英文介绍元宵节.doc

Lantern festival 每年农历的一月十五日是中国人的元宵节，它正好在春节之后。The?Lantern?Festival?is?celebrated?everywhere?on?January?15th?of?the?lunar?calendar,?right?after?the?Spring?Festival.传统意义上元宵节也是春节活动的一部分。Traditionally,?the?Lantern?Festival?is?a?part?of?the?Spring?Festival.这天是农历新年里第一个月圆的日子。This?day?is?always?the?first?full?moon?in?the?lunar?New?Year.中国各地张灯结彩，家家户户歌舞游乐，人们做元宵、放烟火。Across?China,?people?celebrate?by?hanging?up?lanterns?and?festoons,?attending?dancing?and?singing?performances,?making?“Yuan?Xiao”?or?sweet?rice?dumplings?and?lighting?fireworks.这也是庆祝春节的延续。This?is?also?a?continuation?of?the?Spring?Festival?celebration.在元宵节之夜，天上明月高照，地上彩灯万盏。On?the?Lantern?Festival?night,?the?moon?illuminates?the?dark?sky?while?many?lanterns?shine?bright?colors?on?the?earth.元宵夜观花灯的习俗开始于两千多年前的西汉时期。The?traditions?of?viewing?decorative?lanterns?on?this?night?began?more?than?two?thousand?years?ago?in?the?Western?Han?Dynasty.最早只是在皇宫中点灯祈福。In?the?earlier?times,?those?beautiful?lanterns?were?only?seen?in?the?imperial?palaces.慢慢地演变成民间最盛大的灯节。Slowly?it?evolved?into?a?celebration?on?the?grand?scale?for?the?ordinary?folks?everywhere.在元宵节前许多天，人们就开始忙着用油纸、绸布、竹子和花朵等材料制作各式各样的灯笼。A?few?days?before?the?lantern?festival,?people?begin?gathering?oiled?paper,?silk?cloths,?bamboo?sticks?and?flower?to?make?all?types?of?lanterns.或者到热闹的灯市上挑选自己喜爱的灯笼。Some?people?go?to?the?lively?streets?to?pick?a?personal?favorite.花灯的主题既有民间传说，又有节日习俗和各种吉祥物等。The?lanterns?sometimes?come?in?a?series?about?certain?folklore,?holiday?customs,?or?lucky?mascots.元宵节也是一个浪漫的节日。The?Lantern?Festival?is?also?a?romantic?holiday.在封建社会时，年轻女孩不允许出外自由活动。In?feudal?society,?young?girls?were?not?allowed?to?go?out?freely.但在元宵节晚上，她们却可以结伴出游观赏花灯。But?on?the?night?of?the?Lantern?Festival,?they?were?allowed?to?view?the?lantern?lights?in?groups.未婚男女也常借着赏花灯与情人相会。Sometimes?couples?would?go?on?dates?strolling?down?the?streets?lit?with?lantern?lights.如今人们依然会在元宵夜相邀一起去赏花灯。Today?people?still?invite?others?to?view?lanterns?together.在中国南北各地都有风格不同的元宵灯会。Acro