中国春节常用词语的英语表达

中国春节常用词语的英语表达

过年 celebrate the spring festival

春联 spring festival couplets

剪纸paper-cuts

年画new year paintings

买年货do shopping for the spring festival do spring festival shopping

敬酒propose a toast

灯笼lantern

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

灯谜riddles written on lanterns

灯会exhibit of lanterns

守岁staying-up

拜年pay new year's call; give new year's greetings; pay new year's visit

禁忌taboo

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 c o i n s s t r u n g t o g e t h e r o n a r e d s t r i n g a n d s y m b o l i z e d t h e h o p e t h a t o n e w o u l d l i v e t o b e a h u n d r e d years old. today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered ausp icious and given to represent luck and wealth

辞旧岁bid farewell to the old year

扫房spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

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

The Chinese lunar new year is coming. This new year is called "The Year of the Horse".

Traditional Chinese:

農曆新年Simplified Chinese

压岁钱: gift money ;money given to children as a lunar new year gift；lucky money

春节拜年时，长辈要将事先准备好的压岁钱分给晚辈，据说压岁钱可以压住邪祟，因为“岁”与“祟”谐音，晚

辈得到压岁钱就可以平平安安度过一岁。此外，还有一种名副其实的压岁钱，是由晚辈给老人的，岁，就是年岁，

岁数，压岁，意在期盼老人长寿。

关于压岁钱，有一个流传很广的故事。古时候，有一种小妖叫“祟”，大年三十晚上出来用手去摸熟睡

着的孩子的头，孩子往往吓得哭起来，接着头疼发热，变成傻子。因此，家家都在这天亮着灯坐着不睡，叫做“守祟”。

About gift money, there is an old story. In the ancient time, there lived a kind of small monster named Cui（祟）and on Chinese Lunar New Year’s eve, it touched sleeping children’s heads, making them scared

to cry and then had a fever and finally becoming fools. Therefore, on that night, all families kept their lights on, st aying up. This is called “be aware of the Sui”.

有一家夫妻俩老年得子，视为心肝宝贝。到了年三十夜晚，他们怕“祟”来害孩子，就拿出八枚铜钱

同孩子玩。孩子玩累了睡着了，他们就把八枚铜钱用红纸包着放在孩子的枕头下边，夫妻俩不敢合眼。

半夜里一阵阴风吹开房门，吹灭了灯火，祟”刚伸手去摸孩子的头，枕头边就迸发道道闪光，吓得祟逃

跑了。第二天，夫妻俩把用红纸包八枚铜钱吓退“祟”的事告诉了大家，以后大家学着做，孩子就太平无

事了。

One old couple had a baby and they fairly cherished it. On new year’s eve, in order to protect their child fr om Sui, they took eight cooper coins and played with their child. The child felt tired and fel l asleep. The parents put the eight cooper coins under their child’s p i l l o w,w i t h t h e i r e y e s o p e n a l l n i g h t l o n g.L a t e r,t h e d o o r w a s b l o w n open by a gust, and the light was blown off. Hardly had Sui begun to touch the child’s head when the eight cooper coins gave off light, scarin

g Sui away. The second day, the couple told this to their neighbors. From then on, all began to do this and all children were safe and sound.

原来八枚铜钱是八仙变的，暗中来保护孩子的。因为“祟”与“岁”谐音，之后逐渐演变为“压岁钱”(because 祟and 岁are o f the same tone, from th en on we had Gif t Mone y)。到了明清，“以彩

绳穿钱编为龙形，谓之压岁钱。尊长之赐小儿者，亦谓压岁钱”。所以一些地方把给孩子压岁钱叫串钱。到了近代则演变为红纸包一百文铜钱赐给晚辈，寓意“长命百岁”。对已成年的晚辈红纸包里则放一枚银元，寓意“一本万利。货币改为纸币后，长辈们喜欢到银行兑换票面号码相连的新钞票给孩子，祝愿孩

子“连连高升”。