双语阅读 Lantern Festival 愿君朝夕福运来，元宵快乐笑开怀

Lantern Festival, the earliest existing carnival in China, falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Its arrival also marks the end of Spring Festival celebrations. It is customary to appreciate the beauty of lanterns at night during Lantern Festival. Large scale lantern exhibitions are held throughout the country. 

元宵节是中国现存最早的狂欢节，在农历正月十五。它的到来也标志着春节庆祝活动的结束。在元宵节期间，人们习惯于在夜晚欣赏灯笼的美丽。全国各地都举行了大规模的灯展。

The Zigong Lantern Show in Southwest China's Sichuan province and Yuyuan Lantern Show in east China's Shanghai are representative lantern shows with traditional local characteristics. The Qinhuai Lantern Show in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, is one of the most famous lantern show in China, dating back more than 1,700 years. It is held annually during Lantern Festival and runs for more than 50 days, which is inscribed as one of China's first national intangible cultural heritages. It is also the longest running, most attended and grandest lantern show in China.

中国西南部四川省的自贡灯会和中国东部上海的豫园灯会是具有传统地方特色的代表性灯会。中国东部江苏省南京市的秦淮灯会是中国最著名的灯会之一，可以追溯到1700多年前。它每年在元宵节期间举行，持续50多天，被列为中国首批国家级非物质文化遗产之一。这也是中国持续时间最长、参加人数最多、规模最大的灯会。

Gu Yeliang, a native of Nanjing, is a national intangible cultural heritage. He began to make lanterns at the age of eight. Over the past 40 years, it has traveled to 47 countries and sent the art of Qinhuai lanterns to foreign skies. With increasing number of Chinese living abroad, the world is gaining interest in accepting Chinese culture. Lantern shows are held  every year in many parts of the world to celebrate Lantern Festival. To date, Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand has successfully hosted 20 Lantern Festival shows.

顾业亮，南京人，第一批国家级非物质文化遗产项目秦淮灯会代表性传承人。他八岁开始做灯笼。在过去的40年里，它已经游历了47个国家，并将秦淮花灯艺术送上了外国的天空。随着越来越多的中国人生活在国外，世界对接受中国文化越来越感兴趣。世界上许多地方每年都会举行元宵节。迄今为止，新西兰最大的城市奥克兰成功举办了20场元宵节表演。

There are also regional differences in China's lantern art culture. Lanterns with lit candles are signatures of the south. In Northeast China, Lantern Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, boasts a one-of-a-kind scenery. Glittering and translucent ice sculptures in different shapes create a fairy-tale of crystallized reflections of color and light.

中国的灯笼艺术文化也存在地域差异。灯笼和点燃的蜡烛是南方的标志。在中国东北，黑龙江省哈尔滨市的元宵节拥有独一无二的风景。晶莹剔透造型各异的冰雕在炫彩灯光的映射下营造出一个冰雪童话世界。

In addition to viewing lanterns, there is another custom of Lantern Festival that cannot be missed: eating tangyuan, or glutinous rice ball. The fillings can be sweet, such as sesame(芝麻) or jujube paste(枣泥), or savory, with minced meat or vegetables. These sweet and round delicacies are mold from glutinous rice flour, symbolizing the wholesomeness of family. Sometimes people will pick out a tangyuan and put in a special "stuffing", such as a coin. The one lucky person who bites onto that coin is said to be blessed with good luck in the new year. Lantern Festival is the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations. For those working or studying away from home, it is time to bid farewell to their families and set out on a journey in a brand new year.

除了看灯笼，元宵节还有一个不容错过的习俗：吃汤圆或糯米团。馅料可以是甜的，如芝麻或枣泥，也可以是咸味的，配上肉末或蔬菜。这些香甜圆润的美食是用糯米粉制成的，象征着家庭的健康。有时人们会挑出一个汤圆，放入一种特殊的“馅料”，比如一枚硬币。据说，咬到硬币的幸运儿在新的一年里好运连连。元宵节是中国新年庆祝活动的最后一天。对于那些在外工作或学习的人来说，是时候告别家人，踏上崭新的一年旅程了。

The lantern, Denglong, is the traditional lighting tool of China which also represents merit and joy. The traditional Denglong is covered by rice paper with candle burning inside. Lights shine through the gossamer rice paper.

灯笼，是中国传统的照明工具，它也代表着功绩和欢乐。传统的灯笼被宣纸覆盖，里面点燃蜡烛。光线透过薄纱宣纸。

Denglongs have diverse patterns. People like to decorate Denglongs and paint beautiful and auspicious designs on them. We light several Denglongs which symbolize happiness and good luck during the Chinese New Year and enjoy Denglong shows with family during the Lantern Festival.

灯笼有多种多样的模式。人们喜欢装饰灯笼，在灯笼上画上美丽吉祥的图案。我们在春节期间点燃了几个象征着幸福和好运的灯笼，并在元宵节期间与家人一起欣赏灯笼表演。

Now Denglongs are still used in all kinds of celebrations. Denglongs light the night of festivals. Merit and joy spread into different families by these different lanterns.

现在，灯笼仍然被用于各种庆祝活动。灯笼照亮了节日的夜晚。通过这些不同的灯笼，功德和喜悦传播到不同的家庭。

（来源 Meeting Chinese Festivals--Spring）

In ancient times, the first lunar month is called yuan month, and xiao refers to night in Chinese. The 15th day of the first lunar month is also the first full moon of the year. Emperor Wen (203-157 BC) of Han Dynasty ordered this day to be set as the Lantern Festival. Why him? Because he managed to end a rebellion insitiated by the Lu clan on that day. He then chose the day to commemorate this, sharing happiness with his people and cherishing the hard-won peace.

在古代，农历的第一个月叫做元月，而“宵”在汉语中指的是夜晚。农历正月十五也是一年中的第一个满月。汉文帝（公元前203-157年）下令将这一天定为元宵节。为什么是他？因为他在那一天成功地结束了诸吕之乱。然后，他选择了纪念这一天，与他的人民分享快乐，珍惜来之不易的和平。规定正月十五这一天不宵禁,西安城里家家张灯结彩,人们都走到街上,赏月游玩,以示庆祝。

Later, Emperor Wu (156-87 BC) of Han Dynasty started rituals for the "God of Taiyi" (who they believed ruled the whole universe) on this day. His Taichu Calendar, literally "the grand beginning calendar", was introduced in 104BC, the first year of the Taichu era, is thought to have defined the Lantern Festival as a major festival. 

后来，汉武帝刘彻（公元前156-87年）在这一天开始为“太一神”（他们认为他统治着整个宇宙）举行仪式。他的《太初历》，字面意思是“盛大的开始历”，于公元前104年，也就是太初时代的第一年，被认为将元宵节定义为一个重要节日。

This new status entailed a grand celebration. Like us now, the ancient Chinese enjoyed the festival as a holifay for everyone, The festival was celebrated for one day in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), and for three, five,  and ten days in the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties respectively. Women, who could rarely enjoy outdoor activities at that time, were able to go for a walk in streets decorated with lanterns and admire them during this festival. Imagine how jubilant and bustling it must have been on that day! This festive atmosphere can be found on every Lantern Festival day since. All celebrations feature nao, which means having fun or going wild with excitement. That's why celebrating the Lantern festival is specially called Nao Yuanxiao in Chinese.

这一新地位需要举行盛大的庆祝活动。和我们现在一样，古代中国人把这个节日视为每个人的节日。汉代（公元前202年至公元220年）庆祝一天，唐朝（618-907年）、宋朝（960-1279年）和明朝（1368-1644年）分别庆祝三天、五天和十天。当时很少能享受户外活动的女性，在这个节日期间可以在装饰着灯笼的街道上散步，欣赏灯笼。想象一下那一天是多么的欢腾和热闹！从那以后，每逢元宵节，都会有这样的节日气氛。所有的庆祝活动都以“闹”为特色，这意味着玩得开心或兴奋得发狂。这就是为什么庆祝元宵节在中国被特别称为闹元宵。