The English Expression of Chinese traditional festival

　　“清明节”

　　“清明节”依音译为“Ching Ming, 但“节”则依意译为festival，合起来便是Ching Ming Festival, 是音译和意译的混合物。

　　“春节”

　　“春节”在英文上叫做Chinese New Year's Day, 是意译，字面的意思就是“中国人的新年”；或Spring Festival，即“春天的节日”；或Chinese Rural New Year，即“中国农历新年”

　　“端午节”

　　“端午节”的译法和“清明节”一样，“端午”译为Duan Wu, 节是Festival。不过，许多人也喜欢称之为Duan Wu, 节是Festival。另外，许多人也喜欢称之为Dragon Boat Festival，意为“龙舟节”。

　　“中秋节”

　　“中秋节”逐字意译为Mid-Autumn Festival,有时则在前边加上Chinese。亦有人称之为Moon Festival的。

　　“重阳节”

　　“重阳节”也和“清明节”、“端午节”一般译法，称为Chung Yeung Festival。由于我们有时也把“重阳”称为“重九”，所以有些英国人也把我们的这一个节日叫做“Double-ninth Day,”不过还是以前者较多用。


过年 celebrate the spring festival

　　春联 spring festival couplets

　　剪纸 paper-cuts

　　年画 new year paintings

　　买年货 do shopping for the spring festival ; do spring festival shopping

　　敬酒 propose a toast

　　灯笼 lantern

　　烟花 fireworks

　　爆竹 firecrackers (people scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.)

　　红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming

　　year.)

　　舞狮 lion dance (the lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.)

　　舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests)

　　戏曲 traditional opera

　　杂耍 variety show

　　灯谜 riddles written on lanterns

　　灯会 exhibit of lanterns

　　守岁 staying-up

　　拜年 pay new year's call; give new year's greetings; pay new year's visit

　　禁忌 taboo

　　去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune

　　祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors

　　压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar new year gift

　　culture note: in the old days, new year's money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old. today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth

　　辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year

　　扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

　　年糕 nian-gao; rise cake; new year cake

　　团圆饭 family reunion dinner

　　年夜饭 the dinner on new year's eve

　　饺子 jiao-zi; chinese meat ravioli