“小年”英语怎么说？

这两天，网上一年一度的关于腊月二十三还是二十四过小年的“南北大战”又开演了……你的家乡在哪天过小年？庆祝了这么多次小年，你知道小年的英文表达吗？

（图片来源：全景视觉）

根据《现代汉语词典》的解释，“小年”一词，其实有三个义项，而每个义项对应的英语不同。

义项一：指农历腊月是小建的年份，也就是说，农历腊月只有29天，没有年三十的年份。

即：lunar year in which the last month has 29 days

义项二：节日，腊月二十三或二十四日，旧俗这天祭灶。

即：festival on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year, when sacrifices are made to the kitchen god

义项三：指果树歇枝、竹子等生长得慢的年份。

即：off year; non-bearing year (for fruit trees, bamboo, etc.)

《新时代汉英大词典（第2版）》里也提供了三个义项的英文释义：

显然，我们今天所指的小年就是第二个义项。那么，小年到底如何译为英文呢？我们来看看官媒的报道↓

▲ 新华网英文报道

▲ 中国网英文报道

▲ CGTN报道

▲ 新华网英文报道

▲ CGTN报道

▲ 人民网英文报道

可以看出，小年译为“Little New Year”“Xiaonian”或者“Minor New Year”均可。

好啦，学会了译法，接下来就来看看小年有哪些习俗？

Today kicks off Xiaonian (literally minor New Year), the day when people celebrate the beginning of the Spring Festival. The day falls on the 23rd (Northern China) and 24th (Southern China) of La Yue, the last month on the Chinese calendar. On this day, people clean their homes and pray to the Kitchen God, asking him to say good things for them when he reports to the Jade Emperor.

今天是小年，是整个春节庆祝活动的开始。这个节日一般在腊月（最后一个月）二十三（北方）和腊月二十四（南方）。在这一天，人们会打扫房屋、拜灶神，求灶神向玉皇大帝汇报时为他们说好话。

There are numerous customs associated with honoring the Kitchen God and preparing for the Spring Festival. Here are some traditional things you should know about the Little New Year.

敬灶神和迎春节有各种各样的习俗。下面就让我们来看看关于“小年”的一些传统习俗：

Offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God

祭灶神

In one of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, dispatching the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year. The Kitchen God is then welcomed back by to the home through the pasting of a new paper image of him beside the stove. From this vantage point, the Kitchen God will oversee and protect the household for another year.

小年最具特色的风俗就是“祭灶神”，具体来说就是将旧的灶神像烧掉，送“灶神”上天去禀报这家人在过去一年的善恶。到时（译者注：大年三十的晚上）将新的灶神像贴在灶台旁，也就是“接灶”。这样，来年“灶王爷”就能继续监视并庇佑这一家人。

The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig's head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God's mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report. The Kitchen God will be invited to sit in a sedan chair for his trip to heaven.

人们往往会给灶神供上猪头、鱼、豆沙、瓜果、煮熟的饺子、麦芽糖、灶糖和关东糖（一种用麦芽、小米制成的粘糖）。大部分供品是各式各样的甜品。传说这样是为了封住灶神的嘴，让他坐轿上天汇报时，只说这户人家的好话。

House cleaning

大扫除

Between Laba Festival, on the eighth day of the last lunar month, and Little New Year, families throughout China undertake a thorough house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.

从腊八(农历最后一个月的第八天)到小年期间，中国各地的家庭都要进行一次彻底的房屋大扫除，除旧迎新。

According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities' timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their dwellings, down to every last drawer and cupboard.

根据中国民间习俗，鬼魂和神明都要在腊月选择返回天上或是留在人间。传说为了确保他们及时离开，人们必须彻底清洁身体和住所，抽屉和碗柜犄角旮旯的地方也都要打扫干净。

Paste paper-cuts to windows

贴窗花

In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year's posters, and auspicious decorations are pasted up.

小年当天，人们会取下前一年的春联和窗花，贴上新的窗花、年画和各种吉祥的装饰品。

Bath and hair-cut

沐浴理发

As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they're rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.

民间有“有钱没钱，剃头过年”的说法。小年时，人们常要沐浴理发。

Preparations for Spring Festival

办年货

People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.

从小年开始，人们就要为春节置办年货了，包括给祖先的供品、招待客人的用品，还有过年期间一家人的吃食都要提前买好。

Before setting out to the market, a Spring Festival shopping list must be made, including items such as meat, poultry and eggs, fruit and vegetables, rice and flour, cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, and tea. Incense and candles, snacks, new calendars, and toys must also be purchased. Not to be forgotten are new clothes for children and firecrackers to welcome in the New Year.

在出发采购前，一定要列一份春节购物清单，包括肉禽蛋、果蔬、米面、烟酒糖茶；还要买香、蜡烛、零食、日历、玩具；给孩子们的新衣服和迎新年的鞭炮也不能忘。

好啦，关于小年的英文知识都get了吗？最后，来和大家分享你家乡如何过小年吧~~

小年也有南北差异：北方是腊月廿三，部分南方地区是腊月廿四，江浙沪把"腊月廿四"和"除夕前一夜"都称为小年夜；安徽北部和南京地区把过小年和过元宵合在一块；云南部分地区是正月十六，而西南和北方部分少数民族地区则又是除夕… 你家在哪，小年是哪天？

（感谢“译·世界”公众号授权转载，有增改。）

《新时代汉英大词典（第2版）》

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