Queen of Flowers 花中皇后

Perhaps no flower is more well-known and recognized than rose, as it continues to be an expression of love, a symbol of devotion, and an illustration of femininity.

        或许没有什么花能像玫瑰一样为人所熟知和认可，一直以来，玫瑰都是爱的表达、奉献的象征以及女性魅力的彰显。

From its rich hues and graceful appearance to its unmistakable scent, the queen of flowers has captivated and inspired all who encounter it, and moved Shakespeare to write of its essence, Cleopatra to adorn her ships in rose oil, and Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and Grace Kelly to perfume themselves in its signature scent. The scent of rose captures its aura and radiance in a way that reveals the flower’s romantic dreaminess.

        玫瑰有着丰富的色彩、优雅的外观和芬芳的香味，人们纷纷为这花中皇后所倾倒或从中得到灵感。莎士比亚在感动之下写出了玫瑰的精华，埃及艳后克利奥帕特拉用玫瑰精油装饰她的船舶，玛丽莲梦露、戴安娜王妃和格蕾丝凯等都拥有玫瑰专属香水。玫瑰的香气无可比拟，完美地展现了花卉的浪漫和梦幻。

There are several thousand species of rose, but only a few that produce a scent. Experiencing the scent of a garden rose is usually a majestic encounter not forgotten. Two of the most popular species used in perfumery are Rosa Damascena and Rosa Centifolia. Though they only blossom once a year, it takes three years for a flower to mature to harvest. The pink petals are harvested before 8am between mid-May and mid-June. Rose can be produced into an essential oil (rose otto), created from steam distillation, or absolute from a solvent extraction, an accord built in tandem with supporting notes, hydrosol (a water byproduct of steam distillation), or commercially available rose water. It is a versatile note that speaks to the heart of a fragrance, and is coveted for its elegant, warm characteristics. It takes about 10,000 pounds of flowers to create 1 lb of rose oil, making it rare and costly. 

        玫瑰有数几千种品种，但只有少数几种能用于香水生产。体验花园玫瑰香气的经历常让人震撼而难忘。香水行业中最受欢迎的两种玫瑰是大马士革蔷薇和千叶蔷薇。虽然它们一年只开花一次，且要到第三年后的丰花期才能被采摘使用。粉玫瑰的采摘时间是在5月中旬到6月中旬的早上8点之前。玫瑰可以由水蒸气蒸馏得到奥图玫瑰精油，或由溶剂萃取得到香气完整的玫瑰绝对油，另外还有纯露（水蒸气蒸馏的副产品），或市售的玫瑰水。玫瑰香调运用广泛，常成为香水的核心，其优雅，温暖的特点让人钟爱。大约10000磅的花瓣才能得到1磅的玫瑰精油，这是玫瑰油既稀有又昂贵的原因。

Just like in wine, the terrain and region can affect the color and scent of rose oil. Scent impressions can range from fresh and crisp to waxy, sweet and rubbery to green and dewy to spicy and rich. A Rose Damascena from Morocco can be of a browner color with a spicier hay-like aspect than a Turkish Rosa Damascena, which is a notorious rose as it’s classically floral green with a darker pink color. The Bulgarian rose valley is treasured for its ideal climate and winds, though other countries of origin include Turkey, Morocco, India, Russia, Moldovia, Egypt, and France. 

        就像葡萄酒一样，地形和区域也会影响玫瑰精油的颜色和香气。玫瑰香气给人的印象从新鲜、洁净，到柔滑、甜美、有弹性，到清新、湿润，到辛辣、丰厚等极为丰富。例如摩洛哥产的大马士革玫瑰比土耳其产的大马士革玫瑰颜色深一些，有着刺鼻的干草味。土耳其产的大马士革玫瑰则因其古典的花绿色和深粉色而口碑不佳。玫瑰原产国诸多，如土耳其、摩洛哥、印度、俄罗斯、莫尔多维亚、埃及和法国等，其中保加利亚玫瑰谷因其理想的气候和山风而备受推崇。

Remarkably, the oldest rose fossil was found in Colorado, USA at approximately 55 million years old, proving that the essential flower has been enchanting the earth for quite some time. It is a far-reaching feeling to connect to the energy of a rose in this way as its essence can permeate time and space. It seems as if the qualities of rose and what it represents, that of love and beauty, are essential components to life itself. Appreciation of beauty drives us and love transforms our nature. Compassion can change perception, kindness can move us to connect, and the more we can open to love, the wider our hearts expand. 

        值得注意的是，最古老的玫瑰化石是在美国科罗拉多州发现的，历史距今约5500万年，这证明了这种珍贵的花卉已经在地球上风靡了多年。玫瑰的精粹渗透了时间和空间，玫瑰的能量对人也有着深层次的影响。看起来似乎玫瑰的品质和它所代表的东西，爱和美，就是生命本身重要的组成部分。对美的欣赏驱动着我们进步，爱改变着我们的本性。同情心改变人的感知，善良让我们有更多沟通。我们越能敞开心扉去爱，我们的心就越宽广。