湖北省荊門市掇刀中學(xué) 王麗供稿

What is the Spring Festival？春節(jié)知多少？

When is the Spring Festival?When did it start?春節(jié)在哪一天？它是什么時候開始的？

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month,often one month later than the Gregorian calendar.It’s said that it started in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC).Then,people sacrificed to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.

春節(jié)在農(nóng)歷正月初一，通常比公歷晚一個月。據(jù)說春節(jié)是從商朝開始的（公元前1600-公元前1100）。那個時候，人們在新年伊始的時候祭祀神和祖先。

How long does the festival last?春節(jié)持續(xù)多長時間？

Strictly speaking,the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and lasts till the mid of the 1st lunar month of the next year.Of them,the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days.The Chinese now have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

嚴(yán)格說來，春節(jié)從臘月初開始，一直持續(xù)到第二年的正月中旬。這其中春節(jié)除夕和大年的頭三天最重要?，F(xiàn)在中國人都有七天的春節(jié)假期。

Laba porridge臘八粥

On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month,many families make laba porridge（臘八粥）,a delicious kind of porridge made from rice,millet（小米）,dates(紅棗),lotus seeds（蓮子米）,beans（大豆）,longan（龍眼），peanut（花生）and gingko（銀杏）.

在農(nóng)歷臘月初八這一天，很多家庭都制作臘八粥。這是一種由大米、小米、紅棗、蓮子米、大豆、龍眼、花生和銀杏做成的美味的粥。

Preliminary Eve小年除夕

The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve（小年除夕）.In old times，people offered sacrifice to the kitchen god.Now however,many families make themselves delicious food to enjoy.After the Preliminary Eve,people begin preparing for the coming New Year.

臘月二十三這一天被稱為小年。在過去，人們在這一天祭祀灶神。但是，現(xiàn)在的人們往往在這一天給全家人做一頓豐盛的晚餐。小年過后，人們開始準(zhǔn)備即將到來的新年了。

Preparations for the Spring Festival新年準(zhǔn)備

買年貨 special purchases for the Spring Festival；do Spring Festival shopping

Everybody goes out to buy necessities for the New Year.Edible oil （食用油）,rice,flour,chicken,duck,fish and meat,but also fruit,candies and kinds of nuts will be on the list.What’s more,decorations,new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly,friends and relatives,are all on the list.

人們都出去準(zhǔn)備新年的必需品了。食用油、大米、面粉、雞、鴨、魚、肉，水果、糖果、各種堅果都會在購物單上。除此之外，各種裝飾品，孩子們的新衣服、新鞋子，還有老人們、親戚朋友們的禮物也會在購物單里。

Thorough Cleaning大掃除

Before the New Year comes,all the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their furniture，clothes,bedclothes and all their utensils.

每臨春節(jié)，家家戶戶都要進(jìn)行一次大掃除。人們打掃屋里屋外，清洗家具，拆洗被褥，古稱“掃年”。

掃塵習(xí)俗起源于堯舜時代，從古代驅(qū)除病疫的一種宗教儀式中演變而來。到了唐宋時期，“掃年”之風(fēng)盛行。據(jù)宋人吳自牧《夢粱錄》記載：“十二月盡……士庶家不論大小，俱灑掃門閭，去塵穢，凈庭戶……以祈新歲之安?！敝两衩耖g流行著“臘月二十四，撣塵掃房子”的諺語。

The Customs of Spring Festival春節(jié)習(xí)俗

Family Dinner年夜飯(團(tuán)年飯)

New Year’s Eve is most important for the Chinese people.On that day,people look back to the past and look forward to the coming New Year.People will have a family dinner together.In old days,prisoners were allowed to go home for the Spring Festival.And we can see the importance of the family dinner for ancient Chinese.

除夕這一天對華人來說是極為重要的。這一天人們準(zhǔn)備除舊迎新，吃團(tuán)圓飯。在古代的中國，一些監(jiān)獄官員甚至放囚犯回家與家人團(tuán)圓過年，由此可見“團(tuán)年飯”對古代中國人是何等重要。

Dishes such as chicken,fish and bean curd cannot be excluded,for in Chinese,their pronunciations,respectively “j”,“yu” and “doufu” mean auspiciousness,abundance and richness.雞、魚和豆腐是團(tuán)年飯上必不可少的。因為他們的發(fā)音分別與“吉”“余”“?！毕嗤?。

守歲（staying-up）

The tradition of staying-up contains not only the attachment of the past times,but also best wishes for the coming new year.

守歲的習(xí)俗，既有對如水逝去歲月的惜別留戀之情，又有對來臨的新年寄以美好希望之意。

【鏈接】傳說古代有一個“祟”的小妖，黑身白手，他年年三十夜里出來，專門摸睡熟的小孩的腦門。小孩被摸后就會發(fā)高燒說夢話，退燒后就變成癡呆瘋癲的傻子了。人們怕“祟”來傷害孩子，整夜點(diǎn)燈不睡，就叫“守祟”。

綜上所述，通過將陶瓷造型以及陶瓷紋樣應(yīng)用到現(xiàn)代酒類包裝設(shè)計之中，設(shè)計人員將能更好的借助這些元素表現(xiàn)出酒類產(chǎn)品自身所包含的文化背景和精神內(nèi)涵，進(jìn)而在市場上塑造出良好的品牌形象，獲得消費(fèi)者的歡迎。在后續(xù)發(fā)展過程中，相關(guān)設(shè)計人員以及酒類產(chǎn)品生產(chǎn)企業(yè)應(yīng)進(jìn)一步對現(xiàn)代包裝設(shè)計與傳統(tǒng)文化元素之間的融合進(jìn)行研究和分析，通過外包裝體現(xiàn)出酒的口感和人文特點(diǎn)等，進(jìn)而在市場競爭之中取得良好的運(yùn)營成效。

壓歲錢gift money/new year lucky money

Gift money is the money given to children as a lunar New Year gift.People believed that gift money would bring good luck to the children.壓歲錢是給孩子們新年禮物的錢。人們認(rèn)為壓歲錢可以給孩子們帶來好運(yùn)。

【鏈接】據(jù)說嘉興府有一戶姓管的人家，夫妻老年得子，十分珍愛。在大年三十晚上，為防止“祟”來侵?jǐn)_一直逗孩子玩，小孩用紅紙包了八枚銅錢，包了又拆，拆了又包，睡下以后，包著的八枚銅錢一直放在枕邊。半夜里，一陣陰風(fēng)吹過，黑矮的小人正要用手摸孩子的頭突然孩子枕邊射出一道金光，“祟”驚叫地逃跑了。于是這件事傳揚(yáng)開來，大家紛紛效仿，在大年夜里用紅紙包上錢給孩子。因此人們把這種錢叫做“壓祟錢”，“祟”與“歲”同音，日久天長，就被稱為“壓歲錢”了。

拜年pay New Year call

Waking up on New Year,everybody dresses up.First they extend greetings to their parents.Then each child will get money as a New Year gift,wrapped up in red paper.

新年早上，人們穿戴整齊。第一件事就是孩子們給父母拜年。每個孩子都會得到用紅包（信封）裝好的壓歲錢。

Burning fireworks放鞭炮

Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival.People thought the sound could help drive away evil spirits.

鏈接：傳說“年”是一種“頭生獨(dú)角，兇猛異?！钡囊矮F，每到臘月最后一天，出來掠食噬人，威脅人類生命的安全。但這種野獸，人們在長期的實踐中，發(fā)現(xiàn)它有“三怕”——怕聲、怕光、怕紅顏色，人們?yōu)榱蓑?qū)趕它，用紅顏色的桃木砍成牌子掛在門口，稱謂“桃符”。還有的燃燒砍來的青竹子，燃燒時發(fā)出“劈劈啪啪”的聲音和光，“年”見了，只有遠(yuǎn)走快跑，第二天一早，大家安然無恙，互相拱手祝賀，“拜年”也就由此而來。

The Festival of Lanterns元宵節(jié)

The Festival of Lanterns takes place at the end of the Chinese New Year Celebration,on the fifteenth day of the first month.

元宵節(jié)是在正月十五這一天，也是春節(jié)慶祝的最后一天。

The special food for the Lantern Festival is Yuen Sin or Tong Yuen.The round shape of the dumpling is a symbol of wholeness,completeness and unity.

元宵節(jié)特別的食物是元宵（也稱湯圓）。它的形狀象征圓滿、完整和團(tuán)圓。

Vocabulary for the Spring Festival新年詞匯集錦

對聯(lián)poetic couplet;Spring Festival couplets

剪紙paper-cuts

年畫New Year paintings

燈籠lantern:a portable light

煙花fireworks

爆竹firecrackers

“?！弊?The Chinese character“fu”CelebrationsofSpringFestival

舞獅子Lion dance

耍龍燈The dragon dance

燈會Exhibit of lanterns

燈謎Riddles written on lanterns