There are two etymologies for carnation, a term found in English in the early 1500s. According to one, carnation may be a corruption of coronation, perhaps because the flower’s toothed petals resembled crowns or because the flowers were worn, crown-like, as garlands. The second etymology comes from the flower’s original color, and roots carnation in the Middle French carnation, “pink complexion”.

（Carnation）康乃馨在16世纪初期出现在英语中，关于carnation的词源有两种说法。其中一种说法认为，carnation可能是coronation（加冕礼）的变体，因为康乃馨的锯齿状花瓣好像皇冠，又或者是因为人们把这种花当花冠佩戴。第二种说法与康乃馨的原色有关，认为carnation这个名字来自中古法语carnation（粉红的气色）。

ANEMONE 银莲花

The anemone is also known as the windflower. It's said that the brightly colored petals of this flower only opened when the wind blew. Sea anemones took their names in the late 1700s on their likeness to the flowers.

（Anemone）银莲花也被称为风之花。据说，明媚鲜艳的银莲花只有在风吹过时才会绽放。因为银莲花和海葵有几分相似，到18世纪末期时，人们将海葵（一种长在水中的食肉动物）称为sea anemone。

Like many other flower names, rhododendron enters the English record in the mid-1500s. The name literally means “rose tree” in Greek. It’s an apt name, for this shrub or small tree blooms with brilliant, rose-colored flowers.

和其他众多鲜花名一样，rhododendron（杜鹃）是16世纪中叶传入英语中的。Rhododendron在希腊语中的意思是“玫瑰树”。这个名字非常贴切，因为这种像小树一样的灌木植物能开出鲜艳的玫瑰色花朵，将其命名为peony。

TULIP 郁金香

Passing into English via Dutch or German in the late 1500s, tulip actually comes from the Turkishtülbent, based on the Persian dulband:“turban.” The flower, to its ancient namers, resembled the male headwear worn throughout the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa.

16世纪晚期，tulip（郁金香）从荷兰语或德语中传入英语，这个单词实际上源自于Turkishtülbent。Turkishtülbent来自于波斯语dulband，指“穆斯林的头巾”。按照郁金香古代名字的意思，这种花好像中东、印度以及非洲部分地区男性的头饰。