2017考研英语阅读精选：关于立夏你要知道的5件事

　　考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。有时候是一些俗语和俚语，有时候是固定搭配，有时候需要借助历史、风俗、文化才能理解某种现象或表达。总之，这些地道的英语文章背后都有潜台词，一般人不容易读出，但往往是理解文章的关键。

　　2017考研复习开启，新东方在线考研分享《2017考研英语阅读精选》，赶快来学习吧！

　　Culture Insider: Five things you may not know about the Start of Summer

　　文化管窥：关于立夏你可能不知道的5件事

　　The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Summer (Chinese: 立夏), the 7th term of the year, begins on May 5 and ends on May 19 this year.

　　中国传统农历将一年分为24个节气。立夏是第7个节气，今年立夏从5月5日至5月19日。

　　Start of Summer signals the transition of seasons. On this day, the sun’s rays reach an angle of 45 degrees to the earth ，The temperature will rise quickly during this period, yet in Northern China weather remains mild, not tropical.

　　立夏来临，预示着季节的转换。这一天，太阳到达黄经45度，气温升高明显加快，不过在华北地区气温仍然比较温和，不会太过炎热。

　　Here are five things to learn about the Start of Summer.

　　以下是关于立夏的5个习俗。

　　Greeting Start of Summer

　　1.迎夏

　　The term Start of Summer was originated at the end of the Warring States Period (239BC). Since it is a crucial time for the harvest of summer crops such as wheat and rape, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer.

　　立夏节气在战国末年(公元前239年)就已经确立了。因为这个时期对夏季作物如小麦和油菜的丰收来说至关重要，历代的帝王们都对立夏给予了高度的重视。

　　In the Zhou Dynasty (1050-221 BC), the emperor led his officials to stage a welcome rite for the Start of Summer and encouraged his residents to seize the key time to do farm work. It’s said that most of the decorations were arranged in the color red, including the emperor and the officials’ dress, the jade pendants, the horses and the flags, in order to show respect to the god of summer and pray for a good harvest.

　　在周朝时(公元前1050-221年)，每逢立夏这一天，帝王都要率文武百官举行迎夏仪式，并鼓励百姓抓住这个关键时期进行农业活动。据称这天的物品都要装饰为红色，君臣一律要穿朱红色礼服，配朱色玉佩，连马匹、车旗都要朱红色的，以表达对夏神的尊敬和对丰收的祈求。

　　Checking one’s weight

　　2.称人

　　The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated from the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) and prevails in South China today. It was believed this practice would bring health and good luck to the people weighted.

　　立夏之日“称人”的习俗起源于三国时期(220-280年)，主要流行于我国南方。据称它会带来健康和好运。

　　After lunch on the day of Start of Summer, people would suspend a stool or basket from a beam. The young and old took turns to get weighed while the person calculating the weight would offer good wishes and auspicious words. It is said those who were weighed would stay healthy in the hot summer and those who weren’t would suffer illness.

　　吃完立夏饭后，人们会挂起一杆大秤，秤钩悬一个凳子或篮子，老老少少轮流坐上去秤重，负责计重的人就会讲一些吉祥的话语。据说这一天称体重之后，就会在夏天保持健康平安，否则会有病灾缠身。

　　Eating eggs

　　3.吃立夏蛋

　　In ancient China, people believed a round egg symbolized a happy life and eating eggs on the day of Start of Summer was a prayer for good health. They put leftover tea into boiled water together with eggs and the original "tea egg" was created. Later people improved cooking methods and added spices to the eggs to make them taste delicious. Today tea egg has become a traditional snack in China.

　　古人认为，鸡蛋圆圆溜溜， 象征生活之圆满，立夏日吃鸡蛋 能祈祷夏日之平安。人们把剩余的茶叶放到沸水中和鸡蛋一起煮，这就是最初“茶叶蛋”的由来。后来人们改善了烹饪方法，加入一些其他的调味料使其更美味。现在茶叶蛋成了中国的传统小吃。

　　Egg Competitions

　　4.斗蛋

　　As an old Chinese saying goes "hanging an egg on children’s chest can prevent them from getting summer diseases", parents will prepare boiled eggs and put them in a knitted bag before hanging them on their child’s chest.

　　中国有句俗话，“立夏胸挂蛋，孩子不疰夏”。立夏这天，家长们将煮好的鸡蛋放入用红绳或彩线编织的网套中，然后挂在孩子们的胸前。

　　When at school, children gather together to play egg competitions by colliding each other’s eggs in pairs and the one whose egg is not broken wins.

　　在学校里，孩子里聚在一起斗蛋，将鸡蛋相互碰撞，鸡蛋未破的就是赢家。

　　Take care of the heart

　　5.养心

　　According to Chinese traditional medicine, Start of Summer is a key time to moisten the heart. When the weather grows hotter ，dampness and heat can affect human health. Food rich in vitamins and cool in nature is highly recommended. Vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato, watercress and celery and fruits that include watermelon, pear and strawberry are top recommendations.

　　中医称立夏是养心的最佳时期。天气渐热，湿热容易入侵心脏，因此重点推荐一些富含维生素的、性凉的食物。蔬菜类如黄瓜、土豆、西洋菜和芹菜，水果类如西瓜、梨子和草莓等都是首选。

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