In ancient China, people called a man of great virtue (美德) a gentleman. In the world of flowers, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums are known as the four gentlemen in China. That's because these plants' natural characters have something in common with human virtues.
The plum tree is famous for its flowers opening in the dead of winter. This makes it difficult to go unnoticed. It stands for inner beauty and humble display (谦逊表现) under hard conditions. According to historical records, plum blossoms appeared on drawing paper 1,600 years ago.
Grown in deep mountain valleys (山谷), the orchid was named as the fourth of China's ten famous flowers. With the smell making people's minds fresh, and the elegant (优雅的) shapes swinging in the wind, orchids stand for elegance in Chinese people's eyes.
The bamboo is thin with the inner empty. It stands for tolerance (耐力) and open-mindedness. For example, Su Shi once wrote down "Rather eat without meat than live without bamboo" in his poem to express his deep love for bamboo.
Chrysanthemums were planted as early as three thousand years ago. When nearly all the flowers fall, the chrysanthemum opens in the cold autumn air and predicts the coming of winter. It stands for the virtue to go through all difficulties smoothly.
A. It is valued in Chinese culture for its character. B. It was admired by many poets and painters in ancient times. C. Its fine smell fills the air at one of the coldest times of a year. D So the chrysanthemum is a traditional flower loved by Chinese people. E. They have all long been common subjects in Chinese art, like paintings and poems. |
