农历新年将至 龙年邮票上市

We start with the release by China Post of a new set of Zodiac Stamps honoring the Year of Dragon -- to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, which begins on January 23rd.
首先，我们来看一下中国邮政发行的新一套纪念龙年的生肖邮票，这套邮票是为了纪念1月23日开始的中国农历新年。

The much anticipated "Year of the Dragon stamp" went on sale on Thursday morning. It's the latest addition to the country's zodiac stamp series that's attracted much attention from collectors across the country. Our reporter Li Qiuyuan has more.
万众期待的“龙年邮票”周四上午开始销售。这枚邮票是国家生肖邮票系列最新增加的一枚，吸引了全国收藏家的关注。我们的记者Li Qiuyuan有更多报道。

Time to release the Dragon. It's only 7:30am, but hundreds of people are already lining up at this Beijing post office. They've waited in the cold for hours, hoping to get their hands on a set of dragon stamps.
发布龙票的时间到了。现在才早上7点半，但是，北京这间邮局已经有数百人在排队。他们冒着严寒等了数小时，希望能买到一套龙票。

A Beijing resident said, "I've been here since 5 in the morning. I took the first bus to get here. Some members of my family will be born in the Year of Dragon, so I really hope to get some of these dragon stamps."
北京居民表示：“我从早上5点钟就在这里了。我乘第一趟公车来这里。我有一些家人将在龙年出生，所以我希望能获得这些龙票。”

A Beijing resident said, "I came at 6am. I come here every year to buy Zodiac stamps, I love to collect them."
北京居民称：“我早上六点钟就来了。我每年都来这里买生肖邮票，我喜欢收集。”

The annually released Zodiac Stamps are popular among Chinese collectors.
每年发行一次的生肖邮票在中国集邮者中很受欢迎。

But there's even more interest in the Year of the Dragon stamps -- since dragons are deeply rooted in Chinese culture.
但是，人们对龙年邮票会更感兴趣——因为龙深深扎根于中国文化中。

Tian Yang of China Post said, "This year's dragon stamp is the 3rd set of its kind since China Post first issued Zodiac Stamps in 1980. The dragon stamp has received much attention from collectors, since Chinese often consider themselves as 'descendants of the dragon'. We've seen a huge increase in the number of buyers this year."
中国邮政的Tian Yang表示：“今年的龙票是中国邮政1980年首次发行生肖邮票以来的第三套此类邮票。龙票受到收藏家的广泛关注，因为中国人常常被认为是‘龙的传人’。今年我们看到的买家数量大幅增加。”

The design of 2012's dragon stamp derives from the patterns on "dragon robes" worn by Chinese emperors in the Qing Dynasty.
2012年的龙票设计来源于中国清朝皇帝所穿的“龙袍”上面的图案。

The bright colors are influenced by the famous colored glass in the Nine Dragons Wall in Beijing's Forbidden City.
明亮的色彩是受北京紫禁城九龙壁上的著名的彩色玻璃的影响。

CCTV's Li Qiuyuan said, "There's been quite an interesting debate on the design of these dragon stamps. Some people say that the dragon looks a little too intimidating and sinister, which goes against the traditional auspicious meaning of dragons in China. But some supporters say they like this design because it looks powerful and vigorous. What do you think?"
央视记者Li Qiuyuan表示：“关于这些邮票的设计有一个很有趣的争论。有些人称这条龙有点凶神恶煞，这与中国龙传统的吉祥寓意相违背。但是一些支持者则表示，他们喜欢这个设计，因为刚劲有力。你觉得呢？

Experts say the design of the Year of Dragon stamp strikes a good balance between strength and beauty.
专家表示，龙年邮票的设计在力与美之间找到一个很好的平衡点。

Zhao Shu, Beijing Research Inst. Culture and History, said, "Dragons are traditionally considered to symbolize auspicious powers in China. They are there to ward off evil spirits, avoid disasters and bless people. So we need a tough image to show its power and dignity. I think this design is quite good."
北京文化历史研究机构的赵舒称：“传统上，龙在中国被认为是吉祥的象征。它们能辟邪挡灾，保佑大家。所以我们需要一个硬朗的形象来显示它的权利和尊严。我觉得这个设计很好。”

Despite the controversy over the design, the new dragon stamp is set to bring good fortune to some people in the country.
尽管设计存在争议，但是新的龙票将会给一些中国人带来好运。

2012's dragon stamp has a face value of 120 cents each. And gift booklets are also available.
2012年的龙票每枚面值120分。礼物册也有得卖。

The zodiac stamps are issued in limited edition only -- so you're well advised to get them early!
生肖邮票的发行是限量的，所以建议你早点购买！