今日是二十四节气中的“春分”，你知道它用英语怎么说吗？去年11月，联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）正式通过决议，将二十四节气纳入人类非物质文化遗产名录。这二十四个日子，蕴藏着多大的智慧？跟着UNESCO的介绍，一起来认识下这就在身边的珍贵文化遗产吧。
There's an ancient observatory in Dengfeng City, Henan province, which was used to observe the changes of season and climate according to the sun shadow so as to arrange farming activities and daily life.Even today, it remains an important cultural space for young generations to learn the Twenty-four Solar Terms.
在河南省登封市，坐落着一座古老的天文台。它曾被用来通过观测影子，来获取季节和气候变化，并借此安排农业活动和人们的日常生活。即便是今天，它还是一个重要的文化场所，教育年轻一代学习“二十四节气”。
图片来源：UNESCO
The Twenty-four Solar Terms is a knowledge system and social practices through which the Chinese organize their perception of astronomical laws and their relation with the natural world.
二十四节气是一项知识体系，也是一系列社会活动。中国人通过它们来建立对天文定律和人与自然之间的感知。
Ancient Chinese divided the circle of the annual motion of the sun into 24 equal segments, each segment was called a Jie Qi or solar term.Hence the 24 segments are collectively called the Twenty-four Solar Terms.
古时候的中国人将观测到的一年里太阳运动周期24等分，每一片段就被称为一个“节气”。这24个片段就称为“二十四节气”。
它们是：
Beginning of Spring
立春
Rain Water
雨水
Insects Awakening
惊蛰
Spring Equinox
春分
Fresh Green
清明
Green Rain
谷雨
Beginning of Summer
立夏
Lesser Fullness
小满
Grain In Ear
芒种
Summer Solstice
夏至
Lesser Heat
小暑
Greater Heat
大暑
Beginning of Autumn
立秋
End of Heat
处暑
White Dew
白露
Autumnal Equinox
秋分
Cold Dew
寒露
First Frost
霜降
Beginning of Winter
立冬
Light Snow
小雪
Heavy Snow
大雪
Winter Solstice
冬至
Lesser Cold
小寒
Greater Cold
大寒
In international meteorology, this cognitive system of time has been given the title of the Fifth Great Invention of China.
在国际气象学中，这一时间知识体系被冠以“中国第五大发明”的美名。
For thousands of years, the Twenty-four Solar Terms has profoundly influenced Chinese people's way of thinking and code of conduct.It is both an important carrier of Chinese cultural identity and vivid evidence of the cultural diversity of humanity
几千年来，二十四节气深深地影响着中国人的思考方式和行为规律。它既是中华文明的重要载体，也是华夏文化多样性的生动证明。
The Twenty-four Solar Terms originated in the Yellow River reaches.The criteria for its formulation were the observation of changes of astronomical time sequence, air temperature, precipitation as well as other local natural phenomena.It was progressively applied as a time directory in the production and life of agricultural society and then shared by many ethnic groups
二十四节气发源于黄河流域。它的划分依据是天文时间、温度、降水和当地其它自然现象。二十四节气随后在农耕生产和生活中，渐渐被作为时间指南，随后流传到其他民族中去。
This heritage has been permeating almost all aspects of Chinese people's lives.Upon a specific Solar Term, people spontaneously arranged farming and daily life, thus this traditional knowledge is sustained through ritual practices and folk activities
这一遗产已经渗透到中国人生活里的各个方面。在节气系统的指引下，人们自发地安排农业和日常生活，这一传统学问也影响着宗教行为和民俗活动。
The term Beginning of Spring is an important period to initiate plowing.Various regional ceremonies such as Welcoming Spring, Touching Spring Ox, Singing for Spring, Doing Obeisance to Spring, Tasting Spring etc., are held to worship the God of Spring and encourage farming and sericulture.
“立春”是开始耕作的重要时期。迎春、摸春牛、唱春歌、拜春、尝春等各种各样的地区性仪式纷纷举办，祭拜春神，唤起人们对农耕和养蚕业的热情。
On Beginning of Autumn, the Miao People in Huayuan County, Hunan, celebrate Autumn Fair：they greet guests, perform dragon and drum dance, play eight-person swing, sing folks songs rejoicing for the favorable weather and the golden harvest.The Twenty-four Solar Terms is not only a guide to spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvesting and winter storing, but also the crystallization of the wisdom of China's agricultural civilization.It still serves as an important reference for forecasting the farming season and preventing natural calamities.
立秋，湖南花垣县的苗族人庆祝“赶秋节”：他们邀请客人，舞起龙、打起腰鼓，表演八人秋千，唱民歌，庆祝怡人的天气和丰收。二十四节气不仅仅可以指导春耕、夏耘、秋收、冬藏，它还是中国农业文明智慧的结晶。在预测农时季节、预防自然灾害方面，二十四节气也是重要的参考。
图片来源：UNESCO
“Plowed on Insects Awakening, the fields will be perfect for planting by Spring Equinox”, many similar farming proverbs related to the solar terms have been widely spread and continue playing a role in nowadays agriculture
“惊蛰一犁土，春分地气通”，许多类似和节气有关的农谚都广为流传，直到现在在农业中也扮演着重要角色。
“White geese flying over announced the coming of the First Frost, while the sound comes from the green woods.” When the day of First Frost arrives, the fields in the rural area of Dengfeng City of Henan exhibit a bustling scene of sweet potato digging.
“鸿飞霜降”，霜降来临之时，在河南省登封市的农村地区，人们就开始忙碌着挖红薯了。
在这个霜降以后呢才开始出红薯。早了这红薯正在长，晚了就要结冻，一结冻红薯就要冻坏。
We don't start to collect sweet potatoes until the very day of the First Frost; doing it earlier they are still unripe; if too late, they may freeze and get rotten.
Meanwhile in Tiandeng County of Guangxi, the First Frost Festival of the Zhuang people is held to give thanks to nature and celebrate the harvest.
同时，在广西天等县，壮族人举办“霜降节”，来表示对自然的感激，同时庆祝丰收。
In the view of Chinese people, the rhythm of life is closely connected with the Solar Terms.This view inspires China's peculiar ways of keeping good health.In Banshan, Hangzhou city, on Beginning of Summer, people hold traditional activities to keep fit such as eating black sticky rice and climbing mountains.
在中国人看来，生活的节奏和节气紧紧联系在一起。这样的视角还衍生出中国人特有的养生之道。杭州半山，立夏节气，人们还保持着吃黑糯米饭、登山等传统活动，来保持身体健康。
According to Huang Di Nei Jing, or Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the Yang of the human body should be nourished in spring and summer, and the Yin in autumn and winter, and winter diseases should be cured in summer.This wisdom witnesses the principle of “treatment based on syndromes” in traditional Chinese medicine.
根据《黄帝内经》，人体的阳气需要在春夏进补，阴气则在秋冬滋养，冬病夏治。这样的智慧都遵循着传统中医“对症下药”的原则。
Today, the Twenty-four Solar Terms has been incorporated into Chinese curricula of primary and middle schools.From there early age, students memorize the Song of Solar Terms to develop the concept of time and understand nature.
如今，二十四节气已经被编写进中国小学和初中课程。学生从小就要背诵《节气歌》，建立对时间和自然的概念。
“To comply with the mandates of heaven and time and act accordingly” has become a way to learn from nature, uphold harmony and cherish life which characterizes the Chinese spirit
“顺应四时”已成为了华夏文化从自然中汲取知识、崇尚和谐、尊重生命的特征。
The concepts of Unity of Heaven and Man and Circulation of the Yin and Yang in traditional Chinese philosophy are the core thinking behind the Twenty-four Solar Terms, which express the cultural spirit of harmony between man and man, and between man and nature.This thinking not only cultivates Chinese respect for the law of nature and the rhythm of life, but also creates the ideal of social life featuring natural balance and emphasis on harmony
传统中国哲学天人合一、阴阳更替的概念是二十四节气背后的核心思想，这表达了人与人之间、人与自然之间和谐共处的文化精神。这样的思想不仅仅培养了中国人尊重自然和生命规律的精神，同时孕育了遵循自然平衡、追求和谐的理想社会生活。
The Twenty-four Solar Terms is a vehicle of traditional knowledge and folk wisdom such as astronomy, farming, sericulture, natural history, first education, arithmetic and healthcare.At the same time, it is a harmonious integration of cultural expressions such as belief, rituals, poetry, storytelling, opera, proverbs, folk fine arts, chess, calligraphy and painting.This heritage has inspired the cultural creativity of modern Chinese, it has nourished the growth of public sculpture, architectural decoration, music and dance, literature, film and TV production, children's picture books and even the latest digital applications.
二十四节气是一个媒介，连接着传统知识和民间智慧，比如天文、耕作、养蚕业、博物学、启蒙教育、算数学和养生学。与此同时，它还是信仰、典礼、诗歌、传说、戏剧、谚语、民间艺术、象棋、书法、绘画等文化表达的和谐集合。这一文化遗产奠定了现代中国文化，还促进了公共雕塑、建筑装饰、音乐舞蹈、文学作品、电影电视、儿童图书，甚至最新电子应用的发展。
The Twenty-four Solar Terms have long been integrated in calendars universally adopted by the country and coexist with the traditional calendars of the Tibetan and Yi peoples.It pervades the history and reality of multi-ethnic China and reflects the same cultural emotions and time experiences.
二十四节气一直以来都广泛地被融入到日历中，并且为中国人使用。传统藏历、彝历也结合了二十四节气。它已经融入中国多民族的历史和现状中，反映了民族间彼此相通的文化情感和时间经验。
On Beginning of Spring, the Spring Tellers of Shiqian county, Guizhou province go from door to door, talking and singing melodies in Dong, Tujia, Miao, Gelao and other ethnic languages to pray for a good harvest in a vivid display of harmony among different ethnic groups.
立春时节，在贵州石阡县，“春官”挨家挨户地拜访，用侗族、土家族、苗族、仡佬族语言“说春”，祈愿丰收，生动展现了各个民族和谐共处。
Fresh Green not merely indicates a ceremony in spring during which people go hiking and outing, but also a traditional festival of ancestor worship, as well as a spiritual bond of cultural identity unifying the Chinese people.Since 2008, the day of Fresh Green has become a national holiday.
清明节不只是春天里人们远足登高的节日。它还是中国人祭拜祖先、将炎黄子孙团结在一起的精神纽带。从2008年起，清明节成为了法定节假日。
On Winter Solstice, southerners eat Dong Zhi Yuan or glue puddings which symbolize the happy family and harmonious society, while northerners share dumplings in the community to encourage good deeds as in the “1000-person dumpling banquet”.This heritage plays a significant role in promoting the cultural identity of communities, ethnic groups and the country
冬至，中国南方人吃“冬至圆”，象征家庭团圆、邻里和睦；北方人办“千人饺子宴”，与街坊邻居分享饺子，增进感情。这一习俗对于增进社区、族群、乃至国家的文化认同感，起了重要作用。
It not only arouses the cultural self-consciousness of the young generation, but also enhances dialogues between different cultures and is compatible with sustainable development.
二十四节气不仅唤醒了年轻一代的文化自我认知，同时增进了不同文化之间的对话交流，符合可持续发展。
To ensure the intergenerational transmission and viability of the heritage, with participation of
communities groups and individuals concerned, we draw up a five-year safeguarding plan featuring the following measures:
为了保证这一遗产代代相传、永焕光彩，在一些群体和个人的关心下，联合国教科文组织起草了二十四节气五年保护计划，具体如下：
The Five-year Action Plan （2017–2021）
Organize regular exchange activities and training classes in communities
在社群内，组织定期交流活动和培训课程；
Establish training centers and improve the mechanism of transmission
建立培训中心，提高文化传递效率；
Carry out surveys, recordings and digitalized documentation
进行调查，记录并数字化成果文件；
Prepare reports on safeguarding and restore related places for practice
准备宣传文化保护意识，重修相关活动场所；
Set up website columns to enhance visibility and public awareness
建立网页专栏，强化计划透明度，增强公众意识；
Collect related cultural objects, and hold exhibitions
收集相关文物，举办展览；
Compile reading materials for children to promote transmission
编译阅读材料，供儿童阅读，促进传承；
Organize academic activities to encourage dialogues and exchanges
组织学术活动，鼓励对话和交流。
节气歌
春雨惊春清谷天，夏满芒夏暑相连。
秋处露秋寒霜降，冬雪雪冬小大寒。
词汇总结
the Twenty-four Solar Terms 二十四节气
Even today, it remains an important cultural space for young generations to learn the Twenty-four Solar Terms.
即便是今天，它还是一个重要的文化场所，教育年轻一代学习“二十四节气”。
the Yellow River reaches 黄河流域
The Twenty-four Solar Terms originated in the Yellow River reaches.
二十四节气发源于黄河流域。
precipitation[prɪ,sɪpɪ'teɪʃ（ə）n]
n.降水；冰雹；坠落；鲁莽；[化学]沉淀，[化学]沉淀物
The criteria for its formulation were the observation of changes of astronomical time sequence, air temperature, precipitation as well as other local natural phenomena.
它的划分依据是天文时间、温度、降水和当地其它自然现象。
farming proverb 农谚
“Plowed on Insects Awakening, the fields will be perfect for planting by Spring Equinox”, many similar farming proverbs related to the solar terms have been widely spread and continue playing a role in nowadays agriculture
“惊蛰一犁土，春分地气通”，许多类似和节气有关的农谚都广为流传，直到现在在农业中也扮演着重要角色。
glue pudding 汤圆
On Winter Solstice, southerners eat Dong Zhi Yuan or glue puddings which symbolize the happy family and harmonious society.
冬至，中国南方人吃“冬至圆”，象征家庭团圆、邻里和睦。
