Navneet：中国的春节和元宵节

三泰虎博客译文《Navneet：中国的春节和元宵节》。Navneet：我从高港出发，天气阴暗寒冷，天空中下着毛毛雨。我们行李太多了，打了两个包裹送到邮局。邮局工作人员检查包裹内的东西，然后放在自动打包机上封好胶带。这给我留下了非常深刻的印象。要是在印度，我得自己来，而且邮局有自动打包机是不可思议的，就是有，也很可能是出故障了，不能用！春节是在农历的正月初一。庆祝春节的准备工作开始于腊月初八。春节的最后一天是正月十五，也就是以庆祝元宵节作为结束。

译文来源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com
外文标题：Chinese New Year And Lantern Festival
外文地址：http://travel.sulekha.com/chinese-new-year-and-lantern-festival_travelogue_554496

I started off from Gaogang on 19^th January. It was a dull, cold day and it was drizzling. We had excess baggage. I made two parcels and took them to the Post Office. The post office attendant checked the contents and helped me in closing them. He then put securing bands all around them on an automatic machine. I was impressed. In India, I would have had to do it all myself and then automatic banding machine at a Post Office is unthinkable. If they have any for doing some small jobs will be outdated and the chances are they will be out of order.

1月19日，我从高港出发，天气阴暗寒冷，空中下着毛毛雨。我们行李太多了，打了两个包裹送到邮局。邮局工作人员检查包裹内的东西，然后放在自动打包机上封好胶带。这给我留下了非常深刻的印象。要是在印度，我得自己来，而且邮局有自动打包机是不可思议的，就是有，也很可能是出故障了，不能用！

We came back and left the city at around 3:30 PM. The traffic on the roads was heavy as Chinese New Year is the time of heavy mobility in China. All Chinese who have jobs away from their parental homes go back to meet their parents. This year around 60 million people were on the roads, taking various means of transport to reach home before 23rd of January. Most of Northern and North-Eastern parts of China were experiencing a heavy snow fall but bad weather wasn’t able to dampen the spirit of the people. Chinese have been doing this mass migration since thousands of years.

我们于下午3点30分离开市区回高港。春节即将来临，路上的车流很大。离家在外工作的中国人会回去看望父母。今年有大约6000万人乘坐各种交通工具，赶着在1月23日之前回到家。虽然北方和东北的大多数地区在下大雪，但恶劣天气丝毫不影响人们回家的热情。数千年来，中国人每逢春节都要大迁徙。

Chinese New Year is the first day of the first Lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The preparation to celebrate the Chinese New Year festival begins around 8th day of 12th lunar month. The last day of the Chinese New Year festival is on the 15th day of first lunar month which is celebrated as the Lantern Festival.

春节是在农历的正月初一。庆祝春节的准备工作开始于腊月初八。春节的最后一天庆祝是正月十五，也就是以庆祝元宵节作为结束。

Starting the new year on the second new moon after the winter solstice has been the norm for more than two thousand years in China.

This festival is also traditionally considered as the festival of reunion. No matter how far are the people from their homes they try to go back. It’s called Guo Nian in Chinese. Guo means pass over and Nian means year.

两千多年来，冬至后的第二个新月过新年已经成为中国的标准。

春节也被视为全家团聚的节日。不管离家有多远，人们都会尽量回去。中国人称春节为过年。

These is a Yuyan Garden in Shanghai..a traditional Chinese bastion and a must visit for every tourist. These buildings are not lit for Chinese New Year but it is traditional to light up all buildings aesthetically in China and they are lit every night...they have power, they have the power.

The following text and the pictures of the Fire work display are from the net

上海有一座豫园，那里是每一位游客必去之地。大楼的景观照明并非为春节准备的，而是每个晚上都照得灯火辉煌。他们有的是电。

以下文字和烟火图片来自网络。

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair. It’s a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration is traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, ritualistically unites the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect as the people responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

除夕和春节被当做全家的大事来庆祝，是重聚和感恩的日子，人们会在这个时候拜天拜地，拜神像，拜祖先。

祭祖是最为关键的习俗，活着的人会去给逝者扫墓。已逝世的亲人格外受尊重，因为他们奠定了家庭的财富和荣耀。

To understand more about Chinese New Year festival, we need to know some Chinese culture background first. Thousands of years ago, China was mainly an agriculture society. Each year, the dynasty government announced annual calendar for farmers. The calendar contained the solar, lunar and weather information for people to know when to seed, plant, harvest on their land and even when to work, rest, pray and celebrate for their activities. Obviously, farmers know they count on sky for their living. The sky is connected to heaven and heaven is related to religion. The major activity of the religion is to pray to gods for good luck, wealth, health, wisdom, career, longevity, peace, happiness at temple or home.

要想更好地理解春节，我们需要首先了解中国文化背景。几千年前，中国是一个农业社会。每年，政府会为农民宣布年历表。这个年历表包括太阳周期、月亮周期和天气的信息，以方便人们了解什么时候播种、插秧和收割，以及什么时候耕作，休息、祈祷和庆祝。显然，农民知道他们靠天吃饭。人们在寺庙或在家里向神灵祈祷，主要是为了祈求好运、财富、健康、智慧、长寿、幸福。