❶Customs of the Lantern Festival

黑龙江 孙 研

□语篇导读

农历正月十五的元宵节,又称为上元节、春灯节等,它是中国的传统节日之一。中国幅员辽阔,历史悠久,关于元宵节的风俗习惯在全国各地不尽相同。你想了解元宵节期间常见的民间活动吗？请阅读下面的短文吧!

Eating yuanxiao

Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival.It is believed that yuanxiao is named after a palace maid,Yuanxiao,of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty.Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling,which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing.And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling.It is very easy to cook—simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and they are eaten as a dessert．

Guessing lantern riddles

“Guessing lantern riddles”is also an essential part of the Festival.Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns.

If visitors have answers to the riddles,they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answers.If they are right,they will get a little gift.The activity during people's enjoyment of lanterns emerged in the Song Dynasty(960—1279).As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom,it has become popular among all social strata．

Watching fireworks

In the daytime of the Festival,performances such as a dragon lantern dance,a lion dance,a land boat dance,a Yangge dance,walking on stilts and beating the drums while dancing will be staged.On the night,except for magnificent lanterns,fireworks form a beautiful scene.Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival.Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party.On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year,people are really excited by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.

◆词语积淀

1.maid/meɪd/n.【古】未婚女子；女仆；侍女

2.stuffing/'stʌfɪŋ /n.(食品)填塞物；(物体)填充剂

3.essential/ɪ'senʃl/adj.本质的；必要的；重要的；基本的

4.emerge/i'mзːdʒ /v.浮现；(由某种状态)脱出；(事实)显现出来；起源于

5.strata/'strɑːtə /n.地层；阶层

6.firework/'faɪəwзːk/n.烟火(常用复数)；(热情；怒气等的)迸发

7.magnificent/mæɡ'nɪfɪsnt/adj.壮丽的；宏伟的；极好的

8.sticky rice flour糯米粉

◆典句赏析

1.It is believed that yuanxiao is named after a palace maid,Yuanxiao,of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty.据说,元宵因汉武帝时期的一个名叫元宵的宫女而得名。

结构“It is belived that...”意为“据说……”,多用于开头，it是引导词，在句中作形式主语,从属连词that引导的是主语从句。该结构的谓语是被动语态,主语从句译成汉语时则转译成宾语从句。

be named after是常见的固定搭配,意为“以……来命名”,after在这里作介词,后面可以接名词或代词作宾语。

【即时尝试】据说这座城市是根据他的名字而命名的。

2.As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom,it has become popular among all social strata.由于猜灯谜活动富有情趣和智慧,因此在全社会各阶层广受欢迎。

这是一个主从复合句,“As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom”是由从属连词as(因为；由于)引导的原因状语从句。这种原因状语从句,其语气不如because引导的从句强,通常表示附加说明的理由,且是已知晓的原因。

【即时尝试】因为她身体不好,所以我独自到那里去了。

(答案见63页)

译文助读

吃元宵

元宵是元宵节的特色食品。据说,元宵因汉武帝时期的一个名叫元宵的宫女而得名。元宵是一种带馅儿的甜食,是由糯米粉加上甜的馅料制成的。元宵节就是因此名食而得名。元宵的烹制方法非常容易,只要将元宵倒入装满沸水的锅中煮几分钟,然后被当作甜点吃。

猜灯谜

猜灯谜也是元宵节活动中的一个基本组成部分。灯笼的主人将谜语写在一张纸条上,然后将纸条粘贴在灯笼上。

如果赏灯者猜出了谜底,他们可以将纸条取下来,然后找灯笼的主人确认答案。他们如果答对的话,就可以领取一份小礼品。人们欣赏灯笼过程中的活动起源于宋(960—1279)。由于猜灯谜活动富有情趣和智慧,因此在全社会各阶层广受欢迎。

看烟火

元宵节的白天会有舞龙、舞狮、划旱船、扭秧歌、踩高跷和击鼓表演。而在晚上,除了各种大型灯会,灿烂的烟火也是一番美丽的景象。很多家庭在春节时会留下一些烟花在元宵节燃放。有的地方政府甚至会组织烟火晚会。当新年的第一轮圆月升上夜空之时,人们会因燃放的烟火和空中的明月而感到十分兴奋。