新概念英语-“大寒”的起源和习俗，传播中国节气文化

大寒是中国传统二十四节气中的第二十四个节气，也是农历年中的最后一个节气。与小寒Minor Cold对应，大寒的英语表达为Major Cold/Great Cold。于1月20日开始至2月3日结束。

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Cold/Great Cold, the 24th solar term, is the last solar term in winter and also the last solar term in the annual lunar calendar，begins this year on Jan 20 and ends on Feb 3. 
 

此时，窗外已是千里冰封，万里雪飘，而屋内人们则开始热火朝天地备年货，洒扫除尘，团圆的喜气为寒冷的冬天增添了不少暖意。

At this time, outside the house is thousands of miles of ices covering the land, thousands of miles of  snow drifting in the air, and people in the house are busy with preparation of  New Year goods, sweeping and dusting, and the joy of reunion adds a lot of warmth to the cold winter.

这一时期，雨雪冰冻天气极大地影响了人们的生活。

In this period, snow, rain and icy cold weather exert a big influence on people's lives.

During Major Cold, as the cold current moves southward, the weather becomes bitterly cold. Although modern meteorological observation shows that in some regions of China the weather during Major Cold is not colder than Minor Cold, the lowest temperatures of the whole year still occur in the Major Cold period in some coastal areas.

大寒时节，由于寒潮向南移动，天气变得十分严寒。虽然现代气象观测显示，大寒时期，中国一些地区并不比小寒时寒冷。但在某些沿海地区，全年最低温度依然出现在大寒期间。

大寒有哪些习俗呢？"TransinterpretersPus译加"节气文化系列课堂时间，快来和译君一起看看有关“大寒”的知识。

四季中国 | 大寒

北京人有大寒吃“消寒糕”（年糕的一种）的习俗。消寒糕是年糕的一种，一般由糯米、红枣、桂圆、核桃、白糖等材料制成，碳水丰富，食之可起到抗寒作用。

During Major Cold, People in Beijing have a habit of eating "dispelling cold cake", a kind of rice cake. Rice cake generally are made of glutinous rice, red dates, longan, walnut, white sugar and other materials, which is rich in carbon water and can resist cold weather. 

消寒糕的主要原料是糯米，其含糖量比大米高，可使人感到全身暖和。汉语中“年糕”和“年高”发音相同，寓意着吉祥如意、年年高升。

Sticky rice, the cake's major ingredient, contains more sugar than rice, which can make people feel warm all over their bodies. In Chinese, the word "rice cake" has the same pronunciation with the word "higher in a new year", which symbolizes good luck and continual promotion.

大寒时节经常与农历岁末相吻合。古时除夕夜，人们将芝麻秸放在地上，让孩子们来踩，谐音“踩岁（碎）”，有“岁岁平安”的寓意。

The cold season often coincides with the end of the lunar calendar. On New Year's Eve in ancient times, people put sesame stalks on the ground and let the children step on it. The homophonic "stomping on the old (broken)" has the meaning of "safety in every year".

在中国的一些地区，大寒时人们经常争相去买芝麻秸，因为有句老话讲：“芝麻开花节节高。”这句话常被用来描述生活水平的不断上升或思想、学习和技能方面的稳步提升。

In some areas of China, people always fall over each other in eagerness to buy sesame straw during this period because of the old saying, "Rise joint by joint like sesame flowers on the stem." This saying is used to describe either ever-rising living standards or making steady progress in thought, studies or skills.

fall over each other：争先恐后地

春卷包含大量春天的蔬菜，营养丰富，既可当菜，也可当作主食。在安徽安庆一带，有大寒吃炸春卷的习俗。

Spring rolls contain a lot of spring vegetables and are rich in nutrients. They can be used as a vegetable or as a staple food. In Anqing, Anhui, there is a custom of eating deep-fried spring rolls.

人们用圆圆的熟的薄饼裹上馅料，卷成细卷，然后放入平底锅中油炸，直至外皮金黄并浮上来。春卷的馅料包括肉类或蔬菜类，有咸和甜两种口味。

People use a round, cooked, thin pancake to wrap stuffing in a thin roll. Then it is fried in a pan with oil until it turns yellow and floats to the top. The stuffing inside the spring roll contains meat or vegetables and the flavor can be salty or sweet.

大寒期间，用牛羊肉、红枣等热性食材煲汤，可起到暖身滋补的养生效果。

During the severe cold, boiling soup with hot ingredients such as beef, lamb and red dates can have a warming and nourishing health effect.

Residents in Nanjing of Jiangsu province prefer to drink stewed soup during Major Cold, which can make people feel warm from head to foot. They always stew the aged hen soup with ginseng, wolfberry and black fungus.

南京人喜欢在大寒炖汤喝，可以让人从头暖到脚。人们将常用人参、枸杞和黑木耳炖老母鸡汤。

俗话说：“冬季动一动，少闹一场病”。在做好保暖工作的基础上进行适量的运动，有助于强身健体。

As the saying goes: "If you move in winter, you won't get sick." Taking some proper exercises for keeping warm will help you keep fit.

有谚云：“小寒大寒，滴水成冰。”在中国各地，大寒是开展冬季运动的最佳时节，如滑雪，滑冰和乘雪橇等。

大寒总是在农历的年底来临。大寒过几天就春节了。人们忙着采购年货。这个节气充满了对家庭团聚和对新开始的美好憧憬。

Around days after Great Cold, comes the Spring Festival. People get busy with buying things, salting the meat and preparing New Year goods. This solar term is consequently imbued with happy expectations of family reunions and a fresh new start.

今天大寒正好也是腊八节，今天你喝腊八粥了吗？大寒到顶端，日后天渐暖，让我们一起迎接中国传统春节！

Today is the Laba Festival.Did you have Laba porridge today?Great cold reaches the topest, the day after today it will get warmer.Let us expect the tranditional Chinese New Year together!