Japanese-grown, cube-shaped watermelons boosted the price 日本方西瓜

Pity the nouveau riche Russians who missed last week's bargain on Japanese-grown, cube-shaped watermelons at high-end Moscow markets: just $700.

上周没去买方形西瓜的俄罗斯暴发户们真是太可惜了，当时这种日本种植的西瓜在高端市场上仅售700美元（约合人民币4300元）。

But news of the novelty, a couple of weeks before the start of Russia's watermelon season, has boosted the price in recent days to around $860. That's more than 300 times the price of your standard melon.

但是对于这种新奇玩意儿的各种新闻报道让方形西瓜的价格一下涨到了近860美元（约合人民币5300元），这可比普通西瓜价格的300倍还多。再过两周，俄罗斯自产的西瓜就要开始上市了。

How are square watermelons grown? 如何种植方形西瓜？

While the watermelon is still small on the vine, a square, tempered glass box is placed around it. When the watermelon gets bigger, it assumes the shape of the box! Just remember to use a glass or transparent mold so the sunlight can reach the watermelon on all sides.

当藤上的西瓜还小的时候，就用一个方形的钢化玻璃盒将它罩住。西瓜长大后就成了盒子的形状了。记得要用玻璃或者其他透明的模具，那样阳光才能照射到整只西瓜。

Why are square watermelons grown? 为何种植方形西瓜？

First, the square watermelons are easier to stack, which makes them easier to ship. Second, with space being an issue in crowded areas of Japan, the square watermelon is designed to fit perfectly inside smaller Japanese refrigerators.

首先，方形西瓜易于堆放，运输起来更方便。另外，在日本一些拥挤的场所，空间就成了一个重要问题，而方形西瓜正好能放进日本的小型冰箱，完美贴合不占空间。