English Original
People have been passionate about roses since ancient times. It is said that Cleopatra's palace floors were carpeted with delicate rose petals, and Confucius himself maintained a library of 600 books on rose care.
The rose is steeped in legend. One Roman tale tells of Rhodanthe, a maiden of extraordinary beauty relentlessly pursued by zealous suitors. Seeking refuge in the temple of her friend Diana, she met a tragic fate when a jealous Diana, angered by the suitors' intrusion, transformed Rhodanthe into a rose and her pursuers into thorns.
In Greek mythology, the rose was created by Chloris, the flower goddess. She found a lifeless nymph's seed and enlisted the help of other deities: Aphrodite bestowed beauty, Dionysus added sweet nectar, and the three Graces gave charm, brightness, and joy. Zephyr, the West Wind, cleared the clouds for Apollo's sun to shine upon it, causing the flower to bloom. Thus, the Rose was born and crowned Queen of Flowers.
The first true primary red rose in Europe was 'Slater's Crimson China,' introduced from China in 1792. Rose breeders immediately used it for hybridization. The quest for the perfect red rose—fragrant, disease-resistant, long-lasting, long-stemmed, reblooming, perfectly formed, and vividly red—has been the Holy Grail for rosarians ever since, a perfection that remains unattained.
A special 'language of roses' was invented as a secret means of communication between forbidden lovers. Described in the mid-18th century letters of the British ambassador's wife in Constantinople, it inspired many floral dictionaries. In this language, a red rosebud signifies budding desire; an open white rose asks, 'Will you love me?'; an open red rose declares, 'I'm full of love and desire'; and an open yellow rose questions, 'Don't you love me anymore?'
中文翻译
自古以来，人们就对玫瑰充满热情。据说，埃及艳后克里奥帕特拉的宫殿地板上铺满了精致的玫瑰花瓣，而孔子本人则拥有一个藏有600本关于玫瑰养护书籍的图书馆。
玫瑰本身就是一个传奇。一个罗马传说讲述了罗丹丝的故事，她是一位美丽绝伦的少女，被狂热的追求者不懈追逐。她逃到朋友黛安娜的神庙中寻求庇护，却遭遇了悲惨的命运：嫉妒的黛安娜因追求者闯入神庙而愤怒，将罗丹丝变成了一朵玫瑰，将她的追求者变成了刺。
在希腊神话中，玫瑰是由花神克洛里斯创造的。她发现了一颗没有生命的宁芙仙女的种子，并请求其他神祇的帮助：阿佛洛狄忒赋予美丽，狄俄尼索斯添加了甜美的花蜜，美惠三女神赐予魅力、光彩和欢乐。西风之神仄费罗斯吹散云层，让太阳神阿波罗的光芒照耀它，使这朵花绽放。于是，玫瑰诞生了，并立即被加冕为花中女王。
欧洲第一种真正的原色红玫瑰是'斯莱特深红中国月季'，于1792年从中国引入。玫瑰育种家立即开始用它进行杂交育种。自此，寻找完美的红玫瑰——芬芳、抗病、持久、长茎、重复开花、花形完美、色泽鲜艳不褪的深红色——便成为玫瑰栽培者的终极追求，一种至今仍未达到、也永不会达到的完美境界。
人们发明了一种特殊的'玫瑰语言'，作为被禁止相爱的恋人间秘密交流的方式。18世纪中叶，英国驻君士坦丁堡大使的妻子在她的信件中描述了这种语言，这些信件在她去世后出版，并激发了许多关于花语书籍的创作。在这种语言中，红玫瑰花蕾代表萌生的爱意；盛开的白色玫瑰询问：'你爱我吗？'；盛开的红玫瑰宣告：'我充满爱与渴望'；而盛开的黄玫瑰则质问：'你不再爱我了吗？'