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傳說中的神鳥，百鳥之王。雄的稱“鳳”，雌的稱“凰”。秦漢以降，帝王比作“龍”，皇后及嬪妃比作“鳳”，“鳳凰”遂開始整體雌化，常單名“鳳”。關(guān)于其種類和形象的描述歷經(jīng)復雜的演變過程，成為多種鳥獸特征組合成的神物。如郭璞《爾雅注》描述為：“雞頭、燕頷、蛇頸、龜背、魚尾，五彩色，高六尺許?！薄傍P凰”最早應當是原始部落圖騰，后被當作太平盛世的征兆，還用于對美滿姻緣的祝福，含有高貴、和諧、吉祥、幸福等意。它與“龍”一樣，是中華民族的一個重要文化符號。
Fenghuang (phoenix) is a legendary divine bird and the king of all birds. Feng is male, and huang is female. Beginning in the Qin and Han dynasties, emperors were referred to as long (dragons) while queens and royal concubines were called feng (phoenix), so fenghuang came to mean women only. The description of the phoenix as a species and its image changed over the centuries, eventually making it a divine bird with both bird and animal features. For example, in Guo Pu's Commentaries on Er Ya, the phoenix is described as "a colorful six-chi-tall bird with a chicken's head, a swallow's jaw, a snake's neck, a turtle's back, and a fish's tail." In the very early days, the phoenix was probably just a primitive tribal totem. Later, however, it became a symbol of peace and prosperity. It was also used to bless marriages, as it represents nobleness, harmony, auspiciousness, and happiness. Like the dragon, the phoenix is an important cultural symbol of the Chinese nation.
引例 Citations：
◎詩曰：“鳳凰秋秋，其翼若干，其聲若簫，有鳳有凰，樂帝之心。”此不蔽之福也。（《荀子·解蔽》）
詩云：“鳳凰翩翩起舞，羽翼似盾一樣雄壯，鳴聲似簫一樣動聽，又有鳳來又有凰，帝王心中喜洋洋?！边@是認識沒受到遮蔽而帶來的幸福啊！
It is said in an ancient poem: "When the phoenixes dance, their wings are as strong as shields, and they sing as beautifully as melody from a vertical bamboo flute. So the king is overjoyed by the presence of both male and female phoenixes." This is indeed a great fortune because it suggests the king remains clear-minded and has a penetrating vision. (Xunzi)
◎治化周浹，鳳凰來儀也。（《資治通鑒·唐紀八·太宗貞觀二年》）
國家治理井然有序，民眾教化得到普及，鳳凰來舞，儀表非凡。
When the country is well-governed and all the people are enlightened, the phoenixes will come to dance. (History as a Mirror)
推薦：教育部 國家語委
供稿：北京外國語大學 外語教學與研究出版社
責任編輯：錢耐安
