一年一度的“上海金山蟠桃節(jié)”8月3日開幕，被昵稱為“世博桃”的金山皇母蟠桃是世博會特供水果——你知道“蟠桃”用英語是怎么說的么？其實英文名直譯回來，是“扁桃”，也就是flat peach：

Flat peaches are also known as “saucer” or “doughnut-type” peaches because of their round, oblate to squat appearance.
蟠桃因其外形扁平，所以又被稱作“茶碟”或“油炸圈”狀桃子。

明明是延年益壽的仙桃啊，為什么看著flat peach這個名字就提不起神呢……也許在外國人眼里，桃子不過是一種水果，但在中國傳統(tǒng)中，桃子還有更進一步的象征意義：

In China, the peach was said to be consumed by the immortals due to its mystic virtue of conferring longevity on all who ate them.?
在中國，人們認(rèn)為食用桃子能使人長生。

The immortals residing in the palace of Xi Wangmu were said to celebrate an extravagant banquet called the Pantao Hui or "The Feast of Peaches".
神話傳說中，西王母的住處會舉辦盛大的蟠桃會。

The immortals waited six thousand years before gathering for this magnificent feast; the peach tree put forth leaves once every thousand years and it required another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen.
仙人們每六千年才能參加一次蟠桃會，因為蟠桃樹要一千年才長出葉子，三千年才結(jié)果。

（本文由滬江原創(chuàng)，僅供騰訊世博英語專題獨家轉(zhuǎn)載）