國花系列:ORCHIDS(新加坡)
The beauty and diversity of orchids have fascinated people for ages. As long as 5 centuries before Christ, Confucius compared the pleasure of seeing good friends to entering a room full of "lan" or fragrant orchids.
蘭花的美麗以及種類的多樣化使得許多年齡段的人都爲它着迷.早在公元前五世紀,孔子就用蘭花來比喻看到好朋友的喜悅之情，因此有請"蘭"入室或滿室蘭香一說.
This name was applied not only to one genus, Orchis, but also to the entire family (even though the majority of orchids do not have this kind of root). Commonly this family is called the orchid family: scientifically, the family is called Orchidaceae.
蘭花的名字不僅屬名爲一種蘭花,而且代表了整個蘭花種類(即使大多數的蘭花是沒有根）. 一般稱爲蘭花花系，科學上稱爲蘭花科.
With so many people interested in orchids, one may well ask what is so special about these plants. One thing is the incredible diversity. There is simply no such thing as a typical Orchidacae is probably the largest flowering plant family. So far, approximately 30000 wild species have been described. Also many, many man-made hybrids have been created.
很多人對蘭花都很有興趣,我們有足夠的理由問自己爲什麼這些植物這麼的特別呢。其中最讓人不可思議就是蘭花的多樣性. 根本沒有一般的花能像蘭花這麼典型. 蘭花科可能是花科植物中最大的科系了. 目前發現的就大約有3萬種野生蘭花.同時還有很多人工新培育的混合種類.
Orchids are herbaceous (non-woody) perennials that occur as vines, shrubs, and grass-like plants. Some bear a single flower; others have many flowers. They grow in habitats from tropical rain forests to alpine meadows, from bogs to semi-desert areas and from sea level to 14,000 feet in elevation. At least one orchid is semi-aquatic, holding only its blossoms above the water surface. Another species grows and blooms entirely below the ground.
蘭花是草本植物常年生長在藤、灌木、草類植物中.有些蘭花只開一朵花還有一些其他的可以開許多花.它們的棲息地從熱帶雨林到高原，從沼澤到半沙漠地區,以及海平面14000英尺高度.蘭花是一種半水生植物植物,只在水上開花.還有一些品種完全是在地下生長開花.
The largest, showiest, and most bizarre orchids occur in the tropics. Flower colors range from pure white to vivid pinks, lavenders, reds, golden-yellows, oranges, browns, and even blackish-purple. They vary from soft-muted tones to pure brilliant colors, and from solid shades to bizarre multicolored patterns.
最大最耀眼最奇異的蘭花生長在熱帶. 蘭花的顏色從白色到粉紅色、淡紫色、紅色、金黃是、橙色、褐色甚至於黑紫色. 這些不同聲色的色彩,以及在各種固態茵影下組成了奇異多彩的圖案. 
1981年，新加坡選定卓錦•萬代蘭爲國花。卓錦•萬代蘭亦稱胡姬花，由福建閩南話音譯Orchid(蘭花)一詞而來。卓錦•萬代蘭是蘭花的一種。 它具有下列優美的特徵。
容貌清麗而端莊、超羣，又流露出謙和，象徵着新加坡人民的氣質，它有一個姣美的脣片和五個尊片，脣片四綻，象徵新加坡四大民族和馬來語、英語、華語和泰米爾語四種語言的平等。
花朵中間的惡柱，雌雄合體，象徵幸福的根源。
花由下面相對的裂片拱扶着，象徵着和諧，同甘苦、共榮辱。
花的脣片後方有一個袋形角，內有甜蜜汁，象徵財富匯流聚集的處所。
把戀柱上的花粉蓋揭開，裏面有兩個花塊，像兩隻“金眼”，象徵着高瞻遠矚。
它的莖向上攀援，象徵向上發達、興旺。它的花一朵謝落，一朵又開，象徵新加坡國家民族的命脈，源遠流長，具有無窮的信心和希塑。
新加坡人喜愛蘭花，更偏愛卓錦•萬代蘭，還因爲在最惡劣的條件下，也能爭芳吐豔。象徵着民族的刻苦耐勞，勇敢奮鬥精神。
