第一部分：中国节日

一．春节Spring Festival

二．元宵节the Lantern Festival

三．端午节Dragon Boat Festival

四．中秋节Mid-Autumn Festival

五．七夕节Qiqiao Festival （the Chinese Valentine’s Day）

第二部分 中国文化元素

一. 长城（The Great Wall）

二. 饺子（Dumplings）

三. 筷子（Chinese Chopsticks）

四. 中国功夫（Chinese kung fu）

五. 汉字（Chinese characters）

六. 秧歌舞（Yangko）

七. 针灸（Acupuncture）

八. 中国龙（Chinese Dragon）

九. 中国印章（Chinese Seal）

十. 京剧（Chinese Beijing Opera）

十一. 中国成语（Chinese Idioms）

十二. 丝绸（Silk）

十三.中国园林 Chinese Classical Garden

十四.文房四宝（The Four Treasures of the Study）

十五. 中国印章（Chinese Seal）

十六. 天干地支（Chinese Era）

十七．中国画（The Chinese paitings）

十八.中西医(Chinese Medicine)

十九．书法艺术（The Art of Calligraphy ）

二十.放风筝（Kite-flying）

第三部分、中华习俗

一．餐桌礼仪Table Manners（1）

二．餐桌礼仪Table Manners（2）

三.中国人崇尚的颜色China’s Favorite Colors

四．喝茶The Tea-Drinking（1）

五.The Tea-Drinking（2） 喝茶

六．The Secret of Numbers 数字的秘密

七．美食的色相The Color of Food

#上海头条##广州头条##北京头条##深圳头条##中考#

第一部分：中国节日

一．春节Spring Festival

⑴It falls on the first day of the first lunar month（阴历正月）.

⑵People follow many national and local customs.

⑶We paste spring poems (贴春联)with luck words on the door.

⑷We eat delicious food with symbolic values（有象征意义的美味食品），for example, chicken for good luck.

⑸We exchange greetings with friends and relatives.

⑹People may give children lucky money in red paper.

⑴阴历的正月初一是春节。

⑵人们延续很多传统习俗。

⑶我们在门上贴春联。

⑷我们吃有象征意义的美味食品，比如鸡肉。

⑸我们相互拜年问候。

⑹人们给小孩压岁钱。

二．元宵节the Lantern Festival

⑴It comes on the 15th of the first lunar month.

⑵It marks the end of the Spring Festival.

⑶On that day, people eat sweet dumplings for good luck.

⑷Special activities include the display of lanterns（灯笼）and riddle solving（猜灯谜）.

⑴元宵节在农历的正月十五。

⑵它标志着春节的结束。

⑶那一天，人们吃汤圆，以求吉祥如意。

⑷有些特色的活动，比如观灯、猜灯谜。

⑴It is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. It comes on April 4th or 5th .

⑵In Chinese Qingming means “clear and bright”.

⑶It is a day for the living to show love and respect to dead frends, relatives and ancestors.

⑷People will sweep the tombs, light incense, put meats, vegetables, wine in front of the tomb .

⑸Besides, people burn paper money for the dead to use in afterlife.

⑴清明节也叫“扫墓节”，实在4月4日或5日。

⑵在汉语中 “清明”是“clear and bright”的意思。

⑶那一天寄托了对死去的亲朋好友和祖先的感情和尊敬。

⑷人们在墓前扫墓、点香烛、放上酒肉等。

⑸除此之外，人们烧纸钱，供他们在死后使用。

三．端午节Dragon Boat Festival

⑴It is on the fifth of the fifth lunar month.

⑵It honours the famous ancient poet, Qu Yuan.

⑶People gather to watch the colorful “Dragon Boat Races”(龙舟比赛).

⑷People eat rice dumpings on that day.

⑴端午节在农历五月初五。

⑵端午节是为了纪念古代诗人——屈原。

⑶人们聚在一起看龙舟比赛。

⑷人们在那一天吃粽子。

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of three major Chinese holidays, along with the Spring and Moon Festivals. Of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the Warring States Period in 227 B.C. The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a minister in the service of the Chu Emperor. Despairing over corruption at court, Qu threw himself into a river. Townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. Then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice on the water.

　　端午节与春节和中秋节并列为中国三大节日。这三个节日中，它可能是最古老的一个，可以追溯到公元前227年的战国时代。这个节日是为了纪念楚国的大夫屈原，他因为对朝廷的贪污腐败感到绝望而投河自尽。镇上的人纷纷冲上船去救他，却没有成功。后来大

把米撒到水里，希望把饥饿的鱼群从他的躯体边引开。

Over the years, the story of Qu’s demise transformed into the traditions of racing dragon boats and eating zongzi -a kind of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.

多年以后，屈原逝世的故事逐渐演变成赛龙舟和吃粽子(一种包在竹叶中的米食)的传统。

端午节起源

⑴In 278 BC, he heard the news that Qin troops had finally conquered Chu’s capital, so he finished his last piece Huai Sha (Embracing Sand) and plunged himself into the Miluo River,Clasping his arms to a large stone.the day happened to be the 5th of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.After his death,the people of Chu crowded to the bank of the river to pay their respects to him.The fishemen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for his body.People threw into the water zongzi （pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in read or bamboo leaves） and eggs to divert possible fish or shrimp from attacking his body.

An old doctor poured a jug of realgar wine (Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar) in to the water,hoping to turn all aquatic beasts drunk.That’s why people later followed the customs such as dragon boat racing,eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine on that day.

公元前278年，当他听到秦国军队已经攻破楚国国都的消息后，写完最后一篇诗篇《怀沙》后抱石投汩罗江自尽。这一天正是农历五月初五。他死后，楚国人民跑到河岸来悼念他，渔民们划船遍河寻找他的尸体。人们把粽子和鸡蛋投入水中防止鱼虾伤害他的身体。一位老郎中还把一壹雄黄洒倒入水中，希望能药晕昏蛟龙水兽。这就是后来人们为什么在这一天赛龙舟，吃粽子，喝雄黄酒。

⑵Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival,held all over the country.As the gun is fired,people will see racers in dragon-shaped pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly,accompanied by rapid drums,speeding toward their destination.Folk tales say the game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan’s body.

赛龙舟是这个节日不可工缺的一部分。当发令枪打响后，人们就能看到坐在龙舟的赛手们在急促鼓点的伴随下齐心协力摇桨驶向他们的目的地。民间故事说这个赛事的起源是寻找屈原的尸体。

⑶Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival.It is said that people ate them in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In early time,it was only glutnous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread,but now the fillings are more diversified,including jujube and bean paste,fresh meat,and ham and egg yolk,If time permist,people will soak glutinous rice,wash reed leaves and wrap up zongzi themselves.Otherwise,they will go to shops to buy whatever stuff they want.The custom of eating zongzi is now popular in North and South Korea,Japan and Southeast Asian nations.

粽子是端午的一种必备食品，所说人们在春秋时代就开始吃它（公元前770-476年）。最开始是，它只是用箬叶和彩线包起来的糯米。但是现在在填充物就很丰富了，有枣子和豆沙的，鲜肉的，还有火腿蛋黄的。如果时间允许，人们会自己泡糯米，洗箬叶，包粽子。一然他们变会到商店买来自己想吃的粽子。现在粽子的习俗已经风靡朝鲜、南韩、日本以及东南亚各国。

四．中秋节Mid-Autumn Festival

⑴It is on the 15th of the eighth lunar month.

⑵People gaze at（观赏）the “Lady in the Moon”(嫦娥) , eat moon cakes for family reunion and happiness.

⑴中秋节在农历的八月十五。

⑵人们在那一天家人团圆，一起赏月、吃月饼。

中秋节起源

⑴Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this:In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this,he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and,directing his superhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was pespected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.

相传，远古时候天上有10个太阳同时出现，晒得庄稼枯死，民不聊生，一个名叫后羿的英雄，力大无穷，他同情受苦的百姓，登上昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉开神弓，一气射下9个太阳，并严令最后一个太阳按时起落，为民造福。后羿因此受到了百姓的尊敬和爱戴，不少志士慕名前来投师学艺，心术不正的蓬蒙也混了进来。

⑵Hou Yi had a beautifull and kindhearted wife named Chang E.one day in his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends,he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by.Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir,by taking which,it was said,one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being.Hou Yi,however,hated to part with his wife.So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure ror the time being.Chang E hid parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when,unexpectedly,it was seen by Peng Meng.

后羿有一个美丽的妻子叫 “嫦娥”，一天后羿到昆仑山访友求道，巧遇由此经过的王母娘娘，便向王母娘娘求得一包一死药。所说，服下此药，即刻升天成仙。然而，后羿舍不得撇下妻子，只好暂时把不死药交给嫦娥珍藏。嫦娥将药藏进梳妆台的百宝匣里，不料被小人蓬蒙看见了。

⑶One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting,Peng Meng,sword in hand,rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir,Aware that she was unable tl defeat Peng Meng,Chang E mabe a prompt decision at that critical moment.She turned round to open her treasure box,took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground,dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven.Peng Meng escaped.

一天，后羿众徒外出狩猎，蓬蒙手持宝剑闯入内宅后院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙的对手，危急之时她当机立断，转身打开百宝匣，拿出不死药一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下药，身子立刻飘离地面、冲出窗口，向天上飞去。蓬蒙便借机逃走了。

⑷When Hou Yi returned home at dark,he knew from the maidservants what had happened Overcome with grief,Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name or his beloved wife when,to his surprise, he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and no it there was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife.He treid his best to chase after the moon.But as he ran,the moon retreated;as he withdrew,the moon came back. He could not get to the moon at all.

傍晚，率众徒回到家，侍女们哭诉了白天发生的事。后羿气得捶胸顿足，悲痛欲绝，仰望着夜空呼唤爱妻的名字，这时他惊奇发现，今天的月亮格外皎洁明亮，而且有个晃动的身影酷似嫦娥。他拼命朝月亮追去，可是他追三步，月亮退三步。他退三步，月亮进三步，无论怎样也追不到跟前。

⑸Thinking of his wife day night, Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Puting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon.When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being,they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good forturne and peace.From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.

后羿无可奈何，又思念妻子，只好派人到嫦娥喜爱的后花园里，摆上香案，放上她平时最爱吃的蜜食鲜果，遥祭在月宫里眷恋着自己的嫦娥。百姓们闻知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。

⑹People in different places follow various customs,but all show their love and longing for a better life.

中秋节的习俗很多，形式也各不相同，但都寄托着人们对生活无限的热爱和对美好生活的向往。

五．七夕节Qiqiao Festival （the Chinese Valentine’s Day）

⑴The granddaughter of the Goddess of Heaven visited the earth. Her name was Zhinu, the weaving girl.

⑵While she was on earth she met her herd boy Niulang and they fell in love. They got married secretly, and they were very happy.

⑶When the Goddess of Heaven knew that her granddaughter was married to a human, she became very angry and made the weaving girl return to heaven. Niulang tried to follow her, but the river of stars, the Milk Way, stopped him.

⑷Finding that Zhinu was heart-broken, her grandmother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milk Way to meet once a year.

⑸Magpies make a bridge of their wings to the couple can cross the river to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

⑹People in China hope that the weather will be fine on that day, because if it is raining, it means that Zhinu is weeping and the couple won’t be able to meet.

⑴王母娘娘的外孙女下凡来到人间。她的名字叫织女。

⑵在人间，她见到了牛郎，并且相爱。秘密结婚后，他们快乐的生活在一起。

⑶当王母娘娘知道她的孙女嫁给了一个凡人，非常生气。她让织女返回天庭，牛郎紧跟不舍，但是却被银河挡住了。

⑷看到织女伤心欲绝，王母娘娘最后决定让这对夫妻每年跨过银河相会一次。

⑸农历的七月初七，这对夫妻在鹊桥上相会。

⑹人们希望那天的天气好，因为如果下雨，意味着织女在流泪，他们没能相会。

　Valentine’s Day 情人节Date 约会

　Bunch 花束

　Rose 玫瑰

　Candy 糖果

　Chocolate 巧克力

　Forget-Me-Not 勿忘我

　Puppy Love/First Love 初恋

　Cute Meet 浪漫的邂逅

　Fall In Love 坠入爱河

　Love At The First Sight 一见钟情

　Propose 求婚

　Valentine Cards 情人节卡片

　Candlelight Dinner 烛光晚餐

　Heart-Shaped/Cordate 心形的

　Truelove 真爱Enamored 倾心的

第二部分 中国文化元素

一. 长城（The Great Wall）

The Great Wall is one of the wonders of the world that created by human beings! If you come to China without climbing the Great Wall, it's just like going Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower; or going to Egypt without visiting the Pyramids! Men often say, "He who doest not reach the Great Wall is not a true man."In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great Wall" until the Qin Dynasty. However, the wall we see today, starting from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayunguan Pass in the west, was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty.

长城是人类创造的世界奇迹之一。如果你到了中国却没去过长城，就想到了巴黎没有去看看菲尔铁塔，或者就像到了埃及没有去看金字塔一样。人们常说：“不到长城非好汉。”实际上，长城最初只是一些断断续续的城墙，直到秦朝统一中国后才将其连城长城。然而，今天我们看到的长城——东起山海关，西至嘉峪关——大部分都是在明代修建的。

二. 饺子（Dumplings）

Dumplings are one of the Chinese people’s favorite traditional dishes. According to an ancient Chinese legend, dumplings were first made by the medical saint—Zhang Zhongjing. There are three steps involved in making dumplings: 1) make dumpling wrappers out of dumpling flour; 2) prepare the dumpling stuffing; 3) make dumplings and boil them. With thin and elastic dough skin, fresh and tender stuffing, delicious taste, and unique shapes, dumplings are worth eating hundreds of times. There’s an old saying that claims, “Nothing could be more delicious than dumplings”.

During the Spring Festival and other holidays, or when treating relatives and friends, Chinese people like to follow the auspicious custom of eating dumplings. To Chinese people who show high reverence for family love, having dumplings at the moment the old year is replaced by the new is an essential part of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new year.

饺子是深受中国人民喜爱的传统食品。 相传为古代医圣张仲景发明。饺子的制作是包括：1） 擀皮、2） 备馅、3） 包馅水煮三个步骤。其特点是皮薄馅嫩，味道鲜美，形状独特，百食不厌。民间有“好吃不过饺子”的俗语。中国人接亲待客、逢年过节都有包饺子吃的习俗，寓意吉利。对崇尚亲情的中国人来说，“更岁交子”吃饺子，更是欢度除夕、辞旧迎新必不可少的内容。

三. 筷子（Chinese Chopsticks）

The Chinese way of eating with chopsticks is unique in the world. The recorded history of chopsticks started more than three thousand years ago. Chopsticks were named zhu in ancient Chinese. They look deceptively simple to use, but possess multi-various functions, such as clamping, turning over, lifting up, raking, stirring, scooping, poking, tearing, and so on. Chopsticks were taken as an auspicious mascot by ordinary people in ancient China.

For example, the partial tone of chopsticks is often used by people as a metaphor at weddings to indicate a blessing or benediction for the couple to have a baby soon. Unlike using a knife and fork or one’s own hands, a pair of chopsticks also implies the meaning of “Harmony is what matters”. Chopsticks are highly praised by Westerners as a hallmark of ancient oriental civilization.

中国人使用筷子就餐的方式在世界上独树一帜。有史记载用筷的历史已有三千多年。筷子古时称为箸，它看似简单，但却同时具有夹、拨、挑、扒、拌、撮、戳、撕等多种功能。中国民间视筷子为吉祥之物，如婚俗中将筷子隐喻为快生贵子的祝福等。与使用刀叉以及手抓的 方式不同，成双结对的筷子含有“和为贵“的意蕴。西方人赞誉筷子是古老的东方文明。

【拓展1】The Story of Chopsticks（1） 筷子的故事

⑴Chopsticks are used every day in China.

⑵Now I'd like to take this opportunity to share their interesting history with you.

⑶I think you'll agree that even an ordinary item used in daily life can have a fascinating story.

⑷Although chopsticks originated in China, they are widely used in many Asian countries.

⑸The first chopsticks were made from bone and jade.

⑹In the Spring and Autumn period, copper and iron chopsticks came into being.

⑺In ancient times, the rich used jade or gold chopsticks to display their wealth.

⑻Many kings and emperor s used silver chopsticks to see if their food had been poisoned.

⑼Chopsticks are traditionally placed in brides' dowries,because "chopsticks" in Chinese is pronounced "kuaizi", which sounds like "get a son soon."

⑽Many foreign friends try to use chopsticks when they visit China.

⑾Even the former president of the United States Richard Nixon, used chopsticks at the welcoming banquet held in his honor.

⑿As soon as he left his table, a foreign diplomat grabbed his chopsticks as a historical souvenir.

⑴中国人每天都在使用筷子。

⑵现在我想借这个机会和大家一起聊一些有关于筷子历史的有趣故事。

⑶我想你会赞同即使是日常生活中一件小物品也会有其引人入胜的故事。

⑷虽然筷子起源于中国，但现在很多的亚洲国家都在使用。

⑸最早的筷子是用骨头和玉制成的。

⑹在春秋时代又出现了铜制和铁制的筷子。

⑺在古代，富人家用玉筷子或金筷子以显示其家庭的富有。

⑻许多帝王用银制的筷子以检查他们的食物中是否被人投了毒。

⑼筷子在传统上是被当作 新娘的嫁妆的，因为“筷子”在汉语中读作“kuaizi”，听起来很像“快得儿子”。

⑽许多外国朋友在访问中国的时候都使用筷子。

⑾甚至是美国前总统尼克松在为其到来而举办的欢迎宴会上也使用了筷子。

⑿他刚一离开桌子，一名国外的外交人员就抓起了他的筷子，把它作为了具有历史意义的纪念品。

【拓展2】The Story of Chopsticks（2） 筷子的故事

⑴In ancient China, chopsticks signified far lore than tools that take food to the mouth; they also signified status and rules, “can”and ”can’t”.

⑵During the Northern Song Dynasty, an official named Tang Su once had dinner with the emperor. He was not well informed in noble table etiquette and so laid down his chopsticks horizontally on the table before the emperor did. As a result, he was expatriated to a frontier area for penal servitude.

⑶In ancient eating etiquette, there were over a dozen taboos concening chopsticks. For example , they could not be placed vertically into a dish, as this was the way of making sacrifices to the dead.

⑴在古代中国，筷子不仅仅是把食物送到口中的餐具，它被赋予了重要的内涵和“能”和“不能”的规矩。

⑵北宋朝时，一个叫唐肃的官员陪皇帝进膳。他不了解用餐时使用筷子的礼仪，在皇帝还没有吃完时，他把筷子横放在桌子上，表示他不想再吃了。结果这位官员被发配边疆。

⑶在古代的饮食礼仪中，筷子的使用方法的禁忌有十多种。比如，忌将筷子竖直插入菜盘或饭碗中，因为这代表为死人上坟。

四. 中国功夫（Chinese kung fu）

Chinese kung fu, or Chinese martial arts, carries traditional Chinese culture in abundance. It is a traditional Chinese sport which applies the art of attack and defence in combat and the motions engaged with a series of skill and tricks. The core idea of Chinese king fu is derived from the Confucian theory of both “the mean and harmony” and “cultivating qi” (otherwise known as nourishing one’s spirit). Meanwhile, it also includes thoughts of Taoism and Buddhism. Chinese kung fu has a long history, with multi-various sects and many different boxing styles, and emphasizes coupling hardness with softness and internal and external training. It contains the ancient great thinkers’ pondering of life and the universe.

The skills in wielding the 18 kinds of weapons named by the later generations mainly involve the skills of bare-handed boxing, such as shadow boxing (Taijiquan), form and will boxing (Xingyiquan), eight trigram palm (Baguazhang), and the skills of kung fu weaponry, such as the skill of using swords, spears, two-edged swords and halberds, axes, tomahawks, kooks, prongs and so on.

中国功夫即中国武术，是将技击寓于搏斗和套路运动之中的中国传统体育项目，承载着丰富的中国民族传统文化。其核心思想是儒家的中和养气之说，同时兼容了道家、释家的思想。中国武术源远流长、流派林立、拳种繁多，讲究刚柔并济、内外兼修，蕴含着先哲们对生命和宇宙的参悟。后世所称十八般武艺，主要指：徒手拳艺，如太极拳、形意拳、八卦掌等；器械功夫，如刀枪剑戟、斧钺钩叉等。

【拓展】

⑴Chinese Kung Fu is magnificent and profound but it’s unfortunate that a lot of it has not been passed down.

⑵Taijiquan can make you feel at peace. In addition to emphasizing matching the movements with your breathing, it is good for your health too.

⑶The primary reason for practicing kung fu is for health reasons. Defense is of secondary importance and hurting others is abolutely unacceptable.

⑴中国功夫博大精深，可惜有很多已经失传了。

⑵太极拳可以使人心境平和，加上它注重呼吸配合动作，对身体也有好处。

⑶练武的主要目的在于锻炼身体，其次是防身，至于用来伤人是万万不可以的。

There is much more to Kung Fu than Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. Kung Fu is an art form, and also, very good for you.

功夫并不只是指成龙或李小龙，它是一种艺术形式，而且对你很有好处。

Many styles of Kung Fu are based on the ideas of nature. Ancient boxing masters often developed their fighting techniques by observing the world around them. Animals, birds, and insects provided the basis for many systems of Kung Fu developed in the past.

很多功夫招式来源于对自然界的想象。古代拳术大师常常通过观察他们周围的世界改进拳术技法。动物、鸟类和昆虫为过去很多功夫的系统发展提供了基础。

Many of the hard forms of Kung Fu came from a Buddhist Monastery called “Shaolin”. An Indian priest named Tamo came to live there nearly 1500 years agou. According to legend, Tamo arrived at the monastery where he found the monks in poor physical condition. Because they couldn’t stay awake during meditation, Tamo introduced a series of 18 exercise designed to feed both body and mind. These movements are said to have merged with self-defense tactics studied in the Shaolin Temple.

很多硬功夫都出自叫“少林”的佛教寺庙。大约1500年前，有个叫达摩的印度僧人来到这里。传说他来到寺庙，发现那里的和尚身体状况很不好。因为他们在坐禅时候不能保持清醒，达摩就传授给他们一套十八手拳法，目的是锻炼他们的身心。据说这些动作融合了他在少林寺研究的防身术。

I suggest a soft form of Kung Fu, called Tai Qi. It comes from Taoism and it’s very good for your health. Through its training, you can get inner peace and a sense of physical and emotional well being. It’s often called Chinese Yoga: the art and science of meditation through movement.

我建议你学习一种温和的功夫，叫太极拳。它源于道教，对你的健康非常有好处。通过这种训练，你能达到内心的平和，以及身体和情绪上的安宁舒适。它经常被人们称作中国瑜伽：通过运动达到沉思冥想的一种艺术和科学。

五. 汉字（Chinese characters）

Chinese characters were initially meant to be simple pictures used to help people remember things. After a long period of development, it finally became a unique character system that embodies phonetic sound, image, idea, and rhyme at the same time. The writing system, which was extremely advanced in ancient times, began with inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells, and these are regarded as the original forms of Chinese characters.

Afterwards, Chinese characters went through numerous calligraphic styles: bronze inscriptions, official script, regular script, cursive script, running script, etc. Chinese characters are usually round outside and square inside, which is rooted in ancient Chinese beliefs of an orbicular sky and a rectangular Earth. The five basic strokes of Chinese characters are “—“ (the horizontal stroke) “│” (the vertical stroke), “／”( the left-falling stroke), “＼” (the right-falling stroke), and “乙” (the turning stroke).

汉字是从原始人用以记事的简单图画，经过不断演变发展最终成为一种兼具音、形、意韵的独特文字。现存中国古代最早成熟的文字是甲骨文，被认为是现代汉字的初形。此后，汉字又经历了金文、隶书、楷书、草书、行书等不同的阶段。汉字结构“外圆内方“， 源于古人”天圆地方“的观念。汉字有五种基本笔画，即：横、竖、撇、捺、折。

六. 秧歌舞（Yangko）

Yangko is one of tradition folk dance of Han in China.It is usually performed in northern provinces. The dancers usually wear colorful and light costumes, and the performance is powerful and rapid. During some festivals such as Spring Festival, Lantein Festival, if people hear the sound of drum and gong, no matter how cold the weather is , they will come to street and appreciate the Yangko. Recent years, the old people in city of east-northern of China organized the team of Yangko by themselves, the teamers keep their health by dancing Yangko the whole year.

秧歌舞是中国汉族的一种民间传统舞蹈，通常在北方省份表演。秧歌舞者通常穿上明亮多彩的表演服装，他们的表演动作有力迅速。在农历春节、元宵节等节日期间，人们一旦听到锣鼓声，不管外面天气有多冷，他们都会蜂拥到街上看秧歌舞表演。近年来，中国东北某些城市的老年人自发组织了了秧歌队，队员常年通过跳秧歌舞来保持健康，同事他们也乐在其中。

七. 针灸（Acupuncture）

Acupuncture is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In accordance with the “main and collateral channels” theory in TCM, the purpose of acupuncture is to dredge the channel and regulate qi and blood, so as to keep the body’s yin and yang balanced and achieve reconciliation between the internal organs. It features in traditional Chinese medicine that “internal diseases are to be treated with external therapy”.

The main therapy of acupuncture involves using needles to pierce certain acupoints of the patient’s body, or adopting moxibustion to stimulate the patient’s acupoints so as to stimulate the channels and relieve pain. With its unique advantages, acupuncture has been handed down generation after generation and has now spread all over the world. Nowadays, acupuncture, along with Chinese food, kung fu (otherwise known as Chinese martial arts), and traditional Chinese medicine, has been internationally hailed as one of the “four new national treasures.”

针灸是中医学的重要组成部分。按照中医的经络理论，针灸疗法主要是通过疏通经络、调和气血，来达到阴阳归于平衡，使脏腑趋于调和之目的。其特点是“内病外治”。主要疗法是用针刺入病人身体的一定穴位，或用艾火的温热刺激烧灼病人的穴位，以达到刺激经络。治疗病痛的目的。针灸以其独特的优势，流传至今并传播到了世界，与中餐、功夫、中药一起被海外誉为中国的“新四大国粹”。

八. 中国龙（Chinese Dragon）

Dragon totem worship in China has been around for the last 8,000 years. The ancients in China considered the dragon (or loong) a fetish that combines animals including the fish, snake, horse and ox with cloud, thunder, lightning and other natural celestial phenomena. The Chinese dragon was formed in accordance with the multicultural fusion process of the Chinese nation. To the Chinese, the dragon signifies innovation and cohesion.

对龙图腾他的崇拜在中国大约已绵延了八千多年。中国龙是古人将鱼、蛇、马、牛等动物与云雾、雷电等自然天象集合而成的一种神物。 中国龙的形成与中华民族的多元融合过程同步。在中国人的心目中，龙具有振奋腾飞、开拓变化的寓意和团结凝聚的精神。

九. 中国印章（Chinese Seal）

A seal can also be defined as a stamp. Both the Chinese official and private seal of various dynasties have different titles, such as stamp, zhu note, contract, fu, lease and others. The seals used by the emperors of ancient China were called xi, yin, bao, etc. According to historical records, seals were widely used during the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC). The making of a seal is to engrave fonts, such as seal characters and official script and so on; or images in the form of intaglio and embossment into the seal, basically shaped as round or square. Covered with a vermilion overlay, the Chinese seal is not only used in daily life, but it is also used to represent signatures on paintings and calligraphies. It is gradually becoming one of China’s unique artworks.

印章就是图章。中国历代官、私所用的印章有印信、朱记、合同、符、契等等不同的称谓，而帝王所用的印章古时称玺、印、宝、章等。据史料记载，印章在战国时代已普遍使用。印章的制作是将篆隶等字体、图像用阴、阳的形式雕刻而成，形状以圆、方为主。印章用朱色 钤盖，除日常应用外，又多用于书画题识，逐渐成为中国特有的艺术形式之一。

十. 京剧（Chinese Beijing Opera）

Praised as “Oriental Opera”, Beijing Opera is a genuine national quintessence of China. It originated from many kinds of ancient local operas, especially huiban in southern China. At the end of the 19th Century, Beijing Opera evolved and took shape, becoming the greatest kind of opera in China. Beijing Opera is a blend of performing arts—song, speech, performance, acrobatix fighting and dance. Beijing Opera portrays and narrates the plot and characters through stylized acting. The main types of roles in Beijing Opera are sheng(male), dan (young female), jing (painted face, male), and chou( clown, male or female).

京剧被誉为“东方歌剧”， 是地道的中国国粹。它起源于中国多种古老的地方戏剧，特别是南方的“徽班”。到了19世纪末，京剧形成并成为中国最大的戏曲剧种。京剧是综合性表演艺术，集唱（歌唱）、念（念白）、做（表演）、打（武）、舞（舞蹈）为一体，通过程式化的表演手段，叙述故事，刻画人物。角色主要分生（男性）、旦（女性）、净（男性）、丑（男性女性皆有）四大行当。

【拓展】Beijing Opera京剧

⑴Beijing Opera of China is a national treasure with a history of 200 years.

⑵Facial masks are an important way to portray a character.

⑶Each role,according to their sex,age and disposition,is characterized by different designs of facial make-up(facial mask).

⑷In Peking Opera, femal roles are “Dan”. Male roles are “Sheng”. And clowns are”Chou”.

⑸Present-day designers are also borrowing from the Beijing Opera for their work.

⑴京剧是中国的国粹，迄今已经有200多年的历史。

⑵脸谱是塑造人物形象的重要手段。

⑶每个角色都会按照他们的性格、年龄、个性，在脸上画不同的脸谱。

⑷在京剧中，女性的角色被称作“旦”，男性的角色被称作“生”，小丑被称作“丑”。

⑸当代服装设计师也从京剧服装中吸取灵感。

十一. 中国成语（Chinese Idioms）

Chinese idioms refer to comprehensive and integrated fixed phrases and expressions. Idioms are established and accepted by constant usage and common practice. An idiom is a language unit that is larger than a word, but has the same grammatical function as a word. Most Chinese idioms consist of four characters. For example, ziqiangbuxi ( make unremitting efforts to improve oneself), qingchuyulan(bluer than indigo), and houjibofa (success comes with time and effort). Idioms are extrated from folk proverbs, ancient works of literature, poems, fables, allusions, and well-known sayings. Idioms are a part of the Chinese language that are concise and have great vitality.

中国成语是汉语中意义完整的表示一般概念的固定词组或短语。“成语”中的“成”既是约定俗成。成语是比词大而语法功能又相当于词的语言单位。绝大多数的中国成语由四个汉字组成，例如：自强不息、青出于蓝、厚积薄发。成语主要从民间谚语、古代文学作品、诗歌、寓言、典故、名言警句等方面提炼而成，是汉语语言中精炼而又富有生命力的一部分。

十二. 丝绸（Silk）

China is the home of silk. Mulberry planting, sericulture, silk reeling and thickening are all great inventions of the ancient Chinese. As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600BC-256BC), the Chinese people’s silk-weaving techniques had reached an extremely high level. During the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD), Zhang Qian, an outstanding diplomat, travelled around central Asia and connected China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, opening up a new era of Sino-foreign trade, exchange and communication. From then on, China’s silk became well known for its extraordinary quality, exquisite design and color, and abundant culture connotations. Hitherto, Chinese silk has been accepted as a symbol of Chinese culture and the emissary of oriental civilization.

中国是丝绸的故乡。栽桑、养蚕、缫丝、织绸是中国古代人民的伟大发明。商周时期丝绸的生产技术就已发展到相当高的水平。西汉时张骞通西域，把中原与波斯湾、地中海紧密联系起来，开辟了中外交流贸易的新纪元。从此中国的丝绸以其卓越的品质、精美的花色和丰富的文化内涵闻名于世，成为中国文化的象征。东方文明的使者。

十三.中国园林 Chinese Classical Garden

The Chinese classical garden is a precious treasure of our ancient Chinese architecture. It is a kind of environment art, which systematically combines artificial mountains and rivers, plants and buildings with the natural landscape. The construction standard of a Chinese classical garden is “artificial as it is, the garden must look ingenious and natural.” When you go sightseeing in a Chinese classical garden, you should be able to appreciate its artistic concept which “makes use of the natural landscape to create the real fun of mountains and rivers for viewers.” Of the world’s three major garden systems, the Chinese classical garden is hailed as one of the origins of the world’s garden due to its long history and abundant connotations.

中国园林是把人造的山水、植物、建筑等与自然地貌有机结合的环境艺术，是我国古代建筑艺术的珍宝。其建造原则是“妙极自然，宛自天开”。游赏中国古典园林，能充分领略“假自然之景，创山水真趣”的园林意境。在世界三大园林体系中，中国园林历史悠久、内涵丰富，被誉为世界造园史上的渊源之一。

十四.文房四宝（The Four Treasures of the Study）

The writing brush, ink stick, ink stone, and paper were requisite treasures in the study of the scholars of ancient China, and they are often referred to as the “Four Treasures of the Study.” The writing brush and ink stick have been used by the Chinese to write and paint since 5,000 years ago. In the Qin Dynasty (221BC—206BC), people already used feathers of different hardness and bamboo trunks to make brushes. During the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), man-made ink was used instead of natural ink.

After paper was invented by the Chinese, bamboo slips, wooden tablets, brocade and silk, which originally functioned as writing surfaces, gradually faded out. The ink stone was first developed with the use of writing brushes and ink. After the Song Dynasty (960AD—1279AD), the “Four Treasure of the Study” particularly referred to hubi, the writing brush produced in Huzhou, Zhejiang province; huimo, the ink stick produced in Huizhou, Anhui province; xuan paper, a kind of paper produced in Xuanzhou, Anhui province; and duanyan, the ink stone made in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province (Zhaoqing was earlier called Duanzhou). Indeed, the Four Treasures of the Study” have writtin the whole Chinese civilization, as it is.

笔墨纸砚是中国古代文人书房当中必备的宝贝，被称为“文房四宝”。用笔墨书写绘画在中国可追溯到五千年前。秦时已用不同硬度的毛和竹管制笔；汉代以人工制墨替代了天然墨；有了纸张以后，简牍锦帛逐失其用；砚台则随笔墨的使用而发展。 “文房四宝”到宋朝以后特指湖笔、徽墨、宣纸、端砚。可以说文房四宝书写了整个中华文明。

十五. 中国印章（Chinese Seal）

A seal can also be defined as a stamp. Both the Chinese official and private seal of various dynasties have different titles, such as stamp, zhu note, contract, fu, lease and others. The seals used by the emperors of ancient China were called xi, yin, bao, etc. According to historical records, seals were widely used during the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC). The making of a seal is to engrave fonts, such as seal characters and official script and so on; or images in the form of intaglio and embossment into the seal, basically shaped as round or square. Covered with a vermilion overlay, the Chinese seal is not only used in daily life, but it is also used to represent signatures on paintings and calligraphies. It is gradually becoming one of China’s unique artworks.

印章就是图章。中国历代官、私所用的印章有印信、朱记、合同、符、契等等不同的称谓，而帝王所用的印章古时称玺、印、宝、章等。据史料记载，印章在战国时代已普遍使用。印章的制作是将篆隶等字体、图像用阴、阳的形式雕刻而成，形状以圆、方为主。印章用朱色 钤盖，除日常应用外，又多用于书画题识，逐渐成为中国特有的艺术形式之一。

十六. 天干地支（Chinese Era）

The Chinese era is the symbol that the Chinese calendar uses for recording and naming years. The ten Heavenly Stems are: jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, gui. The twelve Earthly Branches are: zi.chou, yin, mou, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai. After observing the lunar month, the ancients found that the moon always wazes and wanes roughly 12 times a year, and two lunar months account for about 60 days, so the order of the ten Heavenly Stems and the order of the twelve Earthly Branches are properly matched in turn. In terms of recording date, 60 years is considered to be a full time cycle. The Chinese era chronology was first invented in ancient times and is still in use now.

天干地支是中国历法中用以记录和命名年岁的方法。十天干为：甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、已、庚、辛、壬、癸；十二地支为：子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戊、亥。古人观测朔望月，发现月亮圆缺12次大体上是一年的天数，而两个朔望月约是60天。古人以十天干与十二地支的顺序依次相配，记录不同年份，60年为一个轮回。干支纪年法从古沿用至今。

十七．中国画（The Chinese paitings）

⑴It’s interesting that Chinese paintings can be created on the spot.

⑵The Chinese do paintings with brushes, dipping their brushes in ink or paint and then skillfully wielding them.

⑶Painters produce on the paper pictures with lines and dots——some heavy, and some light, and some deep, and some pale.

⑴真有意思：中国画是可以现场表演的。

⑵中国人绘画采用毛笔蘸墨汁或颜色，灵巧的挥洒在纸上。

⑶画家用深、浅、浓、淡的点和线构成一幅图画。

十八.中西医(Chinese Medicine)

⑴Usually a Chinese medicine practitioner approaches the illness from a broader perspective, emphasizing its entirety and dialectical implications.

⑵A Western doctor deals directly with symptoms. For instance, if someone has a sore throat, a Western doctor will treat it as a throat problem, while a Chinese doctor may link it to the disorder of the patient’s stomach.

⑶A Chinese doctor examines his patient by using method like observing, smelling, asking and feeling. His Western counterpart relies on symtoms or evidence like body temperature and lab tests.

⑷For people with terminal diseases, Chinese medicine may be their last resort. Chinese medicine can not only alleviate pain, but also offers the option of a different treatment.

⑴中医通常从宏观角度认识问题，强调整体性和辩证施治。

⑵西医则从微观入手。比如一个人咽喉痛，西医诊断为咽炎，中医则有可能判断为脾胃失衡的症状。

⑶中医通过望闻问切来诊病；西医注重症状，重证据。

⑷对于那些身患绝症的人来说，中医也许是他们最后的希望，它可以缓解病痛，为患者提供另一种治疗方案。

十九．书法艺术（The Art of Calligraphy ）

⑴Over 2000 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang , the first Emperor in Chinese history, established the official Chinese writing characters.

⑵Calligraphy also had its practical values because it was a good way to make friends and was more presentable as a gift rather than jewelry or money.

⑶Many people practice calligraphy as a way to raise their culture accomplishment. Older people use calligraphy writing as a method to keep fit.

⑷I had thought computers would lead to the disappearance of Chinese calligraphy. Now I understand that’s not likely to happen. How can you give your boss computer-printed calligraphy as a gift.

⑸The brush is the traditional Chinese writing tool. Its tip is made of soft hair from a sheep, weasel or rabbit.

⑴两千多年前，中国的第一个皇帝秦始皇统一了中国的文字。

⑵书法还有着实际的效用，比如结交朋友。比起珠宝或金钱，送人一幅书法作品就来得高雅、体面。

⑶很多人研习书法的目的是提升文化素养，老年人学习书法是为了保健强身。

⑷我一直认为电脑的出现会导致中国书法的衰落。现在看来，这不太可能。你怎么能拿着一幅从电脑中打印出来的书法作品送给上司呢？

⑸毛笔是中国的传统书写工具。笔尖由羊毛、黄鼬毛或兔毛制成。毛笔的毫毛既软又有弹性。

二十. 放风筝（Kite-flying）

⑴Kite-flying has been an old Chinese pastime.

⑵Records about the activity were mentioned as back 2,500 years ago.

⑶Over the centuries, people have developed kites known for their beauty.

⑷People are able to make them look like swallows, geese, frogs, butterflies, peacocks, crabs and many other animals.

⑸Now people will fly kites in early spring and autumn.

⑹It’s really a very beautiful scene with kites flying in the sky.

⑴放风筝是中国一项古老的娱乐活动。

⑵2500年前，就有放风筝的记载。

⑶几个世纪以来，风筝因为它的样式美观而众所周知。

⑷人们把它做成诸多动物的形状，比如燕子、鹅、青蛙、蝴蝶、孔雀、螃蟹等。

⑸现在人们在初春和初秋放风筝。

⑹天空中飞着风筝，真实非常漂亮的景观啊！

第三部分、中华习俗

一．餐桌礼仪Table Manners（1）

⑴Table manners in China are quite different from those of westeners.

⑵In China,it’s okay to talk while eating.However,you may regard it as rude.

⑶You will considered a well-connected,sociable man, if you keep involved in the conversation all the time.

⑷Don’t eat fast! People usually keep their dining pace accorded with others. And all the dishes should not be eaten up completely.

⑸It is a custom and good manners to serve tea to a guest who comes to pay a visit. There is no need to ask if he needs it or not.

⑹It wouldn’t be considered rude behavior if he doesn’t even take a single drop. But he’d better receive the teacup with both hands and bow his thanks when the cup is brought before his face. When the host pours hot water into his cup, he may also choose to tap his index finger on the table,meaning”thanks”. No matter if he likes it or not,it is impolite if he doesn’t even lay a finger on the cup.

⑴中国的餐桌礼仪和西方的差别还是很大的。

⑵中国人认为吃饭时可以说话，相反你们会觉得这很没礼貌。

⑶如果在饭桌上你积极参与谈话，别人会觉得你一定是个善于交际、人缘很好的人。

⑷不要吃得太快，人们往往要跟其他人吃饭的进度保持一致。各个盘子都应该留下一点别吃完。

⑸给上门拜访的客人上茶确实是风俗礼节，不需要问他要不要喝茶，或者要不要别的东西。

⑹茶端到他面前的时候，他最好双手接住茶杯，欠身致谢。主人给他倒茶时，他也可以在桌面上轻叩几下食指，表示“叩首谢谢”。不管他喜不喜欢，要是连碰都不碰一下茶杯，那就有失礼貌了。

二．餐桌礼仪Table Manners（2）

⑴Table manners are very strict during a Chinese meal. Respect has to be given to the elderly. Each time a dish is served, everyone has to wait until the elder person starts or , “to cut the ribbon”.

⑵The food is brought to the table all the same time so everybody is on the same starting line. This lacks the warm atmosphere which prevails at a Chinese dinner.

⑶This may be the reason why it is always noisy at a Chinese dinner but quiet in a Western restaurant.

⑷Alcohol is a medium for communicating emotion in China. Drinking with business partners or would-be friends is a way of solidifying friendship, especially in Northern China.

⑸You will be set free at a Western banquet.It seems we are keen to make it as convenient as possibleto savor the wine,its color,its aroma and its delicate taste.

⑹The most important thing is that the goblet,table-cloth,and plates should be made shiningly clean,so that the color of the wine is clearly visible and the delicate aroma and taste are fully appreciable.

⑺At the Western table,remember to avoid talking so loundly,or talking with a mouthful food.

⑴中餐还有严格的餐桌礼仪。长辈要受到尊重。一盘菜上来，大家要先让长者举筷，这被称作“剪彩”。

⑵西餐中每个人点的菜都同时端上，大家在同一时间开始用餐，缺少了中国人相互礼让的过程，

⑶友好的气氛就差了许多。这也许就是中国人吃饭热热闹闹，西方人的餐桌相对安静的原因吧。

⑷在中国，喝酒时情感交流的介质。尤其是在北方，和业务伙伴或者“准朋友”喝酒可以增进感情。

⑸西式酒宴上，你可就自由了，我们乐意为品酒创造便利，品味就的颜色、气味和口感。

⑹所以有一点是很重要的，那就是酒杯、桌布和盘子都要擦得一尘不染，为的就是使就的颜色清楚可见，酒的口感和气味也能感受出来。

⑺在西餐桌上，记得不要大声说话，或边嚼边说话。

【拓展】文化差异

1. Chewing with your mouth open.张开嘴咀嚼食物。

This is the opposite of Chinese Culture where they appreciate that you make noise while eating. Westerners feel this is disgusting and shows a complete lake of manners. Chew with your mouth shut!

中国人喜欢在咀嚼食物的时候发出声响，与中国文化相反，西方人认为这种行为极为讨厌，是缺乏礼貌的表现。嚼东西的时候要闭上嘴巴。

2. Speaking with your mouth full.说话时满嘴食物。

This is considered quite rude when at the table. Western children are taught from a very early age never to do this.

在餐桌上，这被认为是非常粗鲁的行为。西方人从小就受这方面的教导。

3. Picking teeth / Sucking teeth. 剔牙 / 吮牙。

It is considered rude to pick between your teeth where others can see you. Western restaurants usually do not supply toothpicks so it is sometimes hard to decide when to remove food stuck between the teeth. It is usually best to excuse yourself and go into the bathroom.

当着他人的面剔牙是很不礼貌的。西餐厅通常不提供牙签，所以有时候很难决定什么时候该剔牙。当确实需要清理牙缝间的食物时，最好是上洗手间。

4. Elbows on the table.手肘支在桌上。

While eating you should be sitting straight up. Do not put your elbows on the table. Putting your elbows on the table will make you look like a farmer.

用餐时应该身体坐直，手肘不要支在餐桌上。把手肘放在桌子上会让你看起来像个农民。

5. Spitting food (bones, skin, etc.) out of your mouth. 直接从嘴里吐出食物（骨、皮等）。

This is not done in Western restaurants. If you do need to take something out of your mouth, bring your napkin up to your mouth and place the item in it.

在西方的餐厅里你是见不到这一幕的。真要这样做的话，应该把纸巾拿到嘴边，吐在纸巾上。

6. Picking up your plate or bowl. 捧起碗碟。

They think that only children do this. Don’t lean over and slurp from the plate on the table either. Food must be transported from the dish to your mouth with a fork or a spoon. If you’re nervous about using a knife and fork, buy a set and practice at home until you feel comfortable.

西方人觉得这是小孩子才会有的举动。也不要把嘴放在碗边直接吸取食物。要用勺子或叉子把食物放进嘴里。如果你不习惯用刀叉，那就买一套放在家里练习如何使用，直到运用自如。

7. Speaking loudly. 大声讲话。

All Westerners try to keep the conversation to their own table. If the whole restaurant can hear you, you are speaking too loudly and it will be considered rude. In fact, some westerners find it difficult to do business in Chinese restaurants because the noise level is just too high.

用餐时，西方人只会与同桌的人交谈。如果整个餐厅都会听到你的“演讲”，那你的声音就太大了。实际上，一些西方人认为在中国的餐馆里谈生意是件很困难的事情，因为噪音太大了。

8. Passing gas / Belching / Burping. 放屁 / 打嗝。

This is considered rude in any situation. If you do need to pass gas, excuse yourself and go to the bathroom. Of course sometimes this is out of your control. If you accidentally pass gas loudly in front of others, you need to say, “excuse me” and quickly start talking about something to distract the people around you. DO NOT discuss any details about your gas, or any bodily function at the table.

在任何场合下放屁或打嗝都是不雅的。如果确实需要的话，要上洗手间解决。当然也有失控的时候。如果不小心当众放了响屁，要说“对不起”，而且要很快转移话题。千万不要大谈特谈“人之气”，也不要再餐桌上谈论任何与身体器官有关的内容。

9. Cleaning ears with fingernails. 用指甲挖耳孔。

This is not done in public. It shouldn't be done in private either! It’s dangerous. Use a cotton swab!

千万不要再大庭广众下用指甲挖耳。在没人的地方也不要这样做！用指甲挖很危险，最好用棉签。

10.Smoking. 吸烟。

While others are still eating or even when everyone has finished eating, it is polite to ask their permission if you can smoke at the table. In many western restaurants you will be asked if you prefer to be seated in the smoking or non-smoking section. If your host chooses the non-smoking section, you will have to excuse yourself from the table to smoke.

当其他人还没有吃完，或者就算所有人都用完餐，如果要抽烟的话，要礼貌地征得大家的许可。在很多西餐厅里，你会闻到是愿意在吸烟区还是非吸烟区就差那。如果主人选择了非吸烟区，那你想抽烟时要征得同桌人的同意到外面去抽。

三.中国人崇尚的颜色China’s Favorite Colors

⑴Chinese people seem to like the red and yellow clors a lot. The two colors are used for the Chinese national flag.

⑵Maybe because the Hans originated in the Yellow River Plateau, a region where yellow was the prevailing color.

⑶Yellow was also the color representing the imperial court in traditional China. During the Sui Dynasty, yellow was officially designated as the exlusive color for the imperial family.

⑷In olden times, a person could be beheaded for the misuse of yellow.

⑸Red represents happiness. For example, the word“double happiness”used for wedding is red. The bride wears red clothes, which is different from the white gowns of the West.

⑹During Chinese Spring Festival, people will give hong bao, or red envelopes with money inside to the children as well wishes. Couplets hanging on both sides of the doors are written in red.

⑴中国人似乎很喜欢红黄两色。中国的国旗就是由这两种颜色组成。

⑵这也许是因为汉民族的发源地是黄土高原，这个地域满目黄土之色。

⑶在中国古代，黄色是皇权的象征。从隋朝起，黄色成为皇家专用的颜色。

⑷古时，用错了黄色会杀头。

⑸红是喜庆的象征。比如结婚时的双喜字是红色的，新娘要穿红色的嫁衣，这与西方穿白色婚纱不同。

⑹春节时，送晚辈压岁钱要用红纸包了，称“红包”，以示吉祥。对联也是用红纸书写，贴在大门的两侧。

四．喝茶The Tea-Drinking（1）

⑴Believe it or not, tea is the most popular beverage in the world afer water.

⑵China is the homeland of tea.

⑶Did you know that tea, the most popular drink in the world , was invented by accident.

⑷Some leaves from a nearby bush fell into the boiling water and remained there before some time.

⑸The emperor Shen Nung noticed that leaves in the water produced a pleasant smell.

⑹The tea bag was not made with drinking in mind.

⑺A tea importer was sending out samples of tea that were packaged in silk bags. Not knowing any better, his customers put the entire bags into the pot and added hot water. It turned out that the tea tasted fine,and the customers liked how easy the bags were to clean up.

⑴你知道吗？除了水，世界上最受欢迎的饮料就是茶了。

⑵茶起源于中国。

⑶你知道吗？世界上最流行的饮料——茶，是在偶然的机会里被发明出来的。

⑷当时附近树上落下几片叶子，飘到开水里，在水里煮了一会儿。

⑸神农帝发现开水中的叶子产生一种香香的味道。

⑹茶包本来不是用来喝茶的。

⑺曾有一位茶叶进口商送了一些用丝质袋子包装的茶叶样品给顾客。他的顾客不知情，将整个袋子放在茶壶里泡热水。结果发现茶的为傲不错，而且用袋子就比较清理，顾客很喜欢这点。

五.The Tea-Drinking（2） 喝茶

⑴The Chinese people, in their drinking of tea, place much significance on the act of “savoring”.

⑵In classical novels, if someone drinks tea out of a big cup to quench his thirst, the word used to illustrate this action is “drink”, like a cow drinking water.

Scholars would use fine cups to drink tea and the word to use is “savour”.

⑶In the old days, people used iron kettles to boil water. Tea was placed in a paper bag. Porcelain cups were used for drinking.

⑷The water came from melted snow which was collected from plum blossom trees the previous winter and stored underground in a jar. No one collects snow any more because of pollution so people use bottled water instead.

⑸Tea has categories:red tea, green tea, Wulong tea and Pu’er tea. The first three types of tea are processed using similar methods but Pu’er tea uses a totally different method. It contains a kind of fungus which is believed to be healthy. The fungus will ferment on its own after the tea is processed. That’s why expensive Pu’er tea is always quite old.

⑴中国人饮茶，注重一个“品”字。

⑵在古典小说中，某人用大杯喝茶解渴被称为“饮”，指此人像牛般饮水；而雅士用精致的茶具喝茶被称为“品”。

⑶古人用铁壶烧水，用纸袋装茶，用瓷杯饮茶。

⑷泡茶的水是前一年冬天从梅花树上收集起来的，装在瓷坛中埋入地下的雪水。因为污染，没有人再收集雪水泡茶，取而代之的是瓶装矿泉水。

⑸茶大概分为这样几种：红茶、绿茶、乌龙茶和普洱茶。前三种茶的制作方法是一样的，普洱茶的制作方法则不同。普洱茶本身含有一种有益的霉菌，在制成后会随着时间而自然发酵。这也是普洱茶年头越长越值钱的原因。

六．The Secret of Numbers 数字的秘密

⑴In Cantonese, the number “8” has a similar pronounciation to,the word “prosper.”

⑵Guangdong is one of the first provinces to benefit from China’s open policy. There is a lot of temptation to become wealthy , so “8”is a lucky number for people in Guangdong.

⑶“6”is often associated with smoothness. Many people like to choose a date for their weddings which includes the number “6”.

⑷In contrast, “4”is the least favorable, because it sounds very similar to the word, “death”. Many building s do not, even, use the number for their elevator programming.

⑸Now, as a result of Western influence, more Chinese people started to dislike the number “13”.

⑴广东话里“8”与“发”同音，有发财的意思。

⑵广东是中国最先受益于改革开放政策的省份之一，金钱的诱惑力很大，人人豆做着发财的梦，因此“8”成为人们偏爱的数字。

⑶“6”有顺利之意，许多人爱选带“6”的日子作为结婚日子。

⑷相比之下，“4”与“死”同音，是最不讨人喜欢的数字。不少建筑物甚至没有“4”层。

⑸现在，受西方文化的影响，许多中国人开始讨厌数字“13”了。

七．美食的色相The Color of Food

⑴There are eight major culinary styles in China. Color combinations reflect the local features of each style.

⑵Take Guangdong food for example. Because it is hot and humid there, people are mindful of the heat on their internal organs. Therefore Guangdong food is mild in both taste and color combinations. You don’t find a lot of hot and spicy food in Guangdong dishes because warm color in the hot summer can be repulsive to people’s appetite.

⑶Sichuan food is just the opposite. Sichuan is also very humid but,unlike Guangdong, Sichuan people choose to use extremely hot peppers to open their stomach.

⑴中国有八大菜系，在色相上体现出地域的特点。

⑵比如粤菜，出自广东，哪里气候炎热而潮湿，人们特别在意五脏燥热，所以广东菜色泽和味道均以清淡为主，辛辣的食物在粤菜中不多见。因为炎热的天气，暖色调的食物会让人没有食欲。

⑶川菜就不同，四川气候也湿热，但与广东不同，四川人选择用极辣的辣椒来对付食欲低下。