Text A Spring Festival
导 读
春节，即农历新年，俗称“过年”，一般指除夕和正月初一。但在民间，传统意义上的春节是指从腊月初八的腊祭或腊月二十三或二十四的祭灶，一直到正月十五元宵节，其中以除夕和正月十五为高潮。春节历史悠久，起源于殷商时期年头岁尾的祭神祭祖活动。在春节期间，汉族和很多少数民族都要举行各种活动以示庆祝。
The first day of the first lunar month is regarded as the Chinese New Year—the Spring Festival.It is the most important and ceremonious festival in China,just as Christmas Day to the westerners.
During the Spring Festival，every family is busy cleaning the house in the hope of getting rid of defilements and preventing diseases.Also，they need to paste door-god，spring festival couplets，and the reversed Chinese character “福” （means blessing），and hang flags in the hope of praying for auspiciousness in the New Year.On the New Year’s Eve，people will enjoy a grand dinner，shoot off firecrackers，watch dragon dance and lion dance，and stay up late or all night.People will pay a New Year call to one another from the first day，and it is not until the 15th day of the 1st lunar month，namely，the Lantern Festival，that the Spring Festival is ended.
On the New Year’s Eve,people who work far away from home will manage to come home,regardless of long-distance travel,so the “Grand Dinner on New Year’s Eve” is also called “Family Reunion Dinner”.Every family will make the dinner the most sumptuous and ceremonious one in the year.Hostesses will fetch out foods prepared in advance and all family members will sit together and make dumplings in a jolly atmosphere.When the clock strikes 12,every family will shoot off firecrackers to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new.Following the New Year’s Eve is the first day of the Spring Festival,a day for paying a New Year call (bainian),during which people will be busy in giving best wishes to one another by saying such auspicious phrases as “Happy New Year” and “May you be prosperous”,etc.Elders will put some money in a red pocket (yasuiqian) and give it to children as a new year gift.It is believed that on New Year’s Day attention should be paid to ensure not to break anything,or else one will miss good fortunes in the whole year,and that sweeping the floor will sweep off wealth and drive away good luck.
Traditional food prepared for the Spring Festival varies in different regions.However,those with auspicious names,meanings or shapes are favored,such as “New Year Cake” (niangao in Chinese,means “higher year”,suggesting better fortune in the new year,and has the shape of gold and silver blocks),dumplings,the shape of which is similar to ingots,suggesting bringing in wealth and treasure,as well as fish symbolizing massive fortunes.
According to historical records,the Spring Festival derives from god and ancestor worships in the Shang Dynasty.Nowadays,this superstitious meaning has faded away and is replaced with a symbol of unification,happiness and hope.
The Legend of Year
The Spring Festival,or Chinese New Year,is the most important festival for Chinese people.Legend has it that in ancient times,there was a monster called “Nian” (“year”) that would come out to eat people and animals on the eve of every New Year.To avoid the monster’s attack,people would flee to the depth of the mountains and call this day “Nian Guan” (meaning “the Pass of Nian”).On one New Year’s Eve,there came an old beggar in Peach Blossom Village,where an old lady gave him some food and asked him to hide himself in the mountain to avoid the monster Nian.The old man promised that he could drive the monster away as long as he was put up for the night at the old lady’s home.Being unable to persuade the old man into hiding in the mountain,the old lady went alone.In the middle of the night,the monster Nian dashed into the village.He trembled and cried when he saw the red paper on the door of the old lady’s house,which was brightly lit.Just as the monster reached the entrance,there came blasting sounds that prevented him from moving any further.At that time,the old man,wearing a red robe,opened the door and the monster was scared away.Actually,the color red,firelight and blasting sounds were the things the monster feared most.After that,on every New Year’s Eve,every household would paste red couplets,let off firecrackers and light candles as well as stay up the whole night to avoid being attacked by the monster.This is how these customs came into being.
Spring Festival Couplets
During the Spring Festival of every year,all families in both urban and rural areas traditionally handpick a pair of Spring Festival couplets to paste on the door,adding some joyous atmosphere to the festival.The couplet is composed of two parts,the first line and the second line.There are a few points one should bear in mind when writing or buying the couplets: the numbers of words,parts of speech and sentence structures in the two lines must be the same; the content of the two lines must be related to each other; the tonal patterns and rhythms of the two lines must be the same.In addition,the couplets should be posted vertically,with the first line on the right and the second line on the left.
The Poster Bearing the Character “Fu” and Paper-cut for Window Decoration
During the Spring Festival,every household usually sticks posters of various sizes bearing the Chinese character “Fu”(meaning “good fortune”) on doors and walls.The character is a symbol of happiness,bliss and fortune.Sticking the poster upside down means the arrival of luck,happiness,and prosperity,because the Chinese word “Dao”,or “upside down”,sounds similar as “Dao”,or “arrive”.Meanwhile,some decorative motifs are added to the character “Fu”,such as God of Longevity,birthday peaches,the carp jumping over the dragon gate and dragon and phoenix etc.
Paper-cut for window decoration comes in different colors and patterns.It’s a folk art with thousands of years’ history.A large number of such paper-cut works are dedicated to rural life,such as farming,weaving,goat grazing and chicken raising etc.In addition,mythological legends,opera stories,flowers,birds,insects,fish and the twelve zodiac signs are common subjects.
Spring Festival Goods
Spring Festival Goods is a general term for all goods needed for the festival,including food and clothes.Purchasing Spring Festival Goods is one of the most important things for the festival.Traditional Spring Festival Goods are usually related to old customs.In the early twelfth lunar month,people tend to buy some salted meat; several days before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month,shopping is mainly targeted at ingredients for the Porridge with Nuts and Dried Fruits (Eaten on the Eighth Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month),such as walnuts,dried persimmons,dates,chestnuts and game of all colors etc.After the tenth day of the month,people begin to buy New Year paintings,portraits of the God of Wealth,decorative hangings,gold and silver foil and paper money etc.Around the twentieth day,purchasing is focused on materials for “kitchen god worship”,such as glutinous sugar and sweet cakes etc.After the 25th day,sesame stems and pine or cypress tree branches are bought for tramping on New Year’s eve,symbolizing peace year after year; on the 29th or 30th day of the month,living carps are bought for the big dinner on New Year’s eve.
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are a special product of China.They are also called “bursting weapons” and “cannon weapons” etc.Exploding firecrackers is an important custom during the Spring Festival,dating back over 2,000 years.Firecrackers were originally used to drive away poisonous mists or curb pestilence.Later,with the appearance of gunpowder,niter,sulphur and charcoal etc were put into the firecracker bamboo pipe for explosion.Thus,“bursting weapons” were produced.As the blasting sounds are perfect for creating joyous atmosphere,exploding firecrackers has become a recreational activity with national characteristics.Nowadays,apart from letting off firecrackers during the Spring Festival to welcome the New Year,people also like to explode them for celebrations on weddings,foundation-laying ceremonies and grand openings etc.
Gift Money to Children
The gift money to children is wrapped in red paper.During the Spring Festival,when children send their wishes to elder people,elder people are expected to give some gift money prepared beforehand to the children,wishing them a peaceful year.The earliest gift money appeared in the Han Dynasty.It was not the money circulating at that time,but a coin-shaped talisman especially cast for wearing on the body or for adornment.The gift money reflects elder generations’ good wishes for younger generations.It is a good Chinese tradition to give gift money to children during the Spring Festival.
Words & Expressions
1.lunar['ljuːnə] adj.农历的
2.defilement[di'failmənt] n.污秽；弄脏
3.couplet['kʌplit] n.对联
4.auspiciousness[ɔː'spiʃəsnis] n.吉兆；兴盛
5.firecracker['faiəkrækə] n.鞭炮；爆竹
6.reunion[，riː'juːnjən] n.重聚
7.prosperous['prɔspərəs] adj.繁荣的；兴旺的
8.unification[，juːnifi'keiʃən] n.统一；一致；联合
9.monster['mɔnstə] n.怪物；巨人
10.tremble['trembl] v.发抖；战栗；焦虑
11.handpick['hænd'pik] v.精选；用手采摘
12.household['haushəuld] n.家庭；一家人
adj.家庭的；日常的
13.bliss[blis] v.狂喜
n.极乐
14.decoration[，dekə'reiʃən] n.装饰；装潢
15.insect['insekt] n.昆虫；卑鄙的人
16.zodiac['zəudiæk] adj.黄道带；十二宫图
17.ingredient[in'ɡriːdiənt] n.原料；要素；组成部分
18.porridge['pɔridʒ，'pɔː-] n.粥；糊；麦片粥
19.worship['wəːʃip] n.崇拜；礼拜；尊敬
v.崇拜；尊敬；爱慕
20.glutinous['ɡluːtinəs] adj.黏的；黏性的；胶状的
21.stem[stem] n.干；茎
22.circulate['səːkjuleit] v.传播；流传；循环；流通
23.talisman['tælizmən，-lis-] n.护身符；法宝
24.adornment[ə'dɔːnmənt] n.装饰；装饰品
Notes
1.Lunar Month（农历）：In lunar calendars，a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies （new moons or full moons）.There are many variations.In Middle-Eastern and European traditions，the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening （e.g.，in the Islamic calendar）.In ancient Egypt the lunar month began on the day when the moon could no longer be seen just before sunrise.Others use a reckoned moon （e.g.，the Hebrew calendar），or use a tabular scheme （ecclesiastical lunar calendar）.Yet others run from full moon to full moon.Calendars count integer days，so months may be 29 or 30 days in length，in some regular or irregular sequence.
2.Reunion Dinner（团圆饭）：The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes chicken and pork.Fish （鱼，yú） is also included，but intentionally not finished，and the remaining fish is stored overnight.The reason for this stems from a pun，as the Chinese phrase （年年有鱼/余）； （nián nián yǒu yú，or “every year there is fish/leftover”） is a homophone for phrases which mean “be blessed every year” or “have profit every year”.Similarly，a type of black hair-like algae，“fat choy”（发菜，fà cài，literally “hair vegetable” in Cantonese），is also featured in many dishes since its name sounds similar to “prosperity”（发财，fā cái）.Hakka will serve “kiu nyuk” （扣肉） and “ngiong tiu fu” （酿豆腐）.The belief is that having one will lead to the other，as the phrases sound similar to one another.
Exercises
I.Translate the following phrases into Chinese.
1.the Spring Festival
2.Spring Festival couplets
3.dragon dance
4.the Lantern Festival
5.family reunion dinner
6.derive from
7.folk art
8.lunar month
9.twelve zodiac signs
10.gift money
II.Decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1.The first day of the first month in the Gregorian Calendar is regarded as the New Year of the Chinese—the Spring Festival.( )
2.During the Spring Festival,every family is busy cleaning house in the hope of getting rid of defilements and preventing diseases.( )
3.On the New Year’s Eve,people who work far away from home won’t come back because of the long-distance travel.( )
4.According to history records,the Spring Festival derives from god and ancestor worships in the Tang dynasty.( )
5.During the Spring Festival of every year,only families in rural areas will handpick a pair of Spring Festival couplets to paste on the door,adding some joyous atmosphere to the festival.( )
III.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.It is not until the 15th day of the 1st lunar month,namely,the Lantern Festival,that the Spring Festival is ended.
2.Whatever the financial condition is,every family will make the dinner the most sumptuous and ceremonious one in the year.
3.Traditional food prepared for the Spring Festival varies with customs in different regions.
4.Sticking the poster upside down means the arrival of luck,happiness,and prosperity,because the Chinese word “Dao”,or “upside down”,sounds similar as “Dao”,or “arrive”.
5.Exploding firecrackers is an important custom during the Spring Festival,dating back over 2,000 years.