文房四宝
笔墨纸砚是中国古代文人书房中必备的宝贝，被称为“文房四宝”。用笔墨书写绘画在
中国可追溯到五千年前。秦（前221---前206）时已用不同硬度的毛和竹管制笔；汉代（前206—公元220）以人工制墨替代了天然墨；有了纸张之后，简牍锦帛逐失其用；砚台则随笔墨的使用而发展。“文房四宝”到宋朝（960--1279）以后特指湖笔（浙江湖州）、徽墨（安徽徽州）、宣纸（安徽宣州）、端砚（广东肇庆，古称端州）。可以说文房四宝书写了整个中华文明。
The writing brush, inkstick, inkstone, and paper were requisite treasures in the study of the scholars of ancient China, and they are often referred to as the “Four Treasures of the Study.” The writing brush and inkstick have been used by the Chinese to write and paint since 5,000 years ago. In the Qin Dynasty(221BC—206BC), people already used feathers of different hardness and bamboo trunks to make brushes. During the Han Dynasty(206BC—220AD), man-made ink was used instead of natural ink. After paper was invented by the Chinese, bamboo slips, wooden tablets, brocade and silk, which originally functioned as writing surfaces, gradually faded out. The inkstone was first developed with the use of writing brushes and ink. After the Song Dynasty(960AD—1279AD), the “Four Treasures of the Study” particularly referred to hubi, the writing brush produced in Huzhou, Zhangjiang province; huimo, the inkstick produced in Huizhou, Anhui province; xuan paper, a kind of paper produced in Xuanzhou, Anhui province; and duanyan, the inkstone made in Zhapqing, Guangdong province(Zhaoqing was earlier called Duanzhou). Indeed, the “Four Treasures of the Study” have written the whole Chinese civilization, as it is.
对联
对联又称楹联或对子，是以中文语言一字一音的特征撰写的一种民族文体。中国对联的哲学渊源及深层民族文化心理，乃是古代中国人把握和认识事物的阴阳二元观念。对联的特征是“对仗”：字数相等，词性相当，平仄相合，内容相关，节奏相应。对联习俗多样，有春联、婚联、寿联、挽联、茶联等。
The antithetical couplet(also called duilian)is also known as yinglian or duizi. An antithetical couplet is a kind of national writing style, which is composed by the skillful manipulation of the characteristic of the Chinese language that one character corresponds with one syllable . The philosophical origin and national cultural psychology of the antithetical couplet are the notion of yin-yang duality, according to which the Chinese recognize and master things. The feature of the antithetical couplet is an “antithesis”: equal characters, the same part of speech, the level and oblique fitting with each other, the content being related, and the rhythms corresponding. There are many types of antithetical couplets, such as Spring Festival couplets, marriage couplets, birthday couplets, elegiac couplets, and antithetical couplets about tea, etc.
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中国书法
中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“书”特指书法。它是用毛笔书写篆、隶、楷、行、草等各体汉字的艺术。中国书法在技法上讲究笔法、墨法、章法等，其艺术的和谐之美体现在字里行间。隶书的蚕头燕尾，楷书的中规中矩，草书的龙飞凤舞，行书的潇洒飘逸，可谓异彩纷呈，千姿百态。中国书法体现了中华民族豪爽大气、端庄含蓄的特点。
Chinese Calligraphy
The four ancient Chinese artistic forms are called guqin,chess,penmanship, and painting; and penmanship particularly refers to Chinese calligraphy. Chinese calligraphy id a kind of art using a brush to write seal script, official scrip, regular script, cursive script, grass script, and other various writing styles of Chinese characters. The writing techniques of Chinese calligraphy are highlighted by the manner of using a brush, the way ink is used, the art of composition, and so on. Its harmonious beauty of art is reflected in between the lines. Chinese calligraphy exhibits its beauty in different poses, such as the uniqueness of the official script’s “silkworm head and swallow tail,” the regular script’s requirement to “stick to the norm and rules,” the characteristic of grass script’s “flying dragons and dancing phoenixes,” and the distinctive “natural grace” of the cursive script. Chinese calligraphy reflects the personality of Chinese people’s straightforwardness, dignity, and reticence.
中国古琴
中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“琴”特指古琴， 亦称瑶琴、玉琴、七弦琴，是中国古老的一种弹拨乐器。据《史记》记载，琴的出现不晚于尧舜时期。为区分于西方乐器，现被称作“古琴”。古琴依风之身形而制并命名各部位，反映出儒家的礼乐思想及中国人所重视的和合性。
Chinese Guqin
As one of the four art forms (namely guqin, chess,penmanship, and painting) in ancient china, guqin is a kind of plucked string instrument which is also known as yaoqin, yuqin and qixian qin. According to Chinese history book Shih Chi, qin appeared no later than the Yao and Shun eras. In order to distinguish it from similar musical instruments of the West, it was called guqin. The guqin’s design imitates the shape of a phoenix. People also named different parts of the guqin after the names various body parts of the phoenix. This naming method reflects Confucius’ thoughts on music and the ideology of harmony that Chinese people value.
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中国汉字
汉字是从原始人用以记事的简单图画，经过不断演变发展最终成为一种兼具音、形、意、韵的独特文字。现存中国古代最早成熟的文字是甲骨文，被认为是现代汉字的初形。此后，汉字又经历了金文、隶书、楷书、草书、行书等不同的阶段。汉字结构“外圆内方”，源于古人“天圆地方”的观念。汉字有五种基本笔画，即：横、竖、撇、捺、折。
Chinese Characters
Chinese characters were initially meant to be simple pictures used to help people remember things. After a long period of development, it finally became a unique system that embodies phonetic sound, image, idea, and rhyme at the same time. The writing system, which was extremely advanced in ancient times, began with inscriptions on tortoise shells, and these are regarded as the original forms of Chinese characters. Afterwards, Chinese characters went through numerous calligraphic styles: bronze inscriptions, official script, regular script, cursive script, running script, etc. Chinese characters are usually round outside and square inside, which is rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs of an orbicular sky and a rectangular Earth. The five basic strokes of Chinese characters are “—” (the horizontal stroke), “︱”(the vertical stroke), “丿”(the left-falling stroke), “丶”(the right-falling stroke), and “乙”(the turning stroke).
中国筷子
中国人使用筷子就餐的方式在世界上独树一帜。有史记载用筷的历史已有三千多年。筷子古时称为箸，它看似简单， 但却同时具有夹、拨、挑、扒、拌、撮、戳、撕等多种功能。中国民间视筷子为吉祥之物， 如婚俗中将筷子隐喻为快生贵子的祝福等。与使用刀叉以及手抓的方式不同，成双结对的筷子含有“和为贵”的意蕴。西方人赞誉筷子是古老的东方文明。
Chinese Chopsticks
The Chinese way of eating with chopsticks is unique in the world. The recorded history of chopsticks started more than three thousand years ago. Chopsticks were named zhu in ancient Chinese. They look deceptively simple to use, but possess multi-various functions, such as clamping, turning over, lifting up, raking, stiring, scooping, poking, tearing, and so on. Chopsticks were taken as an auspicious mascot by ordinary people in ancient China. For example, the partial tone of chopsticks is often used by people as a metaphor as weddings to indicate a blessing or benediction for the couple to have a baby soon. Unlike using a knife and fork or one’s own hands, a pair of chopsticks also implies the meaning of “Harmony is what matters.” Chopsticks are highly praised by Westerners as a hallmark of ancient oriental civilization.
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针灸
针灸是中医学的重要组成部分。按照中医的经络理论，针灸疗法主要是通过疏通经络、调和气血，来达到阴阳归于平衡，使脏腑趋于调和之目的。其特点是“内病外治”。主要疗法是用针刺入病人身体的一定穴位，或用艾火的温热刺激烧灼病人的穴位，以达到刺激经络。治疗病痛的目的。针灸以其独特的优势，流传至今并传播到了世界，与中餐、功夫、中药一起被海外誉为中国的“新四大国粹”。
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In accordance with the “main and collateral channels” theory in TCM, the purpose of acupuncture is to dredge the channel and regulate qi and blood, so as to keep the body’s yin and yang balanced and achieve reconciliation between the internal organs. It features in traditional Chinese medicine that “internal diseases are to be treated with external therapy”. The main therapy of acupuncture involves using needles to pierce certain acupoints of the patient’s body, or adopting moxibustion to stimulate the patient’s acupoints so as to stimulate the channels and relieve pain. With its unique advantages, acupuncture has been handed down generation after generation and has now spread all over the world. Nowadays, acupuncture, along with Chinese food, kung fu (otherwise known as Chinese martial arts), and traditional Chinese medicine, has been internationally hailed as one of the “four new national treasures.”
中国武术
中国功夫即中国武术，是将技击寓于搏斗和套路运动之中的中国传统体育项目，承载着丰富的中国民族传统文化。其核心思想是儒家的中和养气之说，同时兼容了道家、释家的思想。中国武术源远流长、流派林立、拳种繁多，讲究刚柔并济、内外兼修，蕴含着先哲们对生命和宇宙的参悟。后世所称十八般武艺，主要指：徒手拳艺，如太极拳、形意拳、八卦掌等；器械功夫，如刀枪剑戟、斧钺钩叉等。
Chinese Kung Fu
Chinese kung fu, or Chinese martial arts, carries traditional Chinese culture in abundance. It is a traditional Chinese sport which applies the art of attack and defence in combat and the motions engaged with a series of skill and tricks. The core idea of Chinese king fu is derived from the Confucian theory of both “the mean and harmony” and “cultivating qi” (otherwise known as nourishing one’s spirit). Meanwhile, it also includes thoughts of Taoism and Buddhism. Chinese kung fu has a long history, with multi-various sects and many different boxing styles, and emphasizes coupling hardness with softness and internal and external training. It contains the ancient great thinkers’ pondering of life and the universe. The skills in wielding the 18 kinds of weapons named by the later generations mainly involve the skills of bare-handed boxing, such as shadow boxing (Taijiquan), form and will boxing (Xingyiquan), eight trigram palm (Baguazhang), and the skills of kung fu weaponry, such as the skill of using swords, spears, two-edged swords and halberds, axes, tomahawks, kooks, prongs and so on.
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Unit 7 Chinese Seal
A seal can also be defined as a stamp. Both the Chinese official and private seal of various dynasties have different titles, such as stamp, zhu note, contract, fu, lease and others. The seals used by the emperors of ancient China were called xi, yin, bao, etc. According to historical records, seals were widely used during the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC). The making of a seal is to engrave fonts, such as seal characters and official script and so on; or images in the form of intaglio and embossment into the seal, basically shaped as round or square. Covered with a vermilion overlay, the Chinese seal is not only used in daily life, but it is also used to represent signatures on paintings and calligraphies. It is gradually becoming one of China’s unique artworks.
印章就是图章。中国历代官、私所用的印章有印信、朱记、合同、符、契等等不同的称谓，而帝王所用的印章古时称玺、印、宝、章等。据史料记载，印章在战国时代已普遍使用。印章的制作是将篆隶等字体、图像用阴、阳的形式雕刻而成，形状以圆、方为主。印章用朱色 钤盖，除日常应用外，又多用于书画题识，逐渐成为中国特有的艺术形式之一。
Unit 8 Chinese Era
The Chinese era is the symbol that the Chinese calendar uses for recording and naming years. The ten Heavenly Stems are: jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, gui. The twelve Earthly Branches are: zi.chou, yin, mou, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai. After observing the lunar month, the ancients found that the moon always wazes and wanes roughly 12 times a year, and two lunar months account for about 60 days, so the order of the ten Heavenly Stems and the order of the twelve Earthly Branches are properly matched in turn. In terms of recording date, 60 years is considered to be a full time cycle. The Chinese era chronology was first invented in ancient times and is still in use now. according to the chronology of the “ten Heavenly Stems,” 2011 is the year of “the seventh of the ten Heavenly Stems” and “ the fifth of the twelve Earthly Branches”.
天干地支是中国历法中用以记录和命名年岁的方法。十天干为：甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、已、庚、辛、壬、癸；十二地支为：子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戊、亥。古人观测朔望月，发现月亮圆缺12次大体上是一年的天数，而两个朔望月约是60天。古人以十天干与十二地支的顺序依次相配，记录不同年份，60年为一个轮回。干支纪年法从古沿用至今。按干支纪年法，2011年便是辛卯年。
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中国道教
道教是中国土生土长的宗教。创始人是春秋（前770---前476）末期的哲学家、思想家老子。道教以老子所著的《道德经》为主要经典。道教主张“重人贵生”，崇尚清静无为、修身养性。“道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名天地之始；有名万物之母。故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼”便是老子的至理名言。
Chinese Taoism
Taoism first originated in China. The founder of Taoism is Laozi， a philosopher and thinker who lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period（770BC----476BC). Tao Te Ching, whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi, is considered to be the main classic. Taoism advocates the value of a human being's life, recommends the discarding of all desires and worries from one's mind, and encourages the cultivation of moral character and the nourishment of human nature. The following is an example of Laozi's golden sayings：
The way that can be told of is not an unvarying way；
The names that can be named are not unvarying names.
It was from the nameless that Heaven and Earth sprang;
The named is but the mother that rears the ten thousand creatures, each after its kind.
Truly，only he that rids himself forever of desire can see the secret essences；
He that has never rid himself of desire can see only the outcomes.
中国成语
成语是汉语中完整地表示一般概念的固定词组或短语。“成语”中的“成”即使约定俗成。成语是比词大而语法功能又相当于词的语言单位。绝大多数的中国成语由四个汉字组成，例如：自强不息、青出于蓝、厚积薄发。成语主要从民间谚语、古代文学作品、诗歌、寓言、典故、名言警句等方面提炼而成，是汉语语言中精炼而又富有生命力的一部分。
Chinese Idioms
Chinese idioms refer to comprehensive and integrated fixed phrases and expressions. Idioms are established and accepted by constant usage and common practice. An idiom is a language unit that is larger than a word, but has the same grammatical function as a word. Most Chinese idioms consist of four characters. For example, ziqiangbuxi(make unremitting efforts to improve oneself), qingchuyulan(bluer than indigo), and houjibofa(success comes with time and effort). Idioms extracted from folk proverbs, ancient works of literature, poems, fables, allusions, and well-known sayings. Idioms are a part of the Chinese language that are concise and have great vitality.
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中国传统节日
中国传统节日以中国的农历为依据。农历年的岁首为春节，俗称“过年”，有祈年等多种习俗，是中国人民最隆重的传统节日，象征团结兴旺。其他主要的节日有元宵节、清明节、端午节、七夕节、中秋节、重阳节、冬至节、腊八节等等。每个节日都有其来源讲究和风俗习惯。农历节日和农历中的二十四节气不同。农历节日是中华民族凝聚力和生命力的体现。
Traditional Chinese Festivals
Traditional Chinese festivals are usually fixed according to the Lunar calendar. January 1st on the lunar calendar has been designed as the Spring Festival (generally referred to as guonian). There are several customs during the Spring Festival, such as praying for a good harvest, etc. The Spring Festival is the most ceremonious traditional festival in China and symbolizes unity and prosperity. Some other Chinese festivals include the * Festival, the Pure Bright Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Double-Seventh Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Double-Ninth Festival, the Winter Solstice, and the Eighth Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, etc. Each festival has its own unique origin and custom. These Chinese festivals that follow the Lunar calendar are different from the 24 Solar Terms in the Lunar calendar. They embody China’s cohesion and vitality.
中国茶文化
茶是中华民族的举国之饮，发端于神农，兴盛于唐宋（618-1279）。开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶，是中国人日常生活的写照。茶文化是茶的自然和人文双重属性的引申与概括。中国的茶道精神将儒释道三教融入其中，其主要目的是借助饮茶艺术来修炼身心，体悟大道，提升人生境界。
As a traditional drink for Chinese people, Chinese tea is believed to have first started with Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, and flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties (618AD-1279AD). Making tea was considered one of the seven basic daily necessities along with fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, while drinking tea is an apt portrayal of daily life in China. Tea culture is the extension and generalization of the science and humanities character of tea. In China, the tea spirit blends the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and it aims to help people cultivate both mind and body, comprehend the truth, and elevate the realm of life through the art of drinking tea.
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中国画
中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“画”特指国画。其绘画形式是用毛笔蘸水、墨、颜料作画于绢、帛、宣纸之上，古代称之为水墨丹青。为区别于西方的油画而称之为“中国画”，简称“国画”。其题材有人物、山水、花鸟等。技法可分为工笔和写意。国画的艺术特质在于“笔墨”，强调以形写神，画尽意在。国画在艺术创作上反映了中华民族的审美意识和情趣。
Traditional Chinese Painting
The four art forms in ancient China are guqin, chess, penmanship, and painting. And painting particularly refers to traditional Chinese painting. Traditional Chinese painting is done with a brush dipped into black or colored ink and is painted on silk or xuan paper. In ancient China, it was called “ink-painting”. In order to distinguish it from Western oil-paintings, the Chinese people term their works “traditional Chinese painting” (abbreviated to “Chinese painting”). The subject matters of Chinese paintings are typically figures, landscapes, birds and flowers. The drawing skills and techniques employed by the Chinese painters can be divided into two forms: fine brushwork and free-hand brushwork. The artistic characteristics lie in “the writing brush and ink”. Chinese painting emphasizes using the shape to convey the feelings of the painter. Even though a painting is a finished product, it endlessly conveys a meaning. In terms of the artistic creation, traditional Chinese painting is a reflection of the aesthetic consciousness and artistic sentiment of the Chinese people.
中国酒文化
中国是酒的故乡。古人将酒的作用归纳为治病、养生、礼仪三类。酒文化是中华饮食文化的重要组成部分，它的精神文化价值体现在社会政治生活、文学艺术乃至人生态度、审美情趣等诸多方面。无酒不成宴，酒筹文化是中国合餐制的产物。宴席上的酒令五花八门，猜拳、文字令、筹令等都富有丰厚的文化内涵，若胸中无数，则难以自如应付。
Chinese Wine and Spirits Culture
China is the home of wine and spirits. The functions of wine and spirits were classified by the ancients into three kinds: treating patients, keeping in good health, and showing politeness and respect to others. China’s wine and spirits culture is an important part of Chinese food culture, and it embodies its values in many respects, such as in social and political life, literature and art, life philosophies, aesthetics, and so on. There is an old saying which goes, “It is not a banquet without wine.” Under the custom of having dinner together in China, drinking games were therefore introduced. There are many kinds of banquet betting and drinking games, like the morra (a finger-guessing game), wine/spirits words, wine/spirits chips (a drinking game), all with rich cultural connotations. In reality, it is difficult to win unless you have a card up your sleeve.
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中国石窟
中国石窟主要反映的是佛教文化艺术。敦煌莫高窟、大同云冈石窟、洛阳龙门石窟、天水麦积山石窟，号称中国四大石窟艺术景观。佛教石窟随山雕凿、彩绘，形象生动自然，将崇高美与世俗融为一体，把天然造化与人工创造有机结合，是由建筑、绘画、雕塑等组成的博大精深、绚丽夺目的综合艺术殿堂。其艺术成就为世界所瞩目，已成为重要的世界文化遗产。
Chinese Grottoes
Chinese grottoes mainly reflect the art of Buddhist culture. In China, there are four major art landscapes of grottoes: the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, the Yungang Grottoes at Datong, the Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang, and the Maijishan Grottoes at Tianshui. Carved and painted on mountains, the Buddhist grottoes mingle both sublimity and secular feelings together, presenting us a vivid and natural appearance. They embody the systematic combination of both the exceptional artistry of great nature and the extremely fine craftsmanship of mankind. The Chinese Buddhist grottoes are regarded as a profound and stunning general art gallery, which are composed of architecture, painting, sculptures, etc. The artistic achievements of Chinese grottoes have attracted the attention of the world, and have become important international cultural heritage.
中国古典文学名著
中国古典文学包括诗歌、散文、小说以及词、赋、曲等多种文体，艺术表现手法丰富各异。而小说中的《三国演义》、《水浒传》、《西游记》、《红楼梦》则被称为中国四大古典文学名著，至今在国内外都有着广泛而深远的影响。研读四大名著能够了解中国传统人文社会、民俗之心理，是汲取古代文明精粹、处事为人策略与智慧的重要途径。
Chinese Classical Literature
Chinese classical literature includes poetry, prose, fiction, and ci (new lyrics written to pre-existing tunes), fu (“descriptive poems” of prose-poetry), qu (freer form based on the new popular songs and dramatic arias), and many other styles. Its artistic expressions are various in technique. Four classics of Chinese literature are Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Dream of Red Mansions, which have extensive and far-reaching significance both on a national and international level. Through reading “the four famous novels” carefully, you can experience traditional Chinese society and human culture, and folklore customs. And it is an important way to absorb the quintessence of traditional Chinese culture as well as to pick up strategies and wisdom on how to get along with others.
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中草药
中药主要由植物药（根、茎、叶、果）、动物药（内脏、皮、骨、器官）和矿物药组成。因以植物药为主，故也称中草药。中药的应用理论独特，认为中药有四气五味。“四气”指药性的“寒热温凉”，“五味”指药物的“辛酸甘苦咸”。中国人探索中草药已有几千年的历史，如今中医药及其诊疗方法已传播到世界各地。
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine mainly consists of plant medicine (roots, stems, leaves, fruits), animal medicine (viscera, skins, bones, organs), and mineral medicine. Chinese herbal medicine is based on plant medicine. According to the unique application theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that it contains “four natures and five flavors.” “Four Natures” refers to the properties of “coldness, heat, mildness, and coolness,” while “five flavors” refers to the properties of being “pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty.” It is said that Chinese people have been conducting research into herbal medicine for thousands of years. Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine and its therapeutic methods have extensively been spread to the far corners of the globe.
中国瓷器
瓷器是中华民族对世界文明的伟大贡献。早在八千年前的新石器时代，中国的先民就发明使用了陶器。商代（前1600-前1046）中期创造出了原始瓷器。汉代（前206-公元220）末期烧制出成熟的青瓷。以后瓷器由中国传播到世界各地，中国也博得了“瓷之国”的称号。英文中“瓷器(china)”一词已成为“中国”的代名词。
Chinese Porcelain
Porcelain is regarded as one of China’s outstanding contributions to the world’s civilization. As early as the Neolithic Age about 8,000 years ago, the Chinese ancestors invented and began to use pottery. Proto-porcelain was invented in the mid-Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1046BC). Celadon was molded in the late Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). From then on, porcelain was introduced by China to the rest of the world. China was therefore dubbed the “porcelain country.” In English, the word “china” has become a word that represents “China.”
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剪纸
剪纸又叫刻纸、窗花或剪画。剪纸在纸的发明之前就已经流行，当时人们运用金箔、绢帛、皮革等片状材料，通过镂空雕刻的技法制成工艺品。汉代（前206-公元220），纸张的发明促使了剪纸的发展与普及。民间剪纸的题材多来源于现实生活，充满纳福迎祥的主题，表达对美好生活的向往。
Paper-cutting
Paper-cutting (otherwise known as jianzhi) is also called kezhi, chuanghua or jianhua. Paper –cutting was popular even before paper was invented. When there was no paper, people carved on gold leaf, silk, feathers, and so on, with a carving technique known as hollow-cutting to make handicrafts. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD), the invention if paper promoted the development and popularity of paper-cutting. The folk themes of the paper-cutting are rooted in real life, filled with the themes of enjoying a life of ease and comfort, and expressing the desire for a happy life.
儒家思想
儒家思想也称为儒学，有春秋（前770年-前476年）末期伟大的思想家、教育家孔子所创立。历代代表人物有孟子、董仲舒、朱熹、王阳明等。主要经典有：四书（ 《大学》、《中庸》、《论语》、《孟子》 ），五经（ 《周易》、《尚书》、《诗经》、《礼记》、 《春秋》 ）等。儒家学派以“仁、义、礼、智、信”为核心内容，构成了其伦理思想体系，是中国古代长达两千余年封建社会的主流意识。
Confucianism
Confucian thought, also called Confucianism, was established by Confucius, a great thinker and educator who lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC). Some representatives of Confucianism throughout Chinese history include Mencius, Dong Zhongshu, Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming. The main classics of Confucianism are the Four Books (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius, and Mencius) and the Five Classics (Zhouyi, Shangshu (Collection of Ancient Texts), The Book of Songs, The Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals). The Confucian school regards “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity” as being at the core of its ethical system. Confucianism was the main ideology of feudal society for more than 2,000 years in China.
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中国象棋
中国象棋早在战国时期（前475—前221）就有记载，最初称为六博，用象牙做成，到了北宋（960—1127）末期定型为近代模式。棋盘为九竖十横线画成的长方形平面，是中国封建社会制度和文化的缩影 — 有中军帐（九宫）、士位（士、仕）、文官（象、相）、武将（车、马、炮）、士兵（兵、卒）。是世界四大棋类（中国围棋、中国象棋、国际象棋、日本将棋）之一。
Chinese Chess
The earliest records of Chinese chess can be traced back to the Warring States Period (475BC—221BC). The early-stage Chinese chess was composed of six pieces carved out of ivory, and was therefore called “Six Boxing.” Its final form of play was fixed at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960AD—1127AD) after a long period of development. The chessboard is a rectangular board that is 9 lines wide by 10 lines long. Composed of marshal or general, advisors (scholar or official), civil officials (elephant or minister), military officers (chariots, horses and cannons), and soldiers (soldiers or pawns), Chinese chess is Chinese social institution and culture in miniature. It is also one of the four most popular chess games in the world, the other three being Chinese Weiqi, the games of chess, and shogi (or general’s chess).
二十四节气
中国古代的先民们，根据太阳在黄道（即地球绕太阳公转的轨道）上的位置，将一年均分为二十四个等分，并分别赋予具有特定含义的专有名称，如春分、清明等，这便是二十四节气。二十四节气以黄河流域气候为背景，把自然季节现象与农事活动的相互联系作为内容列入历法，用以指导农业生产。它是中国古代先民们发明的一种独特而伟大的历法。
The 24 Solar Terms
The ancient Chinese divided a year into 24 equal segments according to the positions of the sun on the ecliptic. Names were given with special connotations for these segments; such as vernal equinox (occurs on March 20 or 21) and pure brightness (occurs on April 4, 5, or 6); and hence they are called the 24 Solar Terms. Originating from the Reaches of the Yellow River, the 24 Solar Terms are basically a calendar to govern agricultural arrangements which takes into account the changes in climate and practical agricultural needs. The 24 Solar Terms are considered a great and unique creation of the ancient Chinese.
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十二生肖
十二生肖是中国用十二种动物所组成的记年方法。我国自古就有“干支记年法”，而我国西北地区游牧的少数民族则以动物记年，两种记年法相互融合，形成了现在的十二生肖，即：子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戍狗、亥猪。属相的基本意义在于使人们圆融通达、和衷共济。
The Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac is the Chinese way of numbering the years. It attributes an animal to each year, according to a 12-year cycle. Since ancient times, the Chinese people began to use the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to record the passing of years. At the same time, Chinese nomadic people who lived in northwest China instead used animals to number the years. The two ways of numbering the years were smoothly integrated, and the Chinese Zodiac took shape. The 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The meaning of the symbolic animal of the birth year is that it can make people magnanimous and be of one mind in times of difficulty.
唐诗宋词
唐诗代表了中华诗歌的最高成就。知名诗人多若星辰，李白、杜甫、白居易都是世界闻名的伟大诗人。唐诗分为古体诗、律诗、绝句，又有五言、七言之分，其题材广泛，数量庞大，风格和流派多样。宋词是继唐诗之后中国古代文学史上的又一座高峰，历来与唐诗并称双雄。宋词以长短句为主，依词牌填词，豪放派和婉约派词风各异，主要代表有辛弃疾、苏轼、柳永、李清照等。
Tang Poetry and Song Ci
Tang Poetry represents the highest achievement of Chinese poetry. There were many distinguished poets in the Tang Dynasty, including Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyi, who are world-famous. There are various forms of Tang Poetry, such as pre-Tang poetry, regular poems, short poems. Regular poems and short poems can also be divided into pentasyllabic and heptasyllabic according to the characters contained in each line. There is an enormous collection of Tang Poetry, with a wide range of subjects, styles, and schools. Its artistic charm touches everyone deeply. Song Ci is another summit in the history of classical Chinese literature. Tang Poetry and Song Ci have consistently been called the two literary giants. The main form of Song Ci is a kind of poetry that chiefly consists of seven-character lines interspersed with shorter and longer ones. The writers poetize according to particular tunes. There are two major styles of Song Ci, called the Powerful and FreeSchool, and the Soft and TunefulSchool. Xin (教参未完).
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十二属相
中国民间有一个传统习俗，人一出生，就有一种动物做他的属相。属相，也叫“生肖”，是中国民间传统的纪年和计算年龄的方法。
中国古代的纪年法是帝王年号与“干支”并用，其中“干支纪年法”从史书上有明文记载的公元前841年（庚申年），一直沿用到现在。“干”是“天干”，有十个字组成，这十个字是：甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸。“支”是“地支”，由十二个字组成，这十二个字是：子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥。把天干的十个字和地支的十二个字按顺序配合起来，可以得到60种排列，如：甲子、乙丑、丙寅……这60种排列周而复始，循环使用，每六十年叫做“一个甲子”。如公历的2001年，是农历的辛巳年，公历的2002年，是农历的壬午年；而六十年后，2061年又是辛巳年，2062年又是壬午年。从东汉（25——220）时开始，人们又用鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪12种动物来配十二地支，组成了十二生肖，也叫十二属相。这就是子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪。这样，子年是鼠年，丑年是牛年，寅年是虎年……于是，每个人一出生，就有一种动物作他的属相。子年出生的属鼠，丑年出生的属牛，寅年出生的属虎，以此类推。
现在，中国人在用公历纪年和计算年龄的同时，仍然习惯用属相纪年和推算年龄。
twelve symbolic animals
it is traditional in China,when a perpon is born,one animal(shuxiang)is used to symbolize this year.Shuxiang,also called shengxiao(any ofthe 12 animals representing the Earthly Branches),is a traditional way in China to number the years and to record a person's age.
The ancient Chinese people invented the method to designate the years by the Heavenly Stems consist of the characters:jia,yi,bing,ding,wu,ji,geng,xin,ren,and gui.And the Earthly Branches are composed of 12 characters:zi,shu,yin,mao,chen,si,wu,wei,shen,you,xu,hai.Combining each of the 10 Heavenly Stems with one of the 12 Earthly Branches in sequence creates 60 chronological symbols.For example jiazi,yichou,bingyin,etc.These 60 symbols are used in circles and thus each year has a chronological symbol.For example,2001 corresponds to xinsi,2002 to renwu in the lunar calendar;after 60 years,2061,once again,corresponds to xinsi,and 2062,to renwu.Later,people used 12 animalsto correspond to the 12 Earthly Branches,forming the 12Symbolic Animals,namely Earthly Branch One Rat,Earthly Branch Two Ox,Earthly Branch Three Tiger,Earthly Branch Four Rabbit,Earthly Branch Five Dragon,Earthly Branch Six Snake,Earthly Branch Seven Horse,Earthly Branch Eight Sheep,Earthly Branch Nine Monkey,Earthly Branch Ten Rooster,Earthly Branch Eleven Dog,Earthly Branch Twelve Pig.Thus the zi year is the Year of the Rat,and the chou Year is the year of the Ox,and the yin Year is the Year of the Year of Tiger,etc.Therefore,when a person is born,he has an animal as his aymbolic animal.The year 2002 was a renwu year under lunar calendar,also the year of Horse,and so children born in this yea are all Horse babies.
Even though the Chinese people now number the years and their age under the Gregorian calendar,the still continue to use the symbolic animals.As long as people know a person' probable age and his symbolic animao,people can infer his exact age and year of birth.
小孩儿满月与抓周
在中国，小孩儿的满月酒和抓周仪式独具特色。在孩子的成长过程中，这两个仪式有里程碑式的纪念意义。
小孩儿出生满一个月的那天，孩子的家人一般要招呼亲朋挚友，邀请他们一起来庆祝孩子满月。按照中国的传统，这一天，家里会充满了喜庆和节日的氛围，满月就要办得热热闹闹才行。不过最近这些年，这个习俗在城市尤其是年轻夫妇中有逐渐被淡化的趋势。但是，小孩儿满月对于每个家庭来说，仍然是一个非常值得纪念的高兴的日子。
“抓周儿”中的“周”是小孩儿满一周岁的意思。关于“抓周儿”，最早记载于北齐。“抓周儿”也就是在小孩儿满周岁那天，吃中午的长寿面之前，摆上经书、笔、墨、纸、砚、算盘、钱币、账册、首饰、花朵、胭脂、吃食、玩具等，如果是女孩儿则要加摆铲子、勺子（炊具）、剪子、尺子（缝纫用具）、绣线、花样子（刺绣用具），再由大人将小孩抱来，令其端坐，父母及他人不给予任何的引导或暗示，任孩子随意挑选，看他先抓什么，后抓什么，并以此为依据来预测孩子可能存在的志趣和将从事的职业以及前途。
One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch(zhuazhou) of babies
In China,One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch of a baby are of unique Chinese characteristics.These two ceremonies are milestone-like significance in the growing process of a baby.
On the day when a baby is a month old,the family of the baby will invite their friends and relatives to a ceremony to celebrate the occasion.In a traditional One-Month-Old Ceremony,there will be a rejoicing and festive atmosphere in the family and the feast is supposed to be lively and joyful.However,in recent years this custom has been gradually abandoned among young people.Nevertheless,One-Month-Old Feast still remains a memorable and happy moment for every family.
Zhou in the word zhuazhou means "a baby is one year old".The earliest historical record about zhuazhou appearde during the Dynasty of Northern Qi.On the day when ababy is a year old , the family of the baby will lay out sutras,brush pens,ink sticks,paper,ink slabs,abacus,copper coins,account books,jewelries,flowers,rouges,foods,toys,etc.For girls,scoops,scissors,rulers,thread,scissor-cut will be added.The parents then put the baby in front of these articles and make it sit up.Nobody will give and instruction or cue to the baby so that it is left free to choose by itself.Watching the baby catch the articles it likes,the family can then make predictions about its potential interests,future career and development.
婚礼
结婚是人生中的一件大事。传统的中式婚礼古朴而又热闹，隆重、喜庆并且礼节周全，场面的铺陈颇具特色，不过在现代，尤其是在城市里，已经很少见了。
花轿是传统婚礼的核心内容之一。结婚时，新娘要坐在花轿里从娘家被抬到男方家中。花轿一般分四人抬，八人抬两种，又有“龙轿”“凤轿”之分。除去轿夫之外，还有持笙锣、伞、扇等的随行人员，一般的轿队少则十几人，多则几十人，很是壮观。传统的中式婚礼中，新娘要蒙着红盖头，在伴娘的伴随下，由新郎手持的大红绸牵着，慢慢地登上花轿。在新娘成花轿去往男方家里的途中，颠花轿是必不可少的热闹场面。轿夫一起左摇右摆使花轿不稳，新娘坐在里面也是左摇右晃。有的时候，新郎甚至不得不代替新娘或者和新娘一起向众人抱拳施礼求饶，而这个时候，众人欢笑不止，实际上是为了增添新人成婚之日的喜庆气氛。
中式传统婚礼的最重要的部分便是拜堂成亲。新人走到天地桌前，上面摆放有装满粮食的斗，斗的四周写上“金玉满斗”四个大字，以红纸封口，斗内四角放若干硬币，以供拜完天地后看热闹的亲朋好友掏出来求取吉利之意。斗中要插一柏枝，枝上缀有铜钱，这个柏枝便被称作“摇钱树”。斗旁放一杆秤、一面镜、织布机杼、一灯或一蜡烛。新郎在右，新娘在左，并肩站在天地桌前，执事人高声喊道：“一拜天地，二拜高堂，夫妻对拜”。民间的说法认为，男女只有在拜过天地后才能算作是正式夫妻，因此对这个拜堂的仪式非常重视。还有民间习俗有这样有趣的研究，即如果新郎在结婚的当天因故不能拜天地，就让他的姐妹抱只公鸡来代替。
坐完花轿、拜完天地、接下来新人要入洞房了。洞房是一直延续下来的叫法，新人入了洞房以后，按照习俗，新郎新娘的同辈亲友聚集在洞房里，对新郎新娘开一些充满暗示的玩笑。这时即便过头一点，新郎新娘也不会生气，而是想办法巧妙化解，因为亲朋好友闹洞房图的是高兴和热闹。
Wedding
Marriage is the most important thing in the life.In China, a traditional wedding is simple and lively,ceremonious,and joyful.There are some unique features in this ceremony,but in modern society,especially in the city ,it is hardly seen any more.
The bridal sedan is the core of the traditional wedding.In wedding,the bride should sit in the sedan, then be lifted from her mother's home to her husband' home.Generally,there are two kinds of sedan,that is ,four-lifter and eight-lifter,also divided into "dragon sedan"and"phoenix sedan".There are so many suites who hold gongs,umbrellas,fans and so on,besides lifters,In group,there are more than ten people at least,and the occasion is very magnificent.In a traditional weddin,accompanied with a bridesmaid, the bride wearing a red veil and led along by the bridesgroom who holds a red silk in his hand,enters the bridal sedan.On the way to the husband's home,lifters jolt the sedan as it is necessary in a joyful wedding.Lifters swing the sedan from left to right,causing the bride to sit unsteadily inside.Some times the bridegroom has to substitute for his bride or beg to everyone else,while,all laugh to adding to the jubilance.
The wedding ceremony is the most important part of a traditional Chinese wedding. The newlyweds go to the table for heaven and earth where there is a dou(a kind of basket)full of grain.The dou is written with red paper.There are many coins placed in the four corners of the dou to provide the"luck" meaning to the guests.There is a cypress branch,called "ready source of money",decorated with copper coins.Besides,one steelyard ,a mirror ,a loom,alamp or a candle are also placed near the dou.Afterwards, the groom stand on the left side,the bride right by his side,while the director prompts,"First bow to the heaven and earth;second bow to the parents;third bow to each other".According to the folk saying, they will not be the formal couple until bowing to the heaven and earth.As a result,people pay a great attention to this ceremony.An interesting custom is that if the groom cannot come to this ceremony,he should ask his sister to hold a cock instead.
After taking the bridal sedan,bowing to the heaven,it's time for the newlyweds to go to the bridal chamber.According to custom,their relatives and friends get together in the bridal chamber to banter the newly weds.At this time,the newlyweds will never get angry enven if the teasing games are a bit outrageous,but will try to skillfully dissolve since the relatives and friends intend to delight them.
旗袍与中国传统服饰
旗袍源自清代满族女性服饰，被誉为中国传统服饰文化的典范。它不仅在整体造型的风格方面符合中国文化和谐的特点，而且它的装饰手法也展现着浓厚的东方特质。另外，穿旗袍可以增加形体的修长感，配上中高跟鞋，更可以抬升人体的重心，将东方女性的端庄、典雅和含蓄的美展露出来。因此旗袍在中国民族服装中独领风骚，久盛而不衰。
中国男子的传统服饰比较有代表性的为长袍、马褂，长袍和马褂都是满族男子的服装，盘领、窄袖，马褂是对襟，大都有马蹄袖，长袍为大襟。也有马褂、长袍相连的两部形式，这种形式的长袍只有下半截，连扣在马褂的内下摆。长袍马褂给人的感觉是既不乏庄重，又显得洒脱和舒适。
2001年APEC会议各国元首穿着“唐装”集体亮相，掀起了一股以穿“唐装”为时尚的风潮。将“唐装”作为中式服装的通称，主要因为国外都称华人居住的地方为“唐人街”，所以“唐人”作为中式服装的通称，主要是因为国外都称华人居住的地方为“唐人街”，所以“唐人”穿的衣服自然就叫做“唐装”了。当今的“唐装”是由清代的马褂演变而来的，它的款式结构有四大特点：一是立领，上衣前中心开口，立式领型；二是连袖，即袖子和衣服整体没有接缝，以平面裁剪为主；三是对襟，也可以是斜襟；四是直角扣，也就是盘扣；另外从面料来说，则主要使用织锦缎面料等。
另外，中国不动地域和不同民族的服饰也各有特色。比如，肚兜就是关中和陕北的传统的贴身服饰，肚兜的形状就像背心的前襟，上面用布带系在脖颈上，下面两边各有一条带子系在腰间，它可以避免肚子受凉，夏天时儿童穿在外面也显得天真烂漫。在儿童穿的肚兜上尝尝绣有虎头像和“五毒”图案，给予了大人希望孩子健康成长的美好祝愿。再比如，中国少数民族彝族的服饰也很有特点。彝族妇女的头饰大致有缠头、包帕、绣花帽三类，其中红河地区妇女的头饰更是琳琅满目，以银饰为贵为美。披风是彝族男女皆备的特色服装，以动物皮毛、毛麻织品和草编织制品为原料，以青、蓝二色为主。
Cheong-Sam and Traditional Chinese Costumes
The cheong-sam has its origin in the Manchu female's costumes in the Qing Dynasty and has been regarded as the model of Chinese traditional habilatory culture .As for the reason, the cheong-sam not only accords withe the characteristic of harmony within Chinese culture in terms of the style ,but also shows rich oriental idiosyncracy with regard to ornamental techniques.In addition,the cheong-samwill give more pominence to a lady's
slender figure ,and also help to heighten the center of gravity of human bodies together withe high-heel shoes,so taht civility,elegance and dignety will be fully displayde.Therefore,the cheong-sam developed its own trend ,which has been long lasting.
As for the traditional clothes of Chinese men ,the long gown and mandarin jacket are typical.Both of them have roundnecks and narrow sleeves. The mandarin jacket can be seen as a kind of Chinese-style jacket with buttons down the front, mostly with sleeves like a horse's hoof.However,the front of long gowns,with buttons on the right,is basically large.There is also a type of garment combining the long gown and the mandarin jacket ,and they will only have the under-half part,buttoning in the under lap of the mandarin jacket.The long gown and mandarin jacket will giver the impression of comfortableness and ease as well as sobriety.
In 2001,the presidents struck a pose on the stage in Chinese style costumes at the APEC Forum,and thus a trend of wearing Chinese style costumes came into being.The very reason why clothing with Chinese style has been labeled as Chinses -style costumes is that the place where overseas Chinesd reside in has been called"Chinese town"and consequently the cosstumes which the Chinese wear are called Chinese style costumes.Current Chinese-style costumes were transformed from the mandarin jacket of the Qing Dynasty,and there are four major characteristics in terms of design.First,Chinese-style costumes have a stand-up collar and buttons in very middle of the front of the jacket;second,there is no seam between sleeves ande jacket;third,the costumes are jackets with buttons down the front or in diagonal way; last,they have right-angled buttons.In addition,with regard to the outside material,Chinese costumes are mostly made with silk.
Moreover,the feature of clothing varies with areas and nationalities.For instance, hte bellyband is the traditional close-fitting costume in Central China and north of Shanxi.The bellyband is just like the front of vest with a lace tying to the neck and it an prevent children from catching a cold.The children's wearing of bellyband will also show their naivety.Most bellybands willl be embroidered with the pattern of atiger head and the "Five Poisons",which contain a parents' nice expectation of wishing their children health.To take the costumes of the YiNationality as another example,they are rather distinctive with three types of women's had wears including decorating brocade round the head and acap with an embroiderde case.Especially in the area of Honghe,women's head wears are full of beautiful colors and styles.They prefer silver ornaments to show their riches and beauty.However,the manteau can be regarded as the distinctive costumes for all people of the YiNationality,which are mostly made of fur ,delaine,hemp and straw and whose colors are mainly cyan and blue.
课文
老鼠为什么怕猫
在古代，人们使用十二地支来给时辰命名的。但是地支的名称很古怪，人们总是记不住，所以引起了许多麻烦。玉皇大帝就想出了一个办法，准备选十二种动物，用它们和十二地支相配，帮助人们记忆。但天下的动物太多了，怎么选呢？玉皇大帝定了一个日子，让动物们自己去天庭报名，前十二种动物将被选上。动物们很兴奋，都希望自己是十二个幸运的动物中的一个。
猫和老鼠是邻居，又是好朋友，它们也想去报名。可是猫总爱睡懒觉，它怕自己起不来，就让老鼠第二天叫自己起床。第二天早晨，老鼠早早地就醒了，可是它忘了叫醒猫，就急急忙忙出发了。走到半路时，一头牛从后面赶上了老鼠。你的个子大，步子也大，它每走一步，老鼠得跑好几步。老鼠心想：“路还远着呢，我都快跑不动了，必须想个办法才行。”它就对老牛说：“牛大哥，我给你唱支个歌吧，这样走路会轻松些。”老牛说：“好呀。”老鼠就唱了起来，可是牛什么也没听见，还问：“你怎么不唱？”老鼠说：“我在唱呢，你没听见吗？哦，可能是因为我个子太小，离你的耳朵太远，你才没听见。如果我骑在你的脖子上，你就听得见了。”老牛说：“好主意。”于是，老鼠就爬到了牛脖子上唱起来：“牛大哥牛大哥，过小河爬山坡，要问世上谁最棒？牛大哥和我——”老牛一听，跑得更快了。它们跑到天庭门口时，看见谁也没来，牛高兴地叫起来：“我第一！我第一！”
牛还没说完，老鼠就已经从牛身上滑下来，先一步占到了牛的前面。就这样，老鼠的了第一名，牛排在了第二名。不久，其他的动物也一个一个到了，它们是：虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗和猪。
老鼠高高兴兴地回到家后，这才想起好朋友猫。它跑到猫的家里一看，猫还在睡大觉呢。猫没有被选上，气坏了。从这以后，猫一见老鼠就咬，老鼠也总是怕看见猫。
对话
孙静怡：我给你出一个谜语，请你猜一猜：“全国十二个，人人有一个，外国不曾有，请问是什么？”
玛丽亚：外国没有，中国有，这我可猜不出来，我是外国人啊！
孙静怡：这是日本前首相田中角荣访问中国时，给*总理出过的一个谜语。当时*听了哈哈大笑，回答说：“十二生肖。”
玛丽亚：说到生肖，我正好有个问题要问你。你说这十二生肖到底是怎么来的呢？
孙静怡：这个中国古代历法有关系。你知道地支吗？
玛丽亚：听说过，它是中国古代的纪年方式，可是和动物有什么关系呢？
孙静怡：古代的人们想记住自己的出生年份，可是那些地址的名字太麻烦，所以就找比较形象的东西来帮助记忆，最后想到用十二种动物代表十二个地支。每年用一种动物做代表。顺序就是：子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪。也就是说，子年出生的人，都属鼠，丑年出生的人都属牛……据说什么年出生的人就有这种动物的一些特点，这十二种动物就叫做十二生肖，也叫十二属相。
玛丽亚：这个办法不错，要是我，怎么也不可能记住那些复杂的名称。
孙静怡：是啊，用可爱的动物来代表年份，容易记住，也比较有趣，所以这种习俗到现在还有。
玛丽亚：我有一个问题：中国人大都觉得猫很可爱，可为什么在十二生肖里却没有猫呢？
孙静怡：一种说法是因为古代还没有人们喜爱的家猫，所以人们没有想到用猫做属相；还有一种说法就是来自于你看到的那个老鼠怕猫的故事。
玛丽亚：我觉得那个故事挺有意思。那十二个动物的顺序是怎么决定的呢？
孙静怡：有一种比较常见的说法就是：古人把一天二十四个小时分成了十二个时辰，每个时辰相当于现在的两小时，每个时辰也用地支来表示，比如夜里十一点到一点是子时，中午十一点到一点是午时。每个时辰最适合某一种动物活动，所以就有了这十二种动物的先后顺序。
玛丽亚：这十二种动物中，哪个最好？是龙吗？因为我发现中国人很喜欢龙。
孙静怡：其实没有好与坏，因为它们各有各的特点。
玛丽亚：可是我听很多人在找对象的时候还要看是不是属相相配。
孙静怡：那都是迷信的说法。还有人说“本命年”里的人会倒霉什么的。
玛丽亚：对，我也听说过，这是真的吗？
孙静怡：那也是迷信。不过民间的确有这种说法，所以许多人在本命年要系红色的腰带，或者穿红色的袜子什么的。
玛丽亚：为什么都用红色的呢？
孙静怡：红色对于中国人有着特别的意义，那就是象征吉祥和幸福。比如结婚是新娘穿的衣服，门上贴的双喜字什么的，都是红色的。所以本命年里的人也爱穿戴些红色东西。当然，有很多人根本不信这个，可是他们也喜欢这样做，因为觉得有意思。
玛丽亚：我也觉得有这样一种习俗挺有意思的。生活嘛，应该丰富多彩。明年是我爸爸的本命年，我准备送他一条红腰带，就是不知道他信不信。
孙静怡：信不信没关系，但是他一定会喜欢，因为那代表了你的一份孝心。
补充阅读
从十二生肖看性格
鼠 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996
魅力无边的社交高手。善于把握机会。感情丰富，爱发牢骚和乱花钱。
牛 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997
聪慧，自信，工作条例分明，为领袖将才。对家庭尽责，信守权威，但有时固执。
虎 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998
生命的勇士，勇往直前，虽好胜，但顾全大局，重感情，但缺乏细心。成功不求自来。
兔 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999
追求享乐的和平使者，温柔文雅，备受宠爱，具商业头脑.有时情绪化。
龙 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000
充满活力，满怀信心，做事总是成功在握，虽然有点骄傲へ爱发脾气，却是魅力难当。
蛇 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001
气质浪漫迷人，讲究衣着打扮。本性多疑，爱沉思，喜欢用直觉判断失误，善于理财。
马 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002
性格活泼开朗，机智有口才，外表乐天，甚具人缘，个性独立，主观性强，善于理财
羊 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003
性格柔和而稳重，有深厚的人情味，思维缜密，有毅力，反抗精神和防御能力极强。
猴 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004
聪明，具有创造力，记忆力强。表面合群，但内心个人至上，才华与财富均能兼得。
鸡 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005
好梦想，但敬业乐业，办事有条理，心直口快，表演欲强，爱护家庭，是理财高手。
狗 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006
忠诚，责任感极强。伶牙俐齿，实事求是，慷慨大方，赢得一致信任。
猪 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007
勤劳朴实，与世无争。勇敢，待友真诚。追求物质。不善理财，但吉星高照。
1. 玉器是光辉灿烂的中华民族历史文化宝库中一枝异彩独放的奇葩。中国玉器在新石器时代的河姆渡文化时期就开始出现。7000年来一直延续不断，发展至今。玉器在北欧、西欧、贝加尔湖等地的原始社会时期，以及南北美洲的印第安人和新西兰的毛里人都有制作，但都延续时间不长，无法与中国的玉器相提并论。悠久的制作历史，精湛的制作工艺，典雅的造型，绚丽的色彩，形成了中国玉器突出的民族特色。
Jade article is an exotic flower in Chinese brilliant historical culture. Chinese jade article have emerged since Neolithic Hemudu period 7000 years ago. Jade articles started to be manufactured in primitive Northern Europe, Western Europe and Baikal Lake, by Indian in Northern American and Maori in New Zealand. But those jade articles did not last long and can not be compared with those in China. Chinese jade article distinguished its ethnic features in long manufacture history, exquisite craftsmanship, elegant modeling and gorgeous colors.
2. “福”字表示好运，人们通常把它写在一张方形纸上，并倒着贴。因为在普通话里“倒”和“到”是同音字。因此倒贴的“福”字象征着春天和繁荣昌盛的到来。
福 means good luck in Chinese, people usually write it on a square tree up side down. since in Chinese 到and 倒 are homophones, and 倒 means upside down, 到means coming, the upside down 福 means the spring and prosperity is coming.
3. 二十四节气
1． 立春
2． 雨水
3． 惊蛰
4． 春分
5． 清明
6． 谷雨
7． 立夏
8． 小满
9． 芒种
10．夏至
11．小暑
12．大暑
13．立秋
14．处暑
15．白露
16．秋分
17．寒露
18．霜降
19．立冬
20．小雪
21．大雪
22．冬至
23．小寒
24．大寒
二十四节气 The 24 Solar Terms:
立春 Spring begins.
雨水 The rains.
惊蛰 Insects awaken.
春分 Vernal Equinox
清明 Clear and bright.
谷雨 Grain rain.
立夏 Summer begins.
小满 Grain buds.
芒种 Grain in ear.
夏至 Summer solstice.
小暑 Slight heat.
大暑 Great heat.
立秋 Autumn begins.
处暑 Stopping the heat.
白露 White dews.
秋分 Autumn Equinox.
寒露 Cold dews.
霜降 Hoar-frost falls.
立冬 Winter begins.
小雪 Light snow.
大雪 Heavy snow.
冬至 Winter Solstice.
小寒 Slight cold.
大寒Great cold
4. 常用语：
太学：the imperial college
《论语》Analects of Confucius
大乘佛教：Mahayana
五经（《诗经》， 《尚书》，《易经》，《春秋》，《礼记》）：
the Five Classics
: the Book of songs ,the Book of History, the Book of Changes , Spring and Autumn
Annals, the Book of Rites
辛亥革命 the Revolution of 1911
窗花paper-cut for window decoration
春联：spring festival scrolls
祭灶王爷 the kitchen god
玉皇大帝：the Jade Emperor
财神爷：the God of Wealth
舞龙舞狮：dragon dance lion dance