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用英语说中国:风俗民情试读:
内容简介
《用英语说中国——民俗风情》分为9个部分,共49个单元,每个单元都围绕着中国民俗的一个方面,用英、汉两种语言从多角度系统、完整和客观地介绍了当代的中国民俗。全书融知识性与时代性为一体,将句子、片段、词汇紧密结合,每个单元还配有一两段相关的中文选读,不仅可以使当代大学生能够使用英语更广泛更具体地了解中国民间风俗,而且随着奥运会的到来,本书也可以帮助来中国观光旅游的外国友人更加深入地了解中国的民俗风情,从而使世界更好地了解中国。1 Custom 习俗
Unit 1 The Culture of Chinese Clothing 中国服饰文化
1.Dress, or adornment culture is a culture formed in the course of pro-tecting people’s bodies and beautifying their images.
服饰文化,或称衣饰文化,是指人们在保护身体器官或美化体形的过程中所形成的风俗文化。
2.Dress culture is characterized by distinctive development stages.
服饰文化往往具有鲜明的时代性。
3.Nowadays, the dress and adornments, even separate parts of gar-ments, can find their prototype in ancient dress.
人们现在的服装佩饰,甚至服装的各个部件,也都能从古代的服饰中找到它的原型。
4.From the Wei dynasty to the South and North dynasty, China was in a period of ethic merging.The dress of this period was characterized by diversified styles and obsolescence.
魏晋南北朝是一个民族大融合的时期,这一时期的服饰文化也显得异彩纷呈,并且变化的周期越来越短。
5.Skirt-wearing was a fashion among women in the Tang Dynasty.
唐代女子盛行穿裙子。
6.There have been different customs between men's dress and women's dress in China.
中国男士及女士衣着习惯不同。
7.Clothes had become a distinct symbol of professions as different clothes corresponded with different careers in ancient China.
在古代中国,不同的职业着不同的服饰,并成为各种职业的鲜明标志。
8.Originally, dress did not symbolize social status, but the situation changed after class polarization.
服饰原来没有地位标志的特征,而是随着阶级、等级的分化而后起的。
9.People usually wore different clothes on different occasions.
人们在不同的场合,往往要穿戴不同的服饰。
10.Ceremonial dress differs from practical dress as it only caters to the needs of social etiquette such as the mourning dress in ancient Chi-na, a purely ceremonial dress.
礼仪型的服饰与实用、观赏型的服饰不同,它完全出于社会礼俗的需要,只重礼仪,而不重实用或观赏。如中国古代的丧服,就纯粹是礼仪型的服饰。中国服饰的发展The Development of Chinese Clothing
Chinese clothing saw a rapid development during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties(220—589). Some time before 265,the cultures and esthetic views of the peoples in north and south China merged because of the moves initiated by frequent wars.Many philosophicalschools of thought influenced both people's lives and the conceptions of clothing design.The Tang Dynasty(618—907)wrote the most brilliant page in the history of Chinese clothing.People's clothes were more varied than before because the state was more open to the outside world and people became more cosmopolitan in their thinking.The clothes for women could be called fashionable because they changed rapidly and were showy.When a new style came out, many people took to it.关于服饰的质地About Clothes Texture
Clothes are different not because of their style and design, but because of the cloth texture too. With the development of silk dyeing industry, silk clothing is various in color and so they are called in many ways, such as“绢(juan),缣(jian),素(su),纨(wan),纱(sha),绡(xiao),绸(chou),罗(luo)”,etc. These words tell how silk are made and dyed in various ways and, at the same time, show also the class difference when people are dressed in different silk.古代服饰的不同种类Different Kinds of Ancient Clothes
Since remote ages, people usually wore different clothes on different occasions. So far as individual clothes was concerned, there were civilian clothes, working suit, ceremonial dress.And there were different ceremonial dress on different ceremonial occasions—such as wedding dress, mourning apparel, etc.Different clothes were also worn in different weathers such as umbrella, parasols, alpine rush rain capes and bamboo hats.The dress cus-tom defined by different occasions also restrained people’s behavior in their daily life.If people wore inappropriate, they might incurs blames for their in-consistency with customs.Changes occurred to the uses of this dress, such as a special rain cape and bamboo hats called suoyi and douil.The former used to be a rainproof cape, but later as it was mainly worn by fishermen, it gradually evolved into the career symbol of fishermen.The latter used to be a heat stroke proof utensils, later it was also used for rainproof.服装与穿戴者的身份Clothes and Wearer’s Position
Clothing in ancient China told something about the wearer's position in their daily life. The color, fabric, and jewelry all had a meaning to the per-son.Also the type of jewelry a person wore showed what position they had in society.High ranking people wore the finest silk in public.Peasants wore a long, shirt like garment made of hemp fiber.Hemp is a rough fabric that is made of plant fibers.A man wore a hat in public almost always.The hat showed the man’s job and status in society.Fashions for the rich changed as the years went by, but the poor still had to wear the same clothing until recently.Women’s long hair had to be put in a knot type bun thing that the Chinese called a topknot that was held in place by hair pins and other fancy hair ornaments.Also the wealthiest women wore very elaborate makeup.佩饰的演变The Change of Chinese Garments
Before the 1920s, women's garments remained two-piece, with little difference from Qing Dynasty garments.Shortly after the Revolution of 1911,as more Chinese students studied in Japan, the influence of Japanese women’s wear on young Chinese women could be seen in a narrow, long blouse with a high collar and a long black skirt.Known as“modern gar-ments,”these clothes were accompanied by little jewelry.
In the 1920s, Chinese women started to be conscious of“the beauty of curvaceousness,”and traditional straight, loose garments were replaced by close-fitting ones.Women of that period wore blouses narrow at the waist-line, with small stand-up collars, sleeves reaching the elbows, and a curvinghemline.The blouses were decorated on the collar, sleeves, front and hem.The skirts, which earlier had been pleated and reached the feet, were not pleated and shorter, though the hem still fell below the knees.The skirts were also decorated along the hem, sometimes with colorful, sparkling jew-elry.中国的旗袍Chinese Qipao
The general characteristics of the early QiPao were a single piece of cloth that would cover the whole body, down to the feet. Around the neck, the collar would be high to help secure outfit.The materials was loose, with slits on the side only allow for easier movement.
While the Qing Dynasty fell, the center of Chinese fashion became Shanghai, where the Western influence was the highest. It was there that the form of QiPao we see most commonly today:slender fit and shorter sleeves, with two big slits at each side of the hem, for convenient move-ment, but now wonderfully display the slender legs of women.Simplicity is one of its features from the collar, loop, chest, waist and hips to the lower hem.QiPao almost varies with a woman’s figure.Practicality always goes with beauty.Like a Chinese woman’s temperament, QiPao is elegant and gentle.中国旗袍
旗袍是满族旗人的服饰,在清代时便得了旗袍的称呼。它以其优美典雅的造型,简洁合理的结构,鲜明浓郁的民族风格,广为妇女所喜爱。
近代旗袍的流行,始于20世纪20年代初,到40年代已逐渐成为妇女平常的衣着。经过数十年的发展和演变,与当年满族旗人所穿的旗袍已不尽相同,由开始的大袖改为小袖,长袖变为短袖到无袖,宽身变为紧身。这种演变已将清代原有的旗袍形式完全抛弃,只是还保留着“旗袍”这一名称而已。
旗袍的造型优美,娴静中呈活泼之感。它不同于海外的那些袒胸露背、紧裹身体的女装,又充分体现人体的自然美,显得合体,适合不同身份、不同年龄的妇女穿着。
旗袍袖子的长短,袖口的大小,领子的高低,衣襟的斜直,下摆的上下,都可能使旗袍的形式有充分的变化余地。
costly dress昂贵服装
civilian clothes便衣
plain/everyday clothes;informal dress便装/便服
ill-fitting clothes不合身服装
fitted clothes合身的衣服
cloth gown布衣
bath gown长浴衣
mini超短服
ready-to-wear dress;store clothes成衣
spring clothing/clothes/outfit春装
patched dress打补丁的衣服
zipper front clothes带拉链服装
monolayer jacket单上衣
monolayer clothes单衣
ermines貂皮服装
clothes made-to-order定制服装
winter clothing/clothes冬装
Chinese-style jacket and trousers 短装
garments;clothes;costume;dress服 装
work clothes/rig;boiler suit工作服
woman's gorgeous dress红装
bright-colored clothes花衣服
double-layered clothes夹衣
body building clothes健美服装
second-hand/oldclothes旧衣服
finery华丽的服饰
travel suit旅行套装
terry garments毛巾布衣服
fur clothing毛皮服装
cotton clothing棉布衣服
underwear;underclothes内衣
boy's clothes男童装
men's fashion男子时装
woollen dress呢制服装
cowboy suit牛仔装
leather clothing皮革衣服
outlandish clothes;fantastic garb奇装异服
everyday clothes/wear;ordinary clothes平日服装
creased dress起皱服装
teenagers'clothes青少年服装
light-weight clothes轻便服装
autumn clothing/clothes秋装
easycare clothes日常便服
walking dress/suit散步服
upper outer garments;jacket上衣
rich dress;splendid attire盛装
fashionable dress;latest fashion时装
hand-sewed clothes手工缝制的衣服
night attire/clothes/dress睡服
pyjama bottom睡裤
pyjama tops/jacket睡衣
pyjamas;pajamas睡衣裤
all-season clothes四季服装
slip-on套穿服装
suit套装
extra large-size garments特大号服装
large-size garments大号服装
medium-size garments中号服装
outsize garments特号服装
children's clothes童装
maxiskirt长大衣
jacket;clothes;outfit外衣
summer clothing/wear/clothes夏装
school uniform校服
new clothes新装
embroidered clothing绣花衣服
school uniform学生服
babies'wear;infant outfit婴儿服装
bath robe;bathing suit浴衣
sports wear运动服装
longuette中长服
traditional Chinese clothing;Chinese
style clothes中山装
Unit 2 The Name Culture 姓氏文化
1.In China, most people's names have two parts, the family names and the given names.
在中国,大多数人的名字都包括两部分:姓和名字。
2.In ancient China, however, naming was very complicated and involved a lot of things, such as the name of the tribe and the place where a person lived.
在古代中国,名字非常复杂,而且包含了很多内容,诸如部族的名称、居住的名称等。
3.The purpose of adopting xing was to clarify one's race, ancestry and to determine whether it was appropriate for one person to marry an-other.
采用姓氏的目的是为了区分种、宗族,以及男女双方婚配是否合适。
4.Ancient Chinese people knew very well that marriage between close relatives might breed unhealthy and less intelligent offsprings.
古时人们就早已清楚近亲结婚会生出不健康或者智力低下的后代。
5.Baijia Xing(One Hundred Surnames),a book complied in the North Song Dynasty, listed 472 surnames, beginning with Zhao, Qian, Sun and Li.
成书于北宋时期的《百家姓》一书,列出了472个姓,前四个是赵、钱、孙、李。
6.There were 19 most popular Han surnames, and people with the 19 surnames accounted for 55.6%of China's total population.
在姓氏当中,有19个是最为常用的,并且这19个姓氏占到了中国总人口数量的55.6%。
7.In ancient China, ming and zi were different from each other.
在古代中国,名与字是不同的。
8.It is said that the original purpose of giving each person a name was for convenience.
据说,最初起名字的原因是为了方便称呼。
9.The purpose of having zi is to get respect from other people.
有“字”的原因是为了得到别人的尊敬。
10.Ancient Chinese people's ming and zi were often related and they complemented each other.
古人的名和字往往有关联,并且互为补充。
11.Hao was a person's complimentary address or honorific title, which is similar to today's pseudonym.
号是除一个人名、字以外的称谓,是一个人的美称,或是对某人的尊称,和现今的笔名差不多。
12.The practice of having hao did not become popular until after the Tang Dynasty.
文人取别号的习惯,一直到唐代以后才开始广为盛行。
13.People got their hao either from themselves or from other people.
号的命取,主要有两条途径:一是自取别号,二是他人赠号。
14.After the Song Dynasty, it became popular for scholars to address each other with their hao, while their names were seldom used.
宋代以后,文人之间喜欢以号相称,而真实名字反而不太常用。
15.The three most common family names are Zhang, Wang and Li.
张、王、李这三个姓氏是三个最普通的姓氏。
16.As given names, all Chinese traditionally received a“milk name”at birth, and a“formal name”upon entering school.
在起名时,传统意义上讲都会在刚出生时取一个“乳名”,入学后会有一个“大名”。
中国人名字的构成The Formation of Chinese Names
In China, most people's names have two parts, the family names and the given names. One person may have different names.For example, when they are very young at home, they usually have pet names.In school and society they use their formal names.If someone is a writer, he or she has a pen name.Most of the names have special meanings.Some show their parents wishes.Girls'names show that their parents want them to be nice.中国人常用的姓氏Chinese Common Used Surnames
There were not many matriarchal tribes in ancient China, in other words, there were not many different xing, therefore only a small number of today's xing(surnames)were passed down from pure ancient xing. Based on The Spring and Autumn Annals, Gu Yanwu sorted out 22 ancient Sur-names;and by studying ancient Chinese documents, Zhang Taiyan and oth-er scholars found another 59 ancient Surnames.Altogether no more than 81 Surnames.名字的起源The Origin of Chinese Names
It is said that the original purpose of giving each person a name was for convenience. Ancient people found that whenever it was dark, they couldn't see each other and they couldn't tell who's who.Each person wasgiven a name, so that they could address each other easily, even in the dark.Later, people became more and more particular about their names.Under the influence of political, economic and other factors, people had dif-ferent preferences at different period of time.怎样称呼中国人How to Address Chinese People
It is customary to address Chinese by their given name, using the title Miss, Mrs.,or Mr. until persons become good friends and know other's nicknames.There are a large range of official titles and formal address forms in daily use, especially occupation-linked titles such as doctor, profes-sor, and mayor.Younger members address elder members according to their formal role within families such as elder brother, cousin, sister-in-law and so forth.中国人的名字
旧时人们有取称谓的习惯。古时人有名又有字。诞生三个月后命名。男二十冠而取字,女十五许嫁行笄礼取字。字与名通常义相比附,以字释名。名的构成因朝代不同而略有差异:有名后加“父”者,如伯禽父、仲尼父;有名前加“子”者,如子产、子路;有名前加排行者,如叔向、季路;有名前加助词者,如佚之狐;还有以排行、数目字取名者,等等。在礼节上,一般是自称或称呼下辈时用“名”,称呼尊长时用“字”。一些少数民族则行父子连名、母子连名等。
pet name爱称
jaw-breaking name拗口的名字
pen name笔名
alternative name别名
common surname常见的姓
nickname绰号
your(given)name大名
one's formal personal name大名
good好
name名字
surname of one's husband夫姓
paternal surname父姓
maternal surname母姓
double-barreled surname复姓
maiden name闺名
your name贵姓
former name单用名
assumed name化名
pseudonym;false(/fictitious)
name假名字
Christian/baptismal/first/proper
name教名
bad name;infamy骂名
visiting/calling card名片
given name名字(不包括姓)
masculine personal name男性名字
pet name昵称,小名
maiden name娘家姓
feminine personal name女性名字(personal)name人名
infant(/child's pet)name乳名
posthumous name谥号
familiar name熟悉的名字
popular name通俗的名字
namesake同名人
new name新名
surname;family(/clan/last)name姓
surname and personal(/full)name姓名
surname姓氏
stage name艺名
original name原来的名字
real name真名实姓
Chinese surname中国姓
Unit 3 Marriage Customs 婚嫁习俗
1.Chinese marriage was systemized into custom in the Warring States Period.
中国的婚嫁是在战国时期形成的一种习俗。
2.The Wedding Letter refers to the document which will be prepared and presented to the bride's family on the day of the wedding to confirm and commemorate the formal acceptance of the bride into the bridegroom's family.
迎书指的是迎亲当天男方准备好给女方的书柬,作为男方正式迎娶女方的标志。
3.It was customary for the girl's family to distribute the bridal cakes they received from the boy's family to friends and relatives.
按照习俗,女方家需要将男方送来的礼饼送给亲友品尝。
4.Red is the traditional Chinese symbol of joy and is a theme repeated in the wedding clothing and other ritual wedding objects.
在中国的传统中,红色象征着喜庆,是婚礼的主色调,在选择结婚礼服和其他婚礼用品时,人们都会选择红色。
5.Symbolism plays a role in Chinese weddings as it does in the wedding traditions of other countries.
象征手法在中国婚礼中和在其他国家的婚礼传统中起着同样的作用。
6.On the day after the wedding, the bride awoke early to honor the an-cestors.
婚礼过后的第二天,新娘早早地就起床去祭拜祖先。
7.Traditionally, the newlyweds are to return to visit the bride's parents one or three days after the wedding.
按照传统,新婚夫妇要在婚礼过后一天或者三天回来拜访女方的父母。
8.Traditional marriage customs lost its popularity due to the collapse of feudal marriage custom and its complexity.
由于封建婚俗的衰落和婚礼过程的繁琐,传统的婚礼风俗习惯已不再流行。
9.Now, traditional marriage custom revives in some places and attracts will-be-couples.
现在,传统婚俗在一些地方又盛行起来,吸引了大量即将走入婚姻殿堂的人们。婚姻的意义The Meaning of Wedding
Ever since ancient times, there has been a saying that the three most delightful moments in one's life come with success in the imperial examina-tion, marriage and the birth of a son.From the Qin(221BC-206BC)to Qing(1644-1911)Dynasties, the feudal system dominated over two thousands years.During this period, the importance of getting married was far more than that a person found his better half.For the male side, it determined the prosperity and even the future fame of their family;while for the female side, it meant that parents lost the chance of seeing their daughter for a long time.Thus to choose an ideal partner was vital for both the individual and the family.封建婚姻的条件Conditions Required in a Feudal Marriage
In feudal society, a marriage would be decided not by a young couple's love, but by their parents'desires. Only after a matchmaker's introduction and when parents considered the two family conditions were similar and could be matched, would the marriage procedures go forward.Conditions that should be taken into consideration included wealth and social status.If a boy's family was well-off or an official family, his parents would never per-mit him to marry a girl from a poor family.Essential to the marriage process were the commonly recognized“three Letters and six etiquettes”.The three letters were the betrothal letter, the gift letter with a gifts list and the wed-ding letter used on the day the bridegroom met his bride at her home.Six etiquettes then led to the final wedding ceremony.婚礼中的剪纸艺术Paper-Cut in Wedding
At wedding ceremony, paper-cut“Fish playing around lotus,”“Fish bit-ing lotus,”“Lotus bearing seeds”and“Happy dolls”(baby with coiled hair holding a pair of fish)are pasted on the ceiling of the bridal chamber.
Fish, being a proliferous legendary animal, is often used to symbolize having multiple children. A yin-yang paired fish became a cultural code in Chinese folk art works.新郎迎娶新娘的全过程Procession from the Groom’s House to Obtain the Bride
Because traditions varied from region to region, there were some cases in which the groom stops to have dinner with the bride's family. There hewould receive a pair of chopsticks and two wine goblets wrapped in red pa-per.These gifts were symbolic of his receiving the joy of the family in the person of their daughter.In some regions, the groom would be presented with other symbolic gifts such as sweet longan tea, two hard-boiled eggs in syrup and transparent noodles.Yet another regional custom was the groom’s given soup with a soft-boiled egg.He was expected to break the yolk of the egg as a symbol of breaking the bride’s ties with her family.婚礼仪式The Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony itself was simple. Bride and groom were led to the family altar, to pay homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God.Tea, with two lotus seeds or two red dates in the cup, was offered to the groom's parents.Bride and groom bowed to each other and the marriage ceremony was completed.In some regions both also drank wine from the same goblet, ate sugar molded in the form of a roost-er, and shared the wedding dinner.婚姻中的红色Red in Marriage
To the Chinese, red is the color of happiness, success, good fortune and prosperity. This tradition is thought to date back to prehistoric times, when early humans worshipped the sun.Red, therefore, is the dominant color at a traditional Chinese wedding-the hall is covered with red paper-cuts of the Chinese character for“double happiness”,the bride wears a scarlet wedding dress and the bridegroom pins a red flower to his lapel.This not only adds a sense of merriment to the occasion, it also indicates the couple’s desire for a happy, prosperous marriage.花轿
轿子起源比车子要晚许多。从唐朝起,才有官轿。南宋孝宗为皇后制造了一种“龙肩舆”,上面装饰着四条走龙,用朱红漆的藤子编成坐骑、踏子和门窗,内有红罗茵裤、软屏夹幔,外有围幛和门帘、窗帘。可以说,这是最早的“彩舆”(即花轿)。这以后,历代帝王都为后妃制造彩舆,而且越来越华丽。把轿子运用到娶亲仪式来,这个转变发生在宋代,后来才渐渐成为民俗。这个变化是和“迎亲”仪式中的其他变化同时出现的。例如这时迎亲已改在早晨进行,新郎要披红插花,所以新娘坐的轿子也改成鲜艳的花轿。
bowing to the groom's ancestors拜公婆
worshipping the bride拜天地
worshipping one's ancestors拜祖先
firecracker爆竹
betrothal gifts(from the bridegroom
to the bride's family)彩礼
attending a wedding参加婚礼
celebrating at the wedding feast吃喜酒
marrying;getting married出嫁
contracting a marriage定亲
exchanging bows对/交拜
feudal ethical code封建礼教
authority of the husband夫权
father-in-law公公
matchmaker;go-between红娘
double happiness红双喜
sedan花轿
painted candles used at the wedding花烛
visiting the bride's parents回门
dowry;trousseau嫁妆
wedding ceremonies结婚礼仪
marriage paraphernalia结婚用物
gift book礼簿
six ceremonies of betrothal and mar-riage六礼
go-between;matchmaker媒人
presenting betrothal gifts纳彩
groom's family男方
teasing the bride(on wedding night)闹洞房
bride's family女方
son-in-law女婿
mother-in-law婆婆
taking a wife;marrying娶亲
entering the bridal chamber入洞房
accompanying the bride送亲
marriage proposal提亲
love knot同心结
placing names of couple in front of ancestral altar问名
daughter-in-law儿媳妇
wedding(dragon and phoenix)cakes喜饼
tea party given by the bride on the day of wedding喜茶
wedding feast喜酒
wedding candy喜糖
wedding scroll喜幛
marriage interview相亲
marriage bed新婚之床
bridegroom;groom新郎
hat worn by the groom新郎礼帽
bride新娘
red silk veil新娘面纱
pledge信物
fetching the bride迎亲
father-in-law岳父
mother-in-law岳母
determining a favourable day择日
marriage witness;chief witness at a wedding ceremony证婚人
person who presides over a wedding ceremony主婚人
Unit 4 Funeral Customs 葬礼习俗
1.On the passing away of the father, the eldest son becomes the head of the family.
当父亲过世,长子就成为一家之主。
2.Leadership passes to the eldest son of the eldest son or the grandson of the father.
家族权利由长子长孙或这位父亲的孙子掌握。
3.The funeral ceremony, traditionally lasts over 49 days, the first seven days being the most important.
根据传统,葬礼持续49天以上,第一个七天(一七)最为重要。
4.The burial of the dead(cremation is traditionally uncommon)is a matter taken very seriously in Chinese societies.
在中国社会,人们十分重视死者下葬(传统上火化不太常用)。
5.Improper funeral arrangements can wreak ill fortune and disaster up-on the family of the deceased.
不适当的葬礼安排可能给死者的家庭带来不幸和灾难。
6.According to Chinese custom, an older person should not show re-spect to a younger.
根据中国习俗,年长者不应向年纪较轻的人表达尊敬。
7.If a baby or child dies no funeral rites are performed, as respect can-not be shown to a younger person:the child is buried in silence.
如果一个婴儿或儿童夭折,并不举行葬礼,因为不能向一个年纪较轻的人表示尊敬:孩子被悄悄地埋葬。
8.Funeral rites for an elderly person must follow the prescribed form and convey relevant respect.
年长者的葬礼则必须遵守特定的形式并表达相应的敬意。
9.A traditional Chinese coffin is rectangular with three“humps”,but it is more usual in modern times for a western style coffin to be used.
传统的中国棺材是长方形的,带有三处“驼峰”,但现在多用西式棺材。
10.When a death occurs in a family all statues of deities in the house are covered with red paper(so as not to be exposed to the body or coffin)and mirrors removed from sight, as it is believed that one who sees the reflection of a coffin in a mirror will shortly have a death in his/her family.
当一家有丧事,家中所有的神像都要盖上红纸(为了不暴露在遗体或棺材前),所有的镜子要撤走,因为人们认为看到了镜子里棺材的映象,他或她的家中很快就会有丧事。
11.During the wake, the family do not wear jewellery or red clothing, red being the color of happiness.
在守夜过程中,家属不能戴珠宝或穿红衣服,因为红色表示高兴。
12.It is customary for blood relatives and daughters-in-law to wail and cry during mourning as a sign of respect and loyalty to the de-ceased.
按照习俗,血亲和媳妇在葬礼时哀悼痛哭,以表示对死者的尊重和忠诚。
13.The length of the wake depends upon the financial resources of the family, but is at least a day to allow time for prayers to be offered.
守夜的长短取决于家庭的经济状况,但至少要用一天来举行祈祷。
14.The coffin is not carried directly to the cemetery but is first placed on the side of the road outside the house, where more prayers are of-fered and papers scattered.
棺材并不是直接送去墓地,而是首先放在屋外的马路边。这时人们会为死者祈祷,也会撒更多的纸钱。
15.A piece of colored cloth is worn on the sleeve of each of the children, blue by the grandchildren and green by the great-grandchildren.
在这100天中,每个家庭成员要在袖子上佩戴一块有色的布,以表示对死者的悲痛的感情。
16.Chinese belief holds that seven days after the death of a family mem-ber the soul of the departed will return to his/her home.
中国人的信仰一般认为,一个家人死后7天,分离的灵魂将会回到他/她的家中。中国人对死亡的看法ABrief Introduction of Death in China
The keynote for funeral and memorial service is spiritual eternity and continuation of life after death. Death at old age is a normal course of life referred to as“passing away”or“return to heaven”,which means back to mother's body of the universe.Wedding and funeral are“red and white happy events”in Chinese culture.葬礼仪式Form of the Funeral Ceremony
The funeral ceremony, traditionally lasts over 49 days, the first seven days being the most important. Prayers are said every seven days for 49 days if the family can afford it.If the family is in poor circumstances, the pe-riod may be shortened to from 3 to 7 days.Usually, it is the responsibility of the daughters to bear the funeral expenses.The head of the family should be present for, at least the first and, possibly the second, prayer ceremony.The number of ceremonies conducted is dependent on the financial situa-tion of the family.The head of the family should also be present for the buri-al or the cremation.埋葬The Burial
Chinese cemeteries are generally located on hillsides as this is thought to improve the feng shui. The further up the hill the grave is, the better its sit-uation is thought to be.When the procession arrives at the graveside it is taken down from the hearse and, again, all present turn away from the cof-fin, and also turn away when it is lowered into the grave.Family members and other relatives throw a handful of earth into the grave before it is filled.After the funeral, all clothes worn by the mourners will be burned in order to avoid the bad luck associated with death.After the coffin is buried, the keeper of the cemetery will also offer prayers for the deceased.Family members and relatives are presented with a red packet(a sign of gratitude from the deceased family, and the money contained in it must be spent)and a white towel, also as a sign of gratitude but also for funeral guests to wipe off perspiration.当今葬礼中的民间习俗Folk Custom in Modern Funeral
Modern funeral and memorial service have changed the old custom in many ways. Origami and other imitation articles are no longer used.Wreath is used for sacrificial burials, which is seen as sun flower;and instead of making paper posts, people now use ever green cypress twig to symbolize the tree of life.It is a different art form, but the same cultural implication.黑纱的由来
现在,世界各地均以臂戴黑纱表示对死者的哀悼。这一习俗源于英国。过去,表示哀悼的色彩,各国有所不同,用黑色表示哀悼源于欧美。在古代欧洲的许多原始民族中,只要有人去世,死者的亲属便立刻把自己伪装起来,或在身上涂黑色泥巴,穿上千草衣服,或用黑布将全身包藏起来。其目的是把“死神”吓跑或不让“死神”认出来。这种伪装避难的方式后来演变为穿黑色丧服。当一个贵族死了,他的仆役都要为他穿黑色丧服志哀。英国一仆役在购不起丧服的情况下,提倡用一块黑纱佩戴在左臂上表示哀悼。这种节俭易行的戴黑纱丧礼为广大民众所采用,很快普及到全世界。
lament哀辞
mourning for the dead哀悼死者
crying piteously;wailing哀号
wailing哀哭
funeral music;dirge哀乐
grieved;sad;distressed哀伤
grief;deep sorrow哀痛
burying the dead安葬
grief悲伤
hearse殡车
funeral parlour殡仪馆
funeral and interment殡葬
veneer coffin薄皮棺材
mourning with deep grief沉痛悼念
funeral procession出葬
in mourning戴孝
memorial speech悼词
mourning the dead;grieving over
somebody's death悼念死者
mourning ceremony悼念仪式
sarcophagus雕花石棺
incinerator焚化炉
bone ash;ashes of the dead骨灰
cinerary casket骨灰盒
coffin棺材
black crepe黑纱
funeral affairs后事(floral)wreath花圈
cremation火葬(化)
burning paper(as an offering to the dead)烧纸
crematorium;crematory火葬场
holding a memorial ceremony for祭奠
heartfelt condolence深切哀悼
standing as guards at the bier;keep-ing vigil beside the coffin守灵
strictly observing rites for the dead守丧
funeral cloth expressing condolence祭帐
making arrangements for a funeral料理后事
mourning for parent守孝
hearse灵车
bier灵床
graveclothes;shroud;cerements寿衣
attending a funeral;taking part in a funeral procession送殡;送葬
coffin containing a corpse;bier灵柩
mourning hall灵堂
inhumation;burial(of the dead)in
hemp clothes;sackcloth麻衣
joss note冥钞
grave墓葬
putting a body into a coffin;encoffin入殓
the ground土葬
dirge;elegy挽歌
elegiac couplet挽联
mourning(dress)孝服
filial piety and fraternal duty孝悌
mourning staff丧棒
remains(of the deceased)遗容
mourning apparel丧服
funeral gift丧礼
remains(of the dead)遗体
be immortal;eternal glory to……永垂不朽
funeral arrangements丧事
obsequies;funeral(ceremony)丧仪
burial;funeral丧葬
funeral(/burial)rites;funeral葬礼
paper banner纸幡
mourning band丧章
funeral bell;(death)knell丧钟
paper ingot(/money)纸钱
paper mannikin纸人
offering up a sacrifice;laying offer-ings on the altar上供
burning joss sticks烧香
memorial meeting追悼会
posthumous award追赠
2 Chinese Cacendar 中国年历
Unit 1 Chinese Lunar Calendar 中国阴历
1.In English, yin li means“the lunar or agricultural calendar.”
在英语中,阴历的意思是“月亮历或者农历”。
2.Yin li actually contains a mixture of solar and lunar elements.
阴历事实上包括太阳和月亮的周期在里面。
3.In China, many traditional festivities in a year are usually calculated according to the lunar calendar.
在中国,一年里的很多传统节日通常都是根据阴历来计算的。
4.The Chinese Lunar New Year—known as Spring Festival today in Chi-na—is the biggest holiday in China.
中国阴历新年——春节,是中国最重要的节日。
5.The Chinese lunar calendar is the longest chronological record in his-tory dating back to 2 600 BC.
中国的阴历可以追溯到公元前2 600年,具有最长的编年史。
6.New Year Day can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February.
新年往往在一月末和二月中之间。
7.Each lunar year is associated with one of 12 zodiac animals.
每年都对应着十二生肖中的一种属相。
8.Each lunar year is given the name of one of these animals:the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the chicken, the dog and the pig.
每一年都会对应着以下动物当中的一个名字:鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗和猪。
9.Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon.
一个月要从新月的出现开始算起。
10.The New Year celebrations last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon.
新年的庆祝往往持续15天,从新月到满月。阴历与阳历的起源之说The Origin of Solar Calendar and Lunar Calendar
Although China has adopted the Gregorian calendar in common with most other countries in the world for official and business purposes, the tra-ditional Chinese calendar continues to define the dates of festivals and is used for horoscopes.The calendar has a very long history going back to the Xia(21st century BC-16th Century BC)and Shang Dynasty(16th century BC-11th century BC).It is based on a unique combination of astronomy and geography through observation and exploration.It is also referred to as the Lunar Calendar, Yin calendar, Xia calendar or the old Chinese calendar.
Following its creation in the Xia Dynasty, succeeding reigns continued to use the calendar but modified it from time to time. The Han Dynasty rulers instituted the Taichu calendar, while during Tang Dynasty the Huangji calen-dar was introduced and it was adopted by Japan, Korea and Vietnam.Withthe founding of the Republic of China in 1912,the Gregorian calendar was brought into use.Although ethnic groups such as Tibet and Dai have their own calendars, in essence they resemble that of the Han people.Islam reckons its own religion festivals according to the lslamic Calendar.
The calendar has links with natural sciences such as agriculture and astronomy, solar terms, the four seasons and traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival. There are links also with the Five Elements'of which the ancient Chinese believed the physical universe to be composed namely, metal, wood, wood, water, fire and earth.Finally, of course, is sheng xiao-the symbolic animals associated with each year on a 12-year cycle.中国阴历Chinese Lunar Calendar
The Chinese lunar calendar is the longest chronological record in histo-ry dating back to 2 600 BC.Like the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly one, but the start of the lunar year is based on the cy-cles of the moon so that New Year Day can fall anywhere between late Jan-uary and the middle of February.Each lunar year is associated with one of 12 zodiac animals.人们度过阴历的活动What Will People Do at Lunar Year
Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon. And the full moon comes on the 15th day of the month.The New Year always starts be-tween January 21 and February 20.On the last day of the lunar year, there is a big family dinner.All members of the family except married daughters try to be present at this meal, even of they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents.Old quarrels are forgotten, and everybody is happy.After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year.阳历的起源
阳历来源于古罗马的儒略历,它的产生与欧洲基督教的发展有直接关系。据传说,耶稣被钉死在十字架上三日后复活,恰好是春天。早期基督教徒庆祝复活节的日子曾因地而异相当混乱。后复活节定为春分月圆后的第一个星期日。随着岁月的流逝,春分就慢慢地靠近冬天了。为了使复活节回到春天去,罗马教皇格列高利十三世根据天文学家提出的方案,对儒略历进行改革。修改后的儒略历称为格列历,是以太阳周年运动视为制历依据的一种纯太阳历,因此俗称阳历,它不仅解决了复活节与天时不合的问题,而且具有很高的精度。
solar太阳的
Gregorian calendar公历
rotation循环
a leap year闰年
calculate计算
rooster公鸡
constellation星座;星座区域
lunar阴历的
mansion(天)宿(指28宿中1宿)
totem崇拜;物图腾
hinterland海岸
stem(树木的)干
cycle循环
decree法令;政令
gender性
hoof(马及其他动物的)蹄
forked有叉的;分叉的
fore leg(四足动物的)前腿
hind在后的;后面的
Gregorian calendar公历
zodiac十二组成的一套;周期;圆周
horoscope占星;星位
compliment恭维;称赞
heat(up)使热;变热
galore丰富地
picky吹毛
friction不和;冲突
rash太匆忙;轻率而不用心思的
tiff(朋友或熟人间的)小争执;小
口角
escalated使逐步上升
gourd葫芦
resourceful资源丰富的;资财充足的
tranquil安静的;平静的;宁静的
transaction交易
bonded黏合的
parchment羊皮纸
assertive断然的
nicotine尼古丁
fatigue疲劳;疲倦
spree纵情狂欢
documentation文件证据;文献资料
taboo禁忌
altar(教堂的)神坛;祭坛
ceramics陶艺
harsh粗糙而令人不愉快的
mainstay主要依靠;主要资源;支柱
pastoral牧人及田野生活的
optimum(形容词用法)最佳的;最
适宜的;最有利的
uppermost最高的;最主要的
felt毛毡;毛织品
disrupt分裂
squander浪费(时间,金钱)
shady不诚实的;不可靠的
pasture牧地;草原;牧草
banquet宴会
congratulatory祝贺的;庆贺的
turbulent狂烈的;混乱的;无秩序的
meticulous注意细节的;仔细的;精确的
slice(尤指面包或肉片的)薄片
astrology占星术
sly顽皮的;淘气的
credibility信任;可靠
frivolous不庄重的;不重要的
intuitive直觉的
cunning吸引人的;动人的
pilgrimage朝圣者的旅途
accursed被控告的
reap获得;收到;得到
backstabber暗箭伤人的人
crutch支撑物;支架
Sakyamuni(佛教)释迦牟尼
confront面对;面临
roller coaster急转突变的行为
jeopardize使受危险
conquer击败;克服(敌人;恶习等)
deity神性
efficacious(不用于人)有效的
susceptible易感的;敏感的
flaunt夸耀
tantras密教经典;密教哲学
command博得;命令
hygiene卫生学;卫生法
subdue征服;克服;压制
plateau高地;高原
livestock家畜;牲畜
mutton羊肉
monograph专论;论文;专题研究报告
Unit 2 Chinese Solar Terms 中国节气
1.Solar Terms is a calendar of twenty-four periods and climate to govern agricultural arrangements in ancient China and functions even now.
节气是古代中国乃至现代时期农业管理的二十四历。
2.Today the year comprises 24 Solar Terms.
现今一年包含二十四个节气。
3.These solar terms have meaningful titles.
节气都有意义深远的名称。
4.In each month there are often two solar terms.
每个月基本上包含两个节气。
5.The Winter Solstice indicates the period of winter and people always want to keep themselves warm.
冬至表明了冬季时节人们对温暖的渴望。
6.The Beginning of Summer will bring abundant rain and lead directly to the harvest.
立夏会带来大量的雨水,直接作用于庄稼,有助于丰收。
7.The Beginning of Spring symbolizes the start of a lunar year and warmer weather.
立春标志着阴历年的开始和温暖气候的来临。
8.The Clear and Bright Festival is a moment of importance for it is the day on which to worship ancestors.
清明是祭祀祖先的重要节日。
9.Greater Snow is the day around which we will have dancing snow.
大雪节前后,天空会飘下纷纷扬扬的雪花。
10.For farmers heavy snow foretells a good harvest and so is regarded as auspicious.
对于农民来说,大雪预示着来年会有大丰收,因此这个节气被人们认为是吉兆。节气简述ABrief Introduction of Solar Terms
Solar Terms is a calendar of twenty-four periods and climate to govern agricultural arrangements in ancient China and functions even now.As we have mentioned the Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, it takes into account the longest and the shortest days and the two days each year when the length of the day equals that of the night.In other words, the significant days are the Summer and Winter Solstices and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes.“节气”与“中气”What Are“Jie Qi”and“Zhong Qi”
These twenty-four solar terms each suggests the position of the sun ev-ery time when it travels 15 degrees on the ecliptic longitude.In each month there are often two solar terms;the first one is generally named“Jie Qi”and the other one“Zhong Qi”.Their dates are mirrored by the Gregorian calendar, so we find that during the first half of a year“Jie Qi”is around the 6th day of a solar month,“Zhong Qi”around the 21st;in the second half of a year,“Jie Qi”is around the 8th and“Zhong Qi”around the 23rd.
冬至The Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice indicates the period of winter and people always want to keep themselves warm. In the northern China where the weather can be bitterly cold, our ancestors lacked sufficient warm clothing and would eat hot food to keep warm.Gradually there came a saying that only by eating dumplings can you avoid becoming so frozen that your ears drop off.Thus this custom is still widespread and on that day we eat steaming hot and delicious dumplings.In China we have a custom of counting nine(“Shu Jiu”),that is, from the Winter Solstice people calculated the number of days until a change of climate came about.Usually nine days is a sec-tion, there are a total of nine sections from the first Jiu to the ninth Jiu.In the folklore there is a widely prevailing ballad the general meaning of which is that:in the first and second Jiu(a section of nine days),we can’t take our hands outside;in the third and fourth Jiu we walk on the ice;in the fifth and sixth Jiu we see the light green willow;in the seventh Jiu our river thaws and in the eighth swallows come;in the ninth cattle begin to work.
立夏The Beginning of Summer
The Beginning of Summer will bring abundant rain and lead directly to the harvest. Thus an agricultural adage is that“no rain, no rice”and“no rain, we will hang up the hoe.”In imperial China the emperors would per-form a special rite to greet summer on that day.As the hot weather would cause people to lose weight and become exhausted it became the custom to weigh and drink tea as this was considered a guard against the torrid weather.二十四节气
一年二十四节气中有的是表示季节的,有的是表示温度、降雨、霜、露等气象现象的,有的是反映作物和自然气候的。“二分”(春分和秋分)、“二至”(夏至和冬至)和“四立”(立春、立夏、立秋、立冬)是根据天文来划分的。当太阳位于黄经0°时,太阳光直射赤道,这时是春分;当太阳在黄经90°时,太阳直射的地方在北回归线,这时是夏至;当太阳位于黄经180°时,太阳直射的地方又回到赤道,这时是秋分;当太阳位于黄经270°时,太阳光直射南回归线,这时是冬至。“二分”、“二至”表示季节的转折点,“四位”表示季节的开始,是“二分”、“二至”中间的时间。
calendar日历,历法
agricultural农业的,农艺的
lunisolar日与月的,由于日月的引力的
significant有意义的,重大的,重要的
Solstices[天]至,至日,至点
Equinox昼夜平分点,春分或秋分
comprise包含,由……组成
ecliptic[天]黄道黄道的,日(或月)食的,蚀的
longitude经度,经线
mirrored镜似的
Gregorian罗马教皇
solar太阳的,日光的
early spring初春early winter初冬early autumn初秋early summer初夏
summer weather in spring春行夏令in season当令
climbing season登山季节winter冬季
springlike(very mild)winter冬行春令holiday season度假季节
windy season多风季节
second of the three ten-day periods of
the hot season二伏
heatstroke(sunstroke)prevention防暑
hot season;dog days伏暑
hot summer days伏天
chilly(cold)winter寒冬
cold season寒季
late autumn寒秋
last month of spring季春
last month of winter季冬
season季节
close(closed)season禁猎(渔)期
beginning of spring开春
losing appetite and weight in summer苦夏
intense heat of summer酷暑
sultry(/scorching/broiling)summer酷夏
midwinter;depth of winter隆冬
tourist season旅游季节
time for the wheat harvest麦秋
next spring明春
last of the three ten-day periods of the hot season末伏
late spring暮春
midwinter;depth of winter穷冬
after autumn(/the autumn harvest)秋后
cool autumn days秋凉
autumn(/weather)秋令
autumn scenery秋色
charming autumn scenery秋色宜人
driving away summer heat祛暑
last winter去冬
beginning of the hottest入伏
three ten-day periods of the hot sea-son三伏
three autumn jobs(harvesting, ploug-hing and sowing)三秋
three summer jobs(planting, harves-
ting and field management)三夏
the spring season:March, April and May三春
late autumn深秋
sweltering summer heat盛暑
sweltering summer heat盛夏
season时节
season时令
suffering from heatstroke受暑
heat;hot weather暑
summer vacation time暑期(summer)heat暑气
hot summer weather暑热
dog(/hot summer)days暑天
beginning of hot summer days数伏
late in the autumn晚秋
hard(/rigorous/severe)winter严冬
hot summer;dog days炎暑
torrid(/hot)summer炎夏
spring season阳春
raining(/wet/rainy)season雨季
early spring早春
second month of winter仲春
second month of winter仲冬
Unit 3 Chinese Digital Culture 中国数字文化
1.Just like people all over the world, people in China traditionally associ-ate luck with various things and numbers.
和世界其他地区人民一样,中国人也总是将运气和数字以及其他事物联系在一起。
2.The Chinese zodiac is also related to luck numbers, as well as“feng-shui”,a set of principle to the layout of furniture and the structure of the house.
中国的生肖也和幸运数字、风水以及家具的摆设、房屋的构造联系在一起。
3.Numbers are, in fact, originally coming from the early hunting prac-tice.
数字最初是从狩猎活动得来的。
4.People believe that some numbers can bring fortune and luck.
人们认为一些数字可以带来好运气。
5.Influenced by religion and the Taoism, the Han people believe that e-ven numbers are lucky numbers.
由于道教和其他一些宗教的影响,汉族人民普遍把偶数当作是幸运数字。
6.The Han people worship“ten”,the top of even number, which implies“perfect and satisfaction”.
汉族人民很崇拜“十”这个数字,因为这个数字包含了幸福美满的意思。
7.People's love for“ten”can be traced back to the times of Spring and Autumn and Warring States.
人们对“十”的喜爱可以追溯到春秋战国时期。
8.Today“ten”is often used to sum up the work of a year.
现今,“十”常常被用来总结一年的工作。
9.In expressions,“thousand”doesn't mean the exact number, but again it means“a lot”.
在表达方面,“千”并不是一个确切的数字,但是它表示“很多”。
10.Similarly, there are many collocated saying with“thousand”,and“thousand”often goes together with“hundred”.
同样地,有很多与“千”有关的词语,而且还经常与“百”合起来使用。
11.In the minds of Chinese people,“zero”is the same as the Arabic number“0”,which means“nothing”.
在中国人的思想中,“零”这个字和阿拉伯数字“0”一样,表示什么都没有。中国数字的起源The Origin of Chinese Numbers
Numbers came into use about 5 000 years ago in China. From“1”to“10”to hundred, thousand, ten thousand, the number system was complete even in Shang Dynasty and the decimal system even started since that time.
Numbers are, in fact, originally coming from the early hunting practice. The ancients worship numbers as they do to the language, so numbers are always culturally connotative.People believe that some numbers can bring fortune and luck, and some may bring misfortune and even disaster to them.In China, the mystery of numbers has been much influenced by theconcept of Yin and Yang.Ancients divide the ten numbers into two groups:the odd numbers are Yang, implying“the Heaven, the male”;while the e-ven numbers are yin, implying“the Earth, the female”.偶数与奇数Even Numbers and Odd Numbers
As a rule in day-to-day life in China, it is customary to regard even numbers as being more auspicious than odd numbers.In China, tradition-ally gifts are given as a part of the celebration for all occasions.Thus, guests will always give even-numbered presents.As the number two, usu-ally suggests germination and harmony, at wedding celebrations, decora-tions are invariably setout in pairs:a pair of red candles, a pair of pillows, and couplets hung on two sides of the hall.Six, pronounced as“Liu”,conveys indirectly its homophony’s meaning—Do everything smoothly;and eight in Chinese has a similar sound to“Fa”,which means to make a for-tune.All business men favor this number very much.However four, is the exception to the even number rule as it sounds like“Si”(death).So when people choose car license tags, phone numbers, and room numbers, they try to avoid it.汉语数字中的“一”Chinese Number“One”
The Han People worship“yi”since ancient times. They hold the belief that all things on earth comes from“yi”,because“yi”has the similar mean-ing with“yuan”,“shi”,“chu”,meaning“the source”.The Taoist believes that“One makes two, and two make three, and three make everything on earth.”“yi”sometimes means complete.For example,“all the things”,“yi”often goes together with other words expressing“quantity”,but means“whole or complete”.For example,"with mud all over the body","lead a poor life the whole lifetime。"Even when“yi”goes with"little","small"orother words expressing“small amount or little quantity”,“yi”again means“whole, complete”.For example,“not soiled by a speck of dust”,“not be the least negligent”,etc.According to the latest Chinese dictionary, the col-located expressions beginning with the word“yi”has a list of more than 640 entries.汉语数字中的“十”Chinese Number“Ten”
Today“ten”is often used to sum up the work of a year. For example,“Ten Best Singers of the Year”,“Ten Best National Sport Star of the Year”“Ten Most Important National News in 2004”,and“Ten Most Important World News in 2004”,etc.When the new China was founded in 1949,there was“a 10-year anniversary celebration”for the founding of the nation in 1959,which was“big and grand”.The Han people do things in that way because they like round number and round figure, which in their minds means“perfect and satisfaction”.古代建筑多用“九”
过去,北京的许多建筑都和“九”这个数字有关。如北京内城最早有“九”个城门;天安门的城楼是“九”楹重楼;故宫四个角楼的结构是“九”梁十八柱;皇家建筑物大门上的钉数是横“九”纵“九”,北海和故宫的九龙壁都是“九”条龙等。
这些建筑物为何都与“九”这个数字有关系呢?原来,按过去“阴阳”的说法,奇数为阳,偶数为阴。而“九”是阳数中最大者,称为“极阳数”。在古代,常用“九”数象征天子。《易经》上说,“九”数含有吉祥之意。因此,古代皇家建筑多用“九”或“九”的倍数来建造,以象征皇帝是至高无上的“天子”。
至今,人们仍喜欢用“九”或者“九”的倍数来表示数目众多,如十八般兵器、九霄、九泉、九腔十八调、十八层地狱、十八罗汉、三十六计、七十二行、十万八千里等。
associate使发生联系,使联合
embarrass使困窘,使局促不安,阻碍,麻烦
germination萌芽,发生
invariably不变地,总是非
favor好感,宠爱,关切,欢心,好意,喜爱
license许可(证),执照许可,特许
longevity长命,寿命,供职期限,资历
eternality使永恒,使不灭
notion概念,观念,想法,意见,打算,主张
connotative隐含的,内涵的
antithesis对立面
sculpture雕刻,雕刻品,雕塑,雕塑品[地理],刻蚀
descended从一个祖先传下来的
collocation排列,配置,词的搭配
derogative减损的,毁损的
bum游荡者,游民
rash[地]皮疹轻率的,匆忙的,鲁莽的
livestock家畜,牲畜
thatched茅屋匠
cottage村舍,小别墅
renewal更新,复兴,恢复,续借,重申,补充
time时间,时候,时机,节拍,期限,次数,时期,比赛限时
harem(伊斯兰教教徒之)闺房,闺房里的妻妾群,为一个雄性动物所控制的许多雌性动物
derogative减损的,毁损的
dubious可疑的,不确定的
disorderly混乱的
picky吹毛求疵的
multiple多样的,多重的
the whole country整个国家
scatter in all directions四下散开
fall apart分裂
multicolored五彩缤纷的
colorful华美的,色彩的,有趣的
big and tall高大的
Unit 4 Chinese Zodiac Culture 中国生肖文化
1.For a long time there has been a special relationship between humans and the 12 zodiacal animals.
长期以来,人们与十二生肖之间有着特别的关系。
2.People under this rat sign are usually smart and willing to accumulate wealth and to take efforts to be successful.
属鼠的人往往很聪慧,懂得积累财富,而且尽可能去取得成功。
3.The ox is sedulous, simple, honest, and straightforward.
牛的特点是坚忍不拔、淳朴、诚实、勇往直前。
4.Tigers, considered to be brave, cruel, forceful and terrifying, are the symbol of power and lordliness.
虎往往被认为勇猛、残暴、强大而可畏,是力量与权势的象征。
5.People born in the year of the tiger are tolerant, staunch, valiant, and respected.
虎年出生的人忍受能力强、坚定、勇敢而且受人尊敬。
6.The rabbit has represented hope of the Chinese people for a long time.
兔子是很久以来中国人民希望的象征。
7.People born under the sign of the rabbit are gentle, sensitive, modest, and merciful and have strong memory.
兔年出生的人明智、敏感、谦虚、仁慈而且具有很强的记忆力。
8.The dragon enjoys a very high reputation in Chinese culture.
龙在中国人的心目中享有很高的地位。
9.People born in the year of the snake often have a good temper, a skill of communicating, and a gracious morality, but they are likely to be jealous and suspicious.
蛇年出生的人往往脾气好、交流能力强、有高尚的道德情操,但可能会存在着嫉妒心理和猜忌心。
10.People born in the year of the horse have ingenious communicating techniques and in their community they always want to be in the limelight.
马年出生的人有着很强的交流能力,而且在交流过程中,他们总希望自己成为众人的焦点。
11.People under the sign of the sheep are tender, polite, filial, clever, and kind-hearted.
羊年出生的人温柔、懂礼貌、孝顺、聪慧而且是热心肠。
12.Most people born in the Year of the Monkey are lively, flexible, and versatile.
猴年出生的人大多数都很活泼而且多才多艺。
13.The rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality.
属相鸡是忠实诚信的代表。
14.The dog is the human's friend who can understand the human's spirit and obey its master, whether he is wealthy or not.
狗是人类的朋友,不论主人是否富有,它都会理解主人的心情并且遵从主人的命令。
15.People born in the Year of the Pig are honest and frank.
猪年出生的人诚实而坦诚。生肖的起源The Origin of Chinese Zodiac
In ancient times, our ancestors counted the years with 10 celestial stems and 12 terrestrial branches. Although this was scientific, most people were illiterate and could not memorize or calculate easily.Thus the animals that influenced people's lives were chosen to symbolize the terrestrial bran-ches:the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
For a long time there has been a special relationship between humans and the 12 zodiacal animals. Humans admired them, took them as to-tems, and in the artistic field, those animal signs were among the features of those themes.This can be reflected in artisans’paper-cut works, New-Year pictures, pottery and bronze wares, especially on the bronze mirrors before the appearance of glass ones, on which elaborate forms showed creativity and passion as well as wishes for a good life.鼠年出生人的性格Character of Persons under the Rat Sign
Though in people's eyes, the rat is not adorable, and even some Chi-nese sayings that related to it have almost derogatory meanings, it ranged as the head of the Chinese zodiac.It was recognized as an animal with spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.
People under this rat sign are usually smart and willing to accumulate wealth and to take efforts to be successful. Throughout their life, there will be many other people who can bring great fortune to them.Thus despite ti-midity, most of them are happy and harmonious with others.龙年出生人的性格Character of Persons under the Dragon Sign
The dragon enjoys a very high reputation in Chinese culture. It is the token of authority, dignity, honor, success, luck, and capacity.In ancient China, a dragon was thought to speed across the sky with divine power.Emperors entitled themselves exclusively as“dragon”;their thrones were called“dragon thrones”,their clothes“dragon gowns”.
People under the sign of the dragon are lively, energetic and fortu-nate.They often can be leaders and try to go for perfection.When they meet with difficulties, they are not discouraged.But they are a little arro-gant, and impatient, and women are over-confident.If they overcome these defects, they can have a brighter future.生肖的运用The Use of Zodiac Animal Signs
A Chinese horoscope may predict that a person born in the Year of the Horse is“cheerful, popular and quick to compliment others”. The year of a person's birth is considered the primary factor in determining a person's personality, physical and mental attributes, ability and level of success and happiness throughout his or her lifetime.Events and occurrences in a given year are influenced by the nature of that year's animal.
Animal signs also have a useful social function for determining someone's age. Instead of asking directly how old a person is, the Chinese often ask about his or her animal sign, which places a person within a cycle of 12 years.This is a popular way to socialize.中国的马文化China’s Horse Culture
With the development of the horse breeding industry, abundant experi-ences were accumulated throughout the ages.The most famous master was named Bole, and others like him that followed also adopted the name.The word“Bole”became a Chinese idiom.The monograph on distinguishing fine breeds of horses by Bole is the earliest of its kind in the world.Other monographs on the subject also appeared during the Tang Dynasty.
Horses is China are mainly distributed in the northern regions, including the vast area of Xinjiang and Qinghai in the west of Lanzhou, Inner Mongo-lia, Northeast China and the northern part of North China, the mountainous regions in Sichuan Province, Yunnan and Guizhou Plateau.The number of horses in Northeast, Northwest and North China accounts for three-fourths of the country’s total.十二生肖
十二生肖的产生,有着天文学的背景。在原始时代,先民们体验着寒暑交替的循环往复。宋代洪皓《松漠纪闻》载:“女真旧绝小,正朔所不及,其民皆不知纪年,问则曰‘我见青草几度矣’,盖以草一青为一岁也。”宋代孟珙《蒙鞑备录》也记:“其俗每草青为一岁,有人问其岁,则曰几草矣。”年又有观天者发现月亮盈亏周期可以用来丈量岁的长短,发现十二次月圆为一岁,这一发现,是初期历法最精度的成果之一,“十二”便视为传达天意的“天之大数”。天干需地支为伴,日月相对,天地相对,就非“十二”莫属了。
清代刘献《广阳杂记》引李长卿《松霞馆赘言》:“子何以属鼠也?曰:天开于子,不耗则其气不开。鼠,耗虫也。于是夜尚未央,正鼠得令之候,故子属鼠。地辟于丑,而牛则开地之物也,故丑属牛。人生于寅,有生则有杀。杀人者,虎也,又寅者,畏也。可畏莫若虎,故寅属虎。卯者,日出之候。日本离体,而中含太阴玉兔之精,故卯属兔。辰者,三月之卦,正群龙行雨之时,故辰属龙。巳者,四月之卦,于时草茂,而蛇得其所。又,巳时蛇不上道,故属蛇。午者,阳极而一阴甫生。马者,至健而不离地,阴类也,故午属马。羊啮未时之草而茁,故未属羊。申时,日落而猿啼,且伸臂也,譬之气数,将乱则狂作横行,故申属猴。酉者,月出之时,月本坎体,而中含太阳金鸡之精,故酉属鸡。于亥中,猪则饮食之外无一所知,故亥属猪。”
关于十二生肖的排列,还有各种传说,这类故事,或似开心解闷的笑谈,或似贬恶扬善的寓言,文学成分较浓。但是,生肖座次的排定,绝非一朝一夕,也不是一代人所能完成的。最初未必就是一次提名十二种,也许只有四五个,也许曾有过超额的局面,后来优胜劣汰,定额定员并定位了,一直传至今日。
celestial天上的
terrestrial陆地
illiterate不识字,没受教育的
memorize记住,记忆
calculate计算,考虑,计划,打算
rooster雄禽
rat老鼠
recall回忆,回想,记起,取消
encountered鼓励,奖励
straightforward正直的,坦率的,简单的,易懂的,直截了当的坦率地
zodiac[天]十二宫图,黄道带
mice老鼠
zodiacal黄道带的,黄道带内的
bronze青铜(铜与锡合金),铜像
elaborate精心制作的,详细阐述的,
精细精心制作,详细阐述
alertness警戒,机敏
flexibility弹性,适应性,机动性,挠性
accumulate积聚,堆积
timidity胆怯
harmonious和谐的,协调的,和睦的,悦耳的
indicate指出,显示,象征,预示,需要,简要地说明
sedulous坚韧不拔的
fractious易怒的,倔强的,脾气不好的
straightforward正直的,坦率的,简单的,易懂的,直截了当的
laborious(指工作)艰苦的,费力
的,(指人)勤劳的
obstinate倔强的,顽固的
bestow给予,安放
cajolery甜言蜜语,诱骗
cautious谨慎的,小心的
terrifying极大的,可怕的
lordliness贵族式,皇室气派,权势
accompanying陪伴的,附随的
tolerant容忍的,宽恕的,有耐药力的
staunch坚定的
valiant勇敢的人勇敢的,英勇的
shortcoming缺点,短处
virtuous善良的,有道德的,贞洁的,有效力的
tender嫩的,温柔的,软弱的
stimulated刺激,激励刺激,激励
pregnant怀孕的,重要的,富有意认的,孕育的
harelip兔唇
merciful仁慈的,慈悲的
spice香料,调味品,趣味,意味,情趣
meditative沉思的,爱思考的,冥想的
divine神的,神圣的,非凡的,超人的,非常可爱的牧师
arrogant傲慢的,自大的
defect过失,缺点
malevolence恶意,狠毒
cattiness如猫的性格,阴险
acumen积聚,堆积
divination预言
limelight引人注目的中心
superficial表面的,肤浅的,浅薄的
pessimistic悲观的,厌世的
fleece羊毛(尤指未剪下的),羊毛状之物,绒头织物,羊毛大衣呢
filial子女的,孝顺的,当作子女的
marquis(英国等的)侯爵
versatile大学运动代表队,大学
epitome摘要
fidelity忠实,诚实,忠诚,保真度,(收音机,录音设备等的)逼真度,保真度,重现精度
invincible不能征服的,无知的
monsters圣体匣
dexterous灵巧的,惯用右手的
affluence富裕,富足
frank免费邮寄特权坦白的,率直的,老实的
roundabout迂回的,转弯抹角的道路交叉处的环形路,迂回路线,兜圈子的话
3 Chinese Traditional Festival中国传统节日
Unit 1 The Spring Festival 春节
1.Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year's Day, is China's most important national holiday.
春节就是中国传统意义上的新年,是中国最重要的节日。
2.Almost everyone in China's cities enjoys at least three days off work to celebrate Spring Festival, and the celebration lasts even longer in rural areas.
在中国的城市里,人们最少都会有三天的假期来欢度春节,而在农村地区,时间还要长一些。
3.On the day before New Year's day, many families decorate their front doors with a pair of couplets designating good fortune.
在除夕那天,人们都会在自家门前贴上对联象征来年的好运。
4.Children set off firecrackers, play games and carry colorful lanterns in hand as they visit friends.
和同伴们在一起时,孩子们都要放鞭炮,玩游戏,并且手里都提着五颜六色的灯笼。
5.Dumplings are an indispensable food for northerners during their New Year's celebration.
在庆新年期间,饺子是北方人必不可少的食物。
6.Following dinner, most families watch special holiday variety shows on television, which last well into New Year's Day.
除夕饭后,大多数家庭都要有一些春节特别节目,这些节目往往持续到新年的到来。
7.Many families stay up very late, some even stay up all night, playing cards, laughing, chatting, or telling stories to the children.
在除夕之夜,很多家庭都睡得很晚,有的甚至熬夜,家人们在一起打牌,说笑,聊天或者给孩子们讲故事。
8.On New Year's Day the children receive gifts of money in red enve-lopes from their parents and grandparents.
在春节那天,孩子们都会从自己的父母和爷爷奶奶那里收到包着红包的压岁钱。
9.Southerners like to eat Nian Gao, or“New Year Cake”—a sweet, sticky, brown cake made of rice flour and sugar.
南方人在新年喜欢吃年糕——一种用米面和糖做的茶色的米饼。
10.Nian Gao is a homonym for“higher each year”and symbolizes im-provement in life, year by year.
年糕的同音就是“一年更比一年高”,象征着人们的生活一年更比一年好。春节概述ABrief Introduction of Spring Festival
Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year's Day, is China's most important national holiday. The date of the new year is still determined bythe lunar calendar even though the government of the Republic of China a-dopted the international Gregorian calendar in 1912.New Year’s Day typical-ly occurs sometime in early spring(February).人们过春节时的活动What Would People Do in Spring Festival
The Spring Festival like Christmas Day in the western countries, is the most important festival in China. Children like it very much because they can have delicious things to eat, pretty clothes to wear and many nice things to play with.When Spring Festival comes, people away from their hometowns usually come back and spend it with their families.People mainly do two things during the festival.One is eating, and the other is playing.They usual-ly buy different kinds of food and make different kinds of delicious dishes, and play in different ways.
In the spirit of setting things straight, all account books should be bal-anced, debts paid off, and houses cleaned before New Year’s Day.Then houses, businesses, and streets are decked and draped with banners, flow-ers, and scrolls of vivid red, a traditionally lucky and demon-dispelling hue.People exchange red-wrapped gifts, most commonly the hong bao—cash enclosed in a compact red paper packet—and offer their friends propitious edibles such as red dates(whose Chinese name, hong zao, sounds like the words for“prosperity comes soon”)and tangerines(whose Cantonese pronunciation, kat, sounds like that of the word for“lucky”).中国人的拜年Chinese Bainian
Early on the first morning of the Spring Festival, families set out to pay a lunar New Year visit to each other after the members of each family greet each other with lunar New Year wishes. This is called in Chinese Bainian, meaning paying the Spring Festival visits and greetings.Usually, the youngpay a visit to the old while the people about the same age share equal greetings;then, visits are paid in sequence to relatives of close kinship, rela-tions, neighbors, teachers, friends and colleagues.To kowtow used to be one of the rites involved in paying the spring Festival visits, but now it is re-placed by the Spring festival greetings with best wishes, for instance, wishes for a good fortune.When the junior pay the senior the Spring Festival visit, the latter are supposed to give the former some money as a gift, which is known“money for an added age.”红包Chinese Hongbao
Giving hongbao(red packets or red envelopes)during the Chinese New Year is another famous tradition. Red packets are every child's dream during the Chinese New Year.A red packet is simply a red envelope with money inside to symbolize luck and wealth.Red packets are symbolically handed out to younger generations by parents, grandparents, relatives, close neighbors and friends.The practice represents a desire for good for-tune and wealth in the coming year.春 节
每当农历(阴历)十二月三十日子时(深夜十二点钟)一过,春节就来了。春节,是农历的一岁之首,俗称“大年”。春节的来历,在我国大约有四千多年的历史了。它是我国民间最热闹、最隆重的一个传统节日。古代的春节,是指农历二十四个节气中的“立春”时节,南北朝以后才将春节改在一年岁末,并泛指整个春季,这时大地回春,万象更新,人们便把它们作为新的一年的开始。到了辛亥革命后的民国初年,改农历为公历(阳历)后,便将正月初一定为春节。但至今人们仍习惯将过春节称为过年。我国人民在过春节时,有许多富有积极意义和健康有趣的习惯。如春节前的卫生大扫除,有利于预防疾病,增进健康;贴门神和春联,挂红灯和燃放爆竹礼花以及耍龙灯等,则能烘托节日热闹喜庆的气氛。
scrolls对联
demon-dispelling驱除妖魔鬼怪的
propitious edibles吉利的食物
tangerine柑
swearword咒骂语
inadvertently漫不经心地
blurt out脱口说出
inauspicious不吉利的
resourceful足智多谋的
peach-wood charms桃符
vogue流行
decree命令
time-honored确立已久的
barrage火网;倾泻
chive细香葱
couplet对联;对句
dispel驱赶;赶跑
ginger生姜
Gregorian calendar格里历(即阳历)
onion洋葱
paper-cut剪纸
pastry糕点
reunion meal团圆饭
streamer横幅
tranquility安宁
the lunar year农历
solar terms节气
1st solar term立春
end末
unoccupied;leisurely闲
season时节
look back;review回顾
reunite团聚
stick贴
antithetical couplet对联
custom风俗
replace交替
meet;come upon逢
full of joy喜气洋洋
atmosphere气氛
follow the old conventions沿袭(of firecrackers)cracking劈啪
firecrackers爆竹
injure;harm;hurt伤害
peaceful;tranquil安宁
bind;wrap裹
light;kindle;ignite点燃
clear清脆
dazzling耀目
flame火焰
Unit 2 The Lantern Festival 元宵节
1.At first these dances were a prayer for favorable weather.
起初跳这些舞是为了祈祷风调雨顺。
2.It is said that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century, then became popular during the Tang and Song periods.
据说吃元宵源于公元4世纪的东晋时期,在唐宋年间得到广泛传播。
3.The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuanxiao are either sweet or salty.
元宵的馅可能是甜的,也可能是咸的。
4.The salty variety is filled with minced meat, vegetables or a mixture.
咸馅的元宵里包含了碎肉,蔬菜或者肉和菜都有。
5.The way to make Yuanxiao also varies between northern and south-ern China.
做元宵的方法在南方和北方不一样。
6.This festival dated back to the Warring States Period, when people ob-served the custom of watching lanterns under moonlight.
元宵节可以追溯到战国时期,那时人们的习俗就是在月亮底下赏花灯。
7.It is said that people began to mark the Lantern Festival in the Han Dy-nasty.
据说是在汉朝人们才把这一天定为元宵节的。
8.In the Song Dynasty, the government legally established this custom as a social rule.
宋朝政府特颁布诏令,把元宵节赏灯作为一项制度确定下来。
9.Nowadays, the Lantern Festival lasts only one day, on which different lantern appreciation activities are held.
现在各地一般只限于正月十五这一天为节日,各地普遍举行各式各样的灯节。
10.Other entertainment includes guessing riddles on lanterns, drum beating, walking on stilts, playing dragon lanterns, rowing boats in streets, and going to fairs.
在元宵节之际,还有猜灯谜、敲年鼓、踩高跷、耍龙灯、跑旱船、赶庙会等娱乐活动。
11.At home, people usually eat dumplings and sweet dumplings made of glutinous rice.
一般家庭还要吃元宵、包水饺,以示庆祝。元宵节概述ABrief Introduction of the Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival occurs on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month according to the old Chinese calendar, when a full moon provides enough light for the various ceremonies and activities traditionally held throughout China. Customarily, family members reunite for a meal of Yuanxiao, round, sweet dumplings made of glutinous rice flour served in soup, which symbol-ize a wish for the family’s happiness and good luck all year.悬挂灯笼的喜庆气氛Celebrating with Lanterns
The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. The way of making lanterns differs according to the natural environment.Lanterns are different in the north and the south.In Northern Shaanxi Province, women in the cou-ntryside use sorghum stalks to make lantern frames, then they paste red paper on the frames.In this way, they make all sorts of lanterns, such as pumpkin lanterns, persimmon lanterns and sheep lanterns.They also cut potatoes into a bowl shape.Then they put oil into the bowl-shaped potatoes and place lampwick in them and cover the potatoes with red paper lamp-shades.People hang red lanterns over the gates of their cave dwellings.Willow trees are also decorated with coloured paper.Red lanterns are hung here and there on willow trees.The trees are called lantern trees or spark trees.元宵Chinese Yuanxiao
Round sweet dumplings traditionally are eaten for happiness on the Lantern Festival. Today these dumplings also are a popular dessert in Chi-na, and come in two varieties:one is made of white and brown sugar, sweet-scented osmanthus, nuts and sesame seeds;the other has meat and vegetable fillings.Recently Chinese have begun adding chocolate for a truly unique flavor, even though traditional boiled dumplings, fried sweet dump-lings are becoming popular.关于元宵的故事ALegend of Yuanxiao
A legend tells the origin of eating yuanxiao on the night of the first full moon after the lunar New Year. The goddess of the moon, Chang'e swal-lowed a magic potion belonging to her husband and flew to the moon to become a fairy.Her husband, Houyi, missed her so much that he became ill.So on the eve of the first full moon after his illness, the goddess sent a young fairy to Houyi, telling him that she would descend to earth to be with him, but he should first make sticky rice balls in the shape of the roundmoon and put them on the table.Then he had to repeat her name over and over until she appeared.
No one knows whether she reunited with her husband or not, but this is how yuanxiao gained popularity.元宵节的历史由来The History of Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival has a history of more than 2 000 years. It started in West Han Dynasty when emperor gave orders that all people light lamps at that night to show respect to Buddha.Since then the festival soon popular-ized.In Tang and Song Dynasties, lantern display continues for 5 consecutive nights, starting from 13th to 17th of the first lunar month.In Qing Dynasty, the festival became even more recognized, as lanterns displayed from 8th to 17th—a 10 consecutive nights, the longest time in history.Today, in city parks or in the open squares, various kinds of lanterns are highly hung and displayed, and palace lantern, running horse lantern, flower-and-plant lan-tern, etc.have added to the bright night and attracted many people who rarely come out at night.元宵节
元宵节是我国人民传统的民族节日,正月十五闹元宵追溯起来历史源远流长。
据记载,两千多年前,周勃平定“诸吕之乱”后,汉文帝上台,鉴于平定之日是正月十五日,于是,汉文帝每年这天夜晚,便出宫游玩,和老百姓同乐。在古语中,“夜”又叫“宵”,“正月”又称“元月”,因而,汉文帝将正月十五日定为“元宵节”。从此,人们便在正月十五日的晚上,在自家门前张灯结彩,喜气洋洋地欢度元宵节。
到了宋朝,开始流行一种独特食品。用糖和各种果肉做馅,外面滚上糯米粉,呈小球形状,清水煮熟食用,香甜可口,这种食品最早叫“浮元子”,因为煮熟时漂浮在水面上,后来才改称“元宵”。窃国大盗袁世凯忌讳这个名字,因为“元”和“袁”,“宵”和“消”是同音,故其疑虑“元宵”有袁世凯被消灭之意。1913年元宵节前,袁世凯下令将“元宵”改为“汤圆”。袁死后,民间又恢复了“元宵”的名称。
agility敏捷
enliven使有生气;使活跃
gauze薄纱
glutinous rice糯米
homage尊敬;敬意
monastery庙宇;寺庙
neon[化]氖;氖气灯;霓虹灯
rattan藤;藤条
ribbon缎带;丝带
stilt walking踩高跷
sweet-scented osmanthus桂花
yangko秧歌
the Warring States Periods战国
monopolize垄断
get rid of摆脱
civilian平民
filling;stuffing farce馅
symbolize;stand for symbolise象征
lucky;auspicious吉利
be popular流行
dance舞蹈
play the part of;act扮演
knight武士
coloured ball彩球
tease逗引
meek docile温驯
scratch where it itches搔痒
lap feather舔毛
roll about打滚
shake feather抖毛
action;movement动作
valiant勇猛
figure形象
jump跳跃
throw oneself down onto跌仆
leap and turn the air腾转
magical;mystical神异
lucky;auspicious吉祥
Unit 3 The Clear and Bright Festival 清明节
1.Qingming(Pure Brightness)is a traditional festival highlighted by wor-ship at ancestral graves.
清明是人们祭祀祖先、扫墓的传统节日。
2.Qingming marks the start of spring plowing in China's north and of spring sowing in the south.
在北方,清明是人们耕地翻土的开始,在南方是人们播种的标致。
3.Following tradition, people used to pay their respects to their ancestors by sweeping family graves clean of the winter's debris.
根据传统,人们往往在清明节为祖先的墓碑扫去冬季的尘埃,借此来表达他们对祖先的尊敬。
4.At this time of year the days grow longer and the sun warmer, bring-ing enchanting springtime scenery.
从这天起,天逐渐变长,变暖,逐渐萌生了春的气息。
5.Today swinging is still thought to contribute to one's good health, to balance brain functions, and to cultivate courage.
现今,荡秋千仍然被认为是一项有助于身心健康,平衡脑功能和增强勇气的活动。
6.In ancient China, Qingming was by no means the only time when sac-rifices were made to ancestors.
在古代,清明并不是纪念祖先的惟一节日。
7.Springtime, especially in North China, is the windy season, just right for flying kites.
春季,尤其是在中国北方,是清风吹拂的季节,正是放风筝的好时候。8.Visitors should go to Tian’anmen Square to see kites of all shapes and sizes.
游客可以到天安门广场去观看各种形状和大小不同的风筝。
9.One day before there is a Cold Food Festival, which originates in Spring and Autumn Period.
清明节的前一天叫做寒食节,这种叫法源于春秋时期。
10.Then Cold Food Festival becomes a day for offering sacrifice to ances-tors.
寒食节现在成为了祭祖先的日子。清明的涵义The Meaning of Qingming
Qingming(Pure Brightness)is a traditional festival highlighted by wor-ship at ancestral graves.Usually it falls between April 4-6.The festival marks the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, which divides the year into 24 such terms according to the position of the earth as it orbits the sun.The names of the terms are used as guideposts for agriculture and certain Chinese festivals in China.Qingming marks the start of spring plo-wing in China’s north and of spring sowing in the south.At this time people also customarily make offerings to family ancestors, go on outings and flying kites.人们怎样过清明节What Would People Do in Qingming
In ancient China, Qingming was by no means the only time when sacri-fices were made to ancestors.In fact such ceremonies were held very fre-quently, about every two weeks, in addition to other important holidays and festivals.The formalities of these ceremonies were in general very elaborate and expensive in terms of time and money.
Qingming is not just a day of remembrance, it is also a day to cele-brate the coming of spring, often by going out for a picnic.With the coming of spring, nature wakes up, dressing the world in green.All is new, clean and fresh.清明节后的自然变化Natural Change after Qingming
A society of natural farming economy employed slash-and-burn cultiva-tion, burning mountains and destroying forest.Spring was a time when grass and trees start sprouting.To keep a balanced ecology and to preserve a better living environment was a necessity to human being’s own survival.It was said in Li Ji—Yue Ling,“During this month, the air pressure of the sky comes down and the air pressure of earth rises up.When the sky and earth come together, grass and trees germinate.It is an edict from god to start farming.”清明节的起源The Origin of Qingming
Continued upkeep of loved ones'tombs is the purpose of a Chinese holiday called Qing Ming Jie, which means“clear and bright.”Traditionally falling on the 105th day after the lunar winter solstice, this is the time for in-specting and cleaning graves.In this balmy, crystalline time of year, the very sky looks fresh-swept and flawless, refreshingly“clear and bright.”
与“寒食节”起源相关的一个故事ALegend Related to the Origin of the Cold Food Day
According to the legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period, a per-son named Jie Zhitui followed his master Chong’er, the prince of Jin, and stayed with him during all the 19 years when the prince was in exile.Jie Zhitui was so loyal to his master that once when the prince was starved to death, Jie cut one piece of flesh from his leg to feed his master so as to save his life.However, when the prince ascended the throne and became king of the Jin state, he forgot about Jie Zhitui completely.He awarded all hsi other followers except Jie.Jie, on his part, left his master with his old mother without even one word of complaint.The local people were very in-dignant about this and they compiled a rhyme to satirize the king.The king learned about this and in order not to ruin his reputation, he ordered his men to go go Jie’s home to bring him back, yet they failed to find Jie.The king then learned that Jie had hidden in the Mian Mountain, so he ordered his men to search the mountain, again, they failed to find Jie.The king knew that Jie was a filial son, so he thought if he set the mountain on fire, Jie, for his mother’s sake, would definitely come out.Based on this thought, he or-dered his men to set the mountain on fire.The fire lasted three whole days and nights, yet to the king’s disappointment, Jie never came out.In the end, Jie and his mother’s burned bodies were found beside a tree.That was the 103th day after the Winter Solstice.The local people admired Jie Zhitui for his moral integrity.To commemorate him, they ate cold food and restrained from making fire on that day and the following two days.This is how han-shi, the Cold Food Day, came into being.清明扫墓
扫墓的由来,初见于《礼记》:“王者祭天地。诸侯祭山川,卿大夫祭王祀,士庶人祭其先。”所谓祭其先者,即老百姓祭自己的祖先。早在春秋时代,民间就有了“吉日良辰,郊祀野祭”之风。但真正形成一种仪式,始见《唐书》:“唐开元二十年敕:寒食上墓,礼经无文,近代相传,寝以成俗,宜许上墓,同拜扫礼,编人五礼,永为定式”。后《宋史·唐格传》里有“清明往钱塘扫墓”之句。这说明,扫墓的习俗盛于唐、宋时期。可是,扫墓之举为什么选择清明呢?也许有以下几种原因:其一,清明时节气候转暖,雨水增多,草木蔓生,陵园墓地下不免要荒芜或塌陷,需要修整。其二,清明前后,山清水秀,桃红柳绿,人们借此大好春光,去之郊野,扫墓踏青。其三,据载,春秋时代,晋国介之推被焚于清明前一日(寒食节)。这可能与人们怀念这位历史人物有关。不过,旧社会的扫墓活动,带有迷信色彩。欧阳修在《新五代史》中提到:“寒食野祭而焚纸钱……”解放后,祭祖扫墓的礼仪虽有,但多年来大力宣传移风易俗,推行火葬,已将清明节演化为缅怀革命先烈的扫墓活动了。
b o u q u e t花束
cypress柏树
contestant竞争者;参加比赛者
dissemination播种;传播
epicenter中心;集中点
eulogize颂扬;赞扬
exquisitely精巧地;精致地
gong锣;铜锣
solar term节气
wreath花圈;花环
forbear忍耐
renew使更新
outings远足
exile流放
customary符合风俗或习惯的
lunar月亮的,阴历的
Gregorian calendar公历
ward(off)躲开;避免
homophonic同音的
splutter发出爆裂声
cremation火葬
sticky rice糯米
jujube枣子
walnut核桃
cemetery墓地
clasp紧握;紧抱
reed芦苇
meticulous非常仔细的
aquatic水上的
orbit轨道,势力范围,生活常规,绕……轨道而行
elaborate精心制作的,详细阐述的,精细详细描述
remembrance回想,记忆,问候,纪念品,记忆力
sprouting发芽,萌发
germinate发芽,发育,使生长
edict布告,法令
upkeep维持,维修费
balmy芳香的,温和的,止痛的(空
气)温和的
crystalline水晶的
flawless无瑕疵的,无缺点的,无裂缝的
Unit 4 The Dragon Boat Festival 端午节
1.The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is a traditional Chinese festival dedicated to the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan for his devotion to his n-ative state.
阴历五月初五是中国人民的一个传统节日,为了纪念以身殉国的伟大诗人屈原。
2.It is a tradition to eat zongzi, pyramid-shaped dumplings made of glu-tinous rice wraped in bamboo or reed leaves, with different fillings added for interest.
吃粽子是中国的一项传统。粽子是用糯米、竹叶或苇叶和各种馅料包成的三角形饺子。
3.At the news of the poet's death, the local people raced out in boats in an efforts of searching his body.
当时楚人因舍不得贤臣屈原死去,于是有许多人划船追赶拯救。
4.In many places along rivers and on the coast today, the holiday also features dragon-boat races.
如今,赛龙舟这一传统习俗仍然是很多沿海城市的主要庆祝活动。
5.The Dragon Boat Festival for the people in northern Guizhou was to make totem dog with mugwort and hang it on lintels.
贵州北部的人们往往在龙舟节那天制作带有面具图腾狗,并且把它们挂在门窗上。
6.In northern Shanxi, the symbol of perpetuity must be pasted in the center of the lintel on the Dragon Boat Day.
在陕西北部,人们在龙舟节那天往往把象征着永恒的标志贴在门窗的中间。
7.In the eyes of the Chinese community, red, yellow, blue, white and black five colors are the colors that compose the universe.
在中国人眼中,红、黄、蓝、白、黑这五种颜色组成了宇宙万物的色彩。
8.The Dragon Boat Festival—the 5th day of the 5th lunar month—is also called Daughters'Festival, or Poets'Festival.
端午节又称端午、重五、重午、端阳、天中节、女儿节、诗人节等,时间在农历五月初五。
9.Most of the people across the country eat Zongzi, which is the most
important commemorating activity.
全国各地城乡居民大都吃各色粽子,这也是这一节日习俗的重要内容。端午节概述ABrief Introduction of the Dragon Boat Festival
Chinese festivals are usually associated with special foods as well as fun(“heat and noise”). On this festival Chinese people prepare and eat zongzi, and the excitement is provided by dragon boat racing—hence the English name for the holiday.To understand the Dragon Boat Festival, and most things Chinese, you have to know a little ancient history.端午节起源The Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
Quyuan's poem“Li Sao”written about his own life and other important ones are all filled with his deep love for his country. At last, however, he wasso discouraged that he had to end his life by throwing himself into the Miluo River.It is said that the people rushed out in their boats to try to save him when they heard the terrible news, but it was too late.Also, they were so sad that they threw rice in the water to feed Qu Yuan's spirit, so now we can see the dragon-boat races and have a kind of Chinese food named“zong-zi”for us to entertain friends, especially children, during the Dragon-Boat Festival.吃粽子的习俗The Custom of Eating Zongzi
It is a tradition to eat zongzi, pyramid-shaped dumplings made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, with different fillings added for in-terest.According to one popular story, such dumplings were thrown into the river as food for the fish and shrimp to keep them from eating QuYuan’s body.These dumplings now are boiled and eaten on the holiday.Suzhou in Jiangsu province and Ningbo and Jiaxin in Zhejiang province are known for their zongzi with date and sweet bean paste, ham, or bacon filling.Beijing is famous for date and preserved fruit fillings.They are made in various shape, three-or four-cornered, or in the shape of a pillow, ax, ox horn and pagoda.The largest ones may weigh half a kilogram.For more than 2 000 years, people not only in China but also in Southeast Asia, Japan and Viet-nam have maintained the tradition of eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Fes-tival.艾蒿Chinese Mugwort
Chinese mugwort was considered a magic herbal medicine to cure heat and damp related disease in ancient time. As a result, Mugwort be-came a legendary panacea to idol.According to the Chinese local chroni-cles,“Use cattail on the Dragon Boat Day and insert mugwort at the door side prevent bad luck and get rid of illness”,and“paste cattail and mug-wort paper cow on the door on The Dragon Boat Day keeps sickness a-way.”In the fifth Lunar month, every household started hanging red orna-ments, putting out cattail dragon or mugwort tiger, and decorating windows with auspicious red paper toad.Young girls cut out letter“Fu”in layers for good luck;and small kids wore bright red toad made of broomcorn, garlic, and other plants to ease the heat of the summer and keep off disease.These customs are still widely practiced today as folk festivities on the Drag-on Boat Day.端午节的由来
农历五月初五,是我国的传统节日端午节。端午节的名称是怎么来的呢?端就是开端、初始的意思。古时,“五”和“午”互为谐音而通用。古人认为,“五”是阳气始盛之数,因此五月的第一个逢五日就叫“端午”,也称为“端阳”。
现在每逢端午节,人们总会想起屈原的。但郭沫若等同志经过考证认为,端午节最早并不是纪念屈原,而是为了纪念伍员。伍员,字子胥,春秋时代楚国人,公元前522年,因父兄被楚平王杀害,投奔吴国,帮助阖闾刺杀吴王僚夺取了王位。伍员率兵伐楚,攻破楚国郢都,报了父兄之仇。后伍员遭受谗言诽谤,于公元前484年自杀而亡,尸体被装入皮革做的袋里投入钱塘江中。传说从此钱塘江常起怒涛,汹涌澎湃。于是吴国百姓在每年的五月初五要举行“迎涛”仪式来纪念伍员。
commemorate纪念
progressive进步的
corruption堕落
wandering徘徊的
patriotic爱国的
fervor热情
vanquish征服
reed芦苇
chinaberry楝树
capitulator投降者
lull间歇;暂停
oarsman划船手
overtone联想;暗示
prow船头
pyramid-shaped dumpling粽子
realgar雄黄
rejuvenate使恢复活力
slander诽谤;诋毁
trophy奖品;银杯
abound vi.充满;多
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