Take time to smell the roses, the saying goes, and, according to scientists, the fragrant flowers could smell even sweeter in the future.

　　俗话说，花时间闻玫瑰，并且据科学家称，未来这些芬芳的花朵会闻起来更加甜美。

　　For the first time researchers have deciphered the full genetic "book" of this most prized of plants.

　　研究人员首次破译了这些最珍贵植物的完整遗传“秘籍”。

　　The secret history of the rose reveals surprises - it is more closely related to the strawberry than we thought.

　　玫瑰的秘史揭示了惊喜 - 它与草莓的关系比我们想象的更密切。

　　And in the long term the work could lead to roses with new scents and colours, says an international team.

　　一个国际团队说，从长远来看，这项工作可能会给玫瑰带来新的气味和色彩。

　　The new genome map, which took eight years to complete, reveals genes involved in scent production, colour and the longevity of flowers, said Mohammed Bendahmane of ENS de Lyon, in Lyon, France, who led the research.

　　负责这项研究的法国里昂高等师范学校的Mohammed Bendahmane说，新的基因组图谱花了八年的时间才完成，揭示了与香味产生，颜色和花的寿命有关的基因。

　　"You have here a book of the history of the rose," he told BBC News.

　　“这是一本关于玫瑰历史的书，”他告诉BBC新闻。

　　"A book that helps us understand the rose, its history and its journey through evolution and domestication."

　　“这本书可以帮助我们理解玫瑰，它的历史以及其进化和驯化的旅程。”

　　The study, by a team of more than 40 scientists from France, Germany, China and the UK, gives a better understanding of why roses have such a wide range of colours and scents.

　　这个由法国，德国，中国和英国的40多位科学家组成的研究小组共同进行的研究，更好地了解了玫瑰为什么具有如此广泛的颜色和芳香。

　　The genetic information will help breeders develop new varieties that last longer in the vase or are more resistant to plant pests.

　　遗传信息将有助于育种者培植出持续时间更长的瓶插品种或更能抵抗植物虫害的新品种。

　　It also sheds light on the Rosaceae family, which contains fruits such as apples, pears and strawberries, as well as ornamentals such as the rose.

　　它还了使人更加了解蔷薇科家族，其中包含水果如苹果，梨和草莓，以及玫瑰等观赏植物。

　　"The rose and the strawberry are very close species," said Dr Bendahmane.

　　“玫瑰和草莓是非常接近的物种，”Bendahmane博士说。

　　The cultivation of roses in gardens began thousands of years ago, probably in China. During the Roman period, roses were grown widely in the Middle East, where they were used as confetti or for perfume.

　　几千年前，玫瑰开始在花园里被种植，可能始于中国。在罗马时期，玫瑰在中东广泛种植，被用于制作五彩纸屑或香水。

　　In the fifteenth century, the rose was a symbol of the fight for the English throne during the "War of the Roses".

　　在十五世纪，玫瑰是“玫瑰战争”中争夺英国宝座的象征。