽器の枇杷に形が似ているからこの名が付いたとのこと。中国では枇杷を pipa と発音するようです。花は地味ですが実はとってもおいしく、そのせいでしょうか。近所の枇杷の木に毎年たわわに実が生るのですが気付いたらいつも全部なくなっています。
ところで枇杷を見るといつも思い出すことがあります。
小学校２年生ぐらいだったと思います。当時、近所に枇杷の木がたくさん生えてるところに住んでました。そこである日、弟と一緒に枇杷狩りに出かけたんです。お弁当も持っていってちょっとしたピクニック＆冒険。枇杷狩りを終えたら近くでお弁当を食べ、「収穫」とともに帰りました。
でも今だから分かるんですが、その枇杷は野生ではなく、農家の枇杷畑だったような気がするんです。そしてその農家の方が何も言わず、私たちがせっせと枇杷を採るのを見てらしたような気がするんです。
真相はやぶの中。場所ももう思い出せません。でも枇杷を見るといつも思い出し、恥ずかしいような、くすぐったいような気持ちになるのです。
でも今だから分かるんですが、その枇杷は野生ではなく、農家の枇杷畑だったような気がするんです。そしてその農家の方が何も言わず、私たちがせっせと枇杷を採るのを見てらしたような気がするんです。
真相はやぶの中。場所ももう思い出せません。でも枇杷を見るといつも思い出し、恥ずかしいような、くすぐったいような気持ちになるのです。
(Google アカウントを持ってない方は、コメント記入後に「Google アカウント」をクリックし、「匿名」か「名前/URL」を選択してからご記入ください！)
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿