【24节气英语说】大雪 Major Snow

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大雪
大雪，是二十四节气中的第二十一个节气，时间是公历每年的12月7日或8日。大雪的意思是天气更冷，降雪的可能性比小雪时更大了。

“小雪腌菜，大雪腌肉”大雪节气一到，家家户户忙着腌制“咸货”，以迎接新年到来。

24 Solar Terms: 6 things about Major Snow

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Major Snow (Chinese: 大雪), the 21st solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 7 and ends on Dec 21.

中国传统农历将一年分为24个节气。大雪,第21个节气,今年开始在12月7日和12月21日结束。

During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground. The temperature drops significantly.

在大雪期间，雪变得很大，并开始在地面上堆积。温度明显下降。

Here are six things you should know about Major Snow.

以下是关于大雪节气你应该知道的六件事。

Snowy winter

漫天飞雪

The snow in North China may last a whole day, breaking tree branches and blocking the road. The natural scenery is "hundreds of leagues ice-bound go; over thousands of leagues fly snow". In the south, snowflakes fall and the world turns white.

中国北方的雪可能会持续一整天，折断树枝，阻塞道路。一片“百里冰封，万里飞雪”的自然风光。而在南方一些城市，雪花飘落，世界变成白色。

A proverb about the snow says, "A timely snow promises a good harvest". As the snow covers the ground, the low winter temperature kills pests.

关于雪的谚语:“瑞雪兆丰年”。是由于雪覆盖了地面，冬季的低温杀死了害虫。

Appreciating plum blossoms

赏梅

Plum blossoms usually flower in mid-to-late December in some southern cities of China, and sometimes bloom even earlier. The plum blossom, which originated in China, is revered in Chinese culture for its resilience during severe winters. Along with the pine and bamboo, the plum blossom is considered one of the Three Friends of Winter.

在中国南方的一些城市，梅花通常在12月中下旬开花，有时甚至开得更早。梅花起源于中国，在中国文化中因其在严冬中的顽强生命力而备受尊崇。和松竹一样，梅花被认为是“三友”之一。

Eating lamb

吃羊肉

Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese people during Major Snow. It’s excellent for nourishing the body, promoting blood circulation and providing protection against the cold. People in Chongqing like to have potted lamb soup or stewed lamb soup with their families and friends. Nanjing residents like to stew lamb with yams or wolfberries to make it more nutritious.

羊肉可以说是中国人大雪节气最喜欢的食物了。它可以很好的滋养身体，促进血液循环和提供保护抵御寒冷。重庆人喜欢和家人朋友一起喝羊肉汤或炖羊肉汤。南京市民则更爱用山药或枸杞炖羊肉，这样更有营养。

Making sausages

做腊肠

During Major Snow, people in southern China, including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei and Chongqing, make sausages, an important part of preparation for Spring Festival.

在大雪期间，包括南京、杭州、合肥和重庆在内的华南地区的人们会制作腊肠，这是为春节做准备的重要部分。

The best meat for sausage comes from the butt of the pig. The sausage should be dried in a well-ventilated place in the shade, and is edible after a week. Cut off a certain amount, and boil or fry it as you like.

做香肠最好的肉来自猪臀尖。腊肠应在阴凉处通风良好的地方晾干，一周后即可食用。切下一定的量，按照自己的喜好进行烹制。

Eating porridge

喝粥

Hot porridge could help warm you and nourish your body in cold weather. In China, it’s customary to eat red bean porridge on the first day of the Major Snow and eight-treasure porridge on the eighth day of the last month of the lunar year. In addition, there are other varieties such as wheat porridge, sesame porridge, radish porridge, walnut porridge and tuckahoe porridge.

在寒冷的天气里，一碗热粥可以温暖并滋养你的身体。在中国，人们习惯在大雪的第一天喝红豆粥，在农历最后一个月的第八天喝八宝粥，也就是俗称的腊八。此外，还有其他种类的粥，如小麦粥、芝麻粥、萝卜粥、核桃粥和茯苓粥。

Preventing respiratory illness

预防呼吸道疾病

During this period, Chinese people watch for outbreaks of respiratory illness, which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and properly drinking water. During Major Snow, it’s drier and colder, so people should drink more water. But you should not drink too much water at once. At the same time, don't drink cold water after exercise.

在大雪期间，也是呼吸系统疾病的高峰期，国人也会特别注意，为了预防呼吸道疾病，会戴上围巾保护脖子并适当地饮用水。在大雪期间，天气更干燥、更冷，所以人们应该多喝水。但是也不应该一次喝太多的水。同时，运动后不要喝冷水。