The Four Gentlemen (四君子), also called the Four Noble Ones, in Chinese art refer to four plants: the plum (梅), the orchid (蘭), the bamboo (竹), and the chrysanthemum (菊). The term matches the four plants with junzi, or "gentlemen" in Confucianism. They are common subjects in traditional ink and wash painting, belonging to the category of bird-and-flower painting in Chinese art.
四君子，又称四圣，在中国艺术中指的是四种植物: 梅花、兰花、竹子和菊花。这个词与儒家的君子或“君子”相称。它们是中国传统水墨画的共同题材，属于中国艺术的花鸟画范畴。
The Four Gentlemen have been depicted in Chinese painting for more than a thousand years because of their refined beauty, as well as the moral characters with which the Chinese literati have imbued them.
“四君子”以其雅致的美，以及文人士大夫赋予他们的道德品格，在中国绘画中被描绘了一千多年。
The plum tree is renowned for bursting into a riot of blossoms in the dead of winter. Its subtle fragrance spills forth at one of the coldest times of the year, making it difficult to go unnoticed. Though neither the plum tree nor its blossoms are very striking, they manage to exude an otherworldly exquisiteness and beautiful elegance during the desolation of winter. The demeanor and character of the plum tree thereby serves as a metaphor for inner beauty and humble display under adverse conditions.
梅树以在严冬绽放百花而闻名。在一年中最寒冷的时候，它微妙的芬芳散发出来，让人难以忽视。虽然无论是梅花还是梅树，都不是那么引人注目，但是在这个寒冷的冬天，它们散发出一种超凡脱俗的精致和美丽的优雅。因此，梅树的风度和性格是内在美和逆境中的卑微表现的隐喻。
The orchid represents the spring. The beauty and grace of the orchid is fragile in form, with no violent tendencies. Like the plum blossom, its fragrance is never overpowering, symbolizing humility and nobility.
兰花代表春天。兰花的美丽和优雅在形式上是脆弱的，没有暴力倾向。像梅花一样，它的香气从来没有压倒性的，象征着谦卑和高贵。
The stalk of the bamboo is hollow, which came to symbolize tolerance and open-mindedness. Furthermore, the flexibility and strength of the bamboo stalk also came to represent the human values of cultivation and integrity in which one yields but does not break.
竹子的茎是空的，象征着宽容和开放。此外，竹秆的柔韧性和力量也代表了人类的修养和完整性的价值观，在这种价值观中，一个人可以收获而不会破碎。
The chrysanthemum blooms in the cold autumn air and foretells the coming of winter, which symbolizes the virtue to withstand all adversities. It was the favorite flower of the great poet Tao Yuanming (陶淵明, 365-427), a towering figure in Chinese literati culture.
菊花在秋冷的空气中绽放，预示着冬天的到来，象征着德行抵御一切逆境。这是伟大诗人陶渊明(something something，365-427)最喜爱的花，陶渊明是中国文人文化的
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