中国传统节日中英文对照.pdf
中国传统节日：元宵节（中英文对照简介）Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month,usually in February or March in the Gregorian calendar.As early as the Western Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 25),it had become a festival with great significance.This days important activity is watching lanterns.Throughout the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 220),Buddhism flourished in China.One emperor heard that Buddhist monks would watch sarira,or remains from the cremation of Buddhas body,and light lanterns to worship Buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month,so he ordered to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on this day.Later,the Buddhist rite developed into a grand festival among common people and its influence expanded from the Central Plains to the whole of China.Till today,the lantern festival is still held each year around the country.Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are hung in the streets,attracting countless visitors.Children will hold self-made or bought lanterns to stroll with on the streets,extremely excited.Guessing lantern riddlesis an essential part of the Festival.Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns.If visitors have solutions to the riddles,they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer.If they are right,they will get a little gift.The activity emerged during peoples enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty(960-1279).As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom,it has become popular among all social strata.People will eat yuanxiao,or rice dumplings,on this day,so it is also called the Yuanxiao Festival.Yuanxiao also has another name,tangyuan.It is small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour with rose petals,sesame,bean paste,jujube paste,walnut meat,dried fruit,sugar and edible oil as filling.Tangyuan can be boiled,fried or steamed.It tastes sweet and delicious.Whats more,tangyuan in Chinese has a similar pronunciation with tuanyuan”,meaning reunion.So people eat them to denote union,harmony and happiness for the family.In the daytime of the Festival,performances such as a dragon lantern dance,a lion dance,a land boat dance,a yangge dance,walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged.On the night,except for magnificent lanterns,fireworks form a beautiful scene.Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival.Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party.On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year,people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.每年农历的正月十五日，春节刚过，迎来的就是中国的传统节日-元宵节。元宵主要的活动就是看灯。东汉明帝时期，明帝提倡佛教，听说佛教有正月十五日僧人观佛舍利，点灯敬佛的做法，就命令这一天夜晚在皇宫和寺庙里点灯敬佛，令士族庶民都挂灯。以后这种佛教礼仪节日逐渐形成民间盛大的节日。该节经历了由宫廷到民间，由中原到全国的发展过程。直到今天，元宵点灯的习俗仍然在中国的各地流传的，各式各样美丽的花灯在这一天都会点亮，孩子们提着自制的灯笼走街串巷，非常高兴。猜灯谜也是元宵节的一项重要活动，花灯的主人会将谜面写在灯笼上，挂在门口，如果有人可以猜中，就能得到小小的礼物。这项活动最早起源于宋朝，因为谜语能启迪智慧又饶有兴趣，所以流传过程中深受社会各阶层的欢迎。民间过元宵节吃元宵的习俗。元宵由糯米制成，或实心，或带馅。馅有豆沙、白糖、山楂、各类果料等，食用时煮、煎、蒸、炸皆可。起初，人们把这种食物叫“浮圆子”，后来又叫“汤团”或“汤圆”，这些名称“团圆”字音相近，取团圆之意，象征全家人团团圆圆，和睦幸福，人们也以此怀念离别的亲人,寄托了对未来生活的美好愿望。随着时间的推移，元宵节的活动越来越多，白天有耍龙灯、耍狮子、踩高跷、划旱船扭秧歌、打太平鼓等传统民俗表演。到了夜晚，除了五颜六色的美花灯之外，还有艳丽多姿的烟火。大多数家庭会在春节时留下一些烟花等到元宵节这天燃放，而一些地方政府也会举办烟花大会，当新年的第一个月圆之夜在盛大的烟火表演中来临时，人们都陶醉在这令人难忘了烟花与皎洁的明月中。中国传统节日：情人节（中英文对照简介）Qingming Festival The Qingming(Pure Brightness)Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China,falling on April 4-6 each year.After the festival,the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases.It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing.But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work,it is more a festival of commemoration.The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.This is the most important day of sacrifice.Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased.Also,they will not cook on this day and only cold food is served.The Hanshi(Cold Food)Festival was usually one day before the Qingming Festival.As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qingming,they were later combined.On each Qingming Festival,all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices.Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed.The customs have been greatly simplified today.After slightly sweeping the tombs,people offer food,flowers and favorites of the dead,then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers,people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day.The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly,the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively.Since ancient times,people have followed the custom of Spring outings.At this time tourists are everywhere.People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival.Kite flying is actually not limited to the Qingming Festival.Its uniqueness lies in that people fly kites not during the day,but also at night.A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars,and therefore,are called gods lanterns.The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees,for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later.In the past,the Qingming Festival was called Arbor Day.But since 1979,Arbor Day was settled as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.清明是我国的二十四节气之一。由于二十四节气比较客观地反映了一年四季气温、降雨、物候等方面的变化，所以古代劳动人民用它安排农事活动。但是，清明作为节日，与纯粹的节气又有所不同。节气是我国物候变化、时令顺序的标志，而节日则包含着一定的风俗活动和某种纪念意义。因此，这个节日中既有祭扫新坟生别死离的悲酸泪，又有踏青游玩的欢笑声，是一个富有特色的节日。清明节是我国传统节日，也是最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。扫墓俗称上坟，祭祀死者的一种活动。汉族和一些少数民族大多都是在清明节扫墓。由于清明与寒食的日子接近，而寒食是民间禁火扫墓的日子，渐渐的，寒食与清明就合二为一了，而寒食既成为清明的别称，也变成为清明时节的一个习俗，清明之日不动烟火，只吃凉的食品。按照旧的习俗，扫墓时，人们要携带酒食果品、纸钱等物品到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，再将纸钱焚化，为坟墓培上新土，折几枝嫩绿的新枝插在坟上，然后叩头行礼祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。与清明节扫墓的悲哀相反，人们在这个春光明媚的日子里，也一样是可以享受生活的。放风筝也是清明时节人们所喜爱的活动。每逢清明时节，人们不仅白天放，夜间也放。夜里在风筝下或风稳拉线上挂上一串串彩色的小灯笼，象闪烁的明星，被称为“神灯”。清明前后，春阳照临，春阳照临，春雨飞洒，种植树苗成活率高，成长快。因此，自古以来，我国就有清明植树的习惯。有人还把清明节叫作“植树节”。植树风俗一直流传至今。1979年，人大常委会规定，每年三月十二日为我国植树节。这对动员全国各族人民积极开展绿化祖国活动，有着十分重要的意义。中国传统节日：七夕情人节（中英文对照简介）Double Seventh Festival The Double Seventh Festival,on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month,is a traditional festival full of romance.It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendar.This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens.At night when the sky is dotted with stars,and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south.On each bank of it is a bright star,which see each other from afar.They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid,and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.Long,long ago,there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang(Cowhand).His parents died when he was a child.Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law.So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming.One day,a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu(Weaver Maid)fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him.The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home.They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl.Unfortunately,the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.With the help of celestial cattle,the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter.At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife,the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke.One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand.The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears.Their loyalty to love touched magpies,so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other.The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month.Hence their meeting date has been called Qi Xi(Double Seventh).Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD220).Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty(AD371-420)mention the festival,while records from the Tang Dynasty(618-907)depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines.By the Song(960-1279)and Yuan(1279-1368)dynasties,special articles for the Qi Xi were seen being sold on markets in the capital.The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival.Today some traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China,but have been weakened or diluted in urban cities.However,the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people.In recent years,in particular,urban youths have celebrated it as Valentines Day in China.As a result,owners of flower shops,bars and stores are full of joy as they sell more commodities for love.在我国，农历七月初七的夜晚，天气温暖，草木飘香，这就是人们俗称的七夕节，也有人称之为“乞巧节”或“女儿节”，这是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日，也是过去姑娘们最为重视的日子。在晴朗的夏秋之夜，天上繁星闪耀，一道白茫茫的银河横贯南北，争河的东西两岸，各有一颗闪亮的星星，隔河相望，遥遥相对，那就是牵牛星和织女星。相传在很早以前，南阳城西牛家庄里有个聪明忠厚的小伙子，父母早亡，只好跟着哥哥嫂子度日，嫂子马氏为人狠毒，经常虐待他，逼他干很多的活，一天，天上的织女和诸仙女一起下凡游戏，在河里洗澡，牛郎在老牛的帮助下认识了织女，二人互生情意，后来织女便偷偷下凡，来到人间，做了牛郎的妻子。男耕女织，情深意重，他们生了一男一女两个孩子，一家人生活得很幸福。但是好景不长，这事很快便让天帝知道，王母娘娘亲自下凡来，强行把织女带回天上，恩爱夫妻被拆散。牛郎上天无路，还是老牛告诉牛郎，在它死后，可以用它的皮做成鞋，穿着就可以上天。牛郎按照老牛的话做了，穿上牛皮做的鞋，拉着自己的儿女，一起腾云驾雾上天去追织女，眼见就要追到了，岂知王母娘娘拔下头上的金簪一挥，一道波涛汹涌的天河就出现了，牛郎和织女被隔在两岸，只能相对哭泣流泪。他们的忠贞爱情感动了喜鹊，千万只喜鹊飞来，搭成鹊桥，让牛郎织女走上鹊桥相会，王母娘娘对此也无奈，只好允许两人在每年七月七日于鹊桥相会。七夕乞巧，这个节日起源于汉代，东晋葛洪的西京杂记有“汉彩女常以七月七日穿七孔针于开襟楼，人俱习之”的记载，这便是我们于古代文献中所见到的最早的关于乞巧的记载。后来的唐宋诗词中，妇女乞巧也被屡屡提及，唐朝王建有诗说“阑珊星斗缀珠光，七夕宫娥乞巧忙”。据开元天宝遗事载：唐太宗与妃子每逢七夕在清宫夜宴，宫女们各自乞巧，这一习俗在民间也经久不衰，代代延续。直到今日，七夕仍是一个富有浪漫色彩传统节日。但不少习俗活动已弱化或消失，惟有象征忠贞爱情的牛郎织女的传说，一直流传民间。中国传统节日：中秋节（中英文对照简介）Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month,usually in October in Gregorian calendar.The festival has a long history.In ancient China,emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn.Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word Mid-Autumn.Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people.They enjoyed the full,bright moon on that day,worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it.By the Tang Dynasty(618-907),the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed,which became even grander in the Song Dynasty(960-1279).In the Ming(1368-1644)and Qing(1644-1911)dynasties,it grew to be a major festival of China.Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this:In remote antiquity,there were ten suns rising in the sky,which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty.A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this,he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and,directing his superhuman strength to full extent,drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another.He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time.For this reason,he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him.A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E.One day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends,he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by.Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir,by taking which,it was said,one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being.Hou Yi,however,hated to part with his wife.So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being.Chang E hid the parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when,unexpectedly,it was seen by Peng Meng.One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting,Peng Meng,sword in hand,rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir.Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng,Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment.She turned round to open her treasure box,took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground,dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven.Peng Meng escaped.When Hou Yi returned home at dark,he knew from the maidservants what had happened.Overcome with grief,Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when,to his surprise,he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and on it there was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife.He tried his best to chase after the moon.But as he ran,the moon retreated;as he withdrew,the moon came back.He could not get to the moon at all.Thinking of his wife day and night,Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved.Putting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most,Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon.When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being,they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace.From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.People in different places follow various customs,but all show their love and longing for a better life.Today people will enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day.The moon looks extremely round,big and bright on the 15th day of each lunar month.People selected the August 15 to celebrate because it is a season when crops and fruits are all ripe and weather pleasant.On the Mid-Autumn Festival,all family members or friends meet outside,putting food on tables and looking up at the sky while talking about life.How splendid a moment it is!每年农历八月十五日，是传统的中秋佳节。这时是一年秋季的中期，所以被称为中秋。中秋节有悠久的历史，和其它传统节日一样，也是慢慢发展形成的，古代帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的礼制，早在周礼一书中，已有“中秋”一词的记载。后来贵族和文人学士也仿效起来，在中秋时节，对着天上又亮又圆一轮皓月，观赏祭拜，寄托情怀，这种习俗就这样传到民间，形成一个传统的活动，一直到了唐代，这种祭月的风俗更为人们重视，中秋节才成为固定的节日，唐书太宗记记载有“八月十五中秋节”，这个节日盛行于宋朝，至明清时，已与元旦齐名，成为我国的主要节日之一。相传，远古时候天上有十日同时出现，晒得庄稼枯死，民不聊生，一个名叫后羿的英雄，力大无穷，他同情受苦的百姓，登上昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉开神弓，一气射下九个多太阳，并严令最后一个太阳按时起落，为民造福。后羿因此受到百姓的尊敬和爱戴，不少志士慕名前来投师学艺，心术不正的蓬蒙也混了进来。后羿有一个美丽的妻子叫“嫦娥”。一天，后羿到昆仑山访友求道，巧遇由此经过的王母娘娘，便向王母求得一包不死药。据说，服下此药，能即刻升天成仙。然而，后羿舍不得撇下妻子，只好暂时把不死药交给嫦娥珍藏。嫦娥将药藏进梳妆台的百宝匣里，不料被小人蓬蒙看见了。一天，率众徒外出狩猎，蓬蒙手持宝剑闯入内宅后院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙的对手，危急之时她当机立断，转身打开百宝匣，拿出不死药一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下药，身子立时飘离地面、冲出窗口，向天上飞去。蓬蒙便借机逃走了。傍晚，后羿回到家，侍女们哭诉了白天发生的事。后羿气得捶胸顿足，悲痛欲绝，仰望着夜空呼唤爱妻的名字，这时他惊奇地发现，今天的月亮格外皎洁明亮，而且有个晃动的身影酷似嫦娥。他拼命朝月亮追去，可是他追三步，月亮退三步，他退三步，月亮进三步，无论怎样也追不到跟前。后羿无可奈何，又思念妻子，只好派人到嫦娥喜爱的后花园里，摆上香案，放上她平时最爱吃的蜜食鲜果，遥祭在月宫里眷恋着自己的嫦娥。百姓们闻知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。中秋节的习俗很多，形式也各不相同，但都寄托着人们对生活无限的热爱和对美好生活的向往。在今天，中秋节的时候，人们都会吃月饼。月下游玩的习俗，已远没有旧时盛行。但设宴赏月仍很盛行，人们把酒问月，庆贺美好的生活，或祝远方的亲人健康快乐，和家人“千里共婵娟”。中国传统节日：重阳节（中英文对照简介）Double Ninth Festival The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival,or Double Ninth Festival.It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar.In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing,or The Book of Changes,number 6
