ベランダのトマト

奈緒なおがベランダで野菜やさいを育そだて始はじめたのは、去年きょねんの春はるだった。It was last spring that Nao started growing vegetables on her balcony.近所きんじょの店みせで、小ちいさなトマトの苗なえを二ふたつ買かった。At a shop nearby she bought two small tomato seedlings.土つちと鉢はちと、水みずをやるためのじょうろもそろえた。She also got soil, pots and a watering can.初はじめの一いっか月げつは、葉はがどんどん増ふえて楽たのしかった。For the first month the leaves kept multiplying, and it was fun.ところが夏なつに入はいるころ、葉はの先さきが黄色きいろくなり始はじめた。But around the start of summer, the tips of the leaves began to turn yellow.

奈緒なおは毎朝まいあさたっぷり水みずをやった。Nao watered them generously every morning.夕方ゆうがたも、仕事しごとから帰かえるとすぐにベランダに出でた。In the evenings too, she went straight out to the balcony when she got home from work.それでも、いくら水をやっても葉はの色いろは戻もどらなかった。Even so, no matter how much she watered them, the colour did not come back.実じつは三みっつついたが、どれも大おおきくならない。Three fruits appeared, but none of them grew.本ほんを何冊なんさつも借かりて読よんだが、書かいてあることはばらばらだった。She borrowed several books and read them, but what they said did not agree.

同おなじ階かいに住すむ稲葉いなばさんは、ベランダいっぱいに野菜やさいを育そだてている。Mrs Inaba, who lives on the same floor, grows vegetables all along her balcony.ある土曜日どようび、奈緒なおは思おもい切きって鉢はちを見みせに行いった。One Saturday, Nao gathered her courage and took a pot along to show her.稲葉いなばさんは土つちを指ゆびでさわり、しばらく黙だまっていた。Mrs Inaba touched the soil with a finger and said nothing for a while.「水みず、毎日まいにちやってるの。」“Are you watering them every day?”「はい、朝あさと夕方ゆうがたに。」“Yes, morning and evening.”稲葉いなばさんは笑わらって、「それだよ」と言いった。Mrs Inaba laughed and said, “That's your answer.”

水みずが多おおすぎると、根ねが息いきをできなくなるのだという。If there is too much water, she explained, the roots cannot breathe.よくしようと思おもってやった水みずが、かえって根を弱らせていた。The water Nao had given to help them had, if anything, been weakening the roots.「土つちが乾かわいてから、たっぷり。それだけ。」“Wait until the soil is dry, then water well. That's all.”置おき場所ばしょの話はなしにもなった。They also talked about where to put the pots.朝あさから夕方ゆうがたまで日ひが当あたる場所ばしょより、むしろ午後は日かげになる場所のほうがいいらしい。Rather than a spot in the sun from morning to evening, it seems a spot that is shaded in the afternoon is better.奈緒なおは鉢はちを手てすりの内側うちがわに移うつした。Nao moved the pots to the inside of the railing.

それから、水みずは二日ふつかか三日みっかに一度いちどにした。After that, she watered them once every two or three days.一週間いっしゅうかんほどで、新あたらしい葉はが出でてきた。In about a week, new leaves appeared.どんなに世話をしても育そだたないと思おもっていたのに、手てをかけるのをやめたら元気げんきになった。She had thought that however much she cared for them they would not grow, yet they picked up once she stopped fussing over them.九月くがつの初はじめ、赤あかい実みが十個じゅっこ以上いじょうついた。At the beginning of September, more than ten red fruits appeared.奈緒なおはその半分はんぶんを小ちいさな袋ふくろに入いれて、稲葉いなばさんの部屋へやに持もっていった。Nao put half of them in a small bag and took them round to Mrs Inaba's flat.

「来年らいねんは何なにを育そだてるの。」“What will you grow next year?”稲葉いなばさんにそう聞きかれて、いくら考えてもすぐには決きめられなかった。Asked that, she could not decide straight away, however much she thought about it.それでも、苗なえを買かう日ひが待まち遠どおしくなっていた。Even so, she was starting to look forward to the day she would buy the seedlings.