"A withered tree blossoms again" is the literal translation from a Chinese idiom. The original Chinese idiom symblozies that some dead thing comes to life or sth. unusual happens. I wonder whether the English translation has the same symbolic meaning in English native speakers' mind as that in a native Chinese speaker's mind. If it doesn't have the symbolic meaning, then what idiomatic expression can be used to convey the meaning of "some dead thing comes/ will come to life or sth. unusual happens/ will happen" ?
We say that something will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. The phoenix was a mythical bird that burnt itself to death and was reborn from the ashes.![]()
If the translated version is "A withered tree blossomed again", can native English speakers understand? and what might be the response when native English speakers read that sentence?
I had no trouble understanding it.