But although the skill involved was remarkable, the trees 'broken-limbed, scrappy appearance prompted some people to call them "sick plums." This was probably because they felt that--just like seeing elephants shut up in heated elephant houses in European zoos--it went against the plums' true nature.
廳堂裡的盆中之梅，靠匠人手藝和室內溫度迎春應景，其藝雖巧，也有人以其節肢斷肘、零紈殘錦，而稱為「病梅」。大約有如歐洲動物園把大象關在暖氣房裡，總覺委屈了天性。