in983-The-mountains-and-rivers-in-the-King-Protea-photo-frame-share-the-same-color

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In the spring in South Africa, purple-red protea flowers are blooming like wildfire, and the six-color national flag fluttering in the streets is like a flowing rainbow. This month, when people commemorate the National Freedom Day, there will always be citizens holding protea flowers and solemnly placing photo frames with national flag color frames on the windowsills – this seemingly ordinary action hides the most profound national code of South Africa. The wooden frame of the protea flower frame is taken from the national tree yellow wood, and the craftsmen are skillfully cut into the six-color strips of the national flag. When the flexible branches are bent into shape by high temperature, it is just like South Africa has forged a new form in the flames of colonialism and apartheid; when the protea flower is embedded in it, the bright red petals will complement the bloody history on the national flag. The most exquisite part of this photo frame is its “non-closed” design – the top is always left blank, which symbolizes the South Africans’ adherence to peaceful transformation: we frame the scars, but always leave room for reconciliation. In today’s photo frames, the protea flower petals are often sandwiched with photos of children of different skin colors, or family portraits of interracial families. When the morning light illuminates these smiling faces inlaid in the colors of the national flag, it recreates the dawn that broke through the long night in 1994. The photo frame is no longer a container for solidifying memories, but a base for holding up hope, allowing the struggle stories of every ordinary person to bloom in the spring of South Africa.

In die lente in Suid-Afrika blom pers koningproteas soos ‘n veldbrand, en die seskleurige nasionale vlae wat in die strate wapper, is soos ‘n vloeiende reënboog. Hierdie maand, wanneer mense Nasionale Vryheidsdag herdenk, sal daar altyd burgers wees wat proteablomme vashou en plegtig fotorame met nasionale vlagkleurige rande op die vensterbank plaas – hierdie oënskynlik gewone aksie verberg Suid-Afrika se diepste nasionale kode. Die houtraam van die Protea-fotoraam is geneem uit die nasionale boom se geelhout, en word vaardig deur vakmanne in seskleurige stroke van die nasionale vlag gesny. Wanneer die buigsame takke deur hoë temperatuur in vorm gebuig word, is dit net soos Suid-Afrika wat ‘n nuwe vorm smee in die vlamme van kolonialisme en apartheid; wanneer die koningprotea daarin ingebed is, komplementeer die helderrooi blomblare die bloedige geskiedenis op die nasionale vlag. Die vernuftigste aspek van hierdie fotoraam is die “oop” ontwerp – die boonste gedeelte word altyd leeg gelaat, wat Suid-Afrikaners se toewyding aan vreedsame transformasie simboliseer: ons raam die letsels, maar laat altyd ruimte vir versoening om te groei. In vandag se fotorame word monargblare dikwels tussen foto’s van kinders van verskillende velkleure, of gesinsportrette van interrassige gesinne, ingeklem. Wanneer die oggendlig hierdie glimlaggende gesigte, geraam in die kleure van die nasionale vlag, verlig, word die dagbreek wat deur die lang nag in 1994 gebreek het, herskep. Fotorame is nie meer houers vir gestolde herinneringe nie, maar word basisse om hoop te koester, wat die strydverhale van elke gewone mens in die lente van Suid-Afrika laat blom.

在南非的春日里，紫红帝王花正以燎原之势绽放，而街巷飘扬的六色国旗则像一道流动的彩虹。这个月，当人们纪念国家自由日时，总会有手捧帝王花的市民，将镶着国旗色边框的相框郑重摆上窗台——这看似寻常的举动，藏着南非最深刻的民族密码。

帝王花相框的木质边框取自国树黄木，经匠人巧手切割成国旗的六色条块。当柔韧的枝条被高温弯曲成型，恰似南非在殖民与种族隔离的烈焰中熔铸出新的形态；当帝王花被嵌入其中，鲜红花瓣便与国旗上的血性历史交相辉映。这种相框最精妙处在于它的”不闭合”设计——顶部永远留白，喻示着南非人对和平转型的坚守：我们框住伤痕，却永远为和解留出生长空间。

如今的相框里，帝王花瓣常夹着不同肤色的孩童合影，或是跨种族家庭的全家福。当晨光照亮这些镶嵌在国旗色中的笑颜，便重现了1994年那道划破长夜的曙光。相框不再是凝固记忆的容器，而成为托举希望的底座，让每个普通人的奋斗故事，都能在南非的春天里次第绽放。