TotaketheappleasaforbiddenfruitisthemostunlikelystorytheChristians（基督教徒）evercookedup.Forthem,theforbiddenfruitfromEdenisevil（邪恶的）.SowhenColumbusbroughtthetomatobackfromSouthAmerica,alandmistakenlyconsideredtobeEden,everyonejumpedtobetheobviousconclusion.WronglytakenastheappleofEden,thetomatowasshutoutofthedoorofEuropeans.
Whatmadeitparticularlyterrifyingwasitssimilaritytothemandrake,aplantthatwasthoughttohavecomefromHell（地狱）.Whatearnedtheplantitsawfulreputationwasitsrootswhichlookedlikeadried-uphumanbodyoccupiedbyevilspirits.Toughthetomatoandthemandrakewerequitedifferentexceptthatbothhadbrightredoryellowfruit,thegeneralpopulationconsideredthemoneandthesame,tooterribletotouch.
CautiousEuropeanslongignoredthetomato,anduntiltheearly1700smostoftheWesternpeoplecontinuedtodragtheirfeet.Inthe1880s,thedaughterofawell-knownplantexpertwrotethatthemostinterestingpartofanafternoonteaatherfather’shousehadbeenthe“introductionofthiswonderfulnewfruit—orisitavegetable?”Aslateasthetwentiethcenturysomewritersstillclassedtomatoeswithmandrakesasan“evilfruit”.
Butintheendtomatoescarriedtheday.TheheroofthetomatowasanAmericannamedRobert Johnson,andwhenhewaspubliclygoingtoeatthetomatoin1820,peoplejourneyedforhundredsofmilestowatchhimdropdead.“Whatareyouafraidof?”heshouted.“I’llshowyoufoolsthatthesethingsaregoodtoeat!”Thenhebitintothetomato.Somepeoplefainted.Buthesurvivedand,accordingtoalocalstory,setupatomato-canningfactory.
小题1:ThetomatowasshutoutofthedoorofearlyEuropeansmainlybecause______.