口語Festival素材：Lantern Festival元宵節(jié).

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　　雅思口語話題中曾出現(xiàn)過festival相關(guān)的話題，本文將以中英對照的形式介紹中國的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日元宵節(jié)(Lantern Festival)，供大家作為話題拓展閱讀。

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　　The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usually in February or March in the Gregorian calendar. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), it had become a festival with great significance. This day&aposs important activity is watching lanterns. Throughout the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), Buddhism flourished in China. One emperor heard that Buddhist monks would watch sarira, or remains from the cremation of Buddha&aposs body, and light lanterns to worship Buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, so he ordered to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on this day. Later, the Buddhist rite developed into a grand festival among common people and its influence expanded from the Central Plains to the whole of China.

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　　每年農(nóng)歷的正月十五日，春節(jié)剛過，迎來的就是中國的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日--元宵節(jié)。元宵主要的活動就是看燈。東漢明帝時期，明帝提倡佛教，聽說佛教有正月十五日僧人觀佛舍利，點燈敬佛的做法，就命令這一天夜晚在皇宮和寺廟里點燈敬佛，令士族庶民都掛燈。以后這種佛教禮儀節(jié)日逐漸形成民間盛大的節(jié)日。該節(jié)經(jīng)歷了由宮廷到民間，由中原到全國的發(fā)展過程。

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　　Till today, the lantern festival is still held each year around the country. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are hung in the streets, attracting countless visitors. Children will hold self-made or bought lanterns to stroll with on the streets, extremely excited. "Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during people&aposs enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.

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　　直到今天，元宵點燈的習(xí)俗仍然在中國的各地流傳的，各式各樣美麗的花燈在這一天都會點亮，孩子們提著自制的燈籠走街串巷，非常高興。猜燈謎也是元宵節(jié)的一項重要活動，花燈的主人會將謎面寫在燈籠上，掛在門口，如果有人可以猜中，就能得到小小的禮物。這項活動最早起源于宋朝，因為謎語能啟迪智慧又饒有興趣，所以流傳過程中深受社會各階層的歡迎。

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　　People will eat yuanxiao, or rice dumplings, on this day, so it is also called the "Yuanxiao Festival."Yuanxiao also has another name, tangyuan. It is small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour with rose petals, sesame, bean paste, jujube paste, walnut meat, dried fruit, sugar and edible oil as filling. Tangyuan can be boiled, fried or steamed. It tastes sweet and delicious. What’s more, tangyuan in Chinese has a similar pronunciation with "tuanyuan”, meaning reunion. So people eat them to denote union, harmony and happiness for the family.

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　　民間過元宵節(jié)吃元宵的習(xí)俗。元宵由糯米制成，或?qū)嵭模驇юW。餡有豆沙、白糖、山楂、各類果料等，食用時煮、煎、蒸、炸皆可。起初，人們把這種食物叫“浮圓子”，后來又叫“湯團(tuán)”或“湯圓”，這些名稱“團(tuán)圓”字音相近，取團(tuán)圓之意，象征全家人團(tuán)團(tuán)圓圓，和睦幸福，人們也以此懷念離別的親人,寄托了對未來生活的美好愿望。

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　　In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged. On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival. Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party. On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.

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　　隨著時間的推移，元宵節(jié)的活動越來越多，白天有耍龍燈、耍獅子、踩高蹺、劃旱船扭秧歌、打太平鼓等傳統(tǒng)民俗表演。到了夜晚，除了五顏六色的美花燈之外，還有艷麗多姿的煙火。大多數(shù)家庭會在春節(jié)時留下一些煙花等到元宵節(jié)這天燃放，而一些地方政府也會舉辦煙花大會，當(dāng)新年的第一個月圓之夜在盛大的煙火表演中來臨時，人們都陶醉在這令人難忘了煙花與皎潔的明月中。

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　　元宵節(jié)詞匯

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　　元宵節(jié)：festival of lanterns，lantern festival dumplings

　　元宵： the rice glue ball

　　燈謎：riddles written on lanterns

　　燈具：lamps and lanterns

　　燈花 snuff

　　燈籠褲 bloomers galligaskins knickers pantalettes plus fours

　　燈籠 lantern scaldfish

　　燈塔 beacon lighthouse pharos

　　燈語 lamp signal

　　燈油 kerosene lamp oil

　　燈心蜻蜓 damselfly

　　元宵節(jié)的由來

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　　Lantern Festival

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　　The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.

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　　According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.

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　　各地元宵節(jié)習(xí)俗

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　　河北省 永平府元宵節(jié)，有病的婦女群聚窯下，稱“陶灸”。兒女交錯度橋，稱“度百厄”。也有人以紙裁剪為九條紙繩，信手打結(jié)以卜休咎，稱“結(jié)羊腸”。又以十二個面盞貯油放入鍋中蒸熟，以面盞積水之多寡來預(yù)卜該月的晴雨。靜?？h上元節(jié)以大饅頭為節(jié)食。慶云縣元宵節(jié)男子請五祖教拳棒，女子請紫姑卜休咎。

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　　山東省 淄川縣元宵節(jié)臨水人家多放河燈。寧陽縣元宵送燈至祖墳。博興農(nóng)村的元宵節(jié)有照燈的習(xí)俗。男孩子提著燈，繞棗樹六圈，口念“嘟佬嘟佬，開花結(jié)棗”六遍，就能使棗樹豐收。莒縣男女老少于正月十六到野外踏青，稱之“走老貌”，據(jù)說每年走一次可永保青春年少。

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　　河南省 襄城縣元宵吃餛飩湯，稱之“團(tuán)圓茶”，娘家接已嫁的女兒回家過節(jié)，郲縣元宵慶燈時，老幼有病者，皆以火灸石龜。本地有河橋的，相率過橋。若無橋，則以木板搭數(shù)丈高之“天橋”，稱為“走百病”。

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　　陜西省 鳳翔縣于元宵節(jié)宴請女兒、女婿，稱之“吃十五”。并送燈、送油，稱之“添油”。〔江蘇省〕武進(jìn)縣上元日綁縛蘆葦成丈許之火炬，插于田間，稱“照田財”，用來預(yù)卜早潦?；鹕渍邽樗?，紅者為旱。宜興上元日，兒童戴鬼面具，屈腳振肩而跳，稱之“跳鬼”。

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　　浙江省 杭州民間傳正月十五為上元天官賜福之辰，多齋素誦經(jīng)，匍匐至吳山禮拜。海寧縣元宵節(jié)以精致的菊花燈為最出名。上虞縣少于元宵節(jié)晚上到戡恃月臺上較量武藝。建德縣人家有新娶媳婦的，于元宵節(jié)設(shè)酒祭床。

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　　江西省 新建縣民于元宵掃墓插竹為燈。萬安縣城各鄉(xiāng)均于元宵節(jié)祀上元神舟。

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　　湖北省 云夢縣(今之江漢)老農(nóng)夫于元宵夜持火炬偏照田圃，叫“照絕地蠶”。兒童則以田鼓迎神，以卜歲事。武昌的“弄龍”要一連三天。全村的男女老少都跟隨龍燈到鄰村赴宴，稱為“龍換酒”。

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　　湖南省 常德上元各家以椒為湯，加入韭菜儆果諸物款待客人，稱為“時湯”。新田縣游完龍燈后，將龍燈付之一炬，稱為“送災(zāi)”。

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　　四川省 四川元宵有“四偷”的習(xí)俗：“一偷湯圓二偷青，三偷檐燈四偷紅?！背送登嗍菫榱藦娚硗猓溆嘟詾榍笞拥牧?xí)俗。開縣有“對罵”的習(xí)俗。元宵節(jié)時人們搬板凳到戶外去，將平日之怨氣，盡皆罵出，被罵之人不得回罵。

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　　福建省 泉州花燈別具特色，有香燈、紙折蓮花燈、絲料宮燈、八結(jié)燈等等。邵武縣元宵夜境內(nèi)廟宇繞境迎香，稱為“凈街”。福建南部有元宵節(jié)兩村兒童互擲石為戲的習(xí)俗。據(jù)說若不擲石，那個村子必定發(fā)生瘟疫。

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　　廣東省 新安縣民有于去年生男者，皆于元宵夜慶燈。南雄鬧花燈時，父母取龍燈上之龍須線給小兒系帶，據(jù)說可保兒童無疾病。又取龍燈內(nèi)殘存的蠟燭照床下，據(jù)說可以產(chǎn)貴子。文昌縣民元宵夜偷青時，偷中的以挨罵為吉祥之兆，偷不中者則以不挨罵為吉兆。

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　　云南省 云龍縣于元宵節(jié)前迎三崇神，沿街立棚祭祀。彌勒州元宵后一日燃香于橋，投石水中，再取水洗眼，據(jù)說可以去疾病。