中美传统节日对比英文版.docx

中美传统节日对比英文版.docx

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中美传统节日对比英文版

2012年6月13日

论中美传统节日

摘要：

每个国家都有其自己的文化。

传统节日是文化的重要一部分。

不同的文化有着不同的传统节日。

传统的民族节日形成是一个民族的历史文化的长期积淀。

节日的由来原因与人民的生活有密切的联系，它体现了人们丰富的情感世界，寄托了人民对生活的热爱。

一个国家的传统节日折射了一个国家的文化底蕴、文化特色与民族特点。

本文通过对中国传统节日及与美国传统节日重大节日列举、对比两国节日在起源、庆祝方式、传统习俗、等方面的异同，例如七夕和情人节,春节和圣诞节。

这些节日虽然在起源、背景、庆祝方式等方面存在重大差异，但它们可以说是相同节日在中西方的不同表现形式，它们在中西方的地位很相似。

这篇文章从起源、背景、庆祝方式、节日象征等方面对它们进行对比并分析它们的异同点，它将从以上几方面比较与分析中美主要传统节日文化的异同。

以便于我们更好的了解我国的文化。

在保护民族文化的同时学习外国优秀文化。

关键词：

节日背景习俗象征

毕业论文中文摘要

毕业论文外文摘要

Title：

OnChineseandAmericanTraditionalFestivals

Abstract

Everynationhasitsownculture.Traditionalfestivalisanimportantpartofculture.Differentcultureshavedifferenttraditionalfestivals.Festivalisasystemofsharedbeliefs,values,customsandbehaviorsthatthemembersofasocietyusedtocopewiththeirworldandwithoneanotherandthataretransmittedfromgenerationtogeneration.

ThispapermainlyfocusesondifferentholidaysinChinaandinAmerica,readerscanfindoutsomedifferencesandsimilaritiesinorigin,celebration,customs.SuchasTheDoubleSeventhFestivalandValentine’sDay,SpringFestivalandChristmasDay.Althoughthesefestivalsaresignificantlydifferentintheaspectsoforigin,background,celebration,etc,theycanbeconsideredequallyimportantintheeastandwest.Throughanalysisthesefestivals,learnerscanhaveabetterunderstandingofdifferentculture.

Keywords:

festivalbackgroundcustomsymbol

Contents

1Introduction

Everynationhasitsownuniquecharacters.Cultureisanimportantaspect,andtraditionalfestivalsareregardedasthebestform of expressionofculture.Tounderstandthenation’sculture,wehavetoknowthetraditionalfestivals.Mostofthefestivalsarecloselyrelatedtopeople’slives,historyandculture.Traditionalfestivalsaretheveryimportantpart ofculture.Differentcultureshavedifferent traditional festival.The traditionalfestivalsinChinaandinUnitedStatearegrowing intheirownculturalsystem.ComparingChinesefestivalswithAmericanfestivals,wecanfindoutthesimilaritiesanddifferences.SuchasSpringFestivalandChristmasDay,Double-SeventhDayandValentine’sDay.Althoughthesefestivalshavesimilarities,theyhavemanydifferencesinorigin,custom,symbol.Forexample,Chinesefestivalsaremainlynamedaftertheseason.Whilewestern festivals weremostlynamedafter the religiousfiguresorevents.Anotherdifferenceisthatwesternfestivalsarebasedonsolarcalendarwhichisworld-wide-usedbutChinesetraditionalfestivals arebasedonlunarcalendarwhichisusedonly in China.

ThroughanalyzingthesimilaritiesanddifferencesofChinesefestivalsandAmericanfestivals,learnerscanhaveabetterunderstandingofourownandWesternfestivals.

2FestivalsinChina

2.1SpringFestival

TheSpringFestivalistheendingofoldyearandthecomingoftheNewYear.Itindicatesagoodluck.The SpringFestivalisthemostimportantfestivalfor the Chinese.AtthattimeallfamilieswillgettogetherjustlikeChristmas in the West.Peoplewholivefarawayfromhomewillgobackhome.

InChina,beforecomingoftheNewYear,housesarethoroughlycleaned,peoplewouldhavetheirhaircut,foodprepared,debtsrepaid,andnewclothesbought.Doorsaredecoratedwithscrollsofcharactersonredpapertoseekgoodluckandpraisenature,thiscustomstemmingfromthehangingofpeach-woodcharmstokeepawayghostsandevilspirits.Inmosthomesincenseisburned,andalsointhetemplesasamarkofrespecttoancestors.Inaddition,symbolicflowersandfruitswereusedtodecoratethehouse,andcolorfulNewYearpicturesareplacedonthewalls.ThemostimportantdaysareSpringFestivalEveandthefirstthreedaystocelebratethelunarcalendar’sNewYear.OnSpringFestivaleve,themostimportantthingistohaveabigfamilymeal.NorthernChinesepeopleliketoeatdumplings,Dumplingsarethemosttraditionalfoodwhoseshapeislikeavcoin.whileSouthernChinesepeopleusuallyeatrice.SpringFestivalisatimeforallfamilymemberstogohomeforafamilyreunion,whichlendsitselftothemeal'scommonnameofa"familyreuniondinner".Childrenlikethefestivalverymuch,becausetheycanhavedeliciousfoodandwearnewclothes.Theycanalsogetsomemoneyfromtheirparents.Thismoneyisgiventochildrenforgoodluck.TheSpringFestivallastsabouthalfamonthlong.Peoplevisitrelativesandfriendswiththewords“HappyNewYear”.PeopleenjoytheSpringFestival,inthistimetheycanhaveagoodrest.

Therearemanytraditionalcustomsonthisfestival.

WavingGoodbyetotheKitchenGod

AccordingtoChinesefolklore,thekitchengodtravelstoheavenattheendofeveryyeartoreporttheearthlygoings-ontothegodofheaven.Inthepast,aroundDecember23or24onthelunarcalendarpeoplewouldpreparecandyforthekitchengodtomakesurehesaysnicethingsaboutthem,butfewpeoplestillcarryonthiscustom.

SweepingofftheDust

Everyyear,aftersendingtheKitchenGodtotheHeaven,peoplebegintocleantheirhousesandwaitforthecomingSpringFestival.SweepingoffthedustisoneofthecustomsthatpeoplesaygoodbyetotheoldyearandwelcometheNewYear.Inordertodothiswell,peoplewillcleaneverycornerofthehouse.Althoughitisaritualofcleaning,itisthenecessaryritualafterofferingsacrificestothegods.ItisalsosaidthatpeopleareafraidofoffendingtheKitchenGod.SowhentheywavegoodbyetotheKitchenGod,peoplecouldtrytheirbesttocleantheirhousestowelcomeSpringFestival.

ThereisthecustomofstayingupallnightontheNewYear’sEve.Thewholefamilysitstogethertochat,lookintothefutureuntildawntowelcomethelunarNewYear.Firecrackersandfireworksalwaysprovidethebackgroundmusicforthepeoplestayingup.ThereisalsothecustomofburningfireandcandlesthroughouttheNewYear’sEve.Thelightsareturnedoncontinuouslyforthewholenight.

Inmanyplacespeopleliketosetofffirecrackers.ThetraditionofsettingofffirecrackersonthefirstdayofNewYearhasahistoryofmorethan2000years.InChina,theSpringFestivalisalsocalled"Nian",afterthenameofaterriblebeastinChinesefolklore.Everyyearatthistime,itcamedownfromthemountaintothevillagestoeatpeopleandanimals.Inthepast,peopleburntbambootogeneratehugenoisestodriveitaway,andthistraditionhaschangedtotheuseoffirecrackers.ThethunderingsoundoffirecrackersannouncesthecomingofthelunarNewYear,aswellasvariousgodsdescendingfromtheHeaven.Itwasbelievedthatthegodsreturnedtothemoralworldwithnewmissionsaftertheymadetheirreportsfortheoldyear.Eachhouseholdwouldsetupanaltartowelcomethemback.TherearedifferentkindsofgodsintheChinesepeople’smind,suchastheGodofHappiness,theGodofHeaven,andtheGodofEarth,etc.Peopleworshipthosegodstoprayforagoodfuture.

2.2Double-SeventhDay

ChineseValentine'sDayfallsontheseventhdayoftheseventhmonthofthelunarcalendar.Thisisadaydevotedtoromance.InChina,thisdayisalsocalled"TheBeggingFestival"or"TheDaughter'sFestival."Itisanimportantdayforgirls.Intheevening,girlspreparemelonsandfruitbeforeworshipandprayersforagoodmarriage.

AlmosteveryoneinChinaisveryfamiliarwiththestoryofthefestival.ItissaidthattheseventhdaughteroftheEmperorofHeavenandanorphanedcowherdwereseparatedbytheEmperor;thegirlwasforcedtomovetothestarVegaandthecowherdtotheAltair.Theywereonlyallowedtomeetonceayearonthedayofseventhdayofseventhlunarmonth.Thestorybeginswiththehandsomebutpoororphanwholivedwithhiselderbrotherandsister-in-law.Afterhisparentspassedaway,theboy'sbrothergotthehouseandland.Butallhehadwasanoldox.TheseventhdaughteroftheEmperor,alsoknownastheWeavingGirl,wasgoodathandcrafting,especiallyweavingclothes.TheEmperorparticularlylikedherskillsofweavingcloudswithrainbowstomaketheworldmorebeautiful.Thecowherd'sox,whichwasactuallyanimmortalfromheaven,mademistakesinheavenandwasreincarnatedasanoxtotoilonearth.Oneday,theoxsuddenlysaidtothecowherd:

"Youareaniceperson.Ifyouwanttogetmarried,gotothecreekandyourwishwillcometrue."Theoldoxtolditsmasterthatseveralyounggoddesseswouldcometothispondinafewdaystobathe.OneofthemwouldbecalledWeavinggirl,WeavinggirlwasadaughteroftheEmperorofHeaven.Shewasverybeautifulandkind.Theoldoxsaidthatifcowherdcouldtakeawayherclotheswhileshewasinthepond,shewouldbehiswife.

Whenthedaycame,Cowherdhidinthetallreedsbythepondandwaitedfortheyounggoddesses.Theysooncame,justastheoldoxhadsaid.Theytookofftheirsilkrobesandjumpedhappilyintotheclearwater.Cowherdcreptoutofhishidingplace,pickedupweavinggirl'sclothesandranaway.Hercompanionsweresofrightenedthattheyjumpedout,dressedasquicklyastheycouldandflewaway.Weavinggirlwasleftaloneinthepond.Cowherdreturnedandgaveherbackherclothes.Hehadlovedherfromthefirstmomenthesawher.Theylookedintoeachother'seyes.Thegirlagreedthatshewouldbehiswife.Theyweredeeplyinloveandgotmarriedverysoonafterwards.Cowherdworkedhardgrowingcropsandweavinggirlraisedsilkworms.Threeyearslater,weavinggirlgavebirthtotwins,aboyandagirl.Theylivehappilytogetherfortherestoftheirlives.

Oneday,theoldoxwasdying.Beforeitcloseditseyesforthelastminute,ittoldtheyoungcouplethatitshidewouldenableamantoflytotheheaven.Ittoldthemtopreserveitc