关于春节的英文介绍

Spring Festival The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees. (春节是中国人民最重要的节日，所有家庭成员聚在一起，在西方圣诞节一样。所有远离家乡的人都要回家，成为了为期半个月左右的运输系统最繁忙的时间——春运。机场，火车站和长途巴士站都挤满了回家的人。) The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. （春节落在 正月的第一天，往往比公历晚一个月。它起源于商朝（西元1600 BC-C。公元前1100年）从人民祭祀神灵和祖先，在旧的一年结束和一个新的开始。） Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid-1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. （严格地说，春节是指从腊月初开始一直到第二年中旬的一个月。其中，最重要的日子是除夕和一年的前三天。现在中国政府规定，人民在中国农历新年有七天的休假。） Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened. （春节的时候有不少传统习俗。有的人至今还在保持，不过有的人已经慢慢淡化了这种习俗。） 春节风俗 Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing. （商店老板都那么忙，因为每个人都出去购买生活必需品新年。材料不仅包括食用油，大米，面粉，鸡，鸭，鱼，肉，而且水果，糖果和各种坚果。更重要的是，各种装饰，新衣服和鞋的儿童以及老人的礼物，朋友和亲戚，所有的采购清单。） The Chinese character "fu" (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the "reversed fu" is homophonic with "fu comes", both being pronounced as "fudaole." What's more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall. （中国汉字“福”（意为祝福或幸福）是必须的。通常放在纸上的字符可以被粘贴或上下颠倒，中国的“倒福”谐音“福到”，既突出福到了。更重要的是，两个大的红灯笼，可以提高前门两侧。在窗户玻璃上，可以看到红色的窗花，还有可以贴在在墙壁上的鲜艳的年画，表的这吉祥的寓意。） After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in. （晚饭后，全家人会坐在一起，聊天，看电视。近年来，中国中央电视台（CCTV）播出的春节联欢晚会是海内外中华儿女的重要娱乐节目。按照习俗，每个家庭都会守夜，迎接新的一年的到来） 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. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new". Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure. （初一大家起来之后，都打扮好。首先，他们给他们的父母拜年。然后每个孩子都会收到在红包，里边是压岁钱。在中国北方的人，会吃饺子，因为他们认为“饺子”的声音意味着“辞旧迎新”。此外，饺子的形状就像是从中国古代的金元宝。所以，人吃了他们，并期盼财富。） Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another." The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely. （中国南方吃年糕（糯米粉）新年蛋糕，在此之际，因为作为一个同音字，年糕意味着“年年高升。”初五是一个走亲访友的好日子，互致问候，互送礼品，并悠闲地聊天。） Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room. （放爆竹曾经是最典型的春节的习俗。人们认为爆竹声可以帮助驱赶邪灵。然而，这样的活动在大城市是被完全或部分禁止的，政府考虑到了安全，噪音和污染等因素。作为替代，一些人买磁带放着听，有的人扎破小气球来制造类似声音，而其他人则买爆竹工艺品挂在客厅。） 年初一：祭拜天地 Day1: People began their day by offering prayers and welcome the gods ofheaven and earth. Most of the people stay away from meat to ensurehealthy living。 年初二：狗狗过生日 Day 2:Successively, prayers are offer to their ancestors and other gods.Chinese are strict care-taker of dogs and feed them well. This is dayis considered to be the birthday of all dogs。 初三初四：走亲访友，媳妇回娘家 Day3 and 4: These are very important days for the families to keep uptheir relations. It calls for every son-in-law to pay respect to theirparents-in-law。 年初五：“破五”祭财神 Day5: According to the traditions, nobody visits friends and relativeshouses as it would bring bad omen. They stay back home to worship theGod of wealth. The day is called Po Woo。 年初六：百无禁忌，出门活动筋骨 Day6: On this day, people freely meet their near and dear ones and evenvisit nearby temples to pray for their well being and high spirits。 年初七：吃面条，祝长寿 Day 7: This is Chinese farmers' day. They display their backbreaking produce. They also prepare a drink from seven different types ofvegetables. On this day, everybody eats noodles which is a symbol oflong life and fish representing success。 年初八：凌晨拜天公 Day8: It's an other day to be celebrated with the family and friends. Theyalso offer midnight prayers to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven。 年初九：玉皇大帝登场 Day 9: Prayers are offered to Jade Emperor。 初十、十一、十二、十三：大吃大喝，最后记得回归清淡 Days 10 to 13: From 10 to 12, people celebrate the days by having sumptuous dinner with the loved ones and the 13th day is left for a very light dinner to cleanse the system。 年十四：准备闹元宵 Day 14: People start preparing for the celebration of Lantern Festival to be held on next day。 年十五：吃元宵看灯火 Day 15: Since it is the first night to see full moon, people hang out colorful lanterns, eat glutinous rice balls and enjoy the day with their family.