lotus
lotus — 名詞
1. A plant that grows in lakes and ponds, with broad round leaves that rest flat on
蓮花
生長於池塘的睡蓮科植物
A plant that grows in lakes and ponds, with broad round leaves that rest flat on the water's surface and large flowers whose petals spread out in layers around a central cone. The lotus is native to warm parts of Africa and Asia and is regarded as sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism.
Every summer, the pond near Adisa's house is covered with pink lotus flowers.
每年夏天，Adisa 家附近的池塘裡都會開滿粉紅色的蓮花。
collocation: pink lotus / lotus flowers
In many temple courtyards across Taiwan, visitors can see lotus plants growing in stone pools.
在臺灣許多寺廟的庭院裡，都能看到石池中種植的蓮花。
lotus as temple/cultural symbol in Asia
The lotus is a symbol of purity in Buddhist teachings, rising clean from muddy water.
蓮花在佛教中象徵純潔，出淤泥而不染。
A single lotus leaf can grow wider than a bicycle wheel.
一片蓮葉可以長得比腳踏車輪胎還要寬。
- water lily
A broader term that includes several related plants; lotus refers specifically to the genus Nelumbo, whose flowers rise above the water and whose seed pod is cone-shaped.
文法句型
lotus + noun (e.g. lotus flower, lotus leaf)
用法筆記
Often used in religious and artistic contexts — the lotus appears frequently in Buddhist and Hindu iconography, as well as in traditional East Asian art and poetry.
2. In ancient Greek stories, a fruit that causes anyone who eats it to feel peacefu
忘憂果
希臘神話中使人遺忘憂慮的果實
In ancient Greek stories, a fruit that causes anyone who eats it to feel peacefully lazy, lose all desire to travel or work, and forget about returning home.
In the Odyssey, sailors who ate the lotus lost all wish to return home.
在荷馬的《奧德賽》中，吃了忘憂果的水手就不再想航行回家了。
mythological reference: Homer's Odyssey
The poet described the sweet lotus as a source of dreamy forgetfulness.
那位詩人形容甜蜜的忘憂果是一種夢幻般的忘憂源頭。
literary/poetic use
Ziad compared the lazy summer mood to eating the lotus from Greek myth.
Ziad 把那種懶洋洋的夏日心情比作吃了希臘神話中的忘憂果。
Lauren read about the lotus-eaters in class and found their indifference strange.
Lauren 在課堂上讀到食忘憂果者的故事，覺得他們那種漠不關心的態度很奇怪。
文法句型
the lotus (fruit)
用法筆記
Nearly always refers to the specific fruit from Greek mythology, not to the plant in sense 1. The phrase 'lotus-eater' (or 'lotophagi') may be used to describe someone who leads a lazy, pleasure-seeking life.