24节气之惊蛰：这些小知识你要知道啊！（双语）

　　The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Awakening of Insects (Chinese: 惊蛰) falls on Mar 5 and ends on Mar 19 this year.

　　中国传统农历将一年分为二十四节气。今年的惊蛰从3月5日开始，在3月19日结束。

　　Awakening of Insects signals a rise in temperature and increased rain fall. As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name alludes to the fact that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities.

　　惊蛰的到来预示着气温的升高和降雨量的增加。作为农历的第三个节气，顾名思义，惊蛰意味着冬眠的动物被春雷唤醒，大地上万物复苏。此时中国大部分地区进入了春耕时节。

　　Here are 6 things you may not know about Awakening of Insects.

　　以下是关于惊蛰你可能不知道的6件事。

　　1.Spring thunder cracks the sky

　　1、春雷彻响天际

　　The spring thunder is most noticeable during the Awakening of Insects solar term. An old Chinese saying goes: "If the first spring thunder crashes before the Awakening of Insects solar term, there will be abnormal weather that year." The Awakening of Insects falls after the end of winter and before the beginning of spring. Wind during this period is an important factor in weather forecasting.

　　惊蛰节气最显著的特征就是春雷响起。在中国有句古话：“未过惊蛰先打雷，四十九天云不开。”惊蛰往往介于冬末春初之间。惊蛰期间的风也是预测后期天气的一个重要依据。

　　Modern meteorological science shows that around the Awakening of Insects, the earth becomes humid and the hot air near the surface rises; meanwhile, the hot humid air from the north is strong and creates frequent winds. For this reason, thunder occurs in this period. China covers a large range of latitudes from north to south, so the first spring thunder appears at different times in different areas.

　　现代气象科学显示，惊蛰前后，大地湿度渐高，而近地面的热气上升，同时，北方的湿热空气势力较强，活动频繁，导致这个时期春雷阵阵。由于我国南北跨度大，春雷始鸣的时间迟早不一。

　　2. Spring ploughing

　　2、春耕

　　The Awakening of Insects is an extremely important time for farmers and is widely seen as the beginning of the busiest time for agricultural work. During this period, most parts of China experience the quickest rise in temperatures, with the average level reaching above 10 degrees Celsius, and there is a marked increase in sunshine, which provides good natural conditions for farming.

　　对农民来说，惊蛰是非常重要的一个节气，它被广泛视为一年农忙的开始。中国大部分地区气温在此期间上升最快，平均气温达到10摄氏度以上，并且光照明显增强，为春耕提供了良好的自然条件。

　　Old Chinese sayings such as "once the Awakening of Insects comes, spring ploughing never rests" reveal the importance of this term to farmers.

　　古谚说"过了惊蛰节，春耕不能歇"，显示了这个节气对农民的重要性。

　　3.Offering sacrifices to the white tiger

　　3、祭白虎

　　According to ancient Chinese folklore, a white tiger is the creature that brings quarrels and disputes. It always begins hunting during the Awakening of Insects, and sometimes bites people. It is said that those bitten by a white tiger will encounter evil villains in their life that bring obstructions and bad luck. Therefore people offer sacrifices to the white tiger during the Awakening of Insects to protect themselves.

　　根据中国古代民间传说，白虎是口舌、是非之神，每年都会在惊蛰时节出来觅食，有时会咬人。据说那些被白虎咬到的人，一生中会遇到邪恶，诸事不顺，运气不佳。因此，人们在惊蛰那天祭白虎，以保护自己。

　　When practicing this old custom, people draw the white tiger on paper, and then smear pig’s blood and pork on its mouth. This means the tiger is fed so that it would not bite people, avoiding bad luck and conflict.

　　祭白虎，就是画一只白虎在纸上，再在它的嘴上涂猪血或者猪油，意思是让它吃饱后不再咬人，避免坏运气和是非矛盾。

　　4.Beating "villains"

　　4. 打小人

　　"Villain" hitting originated in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and it’s a folk ritual popular in Guangdong and Hong Kong. The custom is practiced during the Awakening of Insects to expel the "villain" and to bring good luck. People often assign a specific "witch" (usually an elderly woman) to "beat the villains". They use paper cut in the shape of humans to represent "villains" in their lives and the "witch" would use shoes or other tools to hit the paper to expel bad luck.

　　打“小人”起源于唐代(618-907年)，它是起源于广东、香港民间的巫术仪祀仪式。惊蛰驱逐“小人”，会带来好运。人们经常指派特定的“女巫”(通常是一位老年妇女)去“打小人”。他们用剪纸剪出人类的形状，代表生活中的“小人”，“女巫”会用鞋子或其他工具去打“纸小人”，驱逐厄运。

　　In Hong Kong, the Swan neck bridge between Causeway Bay and Wan Chai has become a popular place for people to beat villains.

　　在香港，铜锣湾及湾仔之间的鹅颈桥成为了打小人的热门圣地。

　　5.A good time for fishing

　　5、钓鱼好时节

　　Around the Awakening of Insects, hibernating animals wake up, and so do fish. They swim from deep water to shallow water in search of food, mating and bearing young. It is a good time for fishing.

　　惊蛰前后，动物从冬眠中醒来，鱼儿也不例外。他们从深水游到浅水中来觅食，交配和产卵，正是钓鱼的好时机。

　　Fishing can provide mental and physical relaxation, especially for people living in the city. Driving to the suburbs, fishing in a lake, bathing in the sunlight, enjoying the singing birds, fragrant flowers and waving willows make for a perfect weekend in spring.

　　钓鱼可以带来身心的放松，尤其是对生活在城市里的人。开车来到郊外的湖边，沐浴在阳光下，聆听小鸟的歌唱，享受清新的花香，柳树随风飘扬，春天的周末如此完美。

　　6.Eating pears

　　6、惊蛰吃梨

　　Eating pears around the Awakening of Insects is a widely-practiced custom in China. As the weather gets warmer and the air becomes dry, people tend to feel their mouths are parched and tongues dry, which can cause colds or coughs. A pear is sweet, juicy and cold, moistening the lungs to arrest a cough. Therefore, pears are highly recommended during the Awakening of Insects.

　　我国民间素有惊蛰日吃梨的习俗。随着天气变暖，气候比较干燥，人们很容易口干舌燥，此起感冒或咳嗽。梨味甘，多汁，性寒，有润肺止咳的功效。因此，惊蛰时节应多吃梨。