“小满”是中国传统二十四节气（the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms）中的第八个节气。这个时期，农作物的颗粒开始变得饱满，但并未完全成熟，因而叫做“小满”，英文可译作 Lesser Fullness。小满时节，太阳达黄经60°，于每年公历5月20-22日交节。小满节气意味着进入了大幅降水的雨季，往往会出现持续大范围的强降水。小满反映了降雨量大的气候特征：“小满江河满”（南方）。The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Lesser Fullness, (Chinese: 小满), the 8th solar term of a year, begins on May 21 this year. It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe/raɪp/（成熟的）.中国传统的阴历将一年分为24个节气。小满是一年的第八个节气。今年5月21日开始,6月5日结束。这意味着谷物的种子正在变得饱满，但还没有成熟。 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. Let’s see what we can do during the “Lesser Fullness” period.在中国，24节气在几千年前形成，用来指导农业生产。但是，今天节气仍然很有用，人们可以通过相应的节气选择食物、举行仪式、从事园艺活动甚至知道人们养生。让我们看看在小满期间我们能做些什么。A good season for eating fish鱼虾正肥美
During the Lesser Fullness period, the summer harvest is about to begin. A saying about rain during this time mentions, “A heavy rainfall makes the river full.” 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.在小满期间，夏收即将开始。在这段时间有一个说法，大雨让河流住满了水。由于降雨量的增加，河流中充满了水，使得鱼和虾变得又大又肥。现在是吃鱼和虾的好时候。对渔民来说，这也是收获季节。A good season for eating mulberries桑葚成熟了
A Chinese farmer proverb/ˈprɑːvɜːrb/(谚语、俗语) says, “Mulberries become black during the Lesser Fullness period.” Thus it is a good season to eat mulberries.中国农民有句谚语说，桑葚在小满的时候变黑了。因此，这是一个吃桑葚的好季节。Tips on health preserving in Lesser Fullness小满时节如何养生
High temperatures and humidity are common during the Lesser Fullness period. The increase in temperature over this season may also give rise to sweat /swet/ (汗) spots, and other skin diseases.高温和潮湿在小满期间期是很常见的。这个季节的温度升高也会引起汗斑和其他皮肤病。It is also important to exercise to keep healthy during the hot summer days. Walking, jogging and practicing tai chi is popular.在炎热的夏天，锻炼保持健康也很重要。散步、慢跑和练习太极是很受欢迎的。Celebrating silkworm deity birthday小满祭蚕神
Silkworm rearing/ˈrɪrɪŋ/养育 is a traditional byproduct for people in regions south of the Yangtze River. During theLesser Fullness season, silkworms have cocooned/ kəˈkuːnd/ 包裹的. People begin to cook cocoons and prepare the spinning wheel for reeling/ˈriːlɪŋ/ silk.养蚕是长江以南地区人们的传统行业。在小满阶段，桑蚕已经被蚕茧包裹起来。人们开始煮蚕茧，准备好纺车。People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces regard this season as the birthday of the silkworm deity/ˈdeɪəti/神.
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。Eating herb of common sow thistle小满食苦菜 Lesser Fullness is a season for eating the herb of the common sow thistle/ˈθɪsl/野菜, which is one of the earliest edible potherbs(煮食之蔬菜) 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。小满，也是人生最佳的状态。满，但不是太满；盛，但不是极盛。人生的状态，可以尽力保持在“小满”，这样，你会一直有富足感。 长按识别二维码可关注该微信公众平台