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Good Poppy, Bad Poppy 罂粟花的美丽与哀愁

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There’s nothing quite like a field of poppies, standing tall and proud, their striking red and black heads gently bobbing in the breeze. This unmistakable flower attracts the attention of all who pass by. The poppy is a hardy plant that thrives in many regions, from North America and Europe to India and China. But it’s much more than a common wildflower. In fact, the poppy has a remarkable place in history and culture.

没有景象能像一大片个个神气地挺直而立、黑心红瓣随风摇曳的罂粟花一般。这种不容易被认错的花吸引所有路过的人的注意。罂粟花是种适应力强的植物，从北美、欧洲、印度到中国等许多地区都能蓬勃生长。但罂粟花并不只是普通的野花而已。事实上，罂粟花在历史及文化上有个显著的地位。

The poppy symbolizes many things. In the West, the flower represents all the soldiers who have lost their lives in war. This is because the battlefields of the First World War were scattered with wild poppies. On Remembrance Day in the UK, people wear a paper poppy in their lapel to show that fallen soldiers are in their hearts and minds.

罂粟花有很多象征。在西方，这种花代表所有在战争中死去的士兵。这是因为第一次世界大战的战场上遍布野生的罂粟花。在英国的国殇纪念日，人们会在衣领别上纸罂粟花以表示那些殉难的士兵一直在他们的心中。

In China, however, the poppy conjures up different sentiments entirely. There, it is associated with the Opium Wars and is thus a symbol of humiliation. British opium smuggling in the 19th century affected millions of Chinese who became addicted to the drug, and it almost destroyed China’s economy. All things considered, you can imagine how Chinese officials reacted when British prime minister arrived in Beijing wearing a poppy last November.

然而，罂粟花在中国却唤起全然不同的情感。在中国，罂粟花与鸦片战争被联想在一起，因此是耻辱的象征。19世纪英国鸦片走私影响了上百万的中国人，使他们因毒成瘾，几乎摧毁了中国的经济。考虑到这些过去，你可以想象当英国首相去年11月戴着罂粟花到达北京时中国官员会作何反应。

The poppy is a complex flower indeed. It can elicit national pride and it can cause offense; it can unite people in remembrance and it can bring up memories people want to forget. It’s a beautiful flower or a common weed, depending on your point of view.

罂粟花确实是复杂的花朵：它能引起对国家的骄傲也会冒犯他人；它能让人们在缅怀中团结也会带来人们想忘却的回忆。它可以是漂亮的花朵或是普通的野草，端看你怎么看待它。

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

poppy [ˋpɑpɪ] n. 罂粟花

bob [ˋbɑb] v. 使上下（或来回）快速摆动

hardy [ˋhɑrdɪ] adj. 能吃苦耐劳的；强壮的；坚强的; （植物等）耐寒的

battlefield [ˋbæt!͵fild] n. 战场，战地

scatter [ˋskætɚ] v. 撒；撒于……上；散布

lapel [ləˋpɛl] n.（西服上的）翻领

humiliation [hju͵mɪlɪˋeʃən] n. 丢脸；羞辱；蒙羞

smuggle [ˋsmʌg!] v. 走私，非法私运

economy [ɪˋkɑnəmɪ] n. 经济

elicit [ɪˋlɪsɪt] v. 引出；诱出

offense [əˋfɛns] n. 引起反感的事物; 冒犯；触怒

weed [wid] n. 杂草；野草

Idiom

片语发音

conjure up 使呈现于脑际（或眼帘）；想起 to present to the mind; evoke or imagine

all things considered 考虑到问题的各个方面  after carefully thinking about all the facts or opinions

bring up 提起……，谈到  to introduce into discussion; mention

Reading Questions

1.    Why, in some places, are poppies seen as a symbol of fallen soldiers?

(A)  The flowers once grew where soldiers were killed at war.

(B)  The color of the flowers represents the bloodshed of war.

(C)  The flowers symbolize the beauty and bravery of soldiers.

(D)  The flowers stand for peace after wartime.

2.    What was the most likely reaction of the Chinese officials to the British prime minister’s poppy?

(A)  They felt honored and respected.

(B)  They felt honored and interested.

(C)  They felt scared and concerned.

(D)  They felt confused and offended.

3.    What is the main point of the article?

(A)  Britain has made terrible mistakes in Asia.

(B)  Some things have different meanings to different people.

(C)  War only brings misery and never solves problems.

(D)  The drugs trade must be dealt with firmly.

Papaver orientale. Poppy flower time lapse

Answer