小满（grain buds）是二十四节气之一，夏季的第二个节气。

It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe.

小满意指谷物开始饱满，但是还未成熟的这段日子。

小满还可以表述为Lesser Fullness。可以看出这个版本明显来自字面词义。我们都知道less是little的比较级，而lesser更加具备比较级含义，即“更小的、更少的、更次要的”，大家熟知的小熊猫，英文便是lesser panda。

In China, the 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production. But the solar term culture is still useful today to guide people’s lives through special foods, cultural ceremonies, gardening and even healthy living tips that correspond with each solar term.

在中国，24节气是数千年来指导农业生产的金科玉律。直到现在24节气仍然有许多可取之处，与每个节气相切合的特殊食物、文化仪式、园艺、甚至健康生活小技巧在引导人们的生活方面仍然非常有用。

Let’s see what we can do during the "Grain Buds" period.

让我们一起看看小满时节可以做哪些事情。

A good season for eating fish

During the Grain Buds period, the summer harvest is about to begin. A saying about rain during this time mentions, "A heavy rainfall makes the river full."

小满时节，夏收即将开始。一句讲小满夏雨的古话说道：“小满江河满”。

Because of the great increase in rainfall, rivers are full of water, which makes fish and shrimp big and fat. This is a good time to eat fish and shrimp. It is also harvest season for fishermen.

由于降雨量激增，河流都被灌满了水，使得鱼虾又大又肥。小满是吃鱼虾的好时节，也是渔民们丰收的季节。

A good season for eating mulberries

A Chinese farmer proverb says, "Mulberries become black during the Grain Buds period." Thus it is a good season to eat mulberries.

中国有句谚语说道：“小满桑葚红人手”。因此小满也是吃桑葚的好时候。

Eating herb of common sow thistle

Grain Buds is a season for eating the herb of the common sow thistle, which is one of the earliest edible potherbs in China.

小满还要吃苦菜，这种菜是中国最早的可食用野菜之一。

It tastes a little bitter and tart, but also sweet. It has the function of cooling the blood and detoxifying the body. It can be made into different types of dishes.

苦菜尝起来有点苦酸、略带甜味，具有清热解毒的功效，可被做成各种不同的菜肴。

People in Ningxia like to eat it blended with salt, vinegar, peppers or garlic. It tastes savory and helps people feel refreshed. Some people boil the herb with water and then squeeze out the juice, which can be used to make soup.

宁夏人喜爱凉拌苦菜，佐以盐、醋、胡椒和大蒜，尝起来口感清新、令人神清气爽。有人则喜爱把苦菜淖水、榨出汁液，然后用来做汤。

Tips on health preserving in Grain Buds

High temperatures and humidity are common during the Grain Buds period. The increase in temperature over this season may also give rise to nettle rash, rheumatism, sweat spots, eczema and other skin diseases.

小满季节通常都是高温潮湿的天气，这个季节气温的上升还会引起荨麻疹、风湿、汗斑、湿疹、以及其他皮肤病。

It is also important to exercise to keep healthy during the hot summer days. Walking, jogging and practicing tai chi are popular.

在炎热的夏天锻炼也是保持健康的重要方法。散步、慢跑和练太极都是不错的选择。

Key period for flower management

This time is a good period of the quick growth of flowers. It is also a season when plant diseases and pests are at an all-time high, which makes growing flowers even more critical.

小满时节花卉生长很快，但也是植物病虫害最多的时期，从而更加突出了小满对花卉生长的重要性。

Flower trimming and clipping is important. And a systematic fertilized water system should be carried out. Flowers need a lot of water and extra care to ensure the plants remain healthy. Weeding should be done as they grow quickly and have to be extirpated in order to keep the soil loose and from competing with the flowers for nutrients.

花卉修剪很重要，还应进行系统的施肥灌溉。花卉需要大量的灌溉和额外的照顾才能确保其健康生长。野草生长很快必须尽快拔除，拔草还能保持土壤疏松、保证花卉的营养。

Celebrating silkworm deity birthday

Silkworm rearing is a traditional byproduct for people in regions south of the Yangtze River. During the Grain Buds season, silkworms have cocooned. People begin to cook cocoons and prepare the spinning wheel for reeling silk.

养蚕是江南人的传统副业。小满时节，桑蚕已经结成了茧，人们开始煮茧缫丝。

People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces regard this season as the birthday of the silkworm deity.

江苏、浙江两地人们认为小满是蚕神的诞辰。

Those who engage in the silk industry thank the deity by offering sacrifices and staging performances. They pray to the deity for blessings and a boom season for the silk business.

丝绸产业的人们为感谢蚕神，会为其提供祭品、组织祭祀表演。人们会祈求蚕神保佑丝绸生意繁荣发展。

小满相关词汇

grain

n. 谷物，粮食；谷粒，籽粒；(木材、大理石等的)纹理

v. 把…作成细粒；染透

bud

n. 花蕾；花芽

v. 发芽

in bud 发芽；在萌芽状态

nip in the bud 防患于未然；消灭于萌芽状态

ripen

v. （使）成熟

solar term

节气

plump

adj. 饱满的；丰满的

v. （使）变大/圆

crop

n. 农作物；产量；庄稼；平头

v. 种植；收割；修剪；剪短；收成；收获

seed

n. 种子；萌芽；起源；种子选手

v. 结籽；播种；繁殖

seedy（adj.）多种子的；结籽的

seeded（adj.）已播种的；去籽的

seeder（n.）播种机；播种者

seedsman（n.）播种者；种子商人

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