正是春暖花开的时节，小伙伴们有没有外出赏花？常见的与花有关的单词，如flower、blossom、bloom，都有各自的隐喻用法。正好借此机会了解一下！
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Flower
Flower的名词和动词形式用作隐喻，谈论事物最好的或最美丽的部分或方面。
☞the flower of something是某事物最好的和最漂亮的部分。这一用法带有较强的文学色彩。
—I feel I can still do it even though I am no longer in the full flower of youth.我觉得我仍能做这件亊，虽然我青春的最好时光已不在。
—Her majesty invited the flower of the nobility.
女王陛下邀请了贵族的精英。
☞the time when something flowers指某事物突然开始积极发展的时间或处于最佳、最美好的状态的时间。这一用法带有较强的文学色彩。
—...the nation that had briefly flowered after 1918.
……在1918年以后有过短时间繁荣的那个国家。
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Flowering
the flowering of something是某事物非常强大、非常讨人喜爱或非常成功的时期。这一用法带有较强的文学色彩。
—This was in the seventeenth century when modern science was in its first flowering.这是在17世纪现代科学正处于第一次繁荣的时期。
—As these religions became established there was a flowering of art of every form all over the ancient world.
当这些宗教的地位确立起来时，曾有一个时期古代世界各种形式的艺术都繁荣起来。
Blossom
动词blossom的隐喻用法与flower相似。说something blossoms指某事物开始健康发展或其状态突然开始改善。注意，名词blossom通常没有隐喻用法。
☞a relationship, especially a romantic one, blossoms指某种相互关系，尤其是浪漫的关系变得更为密切、表现出更多的相互关心。
—The relationship blossomed. They decided to live together the following year.
他们之间的关系变得更加亲密，于是他们决定次年一起生活。
—It was not until he joined her for a skiing holiday that their romance blossomed.
直到他和她一起滑雪度假，他们的浪漫关系才变得更加密切。
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☞someone blossoms指某人的个性或事业正以说话者所认可的方式发展。
—She had studied, worked, travelled and blossomed into an attractive, intelligent young woman.她有了学习、工作、旅行的经历，已经成长为一个漂亮、聪明的年轻女人。
—She was a gauche adolescent who wore anything that came to hand and always managed to look tatty. But over the years she has blossomed.
她曾是个不擅社交的女孩，穿着非常不讲究，老是显得很邋遢。不过，这些年来她变得成熟了。
—Harrison started to blossom as a songwriter.
作为一个词曲作者，哈里森开始进入成熟的创作时期。
☞business/a career blossoms指业务或事业开始健康发展。
—His business blossomed when the railway put his establishment within reach of the big city.
铁路将他的公司与那个大城市连接起来后，他的生意开始兴旺。
—As her career blossomed, she kept her personal and professional lives totally separated.
当她的事业开始发达时，她将自己的个人生活和亊业完全分开。
—. . .a blossoming, diverse economy.
……一个繁荣的、多样化的经济体。
bloom
动词bloom用作隐喻，谈论显得很幸福或很健康的人。
说someone blooms/is blooming指某人看起来更漂亮，因为此人显得比以前更加健康、快乐。
—She bloomed into an utterly beautiful creature.
她出落成一个绝顶美丽的尤物。
—Greta is very much enjoying having the baby. She is blooming.
格蕾塔正因为有了小孩而感到非常快乐。她正在变得更加光彩照人。
注意，名词bloom通常没有隐喻用法。
【以上内容摘自《柯林斯COBUILD英语语法丛书·隐喻》】
来源：商务印书馆英语编辑室
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