中国传统文化翻译--春节用语

一、中国传统文化之英语表达-有关春节的基本词汇与短语 【Greeting Season】: 春节 The Spring Festival 农历 lunar calendar 正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar calendar 除夕 New Years Eve; eve of lunar New Year 初一 the beginning of New Year 元宵节 The Lantern Festival 【Customs】： 过年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival 对联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry 春联 Spring Festival couplets 剪纸 paper-cuts 买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping 年画 New Year paintings 敬酒 propose a toast 灯笼 lantern: a portable light 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 .) 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; vaudeville 灯谜 riddles written on lanterns 灯会 exhibit of lanterns 守岁 staying-up 禁忌 taboo 拜年 pay New Years call; give New Years greetings; New Years visit 去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune 祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to ones ancestors压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift 辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year 扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning 【Food names】： 年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake 团圆饭 family reunion dinner 年夜饭 the dinner on New Years Eve 饺子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding 汤圆 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings糖果盘 candy tray: 什锦糖 assorted candies - sweet and fortune 蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health 西瓜子 red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity 金桔 cumquat - prosperity 红枣 red dates - prosperity 糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come 糖藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship 花生糖 peanut candy - sweet 【Blessing】: Treasures fill the home 财源广进 Business flourishes 事业兴隆 Peace all year round 岁岁平安 Wishing you prosperity 恭喜发财 Harmony brings wealth 家和万事兴 May all your wishes come true 心想事成 Everything goes well 万事如意 The country flourishes and people live in peace 国家富强、人民安康 Money and treasures will be plentiful 财源茂盛 Wishing you every success Promoting to a higher position 事业有成、更上一层楼、蒸蒸日上 Safe trip wherever you go 一帆风顺 Wish you happiness and prosperity in the coming year! 祝你新的一年快乐幸福 Wish you success in your career and happiness of your family! 事业成功，家庭美满。 【中国新年禁忌】： Dos and Donts of Chinese New Year Dos: Wish everyone you meet a happy New Year by saying gong xi fa cai, which translates to: Have a happy and prosperous New Year! 对每一个你遇到的人道一声：“恭喜发财”，翻译成英文就是：“在新的一年里拥有幸福繁荣的生活”； Wear articles of red clothing because red symbolizes luck. 穿红色布料做成的饰品，因为红色昭示着幸运； Eat vegetarian food because its not good to see blood. 吃素食，因为见血是不吉利的； Buy new trousers because the Chinese word for trousers is fu, (Chinese homonym for wealth) 买新裤子（衣服），因为汉语里裤子就是“服”，（在汉语里与财富的“富”谐音）； Children should stay up as late as possible on New Years Eve for it is believed that the later they stay up, the longer their parents will live. 孩子应该在除夕之夜尽可能晚睡、熬夜因为据说他们睡的越晚，他们的父母越长寿； Visit family (especially those older than yourself) and friends to pass on your wishes on good fortune for the New Year. (plus kids and single people will receive lai-see lucky red packets full of money. 拜访亲戚朋友（尤其是比你年长的），传递你对他们来年幸福的美好祝愿（另外孩子和单身的人将会得到装满钱的幸运红包，称为“来喜”。） Give two lai see to each child. Because happiness comes in twos, do not just give one. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. Business owners also give lai see to employees and associates. 给每个孩子两份“来喜”（我觉得应该指钱是偶数的），因为好事成双，不要只给一份。这是你把祝愿传递给下一代的方法。企业主（老板）也要给员工和同事红包。 Donts: Dont wear white or black clothing, since they are the traditional colours of mourning. 不要穿白色或黑色服装，因为这是传统意义上丧事的颜色； Dont buy new shoes for the first month of the New Year, because the sound of shoe in Chinese is hai. Hai is similar to the sound of sighing, which Chinese believe is not a good way to start the year. 不要在新年的第一个月买新鞋，因为在汉语里鞋的发音是“孩”（好像是四川地区的发音），它与叹息”唉“相近，中国人认为这不是新年伊始的好兆头。 Dont wash your hair for the first three days of the New Year, because the Chinese word for hair is a homonym for the Chinese word for wealth. Therefore, Chinese believe it isnt a good thing to wash away your wealth right at the start of the New Year. 在新年的前三天里不要洗头，因为汉语里“头发”的“发”和“发财”的“发”同音。因此，中国认为在新年伊始把财富给冲走可不是好兆头。 Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed of on the first day of the New Year for fear of casting riches out the door. 在新年第一天，不拖地，不扔垃圾，因为怕把财给送走了； Dont swear or quarrel. 不要诅咒发誓，也不愿吵架； Dont break any dishes, otherwise you may incur more misfortune for the New Year. In the event of breaking a dish, quickly say Peace for all time, and the bad luck will be warded away. 不要打破碗碟，否则在来年你可能会遭遇不幸。一旦打破了，要马上说“岁岁平安”，这样坏运气就会被赶走了； Dont greet people who are in mourning. 不要向服丧期的人们问候（主要指不要说喜庆的话吧？） Dont drop your chopsticks. 不要让筷子掉地上； Dont say the number four (Chinese homonym for death) or mention death. 不要说数字“四”（汉语里和“死”谐音）或者提到死； Dont borrow or lend money. 不要借钱也不要借给别人钱。拜年 Pay a New Year Call An important activity during the Spring Festival is bainian （to pay a New Year call）.People start to pay New Year calls from the lunar New Years Day，that is， the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. Ever since the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century，ordinary people have begun to exchange greeting cards on this day. On the morning of the lunar New Years Day，people get up very early and call on others. The earlier one does so，the more sincere he is. Moreover，people wear new clothes and a new cap，symbolizing that a new year has begun. The younger generation should call on their elders first，such as the grandfather，grandmother，father and mother，wishing them Good health and Long life. Then the elders give children some money in a red envelope as a New Year gift. After that，people call on their relatives，friends and neighbors. As big tangerine is a homonym for very lucky in Chinese，so people often present red big tangerines as a gift while paying a New Year call. Nowadays，besides greeting cards，people also use telephones and e-mails to pay New Year calls.一、艺术1.画类壁画 mural国画 Chinese traditional painting 水墨画 ink and wash painting绢画 silk painting木刻画 wood engraving版画 engraving贝雕画 shell carving painting年画 new year picture2.陶器类陶器 pottery ware玉器 jade article瓷器 china ware青瓷 celadon青铜器 bronze ware景泰蓝 cloisonn enamel漆器 lacquer ware彩陶 painted pottery唐三彩 trio-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty3.雕刻类冰雕 ice carving玉雕 jade carving石雕 stone carving骨雕 bones carving贝雕 shell carving木雕 wood carving根雕 tree root carving瓷器雕 porcelain carving象牙雕 ivory carving4.塑像类彩塑painted sculpture画塑 dough figurine泥人儿 clay figure5.扇类绢扇 silk fan檀香扇 sandal wood fan折扇 folding fan6.宝石类珍珠 pearl玛瑙 agate珊瑚 coral翡翠 green jade琥珀 玉 jade7.工艺类刺绣 embroidery双面秀 two-sided embroidery挂毯 tapestry蜡染 batik藤条制品 wickerwork真丝 pure silk烟嘴 cigarette holder 鼻烟壶 snuff bottle图章 seal盆景 potted landscape屏风 screen二、民俗词汇轿子sedans风车 pinwheel杂技 acrobatics魔术 magic拨浪鼓 shaking drum竹苗 bamboo flute皮影 shadow puppet糖人 sugar-molded四合院 courtyard homes踩高跷 stilt walk武术 martial arts人力车 rickshaw宫灯 palace lantern猜拳 finger-guessing game说书 monologue story-telling老字号 time-honored相声 cross talk三、传统节日词汇拜年 pay a new year call爆竹 firecracker鞭炮 a string of small fire crackers大扫除 year-end household灯谜 lantern riddles庙会 temple fair年画 new year s picture挂年画 to hang out new years picture年夜饭 family reunion dinner on lunar new year守岁 to stay awake all night年糕 glutinous cake for new year大年初一 the first day of the first lunar month八宝饭 eight-treasure rice pudding对联 poetic couplets贴春联 to put up antithetical couplets糊窗花 to put up window paper-cuts压岁钱 money given to children as a lunar new year gift四、京剧相关词汇地方戏：local opera戏剧脸谱theatrical mask生 male characters旦 female characters净 painted face characters末 middle-aged male characters丑 clown五、中国古代四大发明火药 gunpowder指南针 compass造纸术 paper-making techniques印刷术 paper-printing techniques六、中国特有的事务武术 martial arts气功 Qigong打擂台 to fight a challenge fight in an arena听评书 to listen to historical or traditional stories下象棋 to play Chinese chess练习书法 to make special studies of calligraphy画国画 to do traditional Chinese painting题诗 to inscribe a poem求对 to match an antithetical couplet元宵节 the Lantern Festival端午节 the Dragon-Boat Festival中秋节 the Mid-autumn Day荔枝节 the Litchi Festival西瓜节 the Water Melon Festival风筝节 the Kate Festival国庆节 the National Day劳动节 the Labor D妇女节 the Womens Day儿童节 the Childrens Day教师节 the Teachers Day建军节 the Army Day解放 the Liberation in 1949建国 the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949改革开放 to carry out reforms and adopt open policies基层 at grass-root level干部 cadre文革 the Cultural Revolution上山下乡 to settle down in the mountainous areas and in the countryside国民党 the Kuomintang四世同堂的大家庭 an extended family with four gene