一颗普通的番茄，尤其是在没有被切开的时候，形状很少能“有爱到让人一见就想要拥抱它的地步”。
It's not often a tomato is described as so sweet 'whenever people see it they just want to hug it' - but this was no ordinary piece of fruit.
然而这颗由退休的匕首制造商罗德·麦特里斯种出来的心形番茄却与众不同。罗德说他是在自己的温室种植园里查看收成时看到它的，当时他也吃了一惊。
The heart-shaped tomato was grown by retired dagger maker, Rod Matless, who said he was shocked when he noticed it in his greenhouse while inspecting his latest produce.
今年69岁的罗德几年前患上了心脏病，这颗心形的番茄令他联想到了心脏，因此他决定将这颗番茄进行拍卖，并将拍卖所得款项捐给英国心脏基金会。
Mr Matless, 69, who suffered a heart attack a few years ago, was so taken aback by thephenomenal fruit that he decided to sell it at auction and donate the proceeds to the British Heart Foundation.
这颗重约2.26盎司（约64克）的心形番茄在易趣网上被来自威尔士的一位女士以16英镑（约162元人民币）的价格拍下，她说她要把这颗番茄送给特别的人。
The 2.26oz tomato was bought for £16 on eBay by a woman from Wales - who said she planned to give it to someone special.
罗德住在诺威奇附近的怀蒙丹，他说：“我觉得这是一件显而易见的事情。”
Mr Matless, of Wymondham, near Norwich, said: 'It was a bit of an obvious thing to do I suppose.
“虽然我想了好几天仍然不太确定，但还是觉得这样做应该不错。”
'I spent a couple of days thinking about it and I wasn't really sure, but this seems like a good use.
“我希望这颗番茄能给其他人带来好运。”
'I hope it will do someone somewhere a bit of a good.'
他补充说：“它看起来非常有爱，谁见到它都会想要拥抱它的。”
He added: 'It's very sweet - whenever people see it they just want to hug it.'
但是由于保持番茄新鲜非常关键，所以为防止这颗番茄坏掉，热情的罗德分秒必争地将它送到了它的新主人那里。
But with the tomato's freshness a key factor, enthusiastic gardener Mr Matless was up against the clock to deliver it to its new owner before rot set in.
罗德说：“我以前是匕首制造商，但我其实不想给人可怕的东西。可能我赚了不少钱，但我会有点不安。”
He said: 'I didn't want to send someone something horrible. I probably could have raised a bit more money with more time but I was worried about it.
“而这颗心形番茄对有爱的人来说一定是个很好的礼物。我希望其他人能喜欢它，我也很高兴能帮到他人。”
'It will certainly make a nice present for a loved one.I hope that they like it and I'm glad I got to help.'
“这件事情整个都令人很愉快，而且我真的很享受种植这颗心形番茄的过程。”
'It's all been very good fun and I've really enjoyed growing this very special tomato.'
法国人曾经把番茄称作“pomme d'amour”，意思是爱情苹果。但是有人说这样称呼并不是因为它的形状，而是法国人觉得它是一种促进情欲的药剂。
The French once called tomatoes 'pomme d'amour', meaning love apple, but some say this is because they believed it was an aphrodisiac and had little to do with its shape.