中国春节（二）：准备 Chinese Spring Festival （II）

    为了庆祝春节这个重要的节日，中国政府规定春节放假七天，这是中国人一年中最长的休假。其实，早在春节前半个月左右，人们就开始忙碌着做各种准备。
    In order to celebrate this important festival, the Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. In fact, half month before Spring Festival, people are already busy with all kinds of preparations.

    我们从腊月初八，就是每年的（农历）十二月的初八是腊八节，腊八节过了以后就开始忙年了，就忙着来准备过年。
    On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge. After that, people begin to prepare for the coming new year.

    准备年货，农村来讲就是杀猪宰羊，各家都是买肉，准备这些个过年的年货。
    Special purchases for the Spring Festival in the rural area mean to slaughter pigs and sheep. Each household will buy meat and other goods to celebrate Spring Festival.

    不是快过春节了么，给家里买一些过年准备的一些吃的呀，还有一些糖果什么的。
    The Spring Festival is coming. We will buy something to eat for the celebration and also some candies.

    物质匮乏的时候只能买二两花生，瓜子和水果糖。现在物质是极大的丰富了，人们买的东西非常丰富，鱼肉就不用说了，有饮料、保健品、蔬菜等等，买得很细致。
    In the days of material scarcity, we could only afford to buy 100 grams of peanuts, some sunflower seeds and some fruit candies. Nowadays, we enjoy all kinds of goods. People can buy a variety of things, such as drinks, health care products and vegetables. People like to choose carefully.

    我们买了很多红色的东西，红色的衣服，代表红红火火嘛。
    We bought a lot of things of red color, such as red clothes. Red symbolizes prosperity.

    过去，中国人把从腊月初八开始的过年的准备过程，还编成了一个顺口溜：
    In the past, Chinese people started the preparation at the 8th of the last lunar month. There was even a piece of doggerel about the preparation.

    二十三，糖瓜粘；二十四，扫房日；二十五，碾白薯；二十六，炖牛肉；二十七，宰公鸡；二十八，把面发；发面，（就是）发酵嘛，二十九，蒸馒头；
    On 23, make candies; on 24, make a thorough cleanup; on 25, make sweet potatoes; on 26, brew beef; on 27, slaughter a rooster; on 28, prepare dough (To prepare dough means to make fermented dough); on 29, steam Mantou.

    当然，随着时代的变迁，人们的生活内容有了变化，所以现在人们过年准备内容与过程也变化了，但是一些传统还保留着。正月二十四，扫房日，实际上就是大搞家庭环境卫生，这一天，家家户户开始扫房、擦窗、清洗衣物、刷锅洗瓢，进行干净彻底地卫生大扫除。
    Of course, there are many changes in people’s life with the time. Therefore, the process and contents of the preparation for Spring Festival also changed. However, some traditional customs are still kept. The 24th day on the last lunar month is the day for cleanup. Every household will do home cleaning, sweep their home, clean windows, wash clothes and clean dishes and have a spring-cleaning.

    所以这个时候呢，年的活动都已经准备好了，新衣服做好了，吃的东西、年夜饭的东西，这些东西都做好了，然后开始贴春联，门口要贴对联，贴门神，贴窗花，这一切都准备好以后，才到了除夕这天晚上。
    Therefore, at this moment all the preparations are done. New clothes have been made. All the things for eat and the spring festival dinner are ready. People begin to paste couplets and pictures of door gods, and paper cuttings on door panels. When everything is ready, it is the eve of Spring Festival.

    持续半个多月的春节准备活动，说到底，其实就是两方面的事：一个是除旧，去除过去一年里脏的、旧的、不愉快的东西，另一个是为迎接新的一年而准备。
    The half month continuous preparation for the Spring Festival is in indeed preparation in two aspects. One is to get rid of the old things. To get rid of the dirty, old and unpleasant things. The other is to prepare to welcome the new year.