双语民俗 | 小年到,贴年画,剪窗花喽

年画是中国特有的民间艺术，起源于汉代，发展于唐宋，盛行于明清。年画画面线条单纯、色彩鲜明、气氛热烈愉快，其内容题材多为代表丰收吉祥的喜庆内容，是升华过年气氛的必备神器。尤其是象征多子多福、年年有余的“童子抱鲤鱼”的年画最受欢迎。

New Year pictures are an indispensable part of this celebration for each and every household. People put up New Year pictures in their homes to enhance the lively festive atmosphere. Most New Year pictures feature designs symbolizing good fortune, auspiciousness and festivity. 

A popular New Year picture entitled Surplus in Successive Years depicts a cute plump baby holding a big carp in his arms and a bouquet of lotus flowers in his hand. “Fish” and “surplus” in Chinese have the homophony of the two words, people express their wishes for affluent lives.

剪纸是一种镂空艺术，是最古老的中国民间艺术之一。每逢小年，人们将鲜艳精美的剪纸贴在家中的窗户、墙壁、门和灯笼上，节日的气氛也因此被烘托得更加热烈。

The paper-cutting is a special folk art in China, with a history of nearly 1,000 years. The materials used are simple: ordinary paper and a pair of scissors (or a cutting knife). A skilled paper-cutting craftsperson cuts paper into designs like doing magic tricks. 

Paper-cutting is a type of improvised art with powerful expression. Chinese paper-cuttings are rich in content. The auspicious designs symbolize good luck and the avoidance of evil. The child, lotus and bottle gourd designs suggest a family with a large number of children and grandchildren. 

无论是年画还是剪纸，都是经历了上千年演变的民间艺术，也因地域文化的不同而在艺术风格上略有差异。但无论是哪一种都代表了人们对美好生活的期望和祝愿！

以上内容由外研社高等英语资讯整理。

图片来源于网络。