民俗译文.doc

PAGE  PAGE 3 Culture Shock! China P161-166 The Chinese Lunar Calendar 农历/阴历 The Chinese zodiac is used to reference years, in much the same way that Westerners make reference to the Gregorian calendar. It is not uncommon to have someone respond with a zodiac sign rather than an actual year when you ask how old they are. ‘I am an earth pig’ is a well understood answer, giving common reference not just on age, but also on character and preferences. It even influences your love life, as some signs are meant to be more compatible than others. The Chinese only began using the Gregorian calendar in 1911. 中国的属相是用来纪年的，正如西方人使用格里高利历（即公历）纪年。若被问及年纪，也常有人对答属相，而非生年。若答“我是土猪年生人”，大家都听得懂。这个回答不只提到年纪，还点明了性格和喜好，而且可能影响到爱情生活。因为有些属相更加般配。直到1911年，中国人才使用公历。 Although the actual date of the origin of Chinese astrology is unknown, legend has it that the Yellow Emperor introduced the first cycle of the zodiac in 2,600 BC to record the Chinese Lunar New Year. The basic structure of the zodiac is ten heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches, which when combined indicate a specific hour, date and year according to the Chinese traditional system. The 12 branches match the number of months in a year and hours in a day. With each of the stems and branches combining once sequentially, a complete cycle takes 60 years. Everyone who uses this calendar can experience the exact same year only once again in their lifetime. 人们不知道中国占星术源起的具体日期，传说是黄帝于公元前2600年初次使用十二生肖农历纪年。生肖以十天干和十二地支区分。中国传统历法中，天干与地支结合用以指称具体的时辰、日期和年份。十二地支用来区分一年中的月份和一日中的时辰。将天干、地支配对组合，60年一轮回。使用这种历法，人一生中只会有两次经历同名年份。 Spring Festival (Chun Jie) 春节 This is the biggest holiday in China. Otherwise known as Chinese New Year, it is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. A three-day public holiday, commencing on the eve of the New Year, Chinese people spend this time with their family or travelling. Food plays a significant role in the holiday with continual gatherings for eating with friends and family occurring over a fou