译◎ Twin

Plum①blossom梅花

In Mao Zedong's poem Ode to Plum Blossom, he described the fl ower like this: "Fair and beautiful. Not craving for spring for her own, only to tell the coming of the season. When all flowers bloom in full, she smiles among them."In traditional Chinese culture, plum blossom stands for noble, unsullied②and modest qualities.

毛泽东的《咏梅》一诗中写道：“俏也不争春，只把春来报。待到山花烂漫时，她在丛中笑。”在中国传统文化中，梅花象征高洁和谦逊。

Peony③牡丹花

Li Bai once compared concubine Yang Yuhuan's beautiful face to blooming peonies in his famous poem Qing Ping Diao. "Floating clouds remind me of her clothes, and peonies her face," he wrote. It is linked to prosperity④and richness in traditional Chinese culture. In the late Qing Dynasty, the peony was chosen as the national fl ower.

李白曾在《清平调》中把杨玉环的绝色容颜比作盛放的牡丹花：“云想衣裳花想容”。牡丹花寓意富贵荣华。晚清时期牡丹被确立为国花。

Chrysanthemum菊花

In Tao Yuanming's poem Drinking Wine, he wrote: "While picking up chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence, my gaze was leisurely upon the southern mountains". With its unsophisticated⑤beauty, chrysanthemum is also a symbol of longevity in Chinese myths and literature.

在《饮酒》一诗中陶渊明写道：“采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。”菊花素雅坚贞，在中国神话故事和文学作品中也是长寿的象征。

Chinese rose 月季

"Yet Chinese roses enjoy the four seasons with unceasing beauty," poet Su Shi described the fl ower in his poem.

Chinese people started to grow the rose about 2,000 years ago. The fl owers found their way into most regions along the Yangtze River.

苏轼曾在诗中写道：“唯有此花开不厌，一年长占四时春。”

国人早在2000年前就开始种植月季，广泛分布在长江流域地区。

Azalea杜鹃花

Azalea, or du juan, is the favorite flower of poet Bai Juyi from the Tang Dynasty. "Once grown on hills, now blooming in gardens… send a message to God and let azalea be the king of fl owers."

In Chinese mytholgy, a melancholy bird named Du Juan bleated day and night until it spat blood, which painted all the fl owers on the hill red. The fl owers were named after the miserable bird.

杜鹃是唐朝诗人白居易最爱的花。他曾写道：“本是山头物，今为砌下芳。千丛相向背，万朵互低昂。”

中国曾有杜鹃啼血的神话，传说杜鹃鸟昼夜悲鸣，啼至血出乃止，杜鹃花就是被杜鹃鸟的鲜血染红的，因此而得名。

Lotus荷花

Zhou Dunyi, praised lotus as "unsullied from silt where it comes from, retains demure⑥demure 英 [dɪ'mjʊə; dɪ'mjɔː] 美 [dɪ'mjʊr]adj. 端庄的；娴静的despite being cleaned by water" in his prose Ai Lian S h u o.In ancient Chinese literature, the lotus is often connected with women's noble and pure personality.

周敦颐在散文《爱莲说》中是这样称赞荷花的：“予独爱莲之出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖。”在中国古代文学中，荷花也寓意着女子的高洁人格。

Sweet-scented osmanthus桂花

In her poem, Li Qingzhao described osmanthus as "light yellow, with a delicate figure, that only leaves fragrance⑦fragrance 英 ['freɪgr(ə)ns] 美 ['fregrəns] n. 香味，芬芳behind."

Often blooming in August, the plant is also connected with Mid-Autumn Festival due to the fairy tale about a man named Wu Gang. Wu is ordered to cut down a large and strong osmanthus tree on the moon every day, yet the charmed tree never falls.Wu is only allowed to have a rest for Mid-Autumn Festival.

李清照曾在诗中这样描写桂花：“暗淡轻黄体性柔。情疏迹远只香留。”

桂花通常在八月盛开，还有一个和中秋节相关的典故：传说吴刚因遭天帝惩罚到月宫砍伐桂树，其树随砍随合，只有在中秋节这一天吴刚才能休息。

Orchid兰花

As one of the "Four Men of Noble Character"in Chinese culture, the orchid is better known for its delicate⑧delicate 英 ['delɪkət] 美 [ˈdɛlɪkɪt] adj. 微妙的；精美的fragrance. And its Chinese character"l a n" has being widely used in women's names for thousands of years.Ancient Chinese called eternal friendship "lan jiao", or companionship as nobel as the orchid, and beautiful prose and poems"lan zhang", or words as graceful as the orchid.

作为“四君子”之一的兰花以芬芳的香气闻名。数千年来，“兰”字被广泛用在女性的名字中。知心好友被称为“兰交”，优美的散文和诗歌被称为“兰章”。