英语口语畅谈世界文化之中国18:Spring Festival春节

英语口语畅谈世界文化

之中国18:Spring Festival春节

L: Local    V: Visitor
L：当地人    V：来访者

L: Spring Festival is the most important festival to us. Do you know any China about it?
L:对我们来说，春节是最重要的节日。你知道有关春节的事儿吗？

V: Not too much. Just that it's the lunar calendar's New Year. It's different from New Year in the West.
v:知道的不多。只知道是阴历的新年，与西方的新年不同。

L: Yes, that's right. It's the first day of the lunar month, and it originated in the Shang dynasty at around 160() BC. It is based on the people's sacrifices to their gods and ancestors and the end of a year and the beginning of a new one
L:是的，你说得没错：春节是阴历1月的第1天，起源于公元前1600年的商朝。该节日主要是条拜神仙和祖先，是前一年的结束和新一年的开始。

V: The Shang dynasty? That's a long time ago. I had no idea it had such a long history. And it's always the first day of the lunar month?
v:商朝？那是很久以前的事了。我不知道春节有那么长的历史。它一直就是阴历1月的第1天吗？

L: Strictly speaking. it starts every year in the early days of the 12山 lunar month and will last to the middle of the l 'r lunar month of the next year. The most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first 3 days.
L:严格地讲，每年的春节从阴历12月的月初开始，一直到下一年阴历1月的中旬为止。最重要的日子是除夕和春节的前3天。

V: I see that you and your family are all at home. Don't you have to work during Spring Festival?
v:我知道你和家人都要呆在家里。，你们春节期间不上班吗？

L: No, we don't need to work. The government has made it a 7 day national holiday. We usually spend the time with family and friends.
L:是的，我们不用上班。政府规定全国有7天的假日。我们一般用这7天走亲访友。

V: Do you do anything special on the other days?
v:其他日子你们有什么特别的活动？

L: Yes. On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month we eat some very special food. It's called Laba Congee. We roll balls from the glutinous rice, fill them with berries or beans and boil them in water. Nowadays, you can even buy glutinous rice balls filled with chocolate!
L:有，阴历12月初八我们吃一些特别的食物，叫腊八粥’。我们还用糯米滚元宵，里面装上果馅或是豆沙，然后再在水里煮。现在我们甚至可以买到巧克力馅的元宵。

V: Sounds delicious. Are there any other significant days?
V:听起来很美味。还有什么其他重要的日子吗？

L: The 23rd day of the 12m lunar month we call Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifices to the kitchen god. But, to be honest, in this day and age. most families cook wonderful food, get together and enjoy themselves.
L:阴历12月的第23天我们叫小年，那一天，人们给灶王爷上供。但说实话，在今天这个时代，大部分家庭都做些美味佳肴，大家聚在一起自己享用。

V: Well, I'm happy to be here for all of the celebrations. Someone told me we will watch an interesting TV show tonight.
v:真高兴，我能在这里参与所有这些庆祝活动。还有人告诉我，我们今晚可以看到很有意思的电视节目。

L: Yes, CCTV has a special New Year variety show with all of our top stars Singers, dancers, comedians, everything!
L:是的，中央电视台有特别的新年晚会，我们所有的明星大腕都会登台演出。有歌手、舞蹈演员、喜剧演员等等，什么名人都有！

V: OK, let's watch it together.
v:好的，那我们一起看电视吧。

【单词词组讲解】
strictly speaking  严格地讲
in this day and age在今天这个时代
a 7 day national holiday国家规定的7天假日
top stars明星大腕

【背景介绍】
腊八粥：相传释迦牟尼成佛之前曾经苦行多年，饿得骨瘦如袭．决定不再苦行  这时遇见一个牧女，送他乳糜食用，他吃了乳糜，恢复了体力．便端坐在菩提树下入定，于12月8日成道，夏历以12月为腊月，所以1 2月8日称作腊八。佛教寺院在这天举行诵经，并效法佛成道前牧女献乳糜的传说故事，用香谷和果实做粥供佛，名为腊八粥。