2017考研英语阅读精选：关于清明的8件事
考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。有时候是一些俗语和俚语，有时候是固定搭配，有时候需要借助历史、风俗、文化才能理解某种现象或表达。总之，这些地道的英语文章背后都有潜台词，一般人不容易读出，但往往是理解文章的关键。2017考研复习开启，新东方在线考研分享《2017考研英语阅读精选》，赶快来学习吧！
Culture Insider: 8 things you may not know about Clear and Bright
文化管窥：关于清明你可能不了解的八件事
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar
terms. Clear and Bright (Chinese: 清明), the 5th solar term, starts this year on
Apr 5 and ends on Apr 20.
中国阴历将一年分为24个节气。清明，每年的第五个节气，今年的4月5日到4月20日。
Of all the 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright is the only one whose first day
is also a traditional Chinese festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day. The words “clear” and
“bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and
rainfall increases, making it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the
spring.
在24个节气中，清明是唯一一个以首日作为中国的传统节日的节气，也称扫墓节。“清”和“明”两字分别描述了这个时节的天气状况。此时，气温开始回升，降雨量也随之增加，正是春天播种的好时节。
This year’s Tomb-Sweeping Day coincides with Easter Day, one of the oldest
and most vital of Christian festivals celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. For Christians, the dawn of Easter Sunday signifies new life and
represents the peak of the Christian year.
今年的清明节刚好与西方的复活节(庆祝耶稣的重生)差不多时候。对于基督教徒来说，复活节代表了新的生活，是基督教会年历里最重要的日子。
Here are 8 things you may not know about Clear and Bright.
以下就是你可能不了解的关于清明的八件事
White and yellow chrysanthemums are usually presented as tribute to the
dead in China.
在中国，白菊花和黄菊花通常被献给死者
Worshiping Ancestors
祭祖
Clear and Bright is a period in which Chinese people honor nature and the
ancestors of the Chinese nation. The worship of nature and ancestors can be
traced to ancient times, and still matters a lot in modern society.
清明是中国人敬畏自然和祖先的时节。这可以追朔到古时候，直到现在意义也很重大。扫墓和祭祖是纪念逝去亲人的两个重大活动。人们会拔除墓地周围的杂草，并添上新土以表示对逝者的关心。
Cleaning the tombs and paying respect to the dead with offerings are the
two important practices to remember late relatives. Weeds around the tomb are
cleared away and fresh soil is added to show care for the dead.
扫墓和祭祖是纪念逝去亲人的两个重大活动。人们会拔除墓地周围的杂草，并添上新土以表示对逝者的关心。
The dead person’s favorite food, wine and chopsticks are offered on their
tombs, along with paper money. These sacrifices are all burned in the hope that
the deceased will not lack food and money in the afterlife.
将死者生前最喜爱的食物、酒和筷子连同纸钱置于坟头，焚烧祭品，希望逝者来世不会缺少食物和钱财。
Willow Branches
柳枝
Legend has it that Clear and Bright is one of three periods during the year
in which ghosts come closest to the world of living men. Buddhists believe that
willow branches will drive away unwelcome ghosts and evil spirits. Therefore,
willow branches are also known as “ghost terror wood.”
有传说言，清明是三大鬼节之一，一年中鬼魂最接近人们的三个时间。佛教相信，柳条能有驱鬼辟邪的作用。因此，柳条也被称为“鬼怖木”。
Folk proverbs also dictate customs. One proverb states that if a young lady
does not wear a willow branch during the Clear and Bright period, she will soon
turn old. Another says: "If one does not wear a willow, he will become a yellow
dog after he dies and is reincarnated."
民间的谚语也有此类习俗。有谚云:“清明不戴柳，红颜成白首”。亦有谚云：“清明不戴柳，死后变黄狗”。
Spring Outings
踏青
Not only is it a period for commemorating the dead, it is also time for
people to go out and enjoy nature.
清明不仅纪念逝者的时候，也是人们外出踏青的好时节。
As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly,
everything returns to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of
nature. This custom can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770 –
476BC) and Warring States Period (475 – 221BC).
此时，万木复苏，百花齐放，风和日丽，春回大地，正是欣赏自然风光的大好时节。这一风俗可以追朔到春秋战国时期。
Strolling outside in spring adds joy to life and promotes a healthy body
and mind.
踏青可为生活增添乐趣，也有益于身心健康。
Flying Kites
放风筝
Flying kites is an activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping
Day. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening.
Little lanterns are tied to the kite or to the kitestring. And when the kites
are flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars at night. What
makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while
the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck and
that diseases can be chased away by doing this.
放风筝也是清明时节人们所喜爱的活动。每逢清明时节，人们不仅白天放，夜间也放。夜里在风筝下或风筝拉线上挂上一串串小灯笼，像闪烁的星星。在这一天特别的是，有的人把风筝放上蓝天后，便剪断牵线，任凭清风把它们送往天涯海角。据说这样能除病消灾，给自己带来好运。
Huangzhou Han Shi Tie by Su Shi(part) It is a 34 x 119.5 cm hand scroll
kept by the Taipei Palace Museum. It was written in 1082 when Su Shi was
relegated to Huangzhou due to the literary inquisition. Impoverished and
depressed, he produced this poem on the Cold Food Festival.
图为苏轼的《寒食帖》的一部分。寒食帖：书法贴，纵: 34厘米
横：119.5厘米，被保存在台北故宫博物馆里。1082年，苏轼被贬黄州，当时他内心惆怅孤独，故在寒食节写下了此诗。
Cold Food Festival。
寒食节
The Cold Food Festival or Hanshi Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday
celebrated for one day before Tomb-Sweeping Day. On that day, making fire is
taboo and only cold food is available.
寒食节是中国一个传统节日，就在清明节的前一天。在这一天，禁烟火，只吃冷食。
Legend has it that Prince Chong’er of the state of Jin during the Spring
and Autumn period, endured many hardships while he was exiled from his home
state. Once, in order to help the prince who was tormented by hunger, Jie Zhitui
cut off the flesh from his thigh and offered it to the prince for
sustenance.
传说晋国的王子重耳(后来的晋文公)在流放期间受了很多苦难。一次，为了帮助这位王子，介子推曾经割股为他充饥。
When Chong’er became Duke Wen of Jin, however, he did not reward him,
instead killing Jie and his mother in a fire. Later, Duke Wen, filled with
remorse, ordered that using fire on the anniversary of Jie’s death was forbidden
and all food was to be consumed cold.
晋文公归国为君后，却忘记了奖赏他，相反却放火杀死了介子推和其母。后来，晋文公感到十分后悔，为了纪念这位忠臣义士，于是在介子推死难之日不生火做饭，要吃冷食。
Cuju
蹴鞠
Cuju is an interesting game played during this period. Ju is a ball made of
leather with hairs plugged in it. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor first
invented it for training warriors. Later, Cu Ju was used by people to build up
their bodies when they were unable to eat hot food during the Cold Food
Festival.
蹴鞠是古代清明节时人们喜爱的一种有趣的游戏。鞠是一种皮球，球内用毛塞紧。相传是黄帝发明的，最初的目的是用来训练武士。后来，蹴鞠发展成寒食节期间锻炼身体的方式。
Eating Eggs
吃鸡蛋
In many parts of China, eating eggs during Tomb-Sweeping Day is as
important as eating moon cakes at Mid-Autumn Festival. The Chinese folk belief
is that eating an egg on Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring good health all year. In
China, this custom has lasted for thousands of years.
在中国很多地方，清明节吃鸡蛋就像中秋节吃月饼那样重要。有这样一个民间信仰，清明节吃鸡蛋整年都会身体健康。在中国，这一习俗一直延续了好几千年。
The origin of eating eggs dates back to "Shangsi Jie" (a traditional
Chinese festival). In ancient times, women who want to have babies after
marriage often colored boiled eggs with different colors and put them into the
river, and people living in the lower reaches of the river picked the eggs up
and ate them. It was said that the more eggs were eaten, the greater the chance
the woman will get pregnant. Today, people believe that eating eggs on
Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring success.
吃鸡蛋的来源可以回溯到上巳节。古时候，想要怀上孩子的已婚妇女经常在熟鸡蛋上染上各种颜色，并把它们放进河里。住在河下游的人们把鸡蛋捞起来并吃掉。据说，吃的鸡蛋越多，妇女怀上孩子的几率就越大。今天，人们相信，在清明节吃鸡蛋会带来成功。
Feasting on Qingtuan
吃青团
In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River region, qingtuan or green cake is
very popular snack on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingtuan is a kind of round green cake.
In order to make the cakes, people mash barnyard grass to squeeze juice from it
and mix the flour and juice to a paste. Then they inject black bean filling into
the paste and steam them. Pretty and delicate, Qingtuan have a mellow taste and
special flavor. Qingtuan are also sacrificed to ancestors on Tomb-Sweeping
Day.
在长江下游地区，青团是清明节非常流行的一种小吃。青团是一种圆圆的绿色糕点。将雀麦草汁和糯米一起舂合，使青汁和米粉相互融合，然后包上豆沙等馅料，放到蒸笼内。蒸熟出笼的青团色泽鲜绿，香气扑鼻，醇香味美，独具风味。清明节当天，青团也是祭奠祖先的祭品。
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