与大多数中国节日一样，元宵节同样有自己的特色小吃，成为“汤圆”(也叫“元宵”)。汤圆外形圆圆的，外皮由糯米制成，内陷或甜或辣。人们都说汤圆有两个象征之意，一为农历的第一个月圆，二为家庭团聚圆满。元宵节传统习俗中还有一部分是关于猜灯谜的游戏。在过去，这些谜语大多出自于模糊的文学典故和中国古典文学之中，所以猜灯谜以前多为知识份子的“领地”。踩高跷，敲大鼓和舞龙狮也是元宵节主要的娱乐活动。

【词汇突破】

元宵节：the Lantern Festival

特色小吃：special food

糯米：glutinous rice

内陷：fillings

家庭团聚圆满：family unity and completeness

猜灯谜：guess riddles attached to the lanterns

文学典故：literary allusions

知识份子：educated class

踩高跷：stilt-walking

敲鼓：drumming

舞龙狮：dragon and lion dancing

【参考译文】

Like most Chinese festivals, the Lantern Festival has its own special food, called “tang yuan”. These are round, glutinous rice dumplings with sweet or spicy fillings. The dumplings are said to symbolize both the first full moon and family utility and completeness. Part of the lantern festival tradition involves a game to guess riddles attached to the lanterns. In the old days the riddles were obscure literary allusions to the Chinese classics and so were mainly the preserve of the educated classes. Stilt-walking, drumming and dragon and lion dancing are the main entertainment forms of the Lantern Festival.