619th article第619期双语推文
NB: This may not be a word-for-word transcript.
"On the night of the Lantern Festival this year, the moon and lights are as bright as last year." The Lantern Festival which falls on the 15thday of the first lunar month marks the end of the Spring Festival celebration in China. This year's Lantern Festival falls on Friday, February 26th. People across the country usually take part in various activities to celebrate this festival. Let's see what they are.
“今年元夜时，月与灯依旧。”2月26日，一年一度的正月十五元宵节，是中国春节年俗中最后一个重要节令。这一天，究竟有多少传统民俗文化传承至今？
Eat Yuanxiao
(sweet dumplings
made of glutinous rice flour)
吃元宵
Eating Yuanxiao is an important part of the Lantern Festival celebration. It has been popular since the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Yuanxiao was originally known as "Floating Round Rice Balls", and also called "Yuanbao" (gold ingots) by businessmen in the hope of a prosperous business in the new year. Yuanxiao is sweet glutinous rice balls with various fillings made of white sugar, roses, sesame, haws, osmanthus, and five kinds of nuts and kernels. It can be boiled or deep-fried. Traditionally, Yuanxiao is handmade by rolling its fillings on the glutinous rice flour layer by layer, just like people put their best wishes for prosperity, peace, and reunion on these small round balls.
元宵节吃元宵，在宋朝时就颇为盛行，这是必不可少的重要习俗。最早元宵叫“浮圆子”，后称“元宵”，生意人还美其名曰“元宝”。元宵通常以白糖、玫瑰、芝麻、山楂、桂花、五仁等为馅料，用糯米粉包成圆形，风味各异，可汤煮也可油炸。郑州的元宵一般不是包的，而是在糯米粉中“滚”成的。不仅别具风味，而且寄托着人们对于国泰民安、举家团圆的美好期盼。
Recommendation（打卡地）：
Liu's Yuanxiao on North Shuncheng Street北顺城街刘家元宵
There are many time-honored restaurants on the bustling Shuncheng Street, such as Wushunzhai Roast Duck, Shengli Roast Chicken, and Tie's Beef.
顺城街喧嚣热闹，藏着郑州的老味道，五顺斋烤鸭、胜利烧鸡、铁记牛肉……
Liu's Yuanxiao is also located on this street. The shop owner is a beautiful lady who usually wears a headscarf when selling Yuanxiao. Since the age of 16, she has been making Yuanxiao with her family for more than 30 years. People intimately call her "Yuanxiao Xishi" (Xi Shi was one of the four great beauties in Chinese history) for her beautiful appearance and the tasty Yuanxiao she made. Her Yuanxiao is all handmade from stuffing to rolling. During the Lantern Festival, buying "Xuehua Yuanxiao" from Liu's Yuanxiao has become a habit of many old Zhengzhou people, even though they have to wait in a long line.
这条街上还有个远近闻名的“元宵西施”——包着头巾卖元宵，她从16岁开始跟着家人做元宵，至今30多年了。从打馅到滚元宵，她都是纯手工制作。元宵节去刘家元宵排队买点“雪花元宵”，似乎成了很多老郑州人的习惯。
View lanterns
闹花灯
Viewing lanterns is a traditional custom of the Lantern Festival, which began in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. That's why the Yuanxiao Festival is also called Lantern Festival. After the Tang Dynasty, the lanterns were made in various shapes, well favored by the general public. The Song Dynasty saw the heyday of lanterns. At that time, lanterns were made of glass balls, five-color wax paper, linden leaves, sheepskin, and tortoiseshell, more gorgeous and delicate than ever before.
闹花灯是元宵节的传统习俗，始于西汉，兴盛于隋唐，所以也会把元宵节称为“灯节”。唐朝以后，花灯不但种类繁多、千变万化，也成为深入民间的活动。而宋朝是花灯的全盛期，当时花灯有如玻璃球者，也有用五色蜡纸、菩提叶、羊皮、玳瑁等制作，华丽精巧可谓空前。
To celebrate the Spring Festival, especially the Lantern Festival, a great number of flowers and lights have been arranged on both sides of the streets in Zhengzhou.
每逢春节，郑州街头到处花团锦簇、灯光摇曳，到正月十五更是达到高潮。
Recommendation（打卡地）：
Fantawild Dreamland 方特梦幻王国
As night falls, the Fantawild Dreamland is brightly lit by decorative lanterns and lights. Lantern-decorated corridors, cute Boonie Bears cartoon lamps, and colorful lights hanging on trees create a fantastic illuminated world. During the Lantern Festival, it launches a number of folk activities including "Guessing Lantern Riddles" and "Floating River Lanterns", and offers thousands of free Yuanxiao. It is really a pleasure to view lanterns while eating Yuanxiao.
夜幕降临，充满古典韵味的花灯长廊、憨态可掬的《熊出没》灯组以及火树银花的夜间美景将点亮方特梦幻王国。尤其是正月十五，方特梦幻王国会推出“猜灯谜”“放河灯”等民俗活动，还准备了上千份“免费元宵”。吃着暖心的元宵，看着热闹的巡游，感受别样的温暖与甜蜜吧。
Guess lantern riddles
猜灯谜
Guessing lantern riddles is the second popular activity next to viewing lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Riddles are usually posted on lanterns, so that people can guess riddles while viewing lanterns.
“灯节”除花灯外，最盛行的活动就是猜灯谜。就是将谜语贴在灯上，让人一边赏灯，一边猜谜。
The answer to a riddle may be a word, a poem, or an object. It is generally believed that guessing lantern riddles is as difficult as shooting a tiger; therefore, guessing lantern riddles is also known as "shooting tigers".
谜底可以是一个字，一句诗，一个物品名称，由于灯谜很难猜中，如同老虎难以被射中一样，所以闹花灯时的猜谜活动俗称“打灯虎”。
Recommendation（打卡地）：
Bus 公交车
To celebrate the Lantern Festival, Zhengzhou buses are decorated with red lanterns, Chinese knots, papercuts, and red peppers. Riddle cards are scattered under lanterns, in pepper strings, as well as on handrails, railings, and seats. The riddles are various in content, including traditional Chinese poems such as "Every cloud has a silver lining" and "Farmers are weeding at noon", and Henan local highlights such as Shaolin Kungfu and Songshan Mountain. Even Zhengzhou specialties like spicy soup are hidden in answers.
“元宵节”主题公交车上线了！高高挂起的大红灯笼、中国结，一幅幅美丽的窗花，一串串“红红火火”的辣椒……踏上郑州的公交车，这些浓浓的节日元素便映入眼帘。在灯笼下方、辣椒串上，以及扶手、栏杆、座椅等处都设有灯谜卡片。灯谜的谜面中不仅有“柳暗花明又一村”“锄禾日当午”等中国传统诗词，而且有“少林小子武当拳”“闲来出门去嵩山”等河南特色，而谜底中甚至藏着诸如胡辣汤这样的郑州特色美食。
All of these lanterns and riddles can be seen in and around Bus 603, 100, B17, B2 (section), B102, and 21. Have you come across any of these?
郑州公交在603路、100路、B17路、B2区间、B102路、21路等公交线路上分别打造了一个“新春闹元宵、欢乐猜灯谜”的主题车厢，您遇见了吗？
Happy Lantern Festival!
元宵节快乐！
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Chief Planner丨Shi Dadong
Managing Editor丨Xiong Vivi
Text丨Wang Yipin
Art Editor丨Wang Xiaoyu
Trainee Editor丨Xu Hanyu
Proofreader丨S. Jones（南非）
Voice丨Benjamin（英国）
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