不變的春節 漸變的年俗大綱

Spring Festival is the Most important holiday for Chinese people. Excitement and happiness are palpable this time of the year, and they reach the peak on lunar new year's eve.

春節對於中國人來說是最重要的節日。在每年的春節都讓人興高采烈，尤其是大年三十那晚，更是達到了高潮。

Though the 15-day period, which starts with the first day of the lunar new year and ends on the 15th day (known as Lantern Festival), is relatively long, it is the busiest time of the year for Chinese people. The arrangements they have to make for family reunions, buying necessities and preparing food keeps them busy throughout the holiday. Many of them travel back home and meet friends over dinner and drinks. The celebrations include decorating the house and setting off fireworks.

春節歷時15天，也就從大年初一開始，到元月十五元宵節結束。這段比較長的時間是中國人最忙的時候。他們爲家庭聚會作安排，採購年貨，準備豐盛的食物，以至於整個春節假期都忙忙碌碌的。許多人在春季期間都要回老家過年，跟朋友碰碰頭，聚個餐。慶祝春節也包括大掃除和放煙火。

But we are talking about a tradition that seems to be fading.

但是我們現在要談的是越來越淡的年味。

Spring Festival, as it is celebrated today, has undergone many changes, thanks to the country's economic development and globalization.

現在的春節已經因爲我國經濟的發展和全球化的影響而改變了很多。

Yet no Spring Festival is complete without food. People could not get good food whenever they desired in earlier times, something that does not apply to society today. More often than not, people faced the risk of famine. The best time for people to celebrate was when food was available in plenty, and that was possible in spring, or the beginning of the lunar new year. That was the main reason why Spring Festival acquired such great importance among Chinese people.

但是沒有哪個春節是完全離得開“吃”的。從前，不論人們提前多久想要買年貨，總是不能如願，而現在早已今非昔比。過去常常還要鬧饑荒。人們最好的慶祝時間就是他們能得到食物豐盛的時候，也就是春天或是元月初的那段時間。那也是爲什麼春節對於中國人如此重要的主要原因。

But three decades of economic growth has ensured that people in China, except for those who are still poor, can enjoy a good meal whenever they want. Such has been the change in people's fortune that some have to be treated for obesity and other health problems associated with excessive eating.

但是三十年來的經濟發展已經讓中國人，除了那些仍然窮苦的人以外，隨時都能享受美食。這得益於人民財富的增長，但是後者也導致一些人吃得太多而受到肥胖威脅和健康問題。

In the past, celebrations were limited to events like song-and-dance duets in North China, dragon/lion dances in South China and fireworks, which required the joint efforts of the entire community. But economic development and urbanization seems to have weakened the social links among people. Many, especially those living in cities, are not interested in celebrating the festival with people they hardly know.

在過去，慶祝春節還只停留在北方的二人轉和南方的舞龍舞獅等形式。那些慶祝活動往往需要許多人合力才能辦得起來。但是經濟的發展和國際化程度的提升似乎已經將這種社會聯繫弱化了。許多人，特別是城市居民，不太願意與不相識的人一起共度春節。

Many customs associated with Spring Festival have changed, too. In the past, people used to visit relatives and friends with gifts and lots of good wishes. Today, many people, especially the youth, use their cell phones or the Internet to send their good wishes and even "gifts" to their relatives and friends. Some may say this a sign that people have become less caring about their near and dear ones, but we should see this development as a time- and energy-saving exercise granted by the information age.

與春節相關的許多習俗也被改變了。在過去，人們常常會帶着禮物走親訪友，互道祝福。今天許多人，特別是年輕人，用手機或是網絡向親朋好友發去“禮物”和祝福。有些人或許會說，這說明人們已經沒有那麼關心至愛親朋了，但是我們應該把這種變化看作信息化時代省錢省力的好辦法。

In recent times, many people have started praying for a career promotion or more money instead of invoking God or the Buddha for a healthy and long life and the welfare of their family. But the number of such people is decreasing now, which shows that people are becoming more reasonable.

最近幾年，許多人開始祈禱事業高升，財源滾滾，而不是求神拜佛，他們身體健康，長命百歲，家庭美滿。但是這樣的人數現在正在減少，說明人們開始變得更加理性。