春节习俗(英文版).doc

春节习俗
从农历正月初一开始的节庆活动可谓丰富多彩，多种多样。
A series of colorful celebration activities begin on the first day of the first lunar month.
春节过了以后，就是在过去中国的农村里边，文艺的活动逐渐地展开了，有各种的文艺节目，像我们现在看到的北京花会一样，高跷、旱船，另外就是唱戏。
After the Spring Festival, all kinds of entertainment programs used to be given in the rural areas in China. Just like the flower exhibition in Beijing now, the entertainment programs include walking on stilts, taking a boat on ground and operas.
不管是城里人，还是在农村，人们都要做的一件事就是拜年。民间流行的拜年活动先是从家里开始的。
No matter in the city or in the countryside, all the people will do one thing that is to extend Spring Festival greetings. This activity begins at first between family members.
一般是我们晚辈要给长辈拜年，比如给父母和父母的兄弟姐妹，大爷、大妈等拜年。
Normally we will extend our Spring Festival greetings to our elders, such as our parents, uncles and aunts.
亲戚之间在春节期间走动，有互拜平安的意思。
Relatives will drop each other a visit during the Spring Festival to give their best wishes.
给亲戚拜年，出门之后就作揖、问安，说点吉祥话，恭喜过年呐，恭喜发财呀，说点吉祥话，预示着第二年有个好的，这就是新一年来了以后有好运。
To drop a Spring Festival visit is to give your new year greetings when you are out. Have a luck talk. Happy new year! May you come into a good fortune! A luck talk can bring luck to people in the new year.
身体非常重要，所以春节的问候往往加上"身体健康"。
Health is very important. So new greetings normally have "Good health!"
万事如意，心想事成。
Hope everything goes your way. May you succeed at/in whatever you try.
事业有成！
Have a successful career!
春节词汇精选：
drop a Spring Festival visit 拜年
a luck talk 吉祥话

除了以往的到家里拜年，或寄贺年卡，近年来，人们也开始通过电话、电子邮件和手机短信拜年。
The traditional way of extending Spring Festival greetings includes to drop a visit or to send new year cards. In recent years, people began to use telephone, email and sms to extend their Spring Festival wishes.
虽然拜年的方式变化了，但对孩子们来讲，有一件事是不变的，那就是拜年时长辈们会给压岁钱因为压岁钱多是放在红纸袋里的，所以人们也称之为"红包"。
Although people have different ways of extending the Spring Festival wishes now, for children, one thing still remains unchanged. This is, when they pay a Spring Festival visit to their elders, elders will give them Yasuiqian, i.e. gift money. Since Yasuiqian is money put into a small red paper envelope, people also call it "red bag/envelope/packet".
一般是这样，家里给压岁钱就是给小孩子。磕头拜年，父母给压岁钱。
Normally, our elders give us children new year money. We kowtow to them and give them our best wishes. They will give us new year money.
其实这个"岁"呢，就是那个鬼鬼祟祟的"祟"，原来不是这个年岁的岁，它是一个谐音，就是祛除这个"鬼祟之气"、"晦气"， "霉运"。于是就给点压岁钱。实际上最早不是钱，它是一些象征性的物，那么后来呢，就给点钱，不管多少，有那么个意思。
Actually, "sui" in yasuiqian has a homonym which means evil spirit. Yasuiqian is to get rid of this evil spirit and bad luck. So people give some money to bring good luck. In fact, at first people did not give money but other symbolic gifts. Then, they give money. No matter how big or small the amount is, it has a symbolic meaning.

春节词汇精选：
candies 糖果
sunflower seeds 瓜子
Yasuiqian = gift money = red bag 红包

农历正月初十过后，人们便开始准备庆祝元宵节的活动。元宵节是正月十五，是过年的另一个高潮。赏灯和吃元宵是元宵节活动的两个主要内容。这一天，人们在夜里悬挂彩灯猜灯谜，一起吃顿丰富的晚餐来庆祝。元宵节赏灯活动中的猜谜游戏充满了智慧和趣味。
After the 10th day of the first lunar month calendar, people begin to celebrate Yuanxiao Festival/the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao Festival is the 15th day of the first lunar month, another climax during Spring Festival celebration. Watching lanterns and eating Yuanxiao are two main activities for Xuanxiao Festival celebration. On this day, people go to guess riddles on lanterns at night and have a big dinner for celebration. The riddle games are full of wisdom and fun.
过年时，言行要特别谨慎，因为中国人希望一年的开始能够事事顺利，有个好兆头。所以春节时期有许多禁忌。有些话、有些事是不能说，不能做的。
During the Spring Festival, one must be extremely careful in his or her acts and words. Because Chinese people want to have a nice start at the beginning of each year. Therefore there are many taboos during the Spring Festival. Some words should not be spoken and some things should not be done.
春节里边有很多禁忌，你初一这一天最好不要扫地，要扫地的话，你要从门口往门里扫，从外往里扫，因为这些垃圾（被人们认为）都是财富。如果这一天打碎了东西，你不能责备孩子们，你得说"岁岁平安"。打碎了嘛，"碎"跟那个年岁的"岁"正好谐音，岁岁平安。如果小孩子不注意说了这种骂人的话啊什么，叫做"童言无忌"。
There are many taboos during the Spring Festival. One should not sweep on the first day of the first lunar month. If you sweep on that day, you should sweep from outdoors to indoors, but not from indoors to outdoors. If a child breaks something on that day, you should not blame him or her. You should say "To break is great for next year!" Break in Chinese has a homonym which means Year. If a child says something bad, it is "Children’s words are no taboos."

春节词汇精选：
Yuanxiao Festival/the Lantern Festival 元宵节
To break is great for next year! 碎碎平安
Children’s words are no taboos 童言无忌