?The origin of New Year's Day

江西 戴劍國（編）

◆語篇導讀

“元旦”一詞始于“三皇五帝”時期，據唐代房玄齡等人寫的《晉書》上記載，正月稱為“元”，初一為“旦”。我們從小就知道，每年陽歷（公歷）1月1日就是“元旦”，但是又有多少人知道它的具體來歷呢？

In ancient China，Yuan Dan was not on January 1st，asregulatedinthe Gregorian calendar.The date of Yuan Dan had been changed many times from the 1st of the 12th lunar month in Yin Dynasty to the 1st of the 1st lunar month in Han Dynasty.When Sun Yat-sentook officeas thetemporaryPresident in Nanjing at the beginning of January of 1912，he set the 1st of the 1st lunar month as the Spring Festival while the 1st of January was set as the New Year，which was also called Yuan Dan.

In 1949，the Central Government of Chinaissueda National Festival andMemorialDay and set January 1st as Yuan Dan，which was a oneday holiday for the whole country.In order todistinguishthe two New Years of both the lunar calendar and solar calendar，and as the“Spring Beginning”of the lunar calendar was always around the lunar New Year，the 1st of the 1st lunar month was called the Spring Festival.

Yuan means the beginning，the first.The beginning of a number is Yuan.Dan，which is apictographic characterin the Chinese language，means the sun rises from the horizon，symbolizingthe beginning of a day.When Yuan and Dan are combined，it means the first day of a New Year.Yuan Dan is also called Three Yuan，the beginning of a year，the beginning of a month and the beginning of an hour.The word Yuan Dan was first used duringtheThreeSovereigns and Five Emperorsera.

◆詞語積淀

regulate/?regjule?t/v.調節；控制

the Gregorian calendar公歷

take office就職

temporary/?tempr?ri/adj.臨時的；暫時的

issue/??∫u?/v.宣布；公布；發出

memorial/m??m??ri?l/adj.紀念的；悼念的

distinguish/d??st??gw?∫/v.區分；辨別

pictographic character象形字

symbolize/?s?mb?la?z/v.象征；是……的象征；代表

era/???r?/n.年代；時代

◆典句賞析

1.The date of Yuan Dan had been changed many times from the 1st of the 12th lunar month in Yin Dynasty to the 1st of the 1st lunar month in Han Dynasty.元旦的日期從殷代臘月初一到漢代的正月初一已經改了很多次。

句中的had been changed為過去完成時的被動語態形式，表示在過去某一時刻或動作以前已被完成了的動作；過去完成時也可以表示從過去的某一時間開始，一直延續到過去另一時間的動作或狀態。

【即時嘗試】當公共汽車來的時候，我在車站已經等了20分鐘。

2.In order to distinguish the two New Years of both the lunar calendar and solar calendar，and as the“Spring Beginning”of the lunar calendar was always around the lunar New Year，the 1st of the 1st lunar month was called the Spring Festival.為了區分農歷和公歷的兩個新年，鑒于農歷中的“立春”恰好在農歷新年的前后，便把農歷正月初一稱為“春節”。

介詞短語in order to意為“為了……；以便……”，后面直接接動詞原形，在句子中作目的狀語。

【即時嘗試】為了能通過考試，我們應該努力學習。

3.Dan，which is a pictographic character in the Chinese language，means the sun rises from the horizon，symbolizing the beginning of a day.“旦”在中國文字里是象形字，表示太陽從地平線上升起，象征著一天的開始。

這是一個復合句，which is a pictographic character in the Chinese language是由關系代詞which引導的非限制性定語從句；symbolizing the beginning of a day為現在分詞短語，在句中作伴隨狀語。其中the beginning of是固定詞組，意為“……的開始；……的開頭”，后面可接名詞或代詞。

【即時嘗試】這些蘋果樹是我三年前栽的，還沒有結過果實。

譯文助讀

在古代中國，按公歷來說，元旦并不是1月1日這一天。元旦的日期從殷代臘月初一到漢代的正月初一已經改了很多次。1912年1月初，孫中山在南京就任中華民國臨時大總統時，決定把農歷的正月初一叫作“春節”，把公歷的1月1日改為“新年”，也叫作“元旦”。

1949年，中華人民共和國中央政府公布了全國假日和紀念日，并確定1月1日為元旦，全國放假一天。為了區分農歷和公歷的兩個新年，鑒于農歷中的“立春”總是在農歷新年的前后，便把農歷正月初一稱為“春節”。

“元”意為“開始；第一”，數字的第一個稱“元”。“旦”在中國文字里是象形文字，表示太陽從地平線上升起，象征著一天的開始。當“元”和“旦”相結合時，就表示一年開始的第一天。元旦又稱為“三元”，即歲之元、月之元和時之元。元旦最早可以追溯到“三皇五帝”時期。