小议夏荷
文/王逢鑫
夏日是人们观赏荷花的季节。“荷花”或“莲花”，英语可以译为lotus，例如：
1. The lotus grows in ponds and lakes.
荷花生长在池塘和湖泊中。
2. The lotus in the pond is now in full bloom.
池塘里的荷花正在盛开。
3. In China, numerous poets have written poems in praise of the lotus since ancient times.
自古以来，中国数不清的诗人曾赋诗赞颂荷花。
美丽圣洁的荷花出污泥而不染，例如：
4. Although lotuses grow in muddy rivers and lakes, their leaves and flowers remain clean.
虽然荷花生长在泥河和泥塘里，叶子和花朵却保持洁净。
5. Lotus plants thrive in muck and mud, yet they produce some of nature’s most glorious flowers.
荷花生长在污泥之中，但却提供了自然界最灿烂的花朵。
6. The lotus rises up from the mud of the pond and blossoms into a pure white flower.
荷花出自池塘的污泥，却开出洁白的花朵。
荷花或莲花在宗教和不同的文化中具有不尽相同的象征意义，例如：
7. The Chinese people regard the lotus as a symbol of purity, because it rises from unclean water but to blossom as a pure, uncontaminated flower.
因为荷花出自污水而以纯洁、无污的花朵盛放，中国人把它看成纯洁的象征。
8. In many cultures, the lotus has been a powerful image and a spiritual symbol. In Hindu, Buddhist and Egyptian religions, the lotus is considered a sacred flower.
在许多文化中，莲花曾是一种强有力的形象和精神象征。在印度教、佛教和埃及宗教信仰中，莲花被认为是一种神圣的花。
9. The Mahayana sect of Buddhism maintains that all souls emerge from a lotus.
佛教的大乘教派认为，所有的灵魂都是出自莲花。
现在lotus position, lotus posture 或 lotus pose 成为做瑜伽功的专门术语，即“莲花坐”，例如：
10. Lotus position is a way of sitting with the legs crossed, used especially when people do yoga.
“莲花坐”是盘腿而坐的姿势，尤其在人们做瑜伽功时釆用。
并蒂莲有“花中君子”之称，是荷花中的极品，英语可以译为double lotus或twin lotus flowers on one stalk，例如：
11. Twin lotus flowers on one stalk are considered as a symbol of love, representing the conjugal love of a married couple, their felicitous and happy marriage, their everlasting harmony, and their heart-and-soul dedication.
并蒂莲被视为爱情的象征，寓意夫妻恩爱，美满幸福，百年好合，永结同心。
“藕”，又称“莲藕”，莲的根茎，人们喜爱的美食，英语可以译为lotus root或lotus rhizome，例如：
12. Lotus root is one of the most popular ingredients in Chinese cuisine.
莲藕是中国菜中受人欢迎的食材之一。
13. Lotus rhizome is a very good source of dietary fibers.
莲藕是非常好的膳食纤维。
荷全身都是宝。除了花可以观赏，藕可以食用之外，其他部分也都有自己的用途。“荷叶”是 lotus leaf，“荷梗”是 lotus stalk / stem，“莲蓬”是lotus seedpod，“莲子”是lotus seed，例如：
14. Almost all parts of the lotus are beneficial to our health. Its roots, young flowers, stalks and seeds are all edible.
荷几乎所有部分都对我们的健康有益。藕、鲜嫩的荷花、荷梗和莲子都可以食用。
15. The cook had the roast chicken wrapped in a lotus leaf.
这个厨师用一张荷叶包裹烤鸡。
16. The lotus rises on its stalk unsoiled by mud in the water.
荷花在荷梗上生长，不为水中污泥所染。
17. The lotus seeds are wrapped in the lotus seedpod.
莲子包在莲蓬里。
“藕断丝连”，英语有多种直译法：
18. The lotus root snaps, but its fibers stay joined.
19. Even when the lotus root breaks, its fibers still hold together.
20. The lotus root is severed, but its fibers are still connected.
21. A section of the lotus root is separated, but its clinging fibers remain.
“藕断丝连”，比喻表面上好像已断了关系，但实际上仍然有牵连，多指爱情关系。由于文化差异，上述直译都表达不了“藕断丝连”的比喻意义。我们一般采用意译的方法，表达“藕断丝连”的含义，例如：
22. 这对恋人被迫分离，但是他们依然藕断丝连。
The two lovers were forced to part, but their love still remained.
23. 她的男友跟他以前的情人在感情上依然藕断丝连。
Her boyfriend is still emotionally attached to his ex-girlfriend.
注意lotus在希腊神话中不是“荷花”，而是“忘忧果”的意思。Lotus eaters 是“食忘忧果者”，例如：
24. In ancient Greek myths, lotus was a fruit that is supposed to make you feel happy and relaxed. Once you have eaten it, you would feel like being in a dream.
在古代希腊神话中，忘忧果是一种吃了以后能使你感到快乐和放松的水果，仿佛在梦幻之中。
在不同文化中，荷花具有自己独特的隐喻意义和文化含义，例如：
Lotus is one of the most delicate and beautiful flowers on earth. It is regarded as a symbol of beauty throughout the world. This is not just because of its vibrant colours, but also because of its quality to bloom beautifully in muddy water. Due to its quality to bloom in spite of unfavorable conditions, lotus is regarded as a source of motivation. The lotus plant originated in parts of Middle East and Asia. The symbolization of a lotus flower varies from culture to culture. However, all of them are closely associated with the life cycle of the lotus flower. Lotus flower has been a source of inspiration to poets. There are large numbers of poems which use lotus for motivation, mostly presented in the form of a metaphor.
荷花是地球上最娇嫩、最美丽的花卉之一。在全世界，荷花都被视为一种美的象征。这不仅是因为它的鲜艳颜色，还因为它在泥水之中美丽开放的特点。由于它在不利条件下都能开放的特性，荷花被视为动力的根源。荷花原产于中东和亚洲部分地区。荷花的象征意义在不同文化中各不相同，但皆与其花朵的生命周期紧密相关。荷花的花朵一直是诗人灵感的源泉。有大量的诗歌利用荷花作为理据，大多以隐喻的形式呈现。