从北半球看来，冬至这一天，太阳到达一年中最南边的位置。中国古代制定历法习惯里，这一天要在正午量标杆的影子，还要用管子和芦苇的灰测定与大地和谐的音律。
Viewed from the northern hemisphere, the sun reaches its most southern position in a year on winter solstice. In ancient China, calendar makers used to measure the Shadow of a pole at noon and test the musical temperament in consonance with the energy of the earth with tubes holding reed ashes.
中国的民间习俗，从冬至开始就准备一系列节日。冬至本身也很重要，所以，有“冬至大过年”的说法。古代中国的农耕文明里，冬至要祭天祭祖先祭八腊神。更重要的是，在城镇和集市当中，人们聚集在一起，交易大量的生产生活资料，准备用庆祝节日的方式度过最寒冷的日子。
In Chinese folk customs, people start to prepare for a series of holidays and festivals from winter solstice. The day itself is also very important, so there is the saying “Winter solstice is bigger than Spring Festival”. In the agricultural civilization in ancient China, rituals were held to offer sacrifices to the heaven, to ancestors and to eight farm gods. And more importantly, people gathered together in towns and markets to trade large amounts of production and living materials for preparing to spend the coldest days in the celebration of festivals.
中国南北方的气候差异大。长江以南，过了冬至，梅花会开花，柳树也开始返青。尽管是一年中最冷的日子，农业活动仍然正常进行。黄河以北，则是冬天真正开始。民间数九的习俗，意味着从冬至开始大概有两个半月的寒冷气候。
The climate in north and south China is greatly different. In the regions south to the Yangtze River, plum blossoms and willows start to turn green after winter solstice. Although the coldest days come, farming activities still carry on normally. In regions north to the Yellow River, the true winter starts. The folk custom of counting the nine-times-nine days means that cold weather reigns for about two and half months starting from the winter solstice.
西方的圣诞节也和冬至直接相关。游牧民族也会在冬至左右的时间里，集中在城镇里交易生活必需品，准备度过一年最寒冷的时间。圣诞老人更像是城镇里游商的形象。圣诞树、袜子、礼物盒子都更多地是更商品交易有关的文化符号。
In the west, Christmas is also directly related to winter solstice. Nomadic people gathered in towns and traded their life necessities around the time of winter solstice to prepare for the coldest period in a year. Santa Claus is more like a travelling merchant who arrives in a town. Christmas tree, stocking and present box are cultural symbols about the trading of goods.
黄钟应律好风催，阴伏阳升淑气回。
葵影便移长至日，梅花先趁小寒开。
八神表日占和岁，六管飞葭动细灰。
已有岸旁迎腊柳，参差又欲领春来。
——朱淑真，冬至
When fine breeze blows and spurs,
Temperament comes to Yellow Bell.
Yin energy rests and Yang swells,
And clear and pure ether returns.
On a solstice day longer,
Shadow of mallow grows slightly.
Plum blossoms in a hurry
While cold is still lesser.
On the day of eight farm gods,
Divination shows a year of peace.
Flies fine ashes of reed
Out of six tubes’ tops.
To see the last winter month coming
On riverbank stand green willows,
Swaying high and low
And hoping to usher in the spring.
——Zhu Shuzhen, Winter Solstice
#翻译# #教育# #英语# #诗歌# #诗词# #冬至# #圣诞节#
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