中国范儿143 处暑：消散在“过渡”中的暑气
The Limit of Heat is the fourteenth solar term of the 24 solar terms, which falls on August 22-24 of the Gregorian calendar. It is a “transitional” solar term.
“处暑”即“出暑”，中国民间有一句著名的谚语——“立秋不是秋，秋在处暑后”，这是民众对处暑前后气象变化的总结。然而由于中国幅员辽阔，全国各地气候差异极大，这一点尤其突显在这样的过渡时节。此时，北方大部分地区在一场场秋雨的冲刷下逐渐降温；而南方地区雨水渐少，秋燥将至，“秋老虎”还时常带来35℃的高温；到了西北高原，则秋意已浓，海拔3500米以上的区域甚至已呈草枯、霜雪的初冬景象。
There is a well-known Chinese folk saying: “The beginning of autumn is not autumn, autumn arrives after the Limit of Heat”. This means many meteorological changes take place before and after the Limit of Heat. However, due to China's vast territory, the climate varies greatly in parts of the country, especially in this transitional period. At this time, most areas in the north gradually cool down under the impact of autumn rain; while in the south, the rain is dwindling and the autumn dryness is in the air. The proverbial “old wives’ summer” often carries high temperatures of 35℃ when it comes to the Northwest Plateau, welcoming autumn even as areas 3,500 meters above sea level still have withering grass, frost and snow.
处暑前后的气象变化直接影响着中国老百姓“饭碗”中的事。众所周知，秋天是收获的季节，事实上处暑就已经奏响了秋收的前奏曲。在北方，广泛种植的谷、稻、高粱等农作物逐渐成熟，而南方大部分地区已经进入到了中稻割晒的大忙时节。在近海地区，海水温度仍旧偏高，鱼虾贝类发育成熟，因此在每年处暑时节，江浙粤等多地的人们都会举行隆重的开渔节，欢送渔民开船出海，为人们的餐桌奉上种类繁多的海鲜。
The weather changes before and after the summer directly affect Chinese’s “rice bowl”. As we know, autumn is the harvest season. In fact, summer plays a prelude to autumn harvest. In the north, crops such as grain, rice and sorghum are gradually maturing, while most areas in the South have entered the peak of mid-season rice harvesting and sun drying. In coastal areas, the sea water temperature is still high, and fish, shrimp and shellfish are maturing. Therefore, in the summer season, people in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and other places hold a grand Fishing Festival to send fishermen off to sea and a wide variety of seafood makes it to people’s dining tables.
处暑抢收抢晒固然忙碌，但人们也没有忘了沉淀休养。处暑后，天上的云彩相较于夏季更显疏散自如，所谓“天高云淡”说的就是这个时节，人们往往选择在处暑前后出游迎秋。处暑前后，民间也有着煲凉茶、吃鸭肉来缓解处暑干燥闷热的习俗。民间至今仍有着“处暑送鸭，无病各家”的俗语。
Although harvest time is also one of back breaking labor, the period after the Limit of Heat is one of relaxation and leisure. Light clouds dispersed throughout the blue sky remind people to take a break. Many people choose to travel in this period. It is common to drink herbal tea and eat duck meat for relief from the dry and stuffy weather. This tradition is captured in a saying about this time period: “Ducks are eaten and families are free of disease”.
暑气逐渐消散，处暑是夏末秋初的过渡，但它不仅是一段过渡，更是一段沉淀的时光，人们迎秋、收获、祭祖，而这些正是中国人民勤劳向上、慎终追远的民族精神的展示。