Festive China《话说中国节》

The 24 Solar Terms（二十四节气）

原文

More than 2,000 years ago,ancient Chinese people created an overall framework to mark the annual passage of time based on observations of the sun’s motion,called “The 24 Solar Terms”.In the international meterorlogical field,the 24 Solar Terms are hailed as “the fifth great invention of China”.In 2016,The 24 Solar Terms were included in the UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity.

The 24 Solar Terms are Start of Spring,Rain Water,Insects Awaken,Spring Equinox,Clear and Bright,Grain Rain,Start of Summer,Grain Buds,Grain in Ear,Summer Solstice,Minor Heat,Major Heat,Start of Autumn,The End of Heat,White Dew,Autumn Equinox,Cold Dew,Frost’s Descent,Start of Winter,Minor Snow,Major Snow,Winter Solstice,Minor Cold,and Major Cold.Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice are the two days of year with the longest and shortest amount of daylight respectively,while Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox are days with the most balanced amount of daytime and nighttime.Through these 4 points,a year is divided to 4 parts:Spring,Summer,Autumn and Winter.

In ancient times,this system not only guided agricultural production,instructing farmers to expect changes in temperature,spring planting and autumn harvest,but also directed Chinese folk customs.For example,Winter Solstice was the first one coined among the 24 solar terms,and later evolved into a festival to worship Heaven and ancestors.Every year at Winter Solstice,emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties(1368-1912) would go to the Temple of Heaven to hold a ceremony to worship Heaven,praying for good weather for their crops,and peace and prosperity for the country.

Nowadays,the 24 solar terms could not only be applied to farming,but also guide Chinese in everyday life.They remind people to adapt to the changes in the seasons through suitable foods and cultural rituals.Seasonal customs are still the rage,such as eating spring pancakes at Start of Spring,sweeping ancestor’s tombs at QingMing,gaining weight to keep warm at Start of Autumn,and eating nutritious food to store energy at Start of Winter.The have actually become indispensable rituals in Chinese life.

With the deepening of people’s understanding of traditional culture,cultural products inspired by the 24 solar terms have emerged including creative cursines and designs.This ancient time system has gained new charm and vitality in the new era.The 24 Solar Terms are a common cognitive system among Chinese.It reflects the emotional bond,the wisdom and creativity of the Chinese who respect and live in harmony with nature.It has a profound impact on the way people think and their codes of conduct.

译文

两千多年前，中国人通过观察太阳的运动轨迹，创立了二十四节气这个古老而科学的时间制度，称为”二十四节气“。在国际气象界，二十四节气被誉为"中国第五大发明”。2016年，二十四节气被正式列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。

二十四节气具体包括立春、雨水、惊蛰、春分、清明、谷雨、立夏、小满、芒种、夏至、小暑、大暑、立秋、处暑、白露、秋分、寒露、霜降、立冬、小雪、大雪、冬至、小寒、大寒。（春雨惊春清谷天，夏满芒夏暑相连。秋处露秋寒霜降，冬雪雪冬小大寒。）它分别以夏至、冬至作为一年之中白昼最长、最短的时间点，以春分、秋分作为昼夜最平衡的点。通过这四个时间点，一年被分为四部分：春、夏、秋、冬。

在古代，这套时间制度不仅是农业生产的指南针，指导农民预测冷暖、春种秋收，还是民俗文化的风向标。例如，冬至是二十四节气中最早被制订的一个，后来逐渐演变成祭天祭祖的节日。明清时期每逢冬至，皇帝便到天坛举行祭天大典。祈求来年风调雨顺，国泰民安。

现在，二十四节气早已超越传统的农耕生活，深入到中国人民的衣食住行。它通过特殊的节令事物和文化仪式提示人民顺应季节的交替。节气饮食习俗依然流行，像立春吃春饼、清明扫墓、立秋贴秋膘、立冬补冬，成为了中国人生活中不可或缺的仪式感。

随着人们对传统文化的认知不断加深，以二十四节气为灵感的美食菜品、创意设计等文化产品层出不穷。这个古老的时间制度在新时代焕发出新的魅力和生机。对中国人来说，二十四节气是一个共同的认知体系，体现的是一种集体认同的情感纽带，体现的是中国人尊重自然，与自然和谐相处的智慧和创造力。它深刻影响着中国人的思维方式和行为准则。

解析

overall framework，总体框架

• overall，adj.总体的、全面的、综合的

passage of time，时间流逝

• passage，n.通道、段落、短文、部分

meterorlogical field，气象领域

• /ˌmiːtiərəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/
• meterorlogical，adj.气象的

be hailed as，被誉为

• hail，v.招呼、称颂，n.冰雹

UNESCO，联合国教科文组织

• United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

representative list of the intangible culture heritage of humanity，人类非物质文化遗产名录

• representative，adj.有代表性的，n.代表
• intangible，adj.难以捉摸的、无法确定的、无形的

Insects Awaken，惊蛰

• insect，n.昆虫
• 惊蛰，惊醒蛰伏在地下冬眠的动物，蛰即藏在泥土中冬眠的虫子

Equinox，昼夜平分点

• /'iːkwɪnɒks/
• Spring Equinox，春分
• Autumn Equinox，秋分

Grain Buds，小满

• bud n.芽，v.发芽、萌芽
• 小满，南方雨水之盈，北方麦籽粒刚开始饱满

Grain in Ear，芒种

• ear，n.谷穗，耳朵
• 芒种，有芒之谷类作物可种

Solstice，n.二至点

• /'sɒlstɪs/
• Summer Solstice，夏至
• Winter Solstice，冬至

The End of Heat，处暑

• 处暑，酷热难熬的天气到了尾声，暑气开始消退，处即止息、停留之意

amount of daylight，日照量

expect changes in temperature 预测冷暖
spring planting and autumn 春种秋收

coin，n.硬币，v.制造

evolve into 演变成

worship Heaven and ancestors，祭天祭祖
the Temple of Heaven，天坛
a ceremony to worship Heaven，祭天大典
good weather for their crops，风调雨顺
peace and prosperity for the country，国泰民安

be applied to，应用于

• apply v.申请，应用

adapt to the changes in the seasons，顺应季节更替

ritual，n.仪式

still the rage，仍旧流行

• be/all the rage，风靡一时
• rage，n.狂怒、暴怒，n.发怒、激烈地进行

sweeping ancestor’s tombs，扫墓

deepening，n.加深
emerge，v.出现
cursine，/kwɪˈziːn/，n.菜肴

gained new charm and vitality，焕发新的魅力和生机

• vitality，n.活动、生命力

in harmony with，与…和谐共处
profound，adj.深刻的、强烈的
the way people think，思维方式
codes of conduct，行为准则

Spring

原文

There is a Chinese saying that says,"The whole year’s work depends on a good start in spring."As China has long been an agricultural country,for Chinese people,spring means the begining of a whole year’s farming.There are six solar terms in spring:Start of Spring,Rain Water,Insects Awaken,Spring Equinox,Clear and Bright and Grain Rain.With these solar terms arriving in order,everything in the world wakes up from winter.

Start of Spring is the first of the 24 solar terms,which is considered the begining of spring.On this day,Chinese people have a custom of “biting spring” where they eat carrot or spring cakes to celebrate its arrival.A shower of rain water awakens hibernating creatures.The spring thunder surges after Insects Awaken,and then Spring Equinox falls,marking the true arrival of spring.What follows is Clear and Bright,time for spring outings.After finishing dates with blooming flowers,Grain Rain arrives,which is also the last solar terms of spring.It indicates the hot summer is coming.

Picking tea leaves is an important spring activity in the Yangzte River Basin in south China.Ancient Chinese agricultrual has long been guided by solar terms,and so has tea production and tea leaves are ready to pick before QingMing,or Clear and Bright.People call tea picked at this time as Mingqian tea.Because of the small output and good quality,Mingqian tea is considered very precious.China has been a big tea producing country since ancient times.Chinese tea culture has become part of people’s lives whether it’s in ancient courts or in modern society.It penetrates Chinese poetry,etiquette,religion and medicine.

According to datas from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Agricultrue and Rural Affairs,Chinese tea planting area has grown continuously in recent years,with an increased of more than 1.81 millon hectares in 16 years since 2000.China’s annual tea production has ranked first in the world for several years in a row.East China’s Zhejiang province is a major tea-producing place in the country.For example,White Tea in Huzhou city’s Anji country and West Lake Longjing Tea in Hangzhou are two renowned teas in both China and abroad.

In spring,local hillsides are filled with tea workers,as well as farmers sowing seeds on their land.The beautiful scenery of tea farms in the countryside has also led to a toursim boom in these places.Many families take their children to experience the fun of picking tea leaves during spring outing with singing,chatting and laughter echoing in the mountains.Picking tea leaves reflects the simplicity and hardwork of Chinese workers,which is also full of vitality.The busy harvest in the fields starts from tea farmers.And then comes Summer,a season for plowing an weeding.

译文

中国有句古话，“一年之计在于春”。对于以农业立国的中国人来说，春天意味着一年农耕生活的开始。春季共包含立春、雨水、惊蛰、春分、清明和谷雨六个节气。随着这些节气的推进，世间万物从冬季中苏醒过来。

立春是二十四节气中的第一个，它被认为是春天的开始。中国人在这一天有“咬春”的习俗，吃胡萝卜或者春饼来庆祝春天的到来。一阵“雨水”催动冬天的生物醒来，“惊蛰”之后，春雷乍动，随后便迎来“春分”，春天就真的来临了。接下来是“清明”，踏青的时候到了。看完枝头的花，“谷雨”如期而至，这也是春天的最后一个节气，预示着炎热的夏天就要到了。

“采茶”是中国南方长江流域一项重要的春季生产活动，古老的农业生产向来以节气为农事安排的指导，茶叶生产也是一样。清明前就可采茶，我们把这时候采摘的茶称为“明前茶”，由于产量低品质好，“明前茶”十分珍贵。中国自古以来就是茶叶生产大国。中国的茶文化渗透古今的宫廷和社会，深入中国的诗词歌赋、礼仪、宗教和医学。

国际统计局和农业农村部数据显示，中国茶叶种植面积近年来持续增长。自2000年起16年间增加181万公顷，中国茶叶产量连续多年排名世界第一。浙江省是中国的产茶大省，例如，湖州市安吉县的白茶，杭州市的西湖龙津茶等等都享誉中外。

在春季，除了田间播种，山坡上满是忙着采茶的茶农。美丽的乡间采茶还带动了现代旅游业，很多家庭带着孩子前来体验春季采茶的乐趣，采茶小调和欢声笑语飘满山间。采茶倾注着中国劳动人民的朴素和辛勤，充满了浓厚的生活气息。田野间的忙碌从茶农开始，耕耘的夏天就要到来。