英语翻译——四六级

京剧是中国的国粹，也是招待外宾必不可少的项目。

Peking Opera is the quintessence of Chinese culture. As such, it has become a must-see item to entertain foreign guests.然而作为一门古老的艺术，京剧却有着难以被现代人接受的元素。

As a traditional art form, Peking Opera has problems in appealing to today’s theater-goers.它缓慢而单调。

京剧服装和脸谱反而更受人们喜爱。

It is very slow and monotonous. Its costumes and facial masks are more attractive.戏服是以明代服饰的样式作为基础的，色彩艳丽。

袖口处的两块长长的白绸在舞动的时候有一种美感。

There is a very distinct Ming Dynasty influence on Peking Opera costumes. They are very colorful and majestic（庄严的，宏伟的）. Two long pieces of white silk at the end of the sleeves creates a graceful feeling during dancing.京剧脸谱可以展现不同人物性格。

京剧脸谱的颜色可以反映出一个人物的忠奸。

Facial masks can reflect the qualities of different characters. People can tell a hero from a villain by the colors of their masks.比如黑色代表正直，白色代表奸人，黄色代表勇敢，蓝、绿色代表绿林好汉。

In general, black represents righteousness, white usually represents treachery, yellow represents bravery, while blue and green represent rebellious fighters.在一个传统的中国家庭中，男人肩负作为儿子和兄长不可摆脱的责任。

In a traditional Chinese family, a man is both a son and an elder brother. There are certain obligations that he can never shun.他结婚也是为了履行繁衍后代的责任。

中国有句古话：“兄弟如手足，妻子如衣服”，对妻子的责任反倒不那么重要了。

Even his marriage is a duty to produce the next generation. The obligations of the wife are less important, as the old saying goes: “Brothers are as indispensable as hands and feet, while the wife is like a coat.”受传统观念的影响，一个已婚男人依然会把父母和兄弟姐妹放在首位。

Under this influence, a man would have to treat his parents and brothers or sisters with priority even if he was married.如果这个男人是长子，责任就更大了。

If the man happened to be the eldest son, his obligations would be even more important.因此，传统的中国家庭里的长幼顺序应该是：最年长的祖父母或父母在家中占据首位，第二位是子女，然后是兄弟，最后才到夫妻。

In China, a traditional family is headed by the most senior person, either the grandparents or parents. Children come next, followed by brothers. Husband and wife relations come at the bottom.扇子似乎在中国文化中有特别的含义。

它们曾是中国女人的至爱。

Fans seem to have special meanings in Chinese culture. They used to be a favorite item for women in China.也许你会注意到，在中国古代图画中，仕女都会手持一把绢扇。

You may have noticed that nearly all female figures in traditional Chinese paintings carry a silk fan.通常，扇子多用檀香木（sandalwood）做扇骨，扇面则用绢或纸。

扇子一般都有香味，使得仕女们更显妩媚。

Usually, the structure of the fans is made of sandalwood, and the faces are made of silk or paper. Because the fans are always scented, women who use them appear, even more, attractive.扇子或许是最能展现女子优雅的道具了。

Fans are, probably, one of the most appropriate expressions of female elegance.男人也用扇子，但是那些扇子要大得多。

Men also use fans, but these fans are usually much bigger.男子的扇子多用上好的材料作扇骨，扇面会绘上花草、风景或书法（calligraphy），以此来展现男子的地位和学养。

Men’s fans often use valuable materials for their structure, but the faces are always painted with plants, landscapes, or calligraphy, to express the owner’s status and aspirations.中国人最喜欢的动物是龙，这是一种想象出来的动物，却被当作了中国人的祖先。

The Chinese people are extremely fond of dragon, a kind of imaginary animals, which has been referred to as the ancestor of the Chinese nation.几个世纪以来，龙是权利和神秘的象征。

For centuries, the Chinese dragon has been a symbol of power and mystery. 无论在中国还是在西方，关于龙的传说数不胜数，而龙也成为人们敬畏和崇拜的对象。

Depicted in countless legends, both Eastern and Western, the dragon has provoked man to fear and worship it.在中世纪的欧洲，龙的形象是嗜血、喷火的。

它的残暴令众人害怕。

In medieval Europe, it was a bloodthirsty, fire-breathing figure. Its malevolence and ferociousness struck terror in all.所以到今天为止，在西方龙的这种可怕形象依然深入人心。

The evil image of the dragon still remains in many Westerners’ mind today.然而在亚洲，观念却截然相反。

龙作为一种慈爱、聪明而亲切的神秘动物为人们长期称颂。

However, in Asia, it is a sharp contrary. The might dragon is a mythical beast long celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and goodwill.事实上，中国人被唤作“龙的传人”。

In fact, the Chinese people all over the world are known as the “descendants of drago n.”在古代中国，筷子不仅是把食物送到口中的餐具，它还被赋予了重要的内涵和“能”与“不能”的规矩。

In ancient China, chopsticks signified far more than tools that take food to the mouth; they also signified status and rules, “can” and “can’t”.在古代的饮食礼仪中，筷子使用方法的禁忌有十多种。

In ancient eating etiquette, there were over a dozen taboos concerning chopsticks.比如，忌将筷子竖直插入菜盘或饭碗，因为这代表为死人上坟。

For example, they could not be placed vertically into a dish or a bowl, as this was the way of making sacrifices to the dead.在餐桌上不要用筷子敲打或推动盘碗，也不要把筷子当叉使用。

Diners could not tap or push a dish with chopsticks, nor use a chopstick as a fork by poking it into a piece of food.在夹菜时，不能从一个盘子游移到另一个盘子，或者把自己的筷子与别人的筷子相交叉。