Todayisthebigyearthirty,commonlyknownas"NewYear'sEve".
Everyhouseholdisattachedtoaflamingcoupletandabig"blessing"word.Thefirecrackerswerereadyforthereuniondinnerandattwelveo'clockontheeveofthenewyear'sEve.
Everyonewashere,andthegloriousandarduoustaskof"pouringtea"wasgiventome.Iambusy,justashappytoacceptthistaskInowhavetobeataretreat.Isawsomeadultsplayingcards,someplayingmahjongandwatchingTV.Myheartislikecountlesshandsthatarescratchingmyheart.
Toeatfamilyreuniondinner,thetableofdeliciouscannothelpbutletmewateringthreefeet.Iwasgoingtostealatastewithmyhand,butIhesitatedandIwasafraidofmakingabadimpressiononmeforanewyear."Pa,PA--"fatherinshootingbamboo,setofffirecrackersintradition,thereisashortstoryaboutit!Inthetimeoflegend,thereisabigmonster,whicheverybodycallsit"year"."Year"yearattheendoftheyearwillgotothepeople'shomestoeatanddestroy.Thenyouknowthatitisafraidoftheloudnoise,soweputupattheendoftheredfirecrackers,getridofthehate"year",andlaterthepeopleinordertocommemoratetheday,thisdayiscalled"newyear".Thisisthestoryof"thenewyear".
Afterdinner,everyonearoundthefireinthefire,watchingtheSpringFestivalGala"".Someadultsroastthericecaketothechildren,anditissaidthatthiscanmakethechildrenwhoeatricecakeriseyearbyyear.Justfinishthecake,dumplingsoutofthepot,white,fat,likeabigwhitegoldtreasure.Eatingcannotmaketheearsnotfrozen,butalsofragrantandsoft,delicious!
Imperceptiblytotwelvepointsafterthefireworks,peoplepreparetheredenvelopestochildren,itissaidthatthemoneyunderhispillow,thisyeartherewillbegoodfortune.
Thenewyearisreallybusyandhappy!
Ilikespringfestivalbecauseweareveryhappyonthatday.LastfestivalwehadagoodtimeandIwillneverforgetit.Inthemorningallmyfamilywerebusypreparingforit.Ihelpedtocleanthehouseandmyparentswerecookingsomedeliciousfood.Onthatafternoonwehadabigdinner.Atnightwemadejiaoziandsetofffireworkstocelebratethefestival.InthemeanwhilewewatchedTV.Myparentsgavememuchluckymoney.Thenextmorningwesaidhappynewyeartoeverybodyfromdoortodoor.
FarandawaythemostimportantholidayinChinaisSpringFestival,alsoknownastheChineseNewYear.TotheChinesepeopleitisasimportantasChristmastopeopleintheWest.thedatesforthisannualcelebrationaredeterminedbythelunarcalendarratherthantheGREgoriancalendar,sothetimingoftheholidayvariesfromlateJanuarytoearlyFebruary.
TotheordinaryChinese,thefestivalactuallybeginsontheeveofthelunarNewYear’sDayandendsonthefifthdayofthefirstmonthofthelunarcalendar.Butthe15thofthefirstmonth,whichnormallyiscalledtheLanternFestival,meanstheofficialendoftheSpringFestivalinmanypartsofthecountry.
我们中国最重要的节日是春节,也被称为中国的新年。中国人民是西方人的圣诞节一样重要。这个一年一度的庆典的日期是由农历而不是公历,所以假期的时间从一月底到二月初而异。
其实普通中国人,节日实际上开始于农历新年前夕和结束的第五天农历的第一个月。但是第一个月的15日,通常被称为元宵节,春节意味着正式结束在这个国家的许多地区。
TheSpringFestivalcomesafterNewYear'sDay.It'susuallyinJanuaryorFebruary.It'stheChineseNewYear'sDay.TheSpringFestivalisthebiggestfestivalinChina.AlloftheChineselikethisfestival.Whenitcomes,peoplearebusy.Theyusuallydosomecleaning,gotothestorestobuysomenewclothesandalotofmeat,vegetablesandfruit.Ontheeveofthefestival,everyoneinthefamilycomesbackhomefromotherplaces.Theygettogetherandhaveabigsupper.Theyeatdumplings,NewYear'scakeandsomeotherdeliciousfoodintheirhouses.SomepeoplelikeNewYear'scake,butmorepeoplethinkdumplingsarethemostdeliciousfoodofall.Somefamilieshaveaparty.Theysing,danceandhaveagoodtime.IlikethisfestivalverymuchbecauseIcanplaywithmyfriendsandIcanget"redenvelopes".
关于过年:
其中春节一般指除夕和正月初一。但在民间,传统意义上的春节是指从腊月初八的腊祭或腊月二十三或二十四的祭灶,一直到正月十五,其中以除夕和正月初一为高潮。还有在春节期间,我国的汉族和很多少数民族都要举行各种活动以示庆祝。这些活动均以祭祀神佛、祭奠祖先、除旧布新、迎禧接福、祈求丰年为主要内容。活动丰富多彩,带有浓郁的民族特色。
SpringFestivalthemostimportantholidayforChinesepeople.Excitementandhappinessarepalpablethtimeoftheyear,andtheyreachthepeakonlunarnewyear‘seve.
春节对于中国人来说是最重要的节日。在每年的春节都让人兴高采烈,尤其是大年三十那晚,更是达到了高潮。
Thoughthe15-dayperiod,whichstartswiththefirstdayofthelunarnewyearandendsonthe15thday(knownasLanternFestival),relativelylong,itthebusiesttimeoftheyearforChinesepeople.Thearrangementstheyhavetomakeforfamilyreunions,buyingnecessitiesandpreparingfoodkeepsthembusythroughouttheholiday.Manyofthemtravelbackhomeandmeetfriendsoverdinneranddrinks.Thecelebrationsincludedecoratingthehouseandsettingofffireworks.
这段比较长的时间是中国人最忙的时候。他们为家庭聚会作安排,采购年货,准备丰盛的食物,以至于整个春节假期都忙忙碌碌的。许多人在春季期间都要回老家过年,跟朋友碰碰头,聚个餐。庆祝春节也包括大扫除和放烟火。
Butwearetalkingaboutatraditionthatseemstobefading.
但是我们现在要谈的是越来越淡的年味。
SpringFestival,asitcelebratedtoday,hasundergonemanychanges,thankstothecountry‘seconomicdevelopmentandglobalization.
现在的'春节已经因为我国经济的发展和全球化的影响而改变了很多。
YetnoSpringFestivalcompletewithoutfood.Peoplecouldnotgetgoodfoodwhenevertheydesiredinearliertimes,somethingthatdoesnotapplytosocietytoday.Moreoftenthannot,peoplefacedtherkoffamine.Thebesttimeforpeopletocelebratewaswhenfoodwasavailableinplenty,andthatwaspossibleinspring,orthebeginningofthelunarnewyear.ThatwasthemainreasonwhySpringFestivalacquiredsuchgreatimportanceamongChinesepeople.
但是没有哪个春节是完全离得开“吃”的。从前,不论人们提前多久想要买年货,总是不能如愿,而现在早已今非昔比。过去常常还要闹饥荒。人们最好的庆祝时间就是他们能得到食物丰盛的时候,也就是春天或是元月初的那段时间。那也是为什么春节对于中国人如此重要的主要原因。
ButthreedecadesofeconomicgrowthhasensuredthatpeopleinChina,exceptforthosewhoarestillpoor,canenjoyagoodmealwhenevertheywant.Suchhasbeenthechangeinpeople‘sfortunethatsomehavetobetreatedforobesityandotherhealthproblemsassociatedwithexcessiveeating.
但是三十年来的经济发展已经让中国人,除了那些仍然穷苦的人以外,随时都能享受美食。这得益于人民财富的增长,但是后者也导致一些人吃得太多而受到肥胖威胁和健康问题。
Inthepast,celebrationswerelimitedtoeventslikesong-and-danceduetsinNorthChina,dragon/liondancesinSouthChinaandfireworks,whichrequiredthejointeffortsoftheentirecommunity.Buteconomicdevelopmentandurbanizationseemstohaveweakenedthesociallinksamongpeople.Many,especiallythoselivingincities,arenotinterestedincelebratingthefestivalwithpeopletheyhardlyknow.
在过去,庆祝春节还只停留在北方的二人转和南方的舞龙舞狮等形式。那些庆祝活动往往需要许多人合力才能办得起来。但是经济的发展和国际化程度的提升似乎已经将这种社会联系弱化了。许多人,特别是城市居民,不太愿意与不相识的人一起共度春节。
ManycustomsassociatedwithSpringFestivalhavechanged,too.Inthepast,peopleusedtovitrelativesandfriendswithgiftsandlotsofgoodwhes.Today,manypeople,especiallytheyouth,usetheircellphonesortheInternettosendtheirgoodwhesandeven"gifts"totheirrelativesandfriends.Somemaysaythasignthatpeoplehavebecomelesscaringabouttheirnearanddearones,butweshouldseethdevelopmentasatime-andenergy-savingexercegrantedbytheinformationage.
与春节相关的许多习俗也被改变了。在过去,人们常常会带着礼物走亲访友,互道祝福。今天许多人,特别是年轻人,用手机或是网络向亲朋好友发去“礼物”和祝福。有些人或许会说,这说明人们已经没有那么关心至爱亲朋了,但是我们应该把这种变化看作信息化时代省钱省力的好办法。
Inrecenttimes,manypeoplehavestartedprayingforacareerpromotionormoremoneyinsteadofinvokingGodortheBuddhaforahealthyandlonglifeandthewelfareoftheirfamily.Butthenumberofsuchpeopledecreasingnow,whichshowsthatpeoplearebecomingmorereasonable.
最近几年,许多人开始祈祷事业高升,财源滚滚,而不是求神拜佛,他们身体健康,长命百岁,家庭美满。但是这样的人数现在正在减少,说明人们开始变得更加理性。