说土豆“向下扎根，向上开花”，是通的；说土豆“向下扎根，向上结果”，则是笑话。综合起来，说土豆“向下扎根，向上开花，向下结果”，是最适切了。

一般称它为花生，很符合实际；因为它确实先开花后结果！但是我们大都叫它土豆，更符合实际；原因无他，它在长出地面的茎上开花，然后埋进地下土里结“豆”。

两种名称比较起来，我还是比较喜欢土豆这个名称。

为什么不称它为土豆呢？该这样称呼才对呀！为什么不喜欢这个名称呢？该喜欢这个称呼才对呀！

土豆，多么土的名称，多么好的豆子呀！不管是汤煮，是剥了壳或不剥壳炒，同样是香喷喷的，尤其是炒的，除了香而外，更加上脆，真是香脆可口！至于它的营养，那更不用说了。这样的东西，谁会不喜欢？身体得助益了，吃过后又能齿颊留香，加上其植株的玲巧姣好，更叫人爱不忍释了。

一颗颗小小的豆子，一荚荚小小的豆子，一串串小小的豆子，埋在地下，静静地，默默地，不求人知，不去炫耀，不去张扬，独乐自处，自我藏拙，自我满足，自我生长；当长大成熟，被人从土里挖起来吃食，才发挥自己的特长，以其营养和香脆贡献出自己的智慧和力量。这是多么美好的德行呀！

土豆，我不能不喜欢！

1985年11月25日自立晚报副刊

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! @

责任编辑：林芳宇