小暑至，盛夏始，祝夏安

庚子年五月十六

2020年7月6日

小暑 

《月令七十二候集解》称：小暑，六月节。 

《说文》曰：“暑，热也。 

就热之中分为大小，月初为小，月中为大，今则热气犹小也。” 

“大暑小暑，上蒸下煮。”节至小暑，即进入“三伏天”。 

所谓“冷在三九，热在三伏”，三伏天便是一年中最热的时节。 

小暑，物候

古代，人们将小暑分为三候：一候温风至；二候蟋蟀居宇；三候鹰始鸷。  

温风至

一候，温风至。小暑日后，大地上便不再有一丝凉风，而是所有的风中都带着热浪。

蟋蟀居宇

二候，蟋蟀居宇。在火热的七月，蟋蟀也嫌热，不得不避到人类居住的庭院墙角，以期找到阴凉的一角避暑。

鹰始鸷

三候，鹰始鸷。七月，鹰也怕被“上蒸下煮”的日子，开始远离地面，翱翔于高空，在清凉的高空中避暑。

The Slight Heat is the eleventh solar term among the 24 solar terms, and the fifth solar term in summer, which indicates the official beginning of the season of summer. From July 6 to 8 of the Gregorian calendar, it is regarded as the solar term when the sun reaches 105 ° of the Yellow meridian.

小暑（Slight Heat），是二十四节气中的第十一个节气，夏天的第五个节气，表示季夏时节的正式开始；每年公历7月6日-8日左右，视太阳到达黄经105°时为小暑节气。

Shu means heat, while xiao is an adjective in Chinese indicating the small extent the heat reaches. From the day of the Slight Heat, the weather gets hotter across China, and crops all over the country grow faster and stronger. The Plum Rain, or “mold rain” season in some parts of southern China, is about to end, while everything under the sun prepares to welcome the hottest summer days. In many places of China, people eat dumplings on this day in hopes of a good appetite during summer.

 “暑”是“热”的意思，而“小”在汉语中是一个形容词，表示热量达到的程度很小。从小暑这一天起，中国各地的天气变得越来越热，全国各地的农作物都长得又快又壮。中国南方一些地区的梅雨季节即将结束，而阳光下的一切都在准备迎接最热的夏天。在中国的许多地方，人们在这一天吃饺子，希望在夏天有个好胃口。 

Apart from this, days around the Slight Heat mark the perfect time of year to go on watermelon binges! Do you know how to pick the most watery and sweetest watermelons? Here are three tips: first, touch the rind. The ones with a smooth rind are totally ripe while those which don’t feel smooth might not yet be ripe enough to be eaten. Second, listen to the sound. Tap the watermelon gently and listen for a clear sound. Third, pay attention to the stems. The ones which are totally ripe will have withered stems instead of green ones.

除此之外，进入小暑标志着一年中进入吃西瓜的最佳时机！你知道如何挑选水分多又甜的西瓜吗？这里有三个小贴士：首先，触摸果皮。那些外皮光滑的已经完全成熟，而那些感觉不光滑的可能还没有成熟到可以吃的程度。第二，听声音。轻轻拍打西瓜，听到清脆的声音。第三，注意茎干。那些完全成熟的将有枯萎的茎而不是绿色的。 Lotus flowers, from snow white to pink and dark red ones, bloom under the burning sun in the ponds, while dragonflies alight on top of them from time to time, creating a most adorable scene in summer. Chinese people from ancient times have appreciated this graceful flower as it comes out of the dirty mud, yet always remains unsoiled. Lotus flowers and their big round green leaves are not only a delight to the eye; they also produce one of the favorite vegetables on Chinese dining tables: lotus roots.

在池塘里，雪白、粉色、深红色的荷花，在火辣辣的阳光下绽放，而蜻蜓时不时地落在上面，形成了夏天最可爱的一幕。自古以来，中国人就欣赏这出淤泥而不染的荷花。荷花和它们的大而圆的绿叶不仅令人赏心悦目，它们还出产中国餐桌上最喜欢的蔬菜之一：莲藕。 

Outdoors, crickets which usually live underground in holes or in the grass stridulate the loudest in the wilderness during scorching weather. Indoors, as there’s plenty of rain at this time from south to north, it’s easy for clothes, books, food or furniture to go moldy, so it’s highly important to air them when the sun rides high in the sky.

在户外，蟋蟀通常生活在地下的洞里或草地上，在炎热的天气里，它们在荒野中鸣叫的声音最大。在室内，由于这个时候从南到北雨水充足，衣服、书籍、食物或家具很容易发霉，所以当太阳高悬在天空时，晾晒它们是非常重要的。

Hot summer is always the favorite season of children as they have enough reasons to enjoy ice cream to the fullest, to eat different kinds of fruit and above all, to have a long summer holiday! The summer vacation in China spans two whole months, from early July to early September. This exciting holiday begins around Slight Heat; at this time children have just finished their final exams and can’t wait to throw away their heavy schoolbags and homework and go out to have fun with their pals. In the countryside, children go to the streams to catch fish and shrimps, or go to the woods to catch cicadas; in cities where the urban heat takes control of the whole place, children like to go to museums, libraries, and swimming pools to stay cool and enjoy the day!

炎热的夏天总是孩子们最喜欢的季节，因为他们有足够的理由充分享受冰淇淋，吃不同种类的水果，最重要的是，有一个漫长的暑假！中国的暑假跨越了整整两个月，从7月初到9月初。这个令人兴奋的假期是在微热的时候开始的；此时孩子们刚刚完成期末考试，迫不及待地扔掉沉重的书包和作业，和朋友们出去玩。在农村，孩子们到小溪里去捉鱼和虾，或者到树林里去捉蝉；在城市里，城市的热度控制了整个地方，孩子们喜欢去博物馆、图书馆和游泳池乘凉，享受一天！ 

帮你记单词：

1. Gregorian calendar [ɡrɪˌɡɔːriən ˈkælɪndər]  n.公历，阳历，格列高利历(自1582年以来西方国家使用的历法)

The Thai Buddhist calendar works exactly like the Gregorian calendar, except that the year and era are different.

除纪元年份不同外，泰国佛历与公历完全一样。

Gregorian [grəˈgɔriən]  n.格雷戈里安

2. meridian [məˈrɪdiən]  n.子午线;经线

mer（=med=mid）中间 + i 连字符 + di 日，日子 + an 表名词 → 一天的中间 → 正午

同源词：middle， meditate， medium等。

di= day 日, 日子

antemeridian  [æntiməˈrɪdiən]   adj. 午前的

ante 前面 + meridian 正午 → 在正午前 → 午前的

dial  [ˈdaɪəl]   n. 日晷

di 日，日子 + al 名词后缀 → 日晷

diary  [ˈdaɪəri]  n. 日记

di 日，日子 + ary 名词后缀 → 记录每天的事情 → 日记

postmeridian  [postməˈrɪdiən]   adj. 午后的

post 后 + meridian 正午 → 午后的

3. mold rain [moʊld reɪn] 梅雨

mold[moʊld]  n.模型，压模;霉，霉菌;类型 v.用可塑材料塑成（有某种形状的物体）;浇铸，塑造;发霉

4. wither[ˈwɪðər]  v.(使)枯萎，凋谢;萎缩;(尤指渐渐)破灭，消失

The grass had withered in the warm sun.

这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。

5. stridulate    摩擦发音;发出尖声;吱吱叫鸣

6. binge [bɪndʒ]  n.(短时间的)狂热行动，大吃大喝  v.大吃大喝;狂欢作乐

v. One of the symptoms is binge eating .

   症状之一是饮食无度。

n. When she's depressed she binges on chocolate.

   她心情不好的时候就大嚼巧克力。

7. adorable [əˈdɔːrəbl]  adj.可爱的;讨人喜爱的

adore + able 形容词后缀 → 可爱的

adore [əˈdɔːr]  v.热爱，爱慕(某人);喜爱，热爱(某事物)

ad 加强 + or 嘴；说 + e → 一再说〔喜欢〕→ 崇拜

The official mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games are five adorable fuwa.

北京奥运会吉祥物是五个可爱的福娃。

It's obvious that she adores him.

她显然深深地爱着他。

8. span [spæn]  n.持续时间;范围;包括的种类;(桥或拱的)墩距，跨距，跨度  v.持续;贯穿;包括(广大地区);涵盖(多项内容);横跨;跨越

His acting career spanned 55 years.

他的演艺生涯长达55年。

9. cicada[sɪˈkeɪdə]  n.蝉;知了

The cicada sound has drowned this sound of no self-confident little boy.

他的声音越来越小，知了的声音盖过了这个不自信的小男孩。

cricket [ˈkrɪkɪt]  n.板球(运动);蟋蟀;蛐蛐

No, I'm sure of it, the Native American said, I heard a cricket.

我没疯，我确实是听到了，印第安人说，我听见一只蟋蟀的叫声。

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