中华文化翻译练习.doc

1. 传统节日Traditional Festivals 元宵节 Lantern Festival 元宵节起源于远古时代人们以火把驱邪的仪式。元宵节的风俗特征是张灯结彩，供人观赏取乐，故又称“灯节”。各处有灯会，比赛花灯，举行灯谜盛会，小孩也提着灯笼四处游观玩耍。这种欢乐的场景，一直要持续到十八日“落灯”方止。此外，元宵节还时兴跑旱船、舞龙灯、耍狮子等等群众性娱乐活动。 The Lantern Festival developed from an ancient ceremony of using torches to ward off evil spirits. On the Lantern Festival, people decorate houses and streets with various lantern and red streamers for watch and amusement, hence comes the name Lantern Festival. Everywhere is lantern display and lantern-riddle guessing. Children, carrying lanterns, are particularly cheerful and waking about for fun. This scene of great joy lasts till 18th Taking Down Lanterns. Besides, there are many popular public entertainments such as land-boat dance, dragon-lantern dance and lion dance。 清明节 Pure Brightness Festival 每年公历四月五日前后，是中国人的清明节。清明时节，人们上坟扫墓祭祖，以寄托对先人的怀念。踏青本是清明扫墓的伴生活动。人们在扫墓之余，趁便在山间乡野游乐一番，因此也叫春游。 Pure Brightness Festival falls on around April 5th every year. On that very day, people sweep the graves and offer sacrifices and worship the passed ancestors. Taqing (Spring outing) is an accompanying activity of grave sweeping. On the way home, people happily wandering around farms and through mountains. Hence it derives （obtain）the name, spring outing. 端午节 Dragon Boat Festival 农历五月初五是中国传统的端午节。有关端午节的起源，说法不一，但最富影响力的传说是：战国时，楚国大夫屈原遭人诋毁，被迫流放，于五月初五自投汨罗江。楚人哀之，以竹筒储米投水，划舟楫于江上营救。后来前者演变为裹食粽子；后者演变成龙舟竞渡。 The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is observed as Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival. Although it has different versions of the origin, the most influential legend goes as follows: Quyuan, once a senior official in Chu, was unfortunately slandered and then was forced to exile and took his own life by jumping into Miluo River. People of Chu were overwhelmed with sorrow at this sad news and threw rice packed in bamboo into river and drove boat to rescue Qu Yuan. These respectively developed into todays custom of eating Zongzi and dragon-boat racing. 2. The importance of Chopsti