長舌婦vs.長舌婦

Interesting Tree Names

大葉合歡的英文名稱是woman's tongue tree，即是長舌婦也．此樹冬天的莢果掛在樹上，當樹冠隨風擺動時，松離的種子在豆莢內弄出嘈雜的聲音．風不停，雜音也便不會消失．長舌婦，當之無慚．

One of the English names for Albizia lebbeck is 「woman's tongue tree」, that means a yenta.  In winter, its pods hang on the tree and swing in wind.  The seeds rattle inside the pods.  If wind does not stop, the noise will never go.  The name of 「woman』s tongue」 is well deserved.

谷主以前有位朋友很喜歡說話，卻不願意聆聽．朋友間找不到交談的樂趣，也便疏遠了．

If you sit under Lebbeck with a girl friend in winter, listening to her chatter on and on, you may want to keep quiet and pay attention to the woman』s tongue under the 「woman』s tongue tree」. However, be careful not to let your friend know what is in your mind when you giggle. 

I used to have a friend who loved talking but not willing to listen.  I could not find any pleasure of conversation which should exist between friends.  Gradually, I kept my distance.

The other one which is also playfully known as 「woman』s tongue」 is Flame of Forest (Delonix regia).  Its long bending pods do have the shape of a tongue.

*translated by Mary Chung

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