关于冬至的“硬核”英语小知识，你都学会了吗？

今天是二十四节气中的冬至（Winter Solstice），是中华民族的传统节日。冬至在太阳到达黄经270°时开始，时于每年公历12月22日左右。

冬至过节源于汉代，盛于唐宋，相沿至今。《清嘉录》甚至有“冬至大如年”之说。这表明古人对冬至十分重视。那么，你知道冬至的英文该怎么说吗？

Ancient china did pay great attention to this holiday, regarding it as a big event. There was the saying that "Winter solstice holiday is greater than the spring festival".

冬至 Winter Solstice

“solstice”这个词我们不太看到，因为它的意思很特别，表示“the time of either the longest day in the year (about June 22) or the shortest day in the year (about December 22)”。一年中最长的一天（大约6月22日）或是一年中最短的一天（大约12月22日）。 这么看来，这个词的用武之地似乎局限性很大了。基本上也就用在“Winter Solstice”（冬至）以及“Summer Solstice”（夏至）之处。

节气小百科

After this day, many places in China go through the coldest period, which is called in Chinese, “Shu Jiu”. In total, there are nine periods with nine days for each. In the first and second nine days, people keep their hands in pockets; in the third and fourth nine days, people can walk on ice; in the fifth and sixth nice days, people can see willows along the river bank; in the seventh and eighth nine days, the swallow comes back and in the ninth nine days, the yak starts working.

从冬至以后，中国的绝大部分地区都会经历最寒冷的时期，中国人叫它”数九“。这一共有九个时期，每个时期分别有九天。在”一九“和”二九“，手放口袋就能避寒；”三九“和”四九“，路上会结冰；”五九“和”六九“，可以看到河岸边柳树抽芽了；在”七九“和”八九“，燕子回归，在最后的”九九“，牛开始犁地。

冬至的传统习俗

Winter Solstice is a time for the family to get together.One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern partsof China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of Tangyuan or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize reunion.

冬至是家族团聚的一天。在这天，中国南方的家庭会包汤圆、吃汤圆，以象征团圆的意思。不过在中国北方，似乎更多的人会吃饺子。比如说会有“冬至到，吃水饺”这样的谚语。

尤其是在中国北方，人们通常在冬至那天吃饺子，这是一个意味着温暖冬天的习俗。大家庭的成员可以聚在一起包饺子。在中国北方，饺子通常是蘸醋、辣油或酱汁吃的，有时还会加点酱油。

Particularly, in Northern China, people generally eat dumpling on the Winter Solstice , a custom signifying a warm winter. Extended family members may gather together to make dumplings. In Northern China, dumplings are commonly eaten with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and chili oil or paste, and occasionally with some soy sauce added in.

“饺子”是我们中国土生土长的独有物种，在英语中并没有100%对应的词汇，所以用“dumpling”来专指饺子，有点牵强。因此，在跟外国朋友介绍饺子的时候，可以说 Chinese dumpling，或者干脆直接用汉语拼音：Jiaozi表示。

作为一种家常菜，每个家庭都有自己喜欢的制作方法，使用自己喜欢的馅料，制作的种类和方法因地而异。

As a dish prepared at home, each family has its own preferred method of making them, using favorite fillings, with types and methods of preparation varying widely from region to region.

饺子常见的馅料有猪肉、羊肉、牛肉、鸡肉、鱼和虾，这些馅料通常与切碎的蔬菜混合在一起。常见的蔬菜馅料包括大白菜、葱、韭菜、芹菜、菠菜、蘑菇、黑木耳、胡萝卜和韭菜。

Common dumpling meat fillings include pork, mutton, beef, chicken, fish, and shrimp, which are usually mixed with chopped vegetables. Popular vegetable fillings include napa cabbage, scallion (spring onions), leek, celery, spinach, mushroom, edible black fungus, carrot, and garlic chives.

饺子的制作方法多种多样，包括烘烤、煮沸、煎炸、煨制或蒸制，世界上许多菜系都有饺子。

Dumplings may be prepared using a variety of methods, including baking, boiling, frying, simmering, or steaming, and are found in many world cuisines.

关于冬至的相关英语

【习俗】custom /ˈkʌs.təm/ 习俗 [n.]

【饺子】：Dumplings , Chinese meat ravioli, Jiaozi；

【馄饨】：Wonton, dumplings in soup；

【米团】：Rice dumpling；

【长线面】：Long noodle ；

【冬至】winter solstice / Dongzhi

【汤圆】 Tangyuan Glutinous rice ball / rice ball

【二十四节气】 24 Solar Terms

【冬至祭祖】：Offering a Sacrifice to the Ancestors on the Winter Solstice。