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　　年岁轮回，我们精选了《中国关键词》春节相关内容，与您一起驱散旧岁的疲惫，开启新年的希望与憧憬。

春节

Spring Festival

　　春节起源于中国远古时期人们的原始信仰和自然崇拜，由祭祀祈年活动演变而来。中国古人认为，春天开启新的年岁轮回，今天，人们把农历正月初一定为春节，节庆活动一直延续到农历正月十五。

　　The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. During the festival, people cast out the old and usher in the new. They worship gods and ancestors, pray for good fortune, and gather with family and friends for celebrations. The Spring Festival has a long history. Originating in primitive beliefs and the worship of nature in ancient China, it evolved from the practices of offering sacrifices and praying for good harvests. The ancient Chinese believed that spring is the time when everything rejuvenates and a new year begins. A good start to a new year was of great significance in an agrarian society. Today as before, people celebrate the first day of the first lunar month as the Spring Festival with festive activities, which continue until the 15th of the month.

　　阖家团圆、共聚一堂，是春节的重要内涵。在春节将近时，家家户户都在大门两边贴上崭新的春联，并在屋门、墙壁、门楣等处贴上象征好运的“福”字，以及驱邪魔、保平安的年画和门神，并在庭院或房屋门口挂起大红灯笼，寄托对幸福生活的期待。春节的前一天即除夕，家家户户团聚享用丰盛的年夜饭。春节期间，人们要穿上新衣，走亲访友，问候拜年。燃放爆竹、舞龙舞狮也是春节的节庆习俗，用来祈求风调雨顺、事事如意。到了正月十五元宵节，人们还会吃元宵，举行游艺活动。

　　Family reunions are the most important part of the Spring Festival. As the festival approaches, every household posts a new spring couplet on the sides of their door. The couplet, a unique literary form consisting of an upper line (on the right side), a lower line (on the left side), and a horizontal scroll, expresses people's good wishes for the new year. People also post the Chinese character "Fu" (good fortune), Nianhua (Spring Festival picture) and Menshen (guardians of doors and gates) on their doors, walls, and lintels, and hang red lanterns in the courtyard or at the door, to create a festive atmosphere and express their desire for a happy life. On the eve of the Spring Festival, families will have a grand reunion dinner. During the festival, people wear new clothes, visit relatives and friends, and exchange greetings and good wishes. Setting off firecrackers and performing dragon and lion dances are also traditional customs to pray for harvests and good luck. On the 15th of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival), people eat glutinous rice balls and participate in various activities to complete the celebrations of the Spring Festival.

　　如今，春节已经走进全球近200个国家，逐渐成为世界人民共同的节日。

　　As an important Chinese tradition, celebrating the Spring Festival carries profound cultural meanings and showcases the Chinese people's rich and colorful social and cultural life. With its joyful atmosphere and unique cultural charm, the festival is now celebrated in almost 200 countries and is gaining popularity worldwide as a happy event shared by all.

饺子

Dumplings

　　相传饺子是东汉时期“医圣”张仲景发明的，用面皮把祛寒的药材和食材包好并煮熟食用，用于预防和治疗疾病。后来，饺子逐渐演变为中国北方民间的主食和年节食品。人们在春节这个辞旧迎新的时刻吃饺子，寓意“更岁交子”“招财进宝”，祈盼新年吉祥如意。

　　Dumplings are a traditional Chinese food made by wrapping filling in dough, shaped like a half-moon or an ingot. They can be cooked by steaming, boiling, or frying. According to legend, they were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, the "medical sage," during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). He used dough to wrap food ingredients and medicinal herbs said to be able to prevent and treat colds and other diseases. Dumplings went on to become a staple dish in northern China and a popular festival food during the Spring Festival. People eat dumplings during the Spring Festival, a time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, to symbolize renewal and wealth, hoping for good luck and good fortune in the coming year. Dumplings are more than a delicious food. They also convey the Chinese people's longing for a better life.

十二生肖

The Chinese Zodiac

　　十二生肖又名“十二属相”。中国古人将十二生肖与纪年的十二地支相配，组成子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪，以十二年为一个周期，形成一种传统的纪年法。

　　The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. The 12 animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The ancient Chinese paired the 12 animals with the 12 earthly branches, forming a traditional system of ordinals with a 12-year cycle. A person's zodiac sign is thus determined by the year of their birth. For example, those born in the year of Mao will have the zodiac sign of the rabbit. Those born in the year of Shen will have the zodiac sign of the monkey.

　　在中国，人们知道自己和亲人的生肖。十二生肖作为吉祥物，广泛呈现在春联、剪纸、邮票、绘画、雕塑等艺术领域，寄托中国人对美好生活的祝福与期盼。

　　The Chinese zodiac, a symbol of Chinese folk culture passed down from generation to generation, enjoys a long his- tory. In China, people identify themselves and their families with zodiac animals. There are many intriguing stories and legends about them. The animals are often presented as auspicious signs, especially during the Spring Festival. They appear on spring couplets, paper-cuttings, stamps, paintings, sculptures, and other art works, representing the Chinese people's wishes and hopes for a happy life.

国泰民安

The country enjoys prosperity, and the people live in peace.

　　“国泰民安”出自《梦粱录》，意为国家太平无事，社会和谐安定，人民生活幸福。这是自古以来每一位正直的执政者所努力追求的治理目标和治理状态，也是每一个普通百姓所抱持的生活愿景。

　　This phrase comes from Meng Liang Lu (Records of the Capital) by Wu Zimu (dates unknown), a scholar of the Song Dynasty. It depicted a state of peace in the country, harmony in society, and contentment among the people. This is an ideal pursued by almost every ruler since ancient times. It is also an aspiration shared by the populace. Peace and stability benefit both the state and the people, and this again proves the value of the Chinese pursuit of peace.

　　习近平总书记在发表二○二一年及二○二二年新年贺词时，都以“国泰民安”作为祝福结束语，表达了对开启新征程、开创新格局的美好希冀，也表示了对全国人民安居乐业的诚挚祝愿。

　　In his New Year addresses for both 2021 and 2022, Xi Jinping concluded his remarks with the same wish, "May our country enjoy prosperity and our people live in peace!" This is a sincere wish for the country on its journey ahead, and reflects Xi's genuine concern for the interests of every Chinese.

编辑：慕悦