The Flower that Loves Itself|自恋的水仙花

The Flower that Loves Itself

by Clare Lear

A Greek myth gave the name to one of the most beautiful flowers in the world.

　　In Greek mythology, Narcissus was the son of a river god and a nymph. He grew up to be extraordinarily handsome. He was a good hunter and was proud of both his ability and good looks. In fact, Narcissus was arrogant and _(1)_ those who fell in love with him. The goddess of revenge, Nemesis, saw how unkind Narcissus was and arranged _(2)_ him to come across a pond while hunting. It was there that Narcissus looked into the water and saw his own reflection. He immediately fell in love without realizing it was just an image of himself. Thus, the term narcissism, which means a fixation with oneself, was born.

　　In some versions of the story, Narcissus falls into the pool and _(3)_. In others, he dies beside the pool because he's _(4)_ to leave this vision of beauty. After his death, a flowering plant _(5)_ in his place. The narcissus plant, commonly called a daffodil, can be found in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and often grows besides rivers and lakes. The head of the flower droops forward on a _(6)_ stem as though it were seeking its reflection in the water. In the West, the flower is a symbol of vanity, but in the East, it is a symbol of wealth. To Easterners, the narcissus flowers are associated with gold and good luck, and their sweet _(7)_ is also treasured. Since they bloom in the early spring, the blossoming of narcissus flowers coincides with Chinese New Year. If they bloom during that time, they are said to bring extra wealth and good fortune throughout the year.

1.   (A) clarified     (B) disdained   (C) lightened   (D) registered

2.   (A) for  (B) with     (C) about   (D) on

3.   (A) resigns      (B) strives (C) swears      (D) drowns

4.   (A) likely   (B) keen    (C) unable (D) capable

5.   (A) lines up     (B) moves on  (C) comes down   (D) springs up

6.   (A) slender      (B) furious (C) modest      (D) brutal

7.   (A) admission  (B) fragrance  (C) convention (D) enthusiasm

自恋的水仙花

一则希腊神话故事是全世界其中一种最美的花的命名来源。

　　在希腊神话中，纳西瑟斯是河神和水泽女神的儿子。他一出生就有不凡的英俊外表。他很善于打猎，而且对自己的能力和好看的外表都很自豪。事实上，纳西瑟斯相当傲慢，而且看不起那些爱上他的人。复仇女神纳美西斯目睹了他有多么刻薄，于是安排他在打猎时偶然发现了一座池塘。纳西瑟斯就在那里往水里望去，看见了自己的倒影。他不知道那只是自己的身影，便立刻坠入了情网。因此，自恋（narcissism）这个意指某人对自己病态执着的名词就此诞生。

　　在某些版本的故事中，纳西瑟斯跌落池塘淹死了。而在其他故事中，他在池塘边死去，因为他无法离开这美丽的幻影。在他死后，该处突然冒出一种会开花的植物。这种水仙属的植物一般称为水仙花，它在欧洲、北非及西亚地区都找得到，而且经常被种植在河边或湖边。这种花的花头长在细长的茎上，并向前垂下，彷佛在寻找自己水中的倒影。在西方，水仙花是虚荣的象征；但在东方，它却象征了财富。对东方人而言，水仙花会和黄金及好运联想在一起，而它芬芳的香味也很受人喜爱。由于水仙花是在早春时分开花，它们开花的时候正好就是中国新年。如果它们在这段时间开花的话，据说一整年都会替人们带来额外的财富和好运。

答案： 1.   B   2.   A   3.   D   4.   C   5.   D

      6.   A   7.   B

 

　　自恋（narcissism）是一种自我陶醉的行为或习惯。如果没有到达极端的情况，自恋被视为健康心理的重要元素之一。

　　然而，在心理学和精神分析学上，过度的自恋将会变成病态，进而产生不正常的行为，例如人格分裂等。自恋这个字眼通常带有贬义，代表夸张、自满、自负或自私。当它被用在一个社会团体的时候，通常代表了精英主义，或者对他人疾苦的冷漠及不闻不问。（数据源：维基百科）