关于西瓜的消费提示
双语君约 5 分钟As watermelons hit the market, old rumors return: "Sweeter means injected with sweetener", and "Seedless means GMO". None of it is true.
记者调查发现，消费者感受到西瓜更甜了，是品种持续优化与栽培技术提升共同作用下的结果。西北农林科技大学园艺学院研究员、陕西省西甜瓜产业技术体系首席专家马建祥说：“相比老品种，现在西瓜中心糖度一般可以达到13%，个别品种可以达到14%，甚至15%，吃起来自然会更甜。用针头向西瓜注射溶液，哪怕是注水，果实都会很快腐烂。”
Why do watermelons taste sweeter every year? Better breeding and farming techniques, not additives. According to Ma Jianxiang, a melon expert at Northwest A&F University, sugar content now reaches 13–15 percent — far higher than older varieties. Injecting anything, even water, would cause the fruit to rot quickly.
Seedless watermelons are not GMO. They are produced through chromosome engineering. Normal watermelons are diploid (two chromosome sets). Scientists create tetraploid plants (four sets) using colchicine, then cross them with diploids to get triploid hybrids. These cannot produce normal seeds — hence seedless.
Claims that "eating watermelon and peaches together is lethal" or that "overnight watermelon is unsafe to eat" have also been dismissed by experts. Ma stressed that the concept of “food incompatibility” lacks scientific basis — moderation is key. For leftovers, refrigerate promptly, wash the rind and knife before cutting, and there’s no need for panic.
lethal /ˈliːθ(ə)l/ adj. 致命的，致死的
如何挑选西瓜？
记住这“三要点”
一听：不同成熟度的西瓜果肉硬度不同，可通过手拍西瓜听声音来判断成熟度。成熟的西瓜果肉中纤维分解会使其硬度下降，拍打时振动频率较低，声音听起来类似打鼓，略有震感；过熟的西瓜声音会更加沉闷；未成熟的西瓜果肉硬度较高，拍打时振动频率高，声音更加清脆。
Tap the fruit. A ripe watermelon has softer flesh due to fiber breakdown, producing a lower-frequency, drum-like sound with slight vibration. Overripe melons sound dull; underripe ones produce a higher-pitched, crisper tap.
二看：纹路清晰、颜色较深，且纹路之间间距较宽，形状饱满的西瓜品质更好。藤蔓也是判断西瓜品质的重要特征。藤蔓新鲜说明存放时间较短；藤蔓弯曲表明西瓜成熟，藤蔓笔直则可能未成熟。另外，成熟的西瓜瓜脐和瓜蒂周围是微微凹陷的。
Look for clear, dark stripes with wide spacing between them — a sign of good quality. A fresh, green stem indicates recent harvest. A curved stem suggests ripeness, while a straight one may mean the fruit is underripe. Also, slightly sunken belly button and stem ends are typical of ripe melons.
三摸：成熟的西瓜表面绒毛会脱落，果皮更加光滑圆润。如果果皮柔软塌陷，表明内部可能已经变质，建议不要购买。
Ripe melons lose their surface fuzz and feel smooth and round. If the rind feels soft or sunken, the inside may already be spoiling — avoid buying it.
怎样安全吃瓜？
最后，更推荐大家买小一点的瓜，尽量一次吃完哦！
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