Chinese
New Year
金陵 輯註
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The most important holiday in China
is the Lunar New Year(農曆年). Since it is based on the lunar
calendar(農曆), it comes about a month later than the
Western New Year. The Chinese New Year season traditionally lasts about a
month . The period has now been reduced to a week or less. There are some
parallels(相似之處) with the Western New Year: houses are cleaned
thoroughly, for instance , and families all get together for the festivities(慶祝活動).
All debts must be paid off (還清)so that new year can be
started with a fresh beginning. Feasts are enjoyed with family and friends,
and there are lively dragon and lion dances(舞龍，舞獅)
in the streets. Everywhere there is the sound of fire cracker explosions(放爆竹，鞭炮).
Children receive gifts of little red envelopes(紅包)
with money inside them. Many superstitions(迷信)
are related to the celebration of the Chinese New Year. No sweeping (掃地)must
be done in case the family's good fortune will be swept out the door(掃出門)
with the trash(垃圾). One should be especially
careful not to break any dishes, for such an accident is believed to bring
about serious problems between members of the family throughout the coming
year. Conservative families(保守家庭) send their kitchen god (灶神)off
to make his annual report in heaven on New Year's Eve. This god is worshipped
in the form of a paper portrait (紙晝)of
the god pasted on(貼在) the kitchen wall. There he
keeps an eye on(監看) his human family
throughout the year, and goes back to heaven to report on what he has seen.
To send him on his trip, he is taken off the wall and burned, but not before
some sweet paste(甜糊，通常用麥芽糖放在灶口) and wine
are spread over his mouth to make sure that he gives a good report about the
family. At New Year's time most Chinese
families paste signs(貼對聯) on and around the front
doors of their homes. These signs consist of black or gold Chinese characters
(中文字)written on squares(方塊)
or strips(長條) of red paper, because red is a happy color
which brings good luck. The New Year sayings written on them are usually good
luck phrases(吉祥語句), or words related to spring—a symbol or new
growth, new hope, new beginnings—since in China the New Year also marks the
beginning of spring. On New Year's Day(大年初一)
people dress in their best clothes to go visiting relatives and friends,
wishing everyone they meet a Happy New Year. Most shops are closed on this
day; some stay closed for three days some up to a week, and then open their
doors to the new year with the explosion of --- from
pp.118-119, Breakthrough
3 by Oxford University Press 1978 中譯見本站「中英翻譯」 http://www.ep66.com.tw/Tec31b.htm http://www.ep66.com.tw/Tec31a.htm 註：新年習俗 1. 貼在灶神兩旁的對聯是：上天言好事，下界保平安。 |