雙語故事:香蕉不爲人知的8大功效
Shoe Or Silverware Shiner
You just ran out of shoe shine just when you need it for a job interview. Not to worry. When you’re finished with your breakfast banana, don’t throw out the peel. Remove the stringy material from the inside, then rub the soft inside of the skin all over your shoes. When done, buff it up with a soft cloth or paper towel (More tips on how to shine shoes). The same technique can be used for silverware. Some even claim that it works on leather. Test in on a small area of the leather first, though, just to be on the safe side.
擦鞋或銀器的有用法寶
要去參加一次工作面試，鞋油用光了，不用擔心。早餐吃完的香蕉皮不要扔掉。把裏面線狀物去掉，使用香蕉皮內部擦拭鞋子。擦拭完畢後，用軟布或紙巾把鞋面擦乾淨。對付銀器也是同樣的方法。一些人說，香蕉皮還能應用於皮革上。如果想安全起見，在一小塊皮革上先試驗下。
Houseplants Maintenance
Neglected houseplants can become dusty and worn out overtime. Instead of spraying water on them and spreading the dirt more, just use the banana peel to wipe the leaves down. Wipe the soft fleshy skin all over the green leaf surface to remove the gunk. You’ll be left with shiny and healthy-looking plants.
保持家居植物常綠
家居植物放久了，上面的灰塵會很多，還會枯掉。現在，你無須澆水，無須使灰塵飛揚，只需用香蕉擦拭植物葉子即可。之後擦掉葉子表面的泥狀物質，你的植物就會看上去非常光亮。
Wart Remedy
White vinegar and creams can effectively dry out a painful and unsightly wart, but when these remedies are not available, a banana will work. Mash up some and apply all over the affected area. You can also use the peel and rub its inside against your skin. Many say this plant’s high potassium content somewhat removes this skin problem. The bonus? It’s not even painful.
修復疣斑
白醋與乳霜能有效去除看不見的疼痛疣斑。如果上述方法無法奏效，香蕉能派上用場。把些許香蕉搗爛，敷於疣斑區域。你還能用香蕉皮的內側擦皮膚。許多人說香蕉豐富的鉀元素是解決皮膚問題的關鍵。還有什麼好處呢？去除疣斑並無疼痛。
Banana Facial
For an instant glow and to relieve dry skin, make a banana facial pack. It’s soothing and it will moisturize your skin, making it soft and clean. Here’s an easy recipe you can try.
Materials:
Two tablespoons of almond oil
One ripe banana
One egg yolk
Procedure:
Mash the bananas in a bowl using a fork. Make sure you remove all chunky bits.
Add the egg yolk and the almond oil and mix well.
Wash your face and pat it dry with a towel.
Apply the banana mixture to your face then leave it on for 20 minutes.
Wash with cold water and pat dry.
No more need to run down to the beauty store to buy gunk to put on your face. With this recipe, you’ll never need a botox ever!
香蕉面膜
要解決乾性皮膚問題，煥然亮澤，做次香蕉面膜吧。它能舒緩、滋潤皮膚，皮膚變得柔軟清潔。
你可以嘗試以下這個方法：
用料：兩大勺杏仁油、一根熟香蕉、一個蛋黃
步驟：1.用叉子搗爛放於碗中的香蕉，直到沒有塊狀物爲止。
2.加入蛋黃和杏仁油，把他們混合起來。
3.清洗臉部，用毛巾擦乾。
4.把香蕉混合物敷於臉部20分鐘。
無須去美容店買面膜敷於臉上。有了這個配方，你就有了永葆青春的肉毒桿菌。
Aphids Solution
Aphids that attack your rose bushes can be a headache. Cut up a bunch of banana peels, then bury them an inch or two around the plant’s base. The pesky suckers will soon say goodbye. A tip: never use the whole fruit, because animals and critters will dig them up and eat them. (For aphid extermination guide, read how to get rid of aphids)
解決蚜蟲之道
蚜蟲侵襲你的玫瑰叢成了你頭痛的問題。拿些香蕉皮，埋入植物莖部一二尺周圍的地方。那些討厭的蚜蟲就不會再來了。
提示：不要用整個水果，動物和牲畜會把它們挖出然後吃掉的。
Teeth Whitener
Bananas are yellow, but surprisingly enough, they can help whiten your stained yellowish teeth. Rub the peel in circular motions all over your teeth everyday for at least two to three minutes. In a few weeks or months you’ll see the results. Your dentist will be overwhelmed when she sees your sparkly whites.
亮白牙齒
香蕉是黃色，它竟能美白黃詬的牙齒。每天用香蕉皮以打圈方式擦洗牙齒兩三分鐘以上。幾個星期後，成果即會顯現。看到如此閃亮的白牙，牙醫們一定會頭痛不已。
Tenderize Roast Meat
After using the fruit and the peel, you can now use the leaves. If you’re tired of eating tough beef or pork for dinner, then try wrapping them in banana leaves to make them tender. This also works for fish (as seen in many Asian delicacies). While cooking, adding a ripe banana also helps. It also adds a delicious sweet flavor.
使烤肉變嫩
我們已經說道香蕉和香蕉皮的功效，也可用香蕉葉。牛肉或豬肉太硬麼？試試把它們包於香蕉葉內。這樣肉質會非常嫩。這個方法也能用於魚肉。烹飪時，加入一根熟香蕉也是有用的。這樣可以使味道鮮美。
Birds And Butterflies Magnet
Does your garden seem lonely without bees and butterflies buzzing around? Put out some overripe bananas with a few holes on a platform above head level. This will lure the insects to your garden. Just make sure it’s elevated, since this can also attract wasps, bees and little critters.
With these clever methods, the banana will never again be left unused in the fruit bowl. Then again, you can always use it for a banana split or maybe to make a monkey very happy.
鳥與蝴蝶的天然吸鐵石
沒有蜜蜂和蝴蝶的花園太單調了嗎？在比人頭高的平臺上放些紮了洞的過熟香蕉。昆蟲會頻繁光顧你的花園的。但先確定你是希望得到這種效果的，不然黃蜂啊，蜜蜂啊，牲口啊都可能會來了。
香蕉的這些功效在水果中是非常有用的。當然你也可以做一個“香蕉船”甜點或者愉悅猴子。
