?Customs of the Lantern Festival

黑龍江 孫 研

□語篇導讀

農歷正月十五的元宵節,又稱為上元節、春燈節等,它是中國的傳統節日之一。中國幅員遼闊,歷史悠久,關于元宵節的風俗習慣在全國各地不盡相同。你想了解元宵節期間常見的民間活動嗎？請閱讀下面的短文吧!

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.

◆詞語積淀

1.maid/me?d/n.【古】未婚女子；女仆；侍女

2.stuffing/'st?f?? /n.(食品)填塞物；(物體)填充劑

3.essential/?'sen?l/adj.本質的；必要的；重要的；基本的

4.emerge/i'mз?d? /v.浮現；(由某種狀態)脫出；(事實)顯現出來；起源于

5.strata/'strɑ?t? /n.地層；階層

6.firework/'fa??wз?k/n.煙火(常用復數)；(熱情；怒氣等的)迸發

7.magnificent/m?ɡ'n?f?snt/adj.壯麗的；宏偉的；極好的

8.sticky rice flour糯米粉

◆典句賞析

1.It is believed that yuanxiao is named after a palace maid,Yuanxiao,of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty.據說,元宵因漢武帝時期的一個名叫元宵的宮女而得名。

結構“It is belived that...”意為“據說……”,多用于開頭，it是引導詞，在句中作形式主語,從屬連詞that引導的是主語從句。該結構的謂語是被動語態,主語從句譯成漢語時則轉譯成賓語從句。

be named after是常見的固定搭配,意為“以……來命名”,after在這里作介詞,后面可以接名詞或代詞作賓語。

【即時嘗試】據說這座城市是根據他的名字而命名的。

2.As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom,it has become popular among all social strata.由于猜燈謎活動富有情趣和智慧,因此在全社會各階層廣受歡迎。

這是一個主從復合句,“As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom”是由從屬連詞as(因為；由于)引導的原因狀語從句。這種原因狀語從句,其語氣不如because引導的從句強,通常表示附加說明的理由,且是已知曉的原因。

【即時嘗試】因為她身體不好,所以我獨自到那里去了。

(答案見63頁)

譯文助讀

吃元宵

元宵是元宵節的特色食品。據說,元宵因漢武帝時期的一個名叫元宵的宮女而得名。元宵是一種帶餡兒的甜食,是由糯米粉加上甜的餡料制成的。元宵節就是因此名食而得名。元宵的烹制方法非常容易,只要將元宵倒入裝滿沸水的鍋中煮幾分鐘,然后被當作甜點吃。

猜燈謎

猜燈謎也是元宵節活動中的一個基本組成部分。燈籠的主人將謎語寫在一張紙條上,然后將紙條粘貼在燈籠上。

如果賞燈者猜出了謎底,他們可以將紙條取下來,然后找燈籠的主人確認答案。他們如果答對的話,就可以領取一份小禮品。人們欣賞燈籠過程中的活動起源于宋(960—1279)。由于猜燈謎活動富有情趣和智慧,因此在全社會各階層廣受歡迎。

看煙火

元宵節的白天會有舞龍、舞獅、劃旱船、扭秧歌、踩高蹺和擊鼓表演。而在晚上,除了各種大型燈會,燦爛的煙火也是一番美麗的景象。很多家庭在春節時會留下一些煙花在元宵節燃放。有的地方政府甚至會組織煙火晚會。當新年的第一輪圓月升上夜空之時,人們會因燃放的煙火和空中的明月而感到十分興奮。