一年一度的“上海金山蟠桃节”8月3日开幕，被昵称为“世博桃”的金山皇母蟠桃是世博会特供水果——你知道“蟠桃”用英语是怎么说的么？其实英文名直译回来，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，所以又被称作“茶碟”或“油炸圈”状桃子。

明明是延年益寿的仙桃啊，为什么看着flat peach这个名字就提不起神呢……也许在外国人眼里，桃子不过是一种水果，但在中国传统中，桃子还有更进一步的象征意义：

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. 
在中国，人们认为食用桃子能使人长生。

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".
神话传说中，西王母的住处会举办盛大的蟠桃会。

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.
仙人们每六千年才能参加一次蟠桃会，因为蟠桃树要一千年才长出叶子，三千年才结果。

（本文由沪江原创，仅供腾讯世博英语专题独家转载）