Qingming is not only one of China’s 24 solar terms, but also an occasion for Chinese people to honor their lost family members.

清明既是中国传统节气，又是中国人追思亲人的传统节日。

Speaking of the solar term Qingming, which is observed in early April when the temperature begins to rise and rainfall increases, it is the right time for spring cultivation and sowing.

月初的气温开始回升，降雨量增加，这使得它成为春天耕种和播种的关键时刻。

At the same time, Chinese people will visit tombs of their ancestors around Qingming to pay respect to the deceased.

与此同时，中国人会在节日期间扫墓以祭奠已故亲人。

Most of the time the whole family will go to the cemeteries with offerings, clean up weeds around the tombs and pray for family prosperity.

全家带着祭品前往墓地，清理坟墓周围的杂草，以表达对逝者的敬意和缅怀，把美好的心愿告诉祖辈，保佑家族兴盛发展。

Qingming was included as a Chinese public holiday in 2008.

2008年清明节被列入中国法定节假日。

Chinese people call themselves the descendants of the Yan Emperor and Yellow emperor.

中国人称自己为炎黄子孙。

A grand ceremony is held on Qingming every year in order to commemorate the Yellow Emperor, also known as the Xuanyuan Emperor.

为了共同缅怀中华民族的人文始祖轩辕黄帝，公祭典礼每年都会在清明盛大召开。

On this day, Chinese from all over the world pay respects to this ancestor together.

在这一天，全世界的华人华侨共同祭拜这位始祖。

This serves as a reminder of the roots of Chinese people and a chance to revisit the civilization of our ancestors.

自己从何而来，血脉中流淌着怎样的文明，都会从祭祖活动中得到答案。

These traditions are often accompanied with a more recreational activity spring outing.

人们在扫墓祭祖时通常还伴着另一项活动，踏青郊游。

The spring sunshine brings everything back to life, and the time is best to enjoy the beautiful scenes outside.

阳光灿烂，万物复苏，这正是欣赏春景的最好时机。

The mild temperature and fresh air are calming and stress-relieving, making spring outings another leisure choice for those who lead busy modern lives.

清明踏青的习俗增添了现代都市人的生活乐趣，户外适宜的温度和清新的空气能舒缓现代人的工作压力，在大自然中获得好心情。

Qingtuan, which literally means “green bulb”, was originally an offering for ancestors during Qingming.

青团字面意思是绿色的团子，原是清明节祭奠祖先的祭品。

As the custom of worshipping ancestors has weakened with time, it is now regarded as a favored spring outing snack, especially popular among people in south of the Yangtze River.

但随着祭祀功能的淡化，现在更多被人们当做春游小吃，在江南一带尤为流行。

Qingtuan is a round green dessert.

青团是一种圆形的绿色甜点。

Its green dough is made by mixing glutinous rice flour with boiled mugwort juice. The dough is then wrapped around red bean paste or other sweet fillings, then steamed until cooked.

做法是将新鲜艾草熬出青汁后，和在糯米粉里揉成团，裹进豆沙等馅料蒸制而成。

The combination of its soft and chewy dough with sweet and smooth fillings makes it a delicious light snack.

软糯弹牙的外皮带着悠长的艾草香味，细腻的豆沙馅甜而不腻。

Now, more new types of Qingtuan are available and some novel fillings are even going viral, such as egg yolk with meat, vegetarian options and fillings with fruit.

到了现代，传统美食青团出现了更多新奇的口味，甚至成了网红小吃，蛋黄肉松青团、蔬菜青团、水果青团等让人目不暇接。

The next holiday that’s loved by the Chinese people is Duanwu, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.

下一个深受中国人民喜爱的重大节日是端午节了。

The deafening drums and cheerful shouts pierce the sky as the mighty dragon boat race is about to start.

震耳欲聋的鼓声和呐喊声穿破天际，浩浩荡荡的龙舟大赛就要开始了。

作者：读书有三到我先到 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv21059372/?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0 出处：bilibili… Read the rest

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is Qixi, widely regarded as China’s Valentine’s Day.

农历七月初七是七夕节。七夕节被普遍认为是中国的情人节。

Many different stories lay claim to being the origin of the festival but one version is the most popular and accepted.

因为它承载着关于牛郎和织女的古老爱情传说。在众说纷纭的故事当中最广为流传的版本是：

The youngest daughter of the Jade Emperor ( the ruler of the world in legend), the Weaver Girl was a fairy who weaved rosy clouds in the sky.

玉帝（神话传说中天地的主宰）的小女儿织女，是在天上纺织彩霞的仙女。

She became tired of the boring immortal life and decided to descend to the mortal world. She met and fell in love with a cowherd.

她厌倦了乏味的神仙生活，私自来到人间，与凡人牛郎相恋。

The Jade Emperor strongly objected to the couple’s union and forcibly separated them by the Milky Way leaving them torn apart by the galaxy and only allowing them to meet once a year.

玉帝得知后震怒，强行拆散了这对夫妻，让他们分居银河两边，只允许他们一年见一次面。

Despite that, the distance could not stop their love for one another.

尽管如此，遥远的距离却不能阻止牛郎和织女对爱情的坚持。

They still love each other and look forward to meeting once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

从此他们终日思念彼此，期盼着一年一度的相会。

On the brighter side, the tragedy of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl could not happen in modern China.

如今牛郎织女一年一会的凄美故事在现代中国已经不再上演。

With the development of high speed railways, lovebirds no longer have any difficulty reuniting even if they are many miles apart.

高速列车的发展让恋人们即便相隔遥远也不再一面难求。

Beijing and Shanghai, the two largest cities in China are 1200 kilometers away from each other.

北京和上海这两座中国最大的城市，单程距离超过1200公里。

But a ride on the high-speed rail only takes four hours and there are more than 100 high-speed trains traveling between the two cities every day.

但高铁仅需4个多小时，同时每天有超过100个班次的高速火车往返在这两座城市之间。

The convenience and efficiency of modern travel have shortened the “galactic distance” between couples.

便捷高效的现代交通缩短了情侣们之间的“银河”距离。

On Qixi, more and more young people are going on dates and exchanging gifts to express their affection. This in turn gave rise to a unique Qixi economy.

每到七夕这天，越来越多的年轻人在一起约会、送礼表达爱意，形成独有的七夕经济。

Long queues are also often formed at the gate of the Civil Affairs Bureau where couples rush to register for marriage when love is in the air.

民政局的门口也会早早排起长队。很多情侣赶在这一天办理结婚登记手续，在甜蜜的节日氛围中祈求爱情地久天长。

This is because Qixi carries with it a symbolic meaning, choose your own love and remain faithful for life.

因为其良好的寓意：婚姻自主、忠贞不渝。

More than 2000 years ago, Qixi also known as “the Begging Festival”.

相传在两千多年前七夕节也称“乞巧节”。

In ancient China, women would visit their close friends and worship the Weaver Girl on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month praying they could become as clever as the Weaver Girl and find their faithful lover.

中国古代，女性会在七月初七这一天访闺中密友，拜祭织女，祈求能够像织女一样心灵手巧，收获忠贞的爱情。

In traditional Chinese marriage, women who pray for dexterity often devote all their energies to family life.

在中国传统婚姻中，祈求灵巧的女性往往会将全部精力投入到家庭生活中。

However, times have changed as has the role of women.

然而随着时代的发展，中国女性的角色发生了转变。

A more diversified social role enables women in China to pursue their love courageously and no longer be bound to domestic life like the Weaver Girl.

更加多样化的社会角色，使得中国女性可以勇敢的追寻自己的爱情，不再像织女一样受到束缚。

High-speed rail has brought tremendous changes.

高速火车的车轮带动着时代发展的巨变。

Many Chinese traditions have changed, but the tradition of festive reunions has stayed strong.

很多中国传统发生了变化，但中国人佳节团聚的传统从未改变。

In another month, another festival of reunion, Mid-Autumn Festival is coming.

再过一个多月，团聚的节日——中秋就要到来了。 作者：读书有三到我先到 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv21077324/?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0 出处：bilibili… Read the rest

The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration that focuses on the moon.

每年的农历八月十五是中秋节，这是一个关于月亮的节日。

Enjoying the beauty of the full moon on this day has been a long-standing tradition Chinese custom for centuries.

在这一天欣赏满月是中国人从古至今的习俗。

The West Lake “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon” in Hangzhou East China’s Zhejiang province is a great spot to appreciate the full moon.

浙江省杭州市的西湖“三潭印月”是赏月的绝佳地点。

There are three hollow stone towers in the center of the West Lake.

西湖的正中央有三座中空石塔。

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the lights in the tower reflects fifteen “moons” across the surface of the water around the towers.

每当中秋之夜点燃塔内灯光后，塔周围的湖面就倒映出十五个“月亮”。

The true moon and its reflected counterparts are difficult to distinguish giving rise to the name, “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon”.

真月假月，其影难辨，“三潭印月”由此得名。

The Chinese loved the moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival so much and even printed the picture of the “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon” on the back of one yuan note.

深爱着中秋圆月的中国人，甚至把三潭印月的奇景印在一元人民币的纸币上。

According to the legend, in ancient times there were ten suns in the sky simultaneously and the strong exposure and extremely hot temperature made people’s lives a misery.

相传远古时期，天上有十个太阳同时出现，暴晒和高温使得民不聊生。

A hero named Houyi came along, shot down nine suns and saved the world.

有一名叫后羿的英雄出现，射下了九个太阳，拯救了世界。

To reward his bravery, the Queen Mother gave him an elixir as a reward.

因此王母娘娘赠予他不死神丹以示嘉奖。

Chang’e, Houyi’s wife, drank the elixir by accident and became immortal. Since immortals cannot remain in a mortal realm, she had to leave the earth ascended to the moon and could only watch the human world from afar.

嫦娥，后羿的妻子，因误食神丹而羽化成仙，自此不能下凡，她只得飞向月亮，常居月宫之中，遥遥望着人间。

China’s “Chang’e Moon Exploration Project” is named after this story.

中国嫦娥探月工程就得名于嫦娥奔月的故事。

On Jan 3, 2019, Chang’e detector No.4 successfully landed on the moon returning the world’s first close-range image of the dark side of the moon.

2019年1月3日，嫦娥四号探测器成功着陆在月球背面，传回了世界第一张近距离拍摄的月背影像图。

Aside from Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the most important festival symbolizing reunion.

除春节之外，中秋节是最重要的团圆节日。

The roundness of the full moon expresses people’s desire for a wholesome happy family.

圆圆的月亮寄托了人们对家庭圆满的愿望。

Eating moon cakes is an important custom during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

吃月饼是中秋节的重要习俗。

Due to the different diet habits in different regions, moon cakes vary in taste. Traditional flavours include fillings of five kernel, egg yolk, jujube paste and bean paste.

因各地饮食习俗不同，月饼的口味五花八门，包括传统的五仁、蛋黄、枣泥、豆沙。

Now there are new flavors like ice cream and durian.

如今还演变出冰激凌、榴莲月饼等等。

Although the taste of moon cake is changing, the symbolic meaning of the full moon remains unchanged and the Chinese custom of eating moon cake and longing for reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival will never fade away.

虽然月饼的口味在变，但团圆的寓意一直未变，中国人吃月饼的习俗和对中秋团圆的期盼也从未改变。

After a short get-together during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Double Ninth Festival, a festival of renewal growth and cherishing the past is just around the corner, led by the old and the wise.

短暂的中秋欢聚之后，将迎来登高怀古的重阳节，这一天的主角是富有智慧的老人们。 作者：读书有三到我先到 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv21077339/?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0 出处：bilibili… Read the rest

When clear and refreshing autumn arrives and chrysanthemums scent the world, it’s time for the Chinese Chongyang Festival or Double Ninth Festival.

每当秋高气爽、菊香四溢的时候，中国人便迎来了重阳节。

The Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

重阳节在农历九月初九。

In Chinese folklore, the number nine is the largest number, it’s a homonym to the Chinese word jiu, which contains the auspicious meaning of “a long and healthy life”.

民俗观念中，“九”是数字中的最大数，它和中文的“久”同音，有长久长寿的含意。

In 1989, the Chinese government designated the Double Ninth Festival as the “Festival for the Elderly” to express wishes for health and longevity of the senior citizens.

1989年中国政府将重阳节这天定为“老年节”，寄托着人们对老人健康长寿的祝福。

The Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, which has been in effect since 2013, clearly stipulates that every year’s Double Ninth Festival is a legal festival for senior citizens.

自2013年起实施的《老年人权益保障法》中，则明确规定每年农历九月初九为老年节，意味着重阳节自此成为法定的老年节。

In ancient times, it was customary to climb mountains to pray for good luck and longevity on the Double Ninth Festival.

古时，重阳节有登高祈福、饮宴求寿的习俗。

Tengwang Pavilion is one of the three most famous pavilions in Jiangnan.

滕王阁是江南三大名楼之一。

Every year at the Double Ninth Festival, people will climb up to the Tengwang Pavilion to enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery of the sea melting into the sky.

每逢重阳人们便会登上滕王阁望远，感受海天一色的秋日美景。

Nowadays, the custom of climbing mountains for blessings on the Double Ninth Festival has gradually merged with some other outdoor exercises.

现如今重阳节登高祈福的习俗，已逐渐与流行的户外运动融合。

Some activities have become especially popular among middle aged and older people, such as tai chi,qigong and square dancing.

还兴起了多项流行于中老年人之间的健身运动，如太极、气功、广场舞等活动。

The square dance has actually become a unique phenomenon in China. Whether it’s in a big or small city when night falls, you will see people dancing on public squares.

广场舞在中国已经成为一种“独特风景线”。无论大小城市一到傍晚时分，便能看到人们在广场空地的矫健舞姿。

In ancient times people also would admire the beauty of chrysanthemums, drink wine and eat Chongyang cakes on the day.

在古时重阳节还有赏菊饮酒、吃糕的习俗。

The ninth lunar month is the time when chrysanthemums are in full bloom and chrysanthemums symbolize longevity.

农历九月是菊花盛放的时节，而菊花象征着长寿。

So every year at the festival, people pick fresh chrysanthemums to make chrysanthemum wine.

每逢重阳，人们便会采摘新鲜的菊花，酿成菊花酒。

The ancients regarded it as an auspicious wine for clearing away heat detoxifying and prolonging life.

古人视其为清热解毒、益寿延年的“吉祥酒”。

Chongyang cake is a festive cake for the Double Ninth Festival that is usually made of flour, brown sugar, fruits and nuts among other ingredients. It contains the auspicious meaning “making steady progress”.

重阳糕则是重阳节的节令糕点，通常由面粉、红糖、果料等混合蒸制而成，象征“步步高升”的吉祥之意。

Although people today don’t observe all the traditional customs for the Double Ninth Festival, it’s still the core of the festival to respect the elders.

时至今日，虽然有些重阳习俗已经慢慢淡化，但尊老敬老仍是重阳节的主要内涵。

Thanks to social care from their surroundings and love from their families, a growing number of seniors have begun to pay more attention to their later years.

社会和子女的关爱，让更多老人用心经营自己的晚年生活。

In recent years, travel has become a very popular way for senior Chinese people to spend their leisure time.

近年来旅行成为他们极为青睐的休闲方式。

“The Sunset Glow Tour Group” referring to Chinese elders has gradually become a trendy word.

由中国老人组成的“夕阳红旅游团”逐渐成为一个流行概念。

Time has not stopped them from exploring the world and the elders who love life deserve the attention and respect of society.

岁月未能阻止他们探索世界的脚步，热爱生活的老人们值得整个社会的关注与敬爱。 作者：读书有三到我先到 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv21077346/?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0 出处：bilibili… Read the rest

徐霞客出生在一个富庶的家庭中。

Xu Xiake was born in a prosperous family.

受到父亲的影响，他喜欢地理、探险和游记之类的书籍。

Influenced by his father, he loved to read books about geography, adventure, traveling and so on.

这些书籍使他从小就热爱祖国的壮丽河山，立志要游遍名山大川。

These books developed his early love of the motherland’s magnificent scenery, and made him determined to travel over mountains and rivers.

徐霞客一生周游考察了十六个省，足迹几乎遍及全国。

Xu Xiake had visited sixteen provinces, leaving his footprints in nearly every corner of our country.

他在考察过程中，从来不盲目迷信书本上的结论。

He neither used books as the single guide for his travel, nor did accept conclusions given by books without thinking.

他发现前人研究的地理的确记载了许多不可靠的地方。

As a result, he finally discovered considerable inaccuracies occurring in the geographical notes written by predecessors.

为了进行细致的考察，他很少乘车坐船，几乎全靠双脚。

In order to get a detailed and truthful picture of the places he visited, he rarely traveled by carriage or boat, but almost all on foot. 作者：读书有三到我先到 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv21111600/?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0 出处：bilibili… Read the rest