【24节气英语说】立夏 Start of Summer

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The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Summer, the 7th term of the year, begins on May 5 and ends on May 20 this year.
中国传统农历将一年分为24个节气。立夏，是第七个节气，也是夏天的开始，今年始于5月5日，止于5月20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.
立夏标志着季节的转换。在这一天，太阳光线与地球成45度角（太阳到达黄经45度）。立夏节气，气温会迅速上升，也就是我们说的“跑步入夏”，但北方的天气因为不属于热带，所以仍然比较温和。

Here are five things to learn about the Start of Summer

1、Greeting Start of Summer
迎夏仪式

The term Start of Summer 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 canola, ancient Chinese emperors in different dynasties attached great importance to the Start of Summer.
立夏一词起源于战国末期(公元前239年)。由于夏季是小麦、油菜籽等夏季作物丰收的关键时期，中国历代帝王都十分重视立夏。

In the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256BC), the emperor led his officials in staging a welcome rite for the Start of Summer and encouraged his residents to seize the key time to do farm work. 
在周朝(公元前11世纪-公元前256年)，皇帝带领他的官员为立夏举行欢迎仪式，并鼓励他的居民抓住关键的时间做农活。

It's said that most of the decorations were arranged in the color red, including the emperor and the officials' clothes, the jade pendants, the horses and the flags, to show respect to the god of summer and pray for a good harvest.
据说大多数的装饰都是红色的，包括皇帝和官员的衣服，玉佩，马和旗子，为了表达对夏神的尊敬和祈求丰收。

2、Checking one's weight
“称体重”

The custom of weighing people at the Start of Summer originated in 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 weighed.
立夏“称体重”的习俗起源于三国时期(220-280)，现在中国南方部分地区也会有此类活动。人们相信这种做法会给人们带来健康和好运。

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.
立夏那天午饭后，人们会把凳子或篮子挂在横梁上。年轻人和老年人轮流称体重，而计算体重的人会送上祝福和吉祥的话语。据说称体重的人在炎热的夏天会保持健康，否则会生病。

3、Eating eggs
吃鸡蛋

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 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.
在中国古代，人们认为圆形的鸡蛋象征着幸福的生活，立夏吃鸡蛋是祈求身体健康。他们把剩下的茶叶和鸡蛋一起放入开水中，就做出了最初的“茶叶蛋”。后来人们改进了烹饪方法，在鸡蛋中加入香料，使鸡蛋味道鲜美。如今，茶叶蛋已经成为中国的传统小吃。

4、Egg competitions
斗蛋

As an old Chinese saying goes, "hanging an egg on children's chests 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.
中国有句古话叫“挂鸡蛋在孩子的胸前可以预防夏天的疾病”。因此，父母会准备煮熟的鸡蛋，把它们放在一个编织的袋子里，然后挂在孩子的胸前。

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，孩子们也会聚在一起玩鸡蛋比赛，相互对撞鸡蛋，谁的鸡蛋没破谁就赢了。

5、Take care of the heart
“春夏养阳”—养阳重在养心

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.
传统中医认为，立夏是养心的关键时刻。当天气变热时，湿热会影响人体健康。推荐食用富含维生素和凉性的食物。比如，蔬菜中的黄瓜、番茄、西洋菜和芹菜和水果里的，西瓜、梨和草莓，都是不错的选择。