說土豆「向下扎根，向上開花」，是通的；說土豆「向下扎根，向上結果」，則是笑話。綜合起來，說土豆「向下扎根，向上開花，向下結果」，是最適切了。

一般稱它為花生，很符合實際；因為它確實先開花後結果！但是我們大都叫它土豆，更符合實際；原因無他，它在長出地面的莖上開花，然後埋進地下土裡結「豆」。

兩種名稱比較起來，我還是比較喜歡土豆這個名稱。

為什麼不稱它為土豆呢？該這樣稱呼才對呀！為什麼不喜歡這個名稱呢？該喜歡這個稱呼才對呀！

土豆，多麼土的名稱，多麼好的豆子呀！不管是湯煮，是剝了殼或不剝殼炒，同樣是香噴噴的，尤其是炒的，除了香而外，更加上脆，真是香脆可口！至於它的營養，那更不用說了。這樣的東西，誰會不喜歡？身體得助益了，吃過後又能齒頰留香，加上其植株的玲巧姣好，更叫人愛不忍釋了。

一顆顆小小的豆子，一莢莢小小的豆子，一串串小小的豆子，埋在地下，靜靜地，默默地，不求人知，不去炫耀，不去張揚，獨樂自處，自我藏拙，自我滿足，自我生長；當長大成熟，被人從土裡挖起來吃食，才發揮自己的特長，以其營養和香脆貢獻出自己的智慧和力量。這是多麼美好的德行呀！

土豆，我不能不喜歡！

1985年11月25日自立晚報副刊

The groundnut   Hsu ChiCheng

We can say groundnut “takes root on the earth, and blossoms upward”; but it’s joke to say groundnut “takes root on earth, and fruits upward”. Summarily, to say “takes root on the earth, blossoms upward, and fruits upward. ” is the most suitable.

Name it generally as groundnut is tally with facts; because it’s sure that it blossoms in front of and fruit thereafter! But we all call it groundnut is the most suitable; not other cause, it blossoms on the stem which grows on the ground, and then fruits “bean” which bury in the ground.

I still more like to call the name groundnut compares with these two names.
Why don’t we call it groundnut? It’s right for us ought to call it this name! Why do we dislike this name? It’s right for us ought to call it this name!

Groundnut, how original the name, how good is the bean! In spite of soup-boiling, parch it with exploiting the shell, it’s rich in fragrance the same, especially exploiting, except fragrance, adds of fragile, it’s fragrant and fragile surely! As to nutrition, it’s no need to say. Whoever will dislike this kind of thing? It helps to body, and will remain fragrance after have it, adds to the pretty and good feature, it’ll more love can’t let go.

A grain after a grain of the small bean, a pod after a pod of the small bean, a string after a string of the small bean, bury in the ground, silently, quietly, not to seek for known, not to show off, not to make publicly known, happy self and lives self, hides self, satisfies self, grows self; when it grown, and dug out by people to eat, it just brings into play its strong point, offers its wit and power with its nutrition and fragile. How fine is its ethics!

Groundnut, I can’t help to like it! @

責任編輯：林芳宇