四级翻译练习：中国结+

中国结（Chineseknot）是中国文化的典型代表之一。中国结源于古代，当时人们用系结的方式来记事，在唐宋时期（theTangandSongDynasties）逐渐发展成为一种饰品，并在明清时期（theMingandQingDynasties）开始盛行至今。中国结象征着团结、友谊、和平、热情和爱情等。制作中国结的材料多种多样，如棉线、丝编、尼龙（nylon）、皮革，甚至是一些贵重金属。如今，中国结在世界各地广受欢迎。ChineseknotisoneofthetypicalsymbolsofChineseculture.Itappearedinancienttimeswhenpeopletiedknotstokeeprecords.ItdevelopedgraduallyasatypeofdecorationduringtheTangandSongDynasties,andprevailedfromtheMingandQingDynastiesuptonow.Chineseknotmeansreunion,friendship,peace,warmth,andlove,etc.Materialsusedtomaketheknotsarevarious,suchascotton,silk,nylon,leatherandevenpreciousmetals.Today,Chineseknotispopularinmanypartsoftheworld.聘金（endowment）是中国传统习俗的一部分。通常，新郎（bridegroom）需要给新娘家一笔钱作为聃礼来定下婚礼。但是近几年来其标准不断上升，致使大多数家庭都很难达到。快速上涨的生活成本是聘金增加的主要原因。对于大多数年轻人来说，结婚意味着独立组建家庭，然而物价的不断上涨使这一切变得越来越困难。因此，许多新婚夫妇都只能向父母求助。EndowmentispartofChinesetradition.Usually,a bridegroomneedstopayacertainamountof moneytothebridesfamilytofixamarriage.Butthe standardshavebecomesohighinrecentyearsthat amajorityoffamiliesarefindingitdifficulttomeet them.Therapidriseinthelivingcostisthemain reasonfortheincreaseofendowment.Formostyoungpeople,marriagemeanssettingupafamilyindependently,whichhasbecomeincreasinglydifficultbecauseoftheconstantlyrising prices.Consequently,manynewlymarriedcouplesturntotheirparentsforhelp.敦煌莫高窟（DunhuangMogaoCaves）坐落于中国西部甘肃省。这些石窟刻于距离敦煌东南方向25公里处鸣沙山的悬崖上。敦煌莫高窟是规模最大、保存时间最长的佛教（Buddhist）艺术宝库，现存735个洞窟，壁画（frescoes）4万5千多平方米。这些壁画展现了佛（Buddha）的形象和活动以及人与神之间的关系。敦煌壁画中的舞蹈人物是全人类的一颗璀璨的宝石。敦煌莫高窟在1987年被列入世界遗产名录（WorldHeritageIist）。DunhuangMogaoCavesarelocatedinwesternChinasGansuProvince.Thesecaveswerecutacliff25kilometerssoutheasttoDunhuang,onamountcalledMingsha.DunhuangMogaoCavesareregardedthebiggestandthelongestpreservedBuddhistarttreasures,withmorethan46,000squaremetersoffrescoesin735caves.DunhuangfrescoesdisplayBuddhasimagesandbehaviour,andtherelationshipbetweenBuddhaandmen.DancingimagesinDunhuangfrescoesareabrilliantjewelforallhumanbeings.DunhuangMogaoCaveswasontheWorldHeritageListin1987.火锅（hotpot）是中国的传统饮食方式之一，拥有几千年的历史。在寒冷的冬天，人们軎欢吃能立即暖身和提神的火锅。如今在许多现代家庭里，用煤炭加热的（coal-heated）传统火锅已经被电磁炉（inductioncooker）火锅所取代。各地火锅风格各异，所使用的火锅原料也不尽相同。一般来说，用于火锅的肉类包括猪肉、牛肉、鸡肉、鸭肉等，其他的菜则包括蔬菜、蘑菇、面条等。Withahistoryofseveralthousandyears,hotpotis oneofthetraditionalChinesediets. Inthecold winter, peopleliketoeatthehotpotthatinstantly warmstheirbodiesandliftstheirspirits.Todayin manymodernhomes,thetraditionalcoal-heatedhotpotshavebeenreplacedbyinductioncookers.HotpotstylesandingredientsvaryfromregiontoregioninChina.Generally,thecommonmeatsusedincludepork,beef,chicken,duckandothers,whileotherhotpotdishesarevegetables,mushrooms,noodles,etc.景泰蓝(Cloisonne)是一种古老的装饰金属物品的工艺。采用这项工艺生产出的物品也可以称为景泰蓝。装饰效果是这样形成的：首先要通过焊接(solder)或粘贴工艺用银线或金线给金属物件勾边，以将其分隔为几个小块。这些金银线在成品上依然能看到，它们将瓷釉或镶嵌物(enamel or inlays)的不同部分分隔开来，通常这些瓷釉或镶嵌物会有多种颜色。这项工艺至今在中国仍然很常见。Cloisonne is an ancient technique for decorating metal objects.The resulting objects can also be called cloisonne.The decoration is formed by first adding compartments to the metal object by soldering or sticking silver or gold threads placed on their edges.These gold or silver threads remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors.The technique remains common in China to the present day.唐三彩（Tricolor-glazedPotteryoftheTangDynasty）是一种著名陶瓷（pottery）。它的诞生可以追溯到唐朝以前。“三彩”是多彩的意思，并不是只有三种颜色。唐三彩吸取了中国国画和雕塑（sculpture）的技巧，成为一种风格独犄的艺术品。它以造型生动、色彩丰寓而著称。唐代是一个繁荣昌盛的时代，唐三彩就盛行于此时。在那时唐三彩不仅在国内风行一时，而且还闻名于海外。Tricolor-glazedPotteryoftheTangDynastyisakind offamouspottery.ItsbirthcoulddatebacktothetimebeforetheTangDynasty.Tricolormeansalotofcolorsratherthanjustthreecolors.Thepottery absorbedthetechniquesofChinesepaintingand sculpturetoformauniquestyleofarts.Itis knownforitsvividfiguresandrichcolors.TheTangDynastywasatimeofprosperitywhen thepotterywasprevailing.Atthattime,tricolor-glazedpotteryoftheTangDynastywasnot onlypopularathome,butalsowell-knownabroad.莫言莫言，因其作品“将魔幻现实主义与民间故事、历史与当代社会融合在一起”而获得诺贝尔文学奖，是首位获此殊荣的中国籍作家。莫言生于山东高密，从小辍学，21岁离家参军。许多人是通过导演张艺谋的电影红高粱 (Red Sorghum )才知道莫言的，红高粱正是改编自莫言的同名小说。莫言小说中的故事多发生在高密，在三十几年的写作生涯中，这个地方激发了他许多创作灵感。Mo YanMo Yan is the first Chinese writer who received the honor of winning the Nobel Prize in Literature as his works “merges folk tales, history and the contemporary society with hallucinatory realism”. Born in Gaomi in Shandong Province, Mo Yan dropped out of school during childhood and left home to join the army at the age of 21. Many people came to know Mo Yan through directo