“杨柳絮”在英语里最准确的植物学名词是 Catkins（柔荑花序）。

但如果在日常口语或新闻报道中，为了更形象地表达那种漫天飞舞的绒毛，老外通常会用下面几个更接地气的词：

Poplar fluff / Willow fluff：最直白、最常用的说法，fluff 就是“毛茸茸的飞絮”。 Cottonwood fluff：北美地区常说的“棉絮”（因为产生飞絮的北美白杨常被称为 cottonwood）。 Spring snow：这是一种带点讽刺和文学色彩的比喻，意思是“春雪”。

每到四五月份，北方打工人的通勤之路就会变成一场极其痛苦的“生化危机”。

杨柳絮 - Poplar and willow catkins / Spring fluff

Every year, just when we are finally celebrating the arrival of warm spring weather, a familiar nightmare quietly descends upon the city. The air becomes completely filled with poplar and willow catkins, turning our daily commute into a desperate survival game. 每年，正当我们终于在庆祝温暖春天的到来时，一场熟悉的噩梦悄然降临这座城市。空气中完全充满了 杨柳絮 (poplar and willow catkins)，把我们的日常通勤变成了一场绝望的生存游戏。

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From a distance, this drifting white fuzz looks incredibly romantic, almost like a gentle spring snow. But for anyone actually walking down the street, this beautiful illusion is immediately shattered the moment a piece of fluff flies directly into your eyeball. 从远处看，这些随风飘荡的白色绒毛看起来极其浪漫，简直就像一场温柔的 春雪 (spring snow)。但对于任何真正走在街上的人来说，当一团飞絮直接飞进你的眼球时，这种美丽的幻觉会瞬间破灭。

It is essentially a form of biological warfare launched by urban trees. These tiny fibers have an absolute talent for getting stuck in your hair, clinging to your clothes, and magically bypassing your mask to trigger a violent sneezing fit. 这本质上是城市树木发动的一种生物战。这些微小的纤维拥有一种绝对的天赋，能卡在你的头发里，粘在你的衣服上，并神奇地绕过你的口罩，引发一阵猛烈的 连续打喷嚏 (sneezing fit)。

For people with sensitive immune systems, this season is nothing short of pure torture. The massive amount of pollen and fluff triggers severe allergic rhinitis, leaving you with a hopelessly runny nose and red, incredibly itchy eyes for weeks on end. 对于免疫系统敏感的人来说，这个季节简直就是纯粹的折磨。大量的花粉和飞絮会引发严重的 过敏性鼻炎 (allergic rhinitis)，让你连续几周都绝望地流着鼻涕，双眼通红且极其发痒。

Going outside now requires as much preparation as a hazardous materials cleanup. We forcefully arm ourselves with heavy-duty masks, thick protective glasses, and long sleeves, desperately trying to create an impenetrable physical barrier against the flying menace. 现在出门需要的准备工作，堪比一场危险品清理行动。我们强行用重型口罩、厚重的防护眼镜和长袖武装自己，绝望地试图建立一道坚不可摧的 物理屏障 (physical barrier) 来抵御这些漫天飞舞的威胁。

Even hiding safely inside your apartment does not guarantee your protection. If you carelessly leave your window open for just five minutes, you will return to find a thick layer of white fluff proudly covering your floor, your sofa, and your freshly poured cup of coffee. 即使安全地躲在公寓里，也不能保证你免受其害。如果你粗心大意地把窗户开个五分钟，回来就会发现一层厚厚的白色 飞絮/绒毛 (fluff) 骄傲地覆盖着你的地板、你的沙发，还有你刚倒好的那杯咖啡。

Beyond the personal discomfort, these massive piles of dry catkins gathering in the corners of the streets are actually a serious fire hazard. A single discarded cigarette butt can instantly ignite them, creating a fast-spreading and highly dangerous line of fire. 除了个人的不适之外，在街道角落堆积的大量干燥飞絮，实际上是一个严重的 火灾隐患 (fire hazard)。一个随手丢弃的烟头就能瞬间将它们点燃，形成一条迅速蔓延且极其危险的火线。

Ultimately, we just have to painfully endure this annoying transition period. We stubbornly wipe our faces, consume a handful of antihistamines, and silently pray for a heavy rainstorm to wash all this irritating "spring snow" completely out of our lives. 归根结底，我们只能痛苦地忍受这段烦人的过渡期。我们固执地擦着脸，吞下一把 抗组胺药/抗过敏药 (antihistamines)，并在心底默默祈祷一场倾盆大雨，把这些恼人的“春雪”从我们的生活中彻底洗刷干净。

发布于：北京市