主题：玫瑰是一个传说

People have been passionate about roses since the beginning of time. In fact， it is said that the floors of Cleopatra's palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals， and that the wise and knowing Confucius had a 600-book library specifically on how to care for roses.

The rose is a legend on its own. The story goes that during the Roman Empire， there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe. Her beauty drew many zealous suitors who pursued her relentlessly. Exhausted by their pursuit， Rhodanthe was forced to take refuge from her suitors in the temple of her friend Diana. Unfortunately， Diana became jealous. And when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near their beloved Rhodanthe， she became angry turning Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.   

In Greek legend，the rose was created by Chloris， the Greek goddess of flowers. It was just a lifeless seed of a nymph that Chloris found one day in a clearing in the woods. She asked the help of Aphrodite， the goddess of love， who gave her beauty Dionysus， the god of wine， added nectar to give her a sweet scent， and the three Graces gave her charm， brightness and joy. Then Zephyr， the West Wind， blew away the clouds so that Apollo， the sun god， could shine and made this flower bloom. And so the Rose was born and was immediately crowned the Queen of Flowers.


人类有史以来就钟情于玫瑰。据说，克娄巴特拉的宫殿的地面就铺满了娇嫩的玫瑰花瓣，博学的孔子有600册藏书专门讲述如何培育玫瑰。

玫瑰本身就是一个传说。在罗马帝国时代，有一个名叫罗丹斯的美丽绝伦的少女。她的丽姿引来了无数狂热的求婚者锲而不舍地追求她。罗丹斯实在招架不住了，不得不到朋友狄安娜的神庙里躲避她的求婚者。不幸的是，狄安娜产生了嫉妒之心。当求婚者冲进了神庙的大门，要接近他们所爱恋着的罗丹斯时，狄安娜一怒之下将罗丹斯变成了一枝玫瑰花，将她的求婚者变成了花刺。

在希腊传说中，玫瑰是希腊花神克罗斯创造的。当初玫瑰只是林中一个仙女的尚无生命的一粒种子。一天，花神克罗斯偶然在森林的一块空地上发现了它。克罗斯请求爱神阿佛洛狄特赋予了它美丽的容貌；让酒神狄俄尼索斯浇洒了神酒，使它拥有了芬芳的气味。又有美惠三女神将魅力、聪颖和欢乐赐予了它。随后，西风之神吹散了云朵，太阳神阿波罗得以照耀它并使它开花。玫瑰就这样诞生了，并立即被封为花中之皇后。