【24节气英语说】夏至 Summer Solstice

夏至，古时又称"夏节"、"夏至节"。古人说:"日长之至，日影短至，至者，极也，故曰夏至"。夏至这天，太阳直射北回归线，此时北半球各地的白昼时间达到全年最长。对于北回归线及其以北的地区来说，夏至日也是一年中正午太阳高度最高的一天。

24 solar terms：5 things you may not know about Summer Solstice

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Summer Solstice, the 10th solar term of the year, begins on Sunday this year and ends on July 6.

中国传统农历将一年分为24个节气。夏至，第10个节气，今年始于6月21日，止于7月6日。

At this time, much of the northern hemisphere receives the most hours of daylight, but it does not bring the hottest temperatures, which will come 20 to 30 days later.

在这段时间，北半球大部分地区白天时间最长，但它并不会马上带来高温天气。

节气小知识

"不过夏至不热"，"夏至三庚数头伏"。夏至虽表示炎热的夏天已经到来，但还不是最热的时候，夏至后的一段时间内气温仍继续升高，大约再过二、三十天，一般是最热的天气了。

The following are 5 things you might not know about Summer Solstice

1.The longest day of the year

一年中白天最长的一天

On the Summer Solstice itself, daylight lasts the longest for the whole year in the northern hemisphere. After this day, daylight hours get shorter and shorter and temperatures become higher in the northern hemisphere.

在夏至这一天，北半球白昼时间是全年最长的。在6月21日之后，白天变得越来越短，北半球的温度变得更高。

How long is the longest day in China? According to an expert, the entire day in Mohe in Heilongjiang province, located in the northern most tip of China, lasts nearly 17 hours when you include dawn, twilight and its after glow. Summer Solstice is the best season for viewing the aurora in Mohe, "the sleepless town of China".

中国最长的一天有多长？据专家介绍，在位于中国最北端的黑龙江省漠河，如果算上黎明、黄昏和晚霞，一天将持续近17个小时。在“中国不夜城”漠河，夏至是观赏极光的最佳时期。

2.A public holiday

公共假日

Summer Solstice was an important festival in ancient China. As early as the Han Dynasty, when the Mid-autumn Festival and the Double Ninth Festival were not as important as they are today, Summer Solstice was already celebrated.

夏至，在古代是一个重要的节日。早在汉代，在中秋节和重阳节还没有像今天这样重要的时候，夏至就已经被当成节日来庆祝了。

Before the Qing Dynasty, people even had a one-day holiday on Summer Solstice. According to Song Dynasty records, officials could have three days off during the Summer Solstice.

在清朝以前，人们甚至在夏至有一天的假期。根据宋朝的记录，官员可以在夏至放三天假。

To celebrate Summer Solstice, women gave colored fans and sachets to each other. Fans could help them cool down and the sachets could drive away mosquitoes and make them smell sweet.

为了庆祝夏至，妇女们互相赠送彩色扇子和香包。风扇可以帮助他们降温，香包可以驱赶蚊子，让她们闻起来很香。

3. Seeing the sun turn around

见证“立竿无影”

Ha'ni autonomous county in Mojiang, southwest China's Yunnan province is located on the northern tropic. Every year on the Summer Solstice, the sun sits directly over the Tropic of Cancer and returns from north to south. Then, the amazing phenomenon known as "upright pole with no shadows" occurs.

中国西南部云南省墨江哈尼族自治县位于北回归线上。每年的夏至日，太阳直射在北回归线上方，从北回归线南移，会出现短暂的“立竿无影”神奇现象。

The Hani people revere the sun and have always had a close bond with it. They welcome the turn-around of the sun and offer sacrifices to it.

哈尼族人一直以来十分敬畏太阳，而且与太阳有着“紧密的关系”。他们迎接太阳的回转，并会向它献祭。

4.Eating noodles

“冬至饺子，夏至面”

There is a saying in East China's Shandong province that goes, "eat dumplings on the Winter Solstice and eat noodles on Summer Solstice." People in different areas of Shandong province eat chilled noodles on this day. Other people around China, including those in Beijing, also have a tradition of eating noodles.

山东有句谚语“冬至吃饺子，夏至吃面”。山东省不同地区的人们通常会在这一天吃凉面。中国其他省市，包括北京等地，人们也有在夏至日吃面的传统。

5.Dragon boat racing in Zhejiang

浙江赛龙舟

Due to the local climate, dragon boat races have been held on the Summer Solstice day in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province rather than on Dragon Boat Festival since the Ming and Qing dynasties. This tradition is still in practice today, with all the attendant excitement.

由于当地气候的原因，自明清以来，浙江绍兴地区一直在夏至日举行龙舟比赛，而不是端午节，这一传统至今仍在实行。