关注传统——清明节的英⽂知识
今天我们来说说清明有关的英语表达！
1、清明节的英⽂表达
清明节≠Qingming Festival
说到清明节，你可能想到的是Qingming Festival。但这种说法是错误的。
festival有两层含义：
①宗教的祭祀活动②⼜唱⼜跳的庆祝活动
然⽽清明节并不属于这两者范围，像这类较为庄严的其实可以⽤Day来表⽰，⽐如Mother's Day 母亲节；清明节是祭祀祖先亡灵的⽇⼦，我们经常会扫墓。所以叫做：
Tomb-sweeping Day 清明节
别的节⽇可以庆祝（celebrate），但是清明节却有其特殊性，只能⽤observe
√ To observe Qingming Festival
√ To observe Tomb Sweeping Day
2、清明节的⽇期
其实清明是⼆⼗四节⽓之⼀：
Solar term: 节⽓
清明节的⽇期是这么算的：
It is the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, either 4 or 5 April in a given year. 它是春分后的第15天，是4⽉4号或者5号。
3、清明节主要做些什么
sweep the tomb 扫墓
burn joss paper 烧纸钱
visit the cemetery 去墓园
pay respect to remember them 追思故⼈
We need burn joss paper and sweep the tomb on the Tomb-sweeping Day.
清明节的时候需要烧纸钱和扫墓。
4、清明节有哪些⾷俗
Green rice ball 青团
Green rice ball 青团
hermitPeople in the Jiangnan region often eat this kind of green colored balls made from glutinous rice on Tomb Sweeping Day. The green color is from the juice of brome grass that is added in the rice.
江南地区的⼈们经常在清明节⾷⽤这种由糯⽶制成的绿⾊团⼦。由于糯⽶中混合雀麦草汁，所以团⼦呈绿⾊。
Cudweed herb rolls 清明果
The best time to pick fresh cudweed herb is around Tomb Sweeping Day. The herb is often added in veggie rolls or dumplings and consumed on the day. In South China, people add the wild plant also in steamed buns.
清明节前后，是采摘新鲜⿏曲草（清明草）的最佳时机。当天，⼈们会在蔬菜卷或饺⼦⾥加⼊⿏曲草当作馅料。在华南地区，⼈们还将这种野菜加在馒头⾥⾯。
Thin pancake 薄饼
People in Xiamen in Fujian province often have thin pancakes on Tomb Sweeping Day. Dried seaweed, omelette, veggies and chili sauce are added in the pancakes to enhance the flavor.
福建厦门的⼈在清明节时常常⾷⽤薄煎饼。薄饼中加⼊紫菜、煎蛋、蔬菜和辣椒酱，会更加美味。
起源Origin
Qing Ming is popularly associated with Jie Zitui, who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord's life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small principality, he invited his faithful follower to join him. However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring to lead a hermit's life with his mother in the mountains.
谈到清明节，有点历史知识的⼈，都会联想到历史⼈物介⼦推。据历史记载，在两千多年以前的春秋时代，晋国公⼦重⽿逃亡在外，⽣活艰苦，跟随他的介⼦推不惜从⾃⼰的腿上割下⼀块⾁让他充饥。后来，重⽿回到晋国，作了国君（即晋⽂公，春秋五霸之⼀），⼤肆封赏所有跟随他流亡在外的随从，
惟独介⼦推拒绝接受封赏，他带了母亲隐居绵⼭。
Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. To his consternation, Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death. To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie's death. Thus began the "cold food feast", a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit.
晋⽂公⽆计可施，只好放⽕烧⼭，他想，介⼦推孝顺母亲，⼀定会带着⽼母出来。谁知这场⼤⽕却把介⼦推母⼦烧死了。为了纪念介⼦推，晋⽂公下令每年的这⼀天，禁⽌⽣⽕，家家户户只能吃⽣冷的⾷物，这就是寒⾷节的来源。
The "cold food" festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passes, the Qing Ming festival replaced the "cold food" festival. Whatever practice is observed，the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one's elders by making a special effort to visit their graves, ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more meaningful, some time should be spent to remind the younger members of the family of the lives and contributions of their ancestors, and the story of Jie Zituiwho choose death over capitulation.
寒⾷节是在清明节的前⼀天，古⼈常把寒⾷节的活动延续到清明，久⽽久之，清明取代了寒⾷节。拜介⼦推的习俗也变成了清明扫墓的习俗了。⽆论以何种形式纪念，为了使纪念祖先的仪式更有意义，我们应该让年轻⼀代的家庭成员了解先⼈过去的奋⽃历史，当然，还要学习介⼦推宁死不屈的⽓节。
3
习俗Custom
Tomb Sweeping 扫墓
The major custom in Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. On this day, people visit their family graves to remove any underbrush that has grown. They would uproot weeds near the gravesites, wipe the tombstones and decorate the tombstones with fresh flowers. And then they will set out offerings of food and paper money.
清明节的主要习俗是扫墓。在这⼀天，⼈们都会前往他们的家族墓地进⾏拜祭。他们会铲除墓地周围的杂草，擦拭墓碑，以及⽤鲜花装饰墓碑。然后，放置贡品和烧纸钱。
Spring Outing 春游、踏青
Not only it is a day for commemorating the dead, is it also a festival for people to enjoy themselves. During March, everything in nature takes on a new look, as trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature during the festival. Spring outings not only add joy to life but also promote a healthy body and mind.
清明节不仅仅是⼀个纪念故⼈的节⽇，⼈们也可以在这⼀天进⾏娱乐活动。在3⽉份，⼤⾃然焕然⼀新，树⽊变绿，花朵绽放，阳光普照。节⽇期间，⼤家可以好好地去感受⼀下⾃然的魅⼒。春游不仅能给⽣活带来愉悦，同时也可以促进⾝体和⼼灵的健康。
Flying Kites 放风筝
Flying kites is an activity favored by many people during the Qingming Festival. Kites are not only flown at day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the string that holds the kite. And when the kite is flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars that add unique scenery to the sky during the night. What makes flying kites during this festival special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said that this brings good luck and that diseases can be eliminated by doing this.
在清明节期间，许多⼈都喜欢放风筝，⽆论⽩天还是晚上。将⼩灯笼系在风筝或放风筝的绳⼦上，当
风筝在空中飞舞时，灯笼看起来像闪烁的星星，会给夜晚的天空增加⼀些独特的风景。清明节放风筝的特别之处，是当风筝被放飞到⾼空时，⼈们会将风筝线剪断，让它⾃由飞翔，据说这样可以带来好运和消除疾病。
Planting Willow Trees 插柳
Because Jie Zitui died embracing a willow tree, the willow is believed to have miraculous powers against evil. During the Qingming Festival, willow branches are hung on door fronts and used to sweep the tombs.
因为介⼦推死的时候抱着⼀棵柳树，所以柳树被认为拥有⼀种可以对抗邪恶的神奇⼒量。清明时节，⼈们会将柳枝挂在门前，或拿柳枝进⾏扫墓。
Swinging 荡秋千
During the Ming Dynasty, swinging was a designated recreation on Tomb Sweeping Festival. According to the Annals of the Ming Court, this day was also called Swing Festival, when swings were suspended in the Hall of the Forbidden City and in all the residential complexes where palace ladies resided. Ladies of the imperial household wore colorful silks especially made for the occasion, and amused themselves on swings.
明朝期间，荡秋千是清明节的⼀个指定的娱乐活动。根据明朝的史册记载，清明节也被称为秋千节，这⼀天紫禁城的⼤厅和宫中⼥⼦们居住的地⽅都会挂上秋千，她们穿着节⽇特制的五彩缤纷的丝绸⾐服，在秋千上玩耍逗乐。
清明节英⽂词汇
Tomb-sweeping Day/ Tomb Sweeping Festival/All Souls' Day 清明节
offer sacrifices to ancestors 祭祖/上供
hell note/ joss paper 纸钱
funeral supplies/products 殡葬⽤品
burn incense 焚⾹
tomb-sweeping 扫墓
tomb sweeper 扫墓的⼈
kite flying 放风筝
spring outing 踏青
memorial tablet 纪念碑
mourning ceremony 哀悼仪式
filial piety 孝顺孝⼼
清明节是我国重要的传统节⽇。从⼆⼗四节⽓上讲，它⼜是节⽓之⼀。它是唯⼀⼀个节⽇和节⽓并存的⽇⼦，可见古⼈对这⼀天的重视程度。
但我们要注意的是：作为节⽇的清明节、和作为节⽓的清明节，它们的英⽂说法是不同的。
作为节⽇的清明节⼀般翻译为"Tomb Sweeping festival"或者"Tomb-sweeping Day"，扫墓节或扫墓⽇。
这个翻译着重强调了清明节的重要习俗“扫墓”。这种说法的好处是，⽼外⼀听就
能⼤概明⽩这个节⽇的背后含义。
也有⼈把清明节翻译为"All Souls'Day"，这是⼀种站在对⽅⽂化⾓度考虑做出的翻译。因为"All Souls'
Day"在西⽅是确实存在的节⽇，⼀般称为“万灵⽇”。
这是⼀个宗教节⽇，在有的教派⾥甚⾄不⽌⼀天。教会会在这⼀天为那些去世后⽆法进⼊天堂的信徒祈祷，希望他们早⽇进⼊天堂。其基本意义和清明节相似，也是祭奠死者的节⽇。
另外再谈到作为节⽓的清明，它被译为"Clear and Bright"，清洁和明亮。我们也不难发现，这种译法强调的是清明时节的⽓候状况，和其他节⽓的翻译出发点⼀致。
⽐如⽴夏被译为"Summer begins"、⼩寒、⼤寒分别被译为"Slight cold"和"Great cold"。
所以讲到这⾥，你应该对清明怎么⽤英⽂说有了基本的了解，可不要忘了分情况表达哦！
相关词汇：
√ sweep the tomb 扫墓
√ burn joss paper 烧纸钱
√ visit the cemetery 去墓园
√ pay respect to remember them 追思故⼈