中华民族的传统文化博大精深

中华民族的传统文化博大精深、源远流长。早在2 000多年前，就产生了儒家学说和道家学说，以及其他很多在中国思想史上有地位的学说流派，这就是有名的“诸子百家”。从孔夫子到孙中山，中华民族传统文化有它的很多珍贵品质。比如“天下兴亡，匹夫有责”的爱国情操，“民为邦本”、“民贵君轻”的民本思想和“己所不欲，勿施于人”的行为准则。

博大精深 both extensive and profound

儒家学说 Confucianism

道家学说 Taoism

诸子百家Hundred Schools of Thought

孔夫子 Confucius

孙中山 Dr. Sun Yat-sen

天下兴亡，匹夫有责 Everybody is responsible for the rise or fall of the country.

爱国情操 patriotism

民为邦本 People are the foundation of the country.

民贵君轻 The people are more important than the monarch.

己所不欲，勿施于人 Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you.

行为准侧 code of conduct

The traditional Chinese culture, both extensive and profound, starts far back and runs a long, long course. More than 2 000 years ago, there emerged in China Confucianism and Taoism, and many other theories and doctrines that figured prominently in the history of Chinese thought, all being covered by the famous term “the Hundred Schools of Thought”. From Confucius to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the traditional Chinese culture presents many precious ideas. For example, they lay stress on. patriotism as embodied in the saying “Everybody is responsible for the rise or fall of the country.”, the populist ideas that “People are the foundation of the country.” and that “The people are more important than the monarch” and the code of conduct of “Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you”.

中国新年是中国最重要的传统节日，在中国也被称为春节。新年的庆祝活动从除夕开始一直延续到元宵节，即从农历最后一个月的最后一天至新年第一个月的第十五天。各地欢度春节的习俗和传统有很大差异，但通常每个家庭都会在除夕夜团聚，一起吃年夜饭。为驱厄运、迎好运，家家户户都会进行大扫除。人们还会在门上粘贴红色的对联，对联的主题为健康、发财和好运。其他的活动还有放鞭炮、发红包和探访亲友等。

中国新年 Chinese New Year

春节 the Spring Festival

除夕 Chinese New Year’s Eve

元宵节 the Lantern Festival

农历 lunar calendar

有差异 vary

年夜饭 annual reunion dinner驱厄运 sweep away ill fortune

迎好运 bring in good luck

大扫除 thoroughly clean the house

对联 couplets

放鞭炮 light firecrackers

发红包 give money in red envelopes

Chinese New Year is the most important traditional Chinese festival. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival. New Year celebrations run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the lunar calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month. Customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year vary widely from place to place. However, New Year’s Eve is usually an occasi on for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean the house in order to sweep away ill fortune and to bring in good luck. And doors will be decorated with red couplets with themes of health, wealth and good luck. Other activities include lighting firecrackers, giving money in red envelopes, and visiting relatives and friends.

中国的官方语言普通话在美国的学校中突然热起来。由于中国经济在21世纪的快速发展，美国的公立和私立学校纷纷在外语课程中加入汉语这一科目，或将已有的汉语教学项目进行扩展。据统计，在美国的学校中，有5万名孩子在学习汉语。但推动汉语项目的发展不是没有遇到困难。由于缺乏受过专业训练、持有证书的教师，一些学校很难加入汉语教学的竞争。当学校聘用教师时，它们通常直接从中国招聘，这种方式为文化冲突埋下了隐患。

官方语言official language

普通话Mandarin

快速的rapid

课程curriculum (pl.curricula)

已有的in place

缺乏shortage

受过专业训练professionally trained

证书certificate

招聘recruit

文化冲突culture clash

Mandarin, the official language of China, is suddenly hot in American schools. With the rapid development of China’s economy in the 21th century, both public and private schools in America are scrambling to add Mandarin to their curricula of foreign languages or expanding Chinese language programs already in place. By some estimates, as many as 50 000 children nationwide are taking Mandarin in American schools. To develop Chinese-language programs has met some difficulties. A shortage of professionally trained teachers with certificates has made it difficult for some schools to join the competition. When schools need to employ teachers, they often recruit them from China directly, which is a hidden trouble for culture clash.

如今，中国正步入老龄化社会，因此独生子女一代面临着巨大的工作和生活压力。中国政府开始适当调整计划生育政策，允许一些家庭在特殊情况下生育二胎。但调查显示，很多夫妻迫于不断加重的经济压力，放弃生育二胎。因此，要从根本上解决老龄化的问题不能依靠出生率的上升，最有效的办法是建立有效的社会保障制度。

步入step into

老龄化社会aging society

独生子女一代the only-child generation

巨大的enormous

调整adjust

计划生育政策the family planning policy

在特殊情况下under certain circumstances