在前两篇播客里，我们分别介绍了中国春节的美食和拜年的风俗。今天我们接着来说一说另外两个风俗：放鞭炮和贴春联。可能很多朋友会觉得奇怪，中国人过年为什么那么喜欢放鞭炮呢？ 鞭炮已经有2000多年的历史了，关于过年放鞭炮的起源，有很多不同的说法。其中流传最广的一个传说是这样的：很久以前，有一种叫做"年"的怪兽，每到除夕晚上就会出来害人。后来，人们发现"年"最害怕三样东西：火光、响声和红色。于是，人们就燃烧竹子，除了有火光，竹子爆裂还会发出巨大的响声，另外，人们还在大门上贴上红纸。这样，"年"再也不敢出来害人了。第二天，也就是大年初一，人们便纷纷走出家门，互相道贺、共同庆祝。后来，火药出现后，人们便不再烧竹子，而是发明了鞭炮，现在很多地方也把鞭炮叫爆竹。而贴在门上的红纸也慢慢变成了现在的春联。 当然，这只是传说，其实春联起源于桃符，历史也非常悠久了。最早人们在桃木板上刻上字挂在大门两旁，用来避邪。到了宋代，桃木板换成了纸。由于桃木是红色的，所以人们把字写在红色的纸上，贴在门上。可以说，春联是一种独特的艺术形式，将文学和书法结合在一起，表达人们的美好愿望。我们先来看一幅春联吧，大家听好了：瑞雪兆丰年，红梅迎新春，春回大地。大家听到的这三句话，分别是春联的上联、下联和横批。上联"瑞雪兆丰年"意思是冬天的大雪预示着第二年的丰收，下联"红梅迎新春"意思是梅花开了，迎接新的春天。横批"春回大地"意思是春天又回到了大地。除了春联，人们还会贴福字。在鲜艳的红纸上写上大大的福字，贴在门上，希望福气来到自己家里，一年都顺利、吉祥。 In two of the previous podcasts, we introduced Chinese New Year delicacies and the social custom of paying New Year visits respectively. Today, we'll carry on with two other customs, setting off firecrackers and putting up Spring Festival couplets. Perhaps many of our friends out there may feel strange -- why are the Chinese so fond of setting off firecrackers during the New Year?
Firecrackers have been around for over 2,000 years and as for why the Chinese set off firecrackers during the New Year, there are many different versions of folklore touching on its origins. One of the more popular folklore has it that there used to be a monster called "nian" a long time ago. On the night of New Year's eve, it will come out and harm people. Later on, people realized that "nian" is extremely terrified of three things: flames, noise, and the color red. Consequently, people burned bamboo, which apart from producing flames, it also produced a loud noise when it cracked. Additionally, people also pasted red paper on their main door. So "nian" did not dare to come out and harm people anymore. The next day, i.e. the first day of the New Year, people came out in droves, congratulated each other and celebrated together. Later, after the gunpowder was discovered, people no longer burned bamboo, instead, they invented firecrackers. Nowadays, it is also known as "exploding bamboo" (lit.) in many places while the red paper gradually became Spring Festival couplets.
Without doubt, this is merely a folklore. In actuality, the origins of Spring Festival couplets can be traced to peach wood charms, which also have a very long history. In the early days, people would carve words on peach wood and hang it on both sides of their main door. Its function is to keep the evil spirits away. During the Song dynasty, people used paper instead of peach wood. Since peach wood is red in color, people wrote on pieces of red paper and pasted it on their doors. It can be said that Spring Festival couplets are a unique kind of art form, it combines literature and calligraphy together and expresses everyone's happy wishes. Let's consider this Spring Festival couplet --- everyone, listen carefully: Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year, the red plum flowers usher in a new spring (New Year), spring returns to mother earth. The three phrases which all of you just heard are the first line of the couplet, the second line of the couplet and the horizontalinscription respectively. The first line, "Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year" means that abundant snowfall during winter foretells a bumper harvest in the coming year. The second line, "the red plum flowers usher in a new spring" means that the plum flowers have bloomed to greet a new spring. The horizontal inscription, "spring returns to mother earth" means that spring has come back to mother earth. Apart from Spring Festival couplets, people also put up the Chinese character for "good fortune", 福. A huge "福" is written on a piece of paper which is bright red in color and pasted on the door, with the hope that good fortune will come to one's home, and that it will be a smooth and auspicious year.
-- atchooo@
Firecrackers have been around for over 2,000 years and as for why the Chinese set off firecrackers during the New Year, there are many different versions of folklore touching on its origins. One of the more popular folklore has it that there used to be a monster called "nian" a long time ago. On the night of New Year's eve, it will come out and harm people. Later on, people realized that "nian" is extremely terrified of three things: flames, noise, and the color red. Consequently, people burned bamboo, which apart from producing flames, it also produced a loud noise when it cracked. Additionally, people also pasted red paper on their main door. So "nian" did not dare to come out and harm people anymore. The next day, i.e. the first day of the New Year, people came out in droves, congratulated each other and celebrated together. Later, after the gunpowder was discovered, people no longer burned bamboo, instead, they invented firecrackers. Nowadays, it is also known as "exploding bamboo" (lit.) in many places while the red paper gradually became Spring Festival couplets.
Without doubt, this is merely a folklore. In actuality, the origins of Spring Festival couplets can be traced to peach wood charms, which also have a very long history. In the early days, people would carve words on peach wood and hang it on both sides of their main door. Its function is to keep the evil spirits away. During the Song dynasty, people used paper instead of peach wood. Since peach wood is red in color, people wrote on pieces of red paper and pasted it on their doors. It can be said that Spring Festival couplets are a unique kind of art form, it combines literature and calligraphy together and expresses everyone's happy wishes. Let's consider this Spring Festival couplet --- everyone, listen carefully: Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year, the red plum flowers usher in a new spring (New Year), spring returns to mother earth. The three phrases which all of you just heard are the first line of the couplet, the second line of the couplet and the horizontalinscription respectively. The first line, "Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year" means that abundant snowfall during winter foretells a bumper harvest in the coming year. The second line, "the red plum flowers usher in a new spring" means that the plum flowers have bloomed to greet a new spring. The horizontal inscription, "spring returns to mother earth" means that spring has come back to mother earth. Apart from Spring Festival couplets, people also put up the Chinese character for "good fortune", 福. A huge "福" is written on a piece of paper which is bright red in color and pasted on the door, with the hope that good fortune will come to one's home, and that it will be a smooth and auspicious year.
Firecrackers have been around for over 2,000 years and as for why the Chinese set off firecrackers during the New Year, there are many different versions of folklore touching on its origins. One of the more popular folklore has it that there used to be a monster called "nian" a long time ago. On the night of New Year's eve, it will come out and harm people. Later on, people realized that "nian" is extremely terrified of three things: flames, noise, and the color red. Consequently, people burned bamboo, which apart from producing flames, it also produced a loud noise when it cracked. Additionally, people also pasted red paper on their main door. So "nian" did not dare to come out and harm people anymore. The next day, i.e. the first day of the New Year, people came out in droves, congratulated each other and celebrated together. Later, after the gunpowder was discovered, people no longer burned bamboo, instead, they invented firecrackers. Nowadays, it is also known as "exploding bamboo" (lit.) in many places while the red paper gradually became Spring Festival couplets.
Without doubt, this is merely a folklore. In actuality, the origins of Spring Festival couplets can be traced to peach wood charms, which also have a very long history. In the early days, people would carve words on peach wood and hang it on both sides of their main door. Its function is to keep the evil spirits away. During the Song dynasty, people used paper instead of peach wood. Since peach wood is red in color, people wrote on pieces of red paper and pasted it on their doors. It can be said that Spring Festival couplets are a unique kind of art form, it combines literature and calligraphy together and expresses everyone's happy wishes. Let's consider this Spring Festival couplet --- everyone, listen carefully: Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year, the red plum flowers usher in a new spring (New Year), spring returns to mother earth. The three phrases which all of you just heard are the first line of the couplet, the second line of the couplet and the horizontalinscription respectively. The first line, "Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year" means that abundant snowfall during winter foretells a bumper harvest in the coming year. The second line, "the red plum flowers usher in a new spring" means that the plum flowers have bloomed to greet a new spring. The horizontal inscription, "spring returns to mother earth" means that spring has come back to mother earth. Apart from Spring Festival couplets, people also put up the Chinese character for "good fortune", 福. A huge "福" is written on a piece of paper which is bright red in color and pasted on the door, with the hope that good fortune will come to one's home, and that it will be a smooth and auspicious year.
-- atchooo@
Lesson Summary:
Amidst the noise and excitement of the Chinese New Year, there are two other major traditions in addition to visiting relatives and friends and exchanging New Year greetings -- the traditions of setting off firecrackers and putting up Spring Festival couplets are also indispensable. Lesson Content: In two of the previous podcasts, we introduced Chinese New Year delicacies and the social custom of paying New Year visits respectively. Today, we'll carry on with two other customs, setting off firecrackers and putting up Spring Festival couplets. Perhaps many of our friends out there may feel strange -- why are the Chinese so fond of setting off firecrackers during the New Year?Firecrackers have been around for over 2,000 years and as for why the Chinese set off firecrackers during the New Year, there are many different versions of folklore touching on its origins. One of the more popular folklore has it that there used to be a monster called "nian" a long time ago. On the night of New Year's eve, it will come out and harm people. Later on, people realized that "nian" is extremely terrified of three things: flames, noise, and the color red. Consequently, people burned bamboo, which apart from producing flames, it also produced a loud noise when it cracked. Additionally, people also pasted red paper on their main door. So "nian" did not dare to come out and harm people anymore. The next day, i.e. the first day of the New Year, people came out in droves, congratulated each other and celebrated together. Later, after the gunpowder was discovered, people no longer burned bamboo, instead, they invented firecrackers. Nowadays, it is also known as "exploding bamboo" (lit.) in many places while the red paper gradually became Spring Festival couplets.
Without doubt, this is merely a folklore. In actuality, the origins of Spring Festival couplets can be traced to peach wood charms, which also have a very long history. In the early days, people would carve words on peach wood and hang it on both sides of their main door. Its function is to keep the evil spirits away. During the Song dynasty, people used paper instead of peach wood. Since peach wood is red in color, people wrote on pieces of red paper and pasted it on their doors. It can be said that Spring Festival couplets are a unique kind of art form, it combines literature and calligraphy together and expresses everyone's happy wishes. Let's consider this Spring Festival couplet --- everyone, listen carefully: Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year, the red plum flowers usher in a new spring (New Year), spring returns to mother earth. The three phrases which all of you just heard are the first line of the couplet, the second line of the couplet and the horizontalinscription respectively. The first line, "Timely snow is an omen of a prosperous year" means that abundant snowfall during winter foretells a bumper harvest in the coming year. The second line, "the red plum flowers usher in a new spring" means that the plum flowers have bloomed to greet a new spring. The horizontal inscription, "spring returns to mother earth" means that spring has come back to mother earth. Apart from Spring Festival couplets, people also put up the Chinese character for "good fortune", 福. A huge "福" is written on a piece of paper which is bright red in color and pasted on the door, with the hope that good fortune will come to one's home, and that it will be a smooth and auspicious year.
- previous [´pri:viəs]
a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词) - monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)
- extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)
- celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)
- function [´fʌŋkʃən] n.机能；职责 vi.活动 (初中英语单词)
- literature [´litərətʃə] n.文学；文献；著作 (初中英语单词)
- everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)
- prosperous [´prɔspərəs] a.繁荣的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)
- abundant [ə´bʌndənt] a.丰富的；充分的 (初中英语单词)
- harvest [´hɑ:vist] n.&v.收获；收割 (初中英语单词)
- character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)
- excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)
- addition [ə´diʃən] n.加；加法；附加物 (初中英语单词)
- festival [´festivəl] n.节日；庆祝；欢庆 (高中英语单词)
- consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)
- bamboo [,bæm´bu:] n.竹 (高中英语单词)
- unique [ju:´ni:k] a.唯一的 n.独一无二 (高中英语单词)
- inscription [in´skripʃən] n.题名；题字；碑文 (高中英语单词)
- indispensable [,indi´spensəbəl] a.绝对必要的 (高中英语单词)
- respectively [ri´spektivli] ad.各自地；分别地 (英语四级单词)
- setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)
- touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)
- dynasty [´dinəsti] n.王朝；朝代 (英语四级单词)
- horizontal [,hɔri´zɔntl] a.水平的，横的 (英语四级单词)
- summary [´sʌməri] a.&n.摘要(的) (英语四级单词)
- amidst [ə´midst] prep.=amid (英语四级单词)
- cracked [krækt] a.有裂缝的；碎的；粗哑 (英语六级单词)
- gunpowder [´gʌn,paudə] n.火药 (英语六级单词)
- timely [´taimli] a.及时的；适合的 (英语六级单词)
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