Who doesn’t love Nanjing’s Wutong trees? They keep us cool (relatively) on days such as this and make our city’s boulevards among the most beautiful in China. But some now worry they are getting sick, or they’re simply too hot.
It’s the longest day of the year, and with the peak of summer not far away, the high temperatures have got Nanjings’s residents asking the question, “Why is the bark falling off our city’s Wutong trees?”.
这是一年中白昼最长的一天，盛夏已不远，高温让南京市民不禁产生疑问：“为什么我们市的梧桐树皮会脱落呢？”。
The Yangtze Evening News has reported that a Mr. Cai, who lives near Hanzhong Men in Nanjing, passed along Hanzhong Lu and saw that the bark of many Wutong trees had fallen off in large quantities along the road. “Why does the Wutong tree shed its skin? Is it sick?”, he wondered.
据扬子晚报报道，家住南京汉中门附近的蔡先生路过汉中路时，看到路边不少梧桐树皮大量脱落。 “梧桐树为什么会掉皮？是不是生病了？”他疑惑道。
Others who like to look at the lighter side of life have suggested the trees have been stripping off in the summer heat, much like people like to shed a few layers of clothing to keep cool.
其他喜欢看到生活轻松一面的人表示，树木在夏季的炎热中已经脱光了，就像人们喜欢脱掉几层衣服以保持凉爽一样。
But the truth is altogether more scientific.
但事实是更加科学的。
The Wutong, also called Firmiana simplex, or the Chinese parasol, in actual fact sheds its bark every year, but the phenomenon in 2022 is particularly pronounced.
梧桐，也称为梧桐，或中国梧桐，实际上每年都会脱落树皮，但 2022 年这种现象尤其明显。
Reporters have also noted how the trees’ bark is in some cases so brittle it will fall off with just the touch of a hand.
记者还注意到，在某些情况下，这些树的树皮非常脆弱，用手一碰就会脱落。
A sanitation worker in charge of cleaning on Hanzhong Lu has been quoted as saying as many as 20 bags full of bark per day have been cleaned from that particular street over the last month.
据报道，汉中路负责保洁的环卫工人称，上个月，该街道每天清理的树皮多达20袋。
But it turns out concerns as to the trees’ health are unfounded and in fact, the absolute opposite is the case.
但事实证明，对树木健康状况的担忧是毫无根据的，事实上，情况恰恰相反。
Arborists say that when the Wutong grows to a certain thickness, its bark will crack and fall off naturally and be replaced by new bark.
树艺家表示，当梧桐长到一定厚度时，树皮会自然开裂脱落，并被新树皮取代。
Just as some animals molt, the Wutongs in Nanjing are simply displaying a natural regeneration of bark. The large-scale peeling seen this year is an indication of vigorous growth and our favourite tree being in the best of health.
就像一些动物蜕皮一样，南京的梧桐只是展示了树皮的自然再生。今年出现的大规模剥皮表明它生长旺盛，我们最喜欢的树处于最佳健康状态。
