【趣味英语】春节小知识

【趣味英语】春节小知识

除夕夜，【每日英语】祝大家新年快乐，万事如意！

【基本词汇与短语】：

【Greeting Season】:

春节The Spring Festival 农历lunar calendar

正月lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar

除夕New Year‘s Eve; eve of lunar New Year

初一the beginning of New Year 元宵节The Lantern Festival

【Customs】：

过年Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival

对联poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry

春联Spring Festival couplets 剪纸paper-cuts

买年货special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping

年画New Year paintings 敬酒propose a toast

灯笼lantern: a portable light 烟花fireworks

爆竹firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)

红包red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming year.)

舞狮lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)

舞龙dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)

戏曲traditional opera 杂耍variety show; vaudeville

灯谜riddles written on lanterns 灯会exhibit of lanterns

守岁staying-up 禁忌taboo

拜年pay New Year‘s call; give New Year‘s greetings; New Year‘s visit

去晦气get rid of the ill- fortune

祭祖宗offer sacrifices to one‘s ancestors

压岁钱gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift

【Culture Note】：In the old days, New Year‘s money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old. Today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth

辞旧岁bid farewell to the old year

扫房spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

【Food names】：

年糕Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake

团圆饭family reunion dinner 年夜饭the dinner on New Year‘s Eve

饺子Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝饭eight treasures rice pudding

汤圆Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings

糖果盘candy tray: 什锦糖assorted candies - sweet and fortune

蜜冬瓜candied winter melon - growth and good health

西瓜子red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity

金桔cumquat - prosperity 红枣red dates - prosperity

糖莲子candied lotus seed - many descendents to come

糖藕candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship

花生糖peanut candy - sweet

【Blessing】:

Treasures fill the home 财源广进

Business flourishes 事业兴隆

Peace all year round 岁岁平安

Wishing you prosperity 恭喜发财

Harmony brings wealth 家和万事兴

May all your wishes come true 心想事成

Everything goes well 万事如意

The country flourishes and people live in peace 国家富强、人民安康

Money and treasures will be plentiful 财源茂盛

Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position 事业有成、更上一层楼、蒸蒸日上Safe trip wherever you go 一帆风顺

Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year! 祝你新的一年快乐幸福

Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family! 事业成功，家庭美满（阖家欢乐）【中国新年禁忌】：

Dos and Donts of Chinese New Year

Do's:

Wish everyone you meet a happy New Year by saying "gong xi fa cai", which translates to: "Have a happy and prosperous New Year!" 对每一个你遇到的人道一声：“恭喜发财”，翻译成英文就是：“在新的一年里拥有幸福繁荣的生活”；

Wear articles of red clothing because red symbolizes luck. 穿红色布料做成的饰品，因为红色昭示着幸运；

Eat vegetarian food because it's not good to see blood. 吃素食，因为见血是不吉利的；

Buy new trousers because the Chinese word for trousers is "fu", (Chinese homonym for wealth) 买新裤子（衣服），因为汉语里裤子就是“服”，（在汉语里与财富的“富”谐音）；