翻译：方华文·《春节》（中）
大年初一天不亮，爆竹声便响成了一片，噼噼啪啪似炒豆一般。父母为孩子们煮好饺子，让他们美美吃一顿。小家伙们吃完一抹嘴，便箭一般冲出去了。小朋友们聚集在大街上点各种各样的“炮”，有的叫“冲天响”“滚地雷”，有的叫“天女散花”“红衣骑士”，等等等等，名堂多得很。大人们则走东家访西家地“拜年”。单位的领导此时体现出“与民同乐”的风范，到部属的家里说些“春节快乐”“恭喜发财”类的祝福话语。
Even before the dawn of New Year’s Day comes, firecrackers crack everywhere, as noisily as bean frying. Parents boil dumplings for their kids, who will clean their mouths and dash out when having eaten enough. The little ones gather in streets, setting off all kinds of firecrackers, named Rockets, Rolling Mines, Fairy Scattering Flowers, Knights in Red and so on. There are so many of them! The adults, however, are busy paying New Year calls from door to door. Leaders of companies will carry on the tradition of “enjoying with the mass”, paying visits to his men, saying blessing words, like “happy Spring Festival” and “wishing you prosperity”.
拜年的习俗古来有之。传说在很久以前有一种“年”的怪兽，每逢腊月三十便冲下山来，张着血盆大口寻人吃。惊恐的人们便把各种肉食放在门口请它吃，而他们自己闭门躲在家中。第二天人们打开房门，相互庆贺未被“年”吃掉。后来，人们拜年不仅说些祝福的话，还互赠贺年卡，卡片上或印着精美的图画，或写些警言秒句。
The custom of paying New Year’s visits comes from ancient times. As the legend goes that there was a monster called Nian, who would come out of the mountains in search of people for food. People were so scared that they put meat at door for the monster, and they themselves hid in houses. The next day they’d open the doors and congratulate each other on being alive. Later they’d not only say blessing words when they paid visits, but also change New Year’s cards printed with beautiful pictures or smart words.
人们在欢度春节的时候，也不会忘记已经亡故的亲人。他们会为亡亲敬一盅酒，或燃香祈求上天赐福给阴间的亲人。有的人家会结伴到亡亲的坟地去，在坟头供枣馍、油糕之类的东西。如今提倡火葬，人们则到存放亡亲骨灰的地方祭奠他们，同时给亡亲的长眠之地带去了节日的喜庆气氛。
When celebrating Spring Festivals, people never forget their dead dear ones. They’ll toast for their wealth, or burn incenses, praying that god might bless their dead in nether world. Some families will go to the tombs of their dead, and place jujube buns and fried cakes before the tombs as tributes. Nowadays cremation is encouraged, people will hold memorial ceremonies in places where ashes of their dead are kept, bringing joyful air of the festival to their eternal resting place.
我国的南方和北方都有“舞狮”贺春节的习俗，在形式及内容上大同小异。在乡下，村与村之间常举行舞狮比赛；在城市，社区与社区也接阵对垒。一只“狮子”通常由两人舞，一人舞狮头，另一人舞狮身。舞狮头者狮关键人物，必须眼明手快、反应敏捷，一般都是由幼童培养起来的。比赛时，两只狮子（通常代表两个团体）在一片锣鼓声中翩翩起舞。张开大口争夺一只巨型绣球。舞狮人身着戏装，上下翻腾，龙腾虎跃，好不雄健！好不威风！充分表现出了中华民族旺盛的生命力和不屈不挠的奋斗精神。舞狮头的人往往要亮出几个危险的高难度动作，如一跃跳到叠架起的桌椅上，赢得观众阵阵的掌声。
Lion Dancing is also a custom prevailing in the south and the north of the country. All those dancings are very much the same in forms and contents. Villages in rural areas compete with each other to be the best in Lion Dancing, and communities in the cities also fight for the honor. Two men form a “lion”, one acting as the “head”, and the other the “body”. The one as “head” is the key figure, who, trained in early childhood, is usually agile and fast. In competition, two lions, representing two sides, dance energetically in accompaniment of gongs and drums, struggling to snatch a huge silk ball with widely-opened mouths. The players in stage costumes jump and leap, bend and rise, displaying great vitality and vigor. The dancing fully shows the exuberant strength and the indomitable struggle spirit of Chinese nation. The “lion head” is supposed to present a few dangerous moves, such as jumping on piles of chairs and tables, just to win warm applause of the audience.
一些地区盛行“舞龙”的习俗，这和舞狮一样，也是庆贺新春的重要活动。舞龙需要若干人参与，一人舞龙头，其余人则是“龙身”。巨龙时而昂首阔步，时而张牙舞爪、摇头摆尾，赢得旁观人群的高声喝彩。人们的心随着巨龙翻腾的身体起伏，对舞龙人高超的技艺感到由衷地佩服。最为壮观的是夜间舞龙，巨龙的两只眼睛通常用手电筒充当，显得“目光炯炯”。一道道手电光刺破夜空，使人会联想到巨龙与怪兽搏斗的场景，不由热血沸腾，仿佛自己也加入到了与恶势力的酣战之中。
In some districts prevails the custom of Dragon Dancing, which, like Lion Dancing, is also one of the important activities to greet the coming spring. A few men form a “dragon’, one acting as the “head”, and the rest the “body”. The gigantic dragon strides proudly ahead, making threatening gestures, assuming an air of complacency, winning loud applauses of the audience from time to time. Spectators’ hearts will tremble as the huge dragon trembles, and they really admire the dragon players for their super skills. Dragon Dancing at night is a spectacular sight. The two eyes of the huge dragon, usually two electric torches in fact, are eyes with piercing gleam, shooting lights through the dark sky, reminding people of its fight with a monster. Spectators’ blood surges, as if they themselves joined the fight with evil forces.
（方华文 译）