新年特别节目 by Shunnie（中国春节传统文化和生肖传说的故事）

新年特别节目 （介绍中国春节传统文化和生肖传说的故事——by Shunnie） 音乐选自：China-A Another year of good fortune is beginning in China. Fireworks pop high in the sky. Dragon stands in the streets and the city slows down to celebrate Chinese New Year. In Chinese culture, it's the most important time of the year. Rooted in traditions and customs passed down through the ages, a celebration lasts for 15 magical days full of family togetherness, delicious food, and good fortune. Today, Chinese New Year is built with happiness but according to legend, it didn't start out that way. A long long time ago in China, there was a big scary nasty beast named Nian, whose name means year. He had razor-sharp teeth, giant claws, a really mean growl. Most of the time, he lived in the wilderness but in the darkest night of the year, when the new moon was in the sky, he would sneak into the village and scare everyone in sight, even the animals. People dreaded the new moon for many many years until a wiseman taught them the three things Nian was afraid of: loud noises，fire, and the color red. The next time Nian came, the villagers fought back. They hit their drums as loud as they could, lit every firecracker they had, and wore the color red from head to toe. Nian ran far away and never came back. After that, the people started celebrating the new moon instead of fearing it. That celebration became a fifteen-day festival of family, food and good fortune called Chinese New Year. Every Chinese New Year is always represented by one of the twelve animals and the Chinese zodiac, chosen by the Jade Emperor, centuries and centuries ago. According to legend, a long time ago in China, the Jade Emperor held a great race. The first twelve animals to reach his palace would be the winners, and they would each get a year named after them in their honor. During the race, the Ox was winning until he had to cross the rushing river. The rat was right behind him and couldn't swim very well, so the kind Ox let the rat ride on his back. As soon as they got to the other side, the rat jumped off and scurried to the finish line to win the race. That's why the first year in the Chinese zodiac calendar is the year of the Rat. Eleven other animals reached the palace to create the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It's said that the animal your birth year is named after can shape your personality and destiny. You might be honest like a dragon or smart like a monkey. When your animal takes its turn in the zodiac cycle, legend has it that your year will be full of surprises. But no matter which animal you are, everyone is excited to honor these ancient traditions even in modern New Year celebrations. 注释：“zodiac”指黄道十二宫，即十二星座；Chinese Zodiac 指的是中国的十二生肖。 Today, Chinese New Year brings families together all over the world. In fact, billions of people travel back to their homes and families in China to feast on a delicious reunion dinner with plates and plates of homemade food. Many of the foods like egg rolls, noodles, and shrimp mean something special. Egg rolls symbolize wealth for the coming year because they look like bars of solid gold. Chow mein noodles shouldn't be cut because long noodles symbolize health for a long life. Shrimp symbolizes happiness because the Mandarin words for shrimp and smile sounds very similar. As part of the festivities, lucky red envelopes called "hongbao" are passed out to children as well as unmarried adults. In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes luck. In order to receive the red envelopes, well wishes are given to the elder. Money is inside each envelope to bring prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. 注释：在red envelopes（红包）里放着的“压岁钱”用英语表达就是lucky money During all 15 days of Chinese New Year, it is a time to reflect on the passing year and celebrate the future. Bright fireworks light up the sky, and huge parades lined streets until the final day of the New Year celebration: the Lantern Festival. And thousands of red lanterns glow in the night to bring good fortune to all. No matter where you live, you can join the festivities whether it's one reunion dinner with your family or 15 days of celebrating togetherness. Chinese New Year is open to everyone!