Unit 3 Celebrations课文和翻译
Lesson1
Notes from the editor：Spring Festival is an important tradition in China.It has unique meanings.However, people may understand it differently, including those from other cultures.Here are three readers' accounts to our magazine， in which the readers shared their experiences and views about it．
Tom Jenkins
a 16-year-old exchange student
living in Nanjing
It was my first time spending Spring Festival in China with my host family．Spring Festival is highly valued by every Chinese family.Preparations began a week before the festival.First, the house was cleaned from top to bottom .My host mother Mrs Chen said this was to sweep away the dirt of the past year and get ready for the new year.
Next, the Chinese character Fu was attached upside down to our front door.It is believed that when Fu is put upside down, happiness arrives.The character looked really cool.
The greatest excitement began the night before Spring Festival.Fireworks were being let off across the city, suddenly lighting up the night sky．Children were covering their ears but with an expectant look on their faces.Mrs Chen said that it was to scare away the monster Nian.The fireworks were a lot of fun！We then sat together to enjoy a big dinner, wishing everyone a happy new year.
Xu Gang
a 28-year-old computer engineer
working in Shanghai
I usually start planning my trip home to Shanxi weeks before Spring Festival, as train tickets or flights have to be booked as early as possible．I take great care in choosing gifts for my parents.This year, I bought a bottle of wine for my father and a beautiful sweater for
my mother.
Every year, the moment I get on the train, I am surrounded by Shanxi accents —I know that I am heading home to my family.I don't get to
travel back to Shanxi very often, so when I get home, my parents will fill me in on what's been happening—who has got married or had children or gone away to university. It's great to hear what everyone's been up to .
We usually have hotpot —It's so tasty！However, what we eat isn't the most important thing.What's important is who we eat it with.It's a wonderful thing to be back together with my family and talk of old times.When I was a kid, Spring Festival was all about firecrackers, sweets and decorations. As I get older, coming home and being with my entire  family is the most important part of it.
Li Yan
a 70-year-old grandmother
from Heilongjiang
Spring Festival is family time for us.My husband and I are both retired .We do not see our children and grandchildren very often and we miss them a lot.Weeks before Spring Festival, we start getting ready for their homecoming .Things start to get really busy.We think about what the children would like to eat, what we need to buy and what dishes need to be prepared.
Our house buzzes with activities when everyone comes home.Our grandchildren run around shouting and playing, and the adults gather around the table to talk about the past year.Great fun is also enjoyed in the kitchen as jiaozi are being made.We always have jiaozi during this time, as they mean something special on this occasion—they are a sign of our wishes for health and happiness in the coming year.To me, this is Spring Festival—the joy of a family gathering.
Throughout  history, some of the original customs have changed, but the spirit of the festival—the spirit of family—has largely been kept.Most of the important Spring Festival tra
ditions are still being practised  by people across the country.
编者注：春节在中国是一个重要的传统(节日)。它有着特别的含义。然而，人们可能会对它有不同的理解，包括来自其他文化的人们。下面是我刊三位读者的描述，他们分享了有关春节的经历和看法。
汤姆·詹金斯
一位住在南京的
16岁交换生
这是我第一次与我的寄宿家庭一起在中国过春节。每个中国家庭都非常重视春节。准备工作从节前一周就开始。首先，房子从上到下都打扫了一遍。我的房东妈妈陈太太说这是清除过去一年的积尘，为新的一年做准备。
然后，在我们的大门上倒贴“福”字。据说，this is spring是什么意思“福”倒即福到。这个字看起来真的很酷。
春节前一夜开始大狂欢。整个城市里烟花绽放，瞬间点亮夜空。孩子们捂着耳朵，脸上露出
期待的表情。陈太太说这是为了吓跑年兽。(放)烟花非常有趣！然后我们坐在一起享受丰盛的晚餐，大家互相祝福新年快乐。
徐刚
一位在上海工作的
28岁计算机工程师
通常春节前几周我就开始计划回山西老家的行程，因为火车票或航班订得越早越好。我非常用心地为我的父母挑选礼物。今年，我为父亲买了一瓶葡萄酒，为母亲买了一件漂亮的毛衣。
每年一坐上火车，我就会被山西方言包围——我意识到我踏上了回家的路。我不经常回山西，因此每年回到家，我父母会把这一年发生的事一股脑儿地告诉我——谁结婚了，谁有小孩了，谁上大学了。很高兴听到大家的情况。
我们通常吃火锅——它是如此美味！然而，吃什么不是最重要的事情。重要的是和谁一起吃。
回来和我的家人聚在一起谈论往事是一件美好的事情。当我还是一个孩子时，春节都是与鞭炮、糖果以及装饰品有关的。随着年龄的增长，回家和全家人待在一起才是春节最重要的部分。
李艳
一位来自黑龙江的
70岁奶奶
春节对我们来说是家庭时间。我的丈夫和我都退休了。我们不常见到孩子们和孙子(女)们，很想念他们。春节前几周，我们就开始为他们回家做准备。事情开始变得非常繁忙。我们琢磨孩子们喜欢吃什么，我们需要买什么，需要准备什么菜。
大家都回来时，我们的家里被各种活动弄得很是热闹。孙子(女)们喊叫着，打闹着，到处乱跑，大人们聚在餐桌旁谈论过去的一年。在厨房也能享受很大的乐趣，因为(大家)正在包饺子。这段时间，我们通常是吃饺子，因为它们在这个场合有着特殊的意义——它们象征着我们对来年健康幸福的期盼。对于我来说，家庭团聚的快乐就是春节。

版权声明：本站内容均来自互联网，仅供演示用，请勿用于商业和其他非法用途。如果侵犯了您的权益请与我们联系QQ:729038198，我们将在24小时内删除。