保持农历新年的核心价值.doc

对于全世界的华人来说，农历新年，又称春节，是全年最重要的喜庆节日。 To people of Chinese descent around the world, the Lunar New Year(also called Spring Festival) is undoubtedly the most important festival of the year. 这个华人传统源自大约 3，000 年前，它代表着旧的一年平安过去了， 人们准备大肆庆祝和迎接新的一年。Dating back 3,000 years, it celebrates the passing of a peaceful year and welcome the new one. 除夕夜的团圆饭是整个年头里最具有意义的一餐。所有大家庭的成员都会聚集一堂，远在他乡的也会尽量赶回来。 The reunion dinner, eaten on New Years Eve, is de rigueur, with members of the extended family gathering for the most significant meal of the year. Even the absent members will endeavor to return home in time for it. 团圆饭显示了家庭在华人文化里的重要地位，它可以增强家庭凝聚力。 It underscores the supreme importance of the family in Chinese culture, and aims at strengthening the sense of togetherness and cohesion.人们庆祝新年的方式，体现了两个重要的核心价值观。 The way people celebrate the New Year embodies two important core values. 首先，多代同堂的家庭成员，齐聚家中享受一顿丰盛的团圆饭，是每一个人都会遵守的习惯。 The first value is the sense of family togetherness; members of multi-generation families are all there to have a big reunion dinner. Everyone will follow this custom. 准备一顿丰富晚餐的工作当然是落在家中女成员的身上，比较富 裕的家庭则可能有佣人帮忙。 The female members are always held responsible for preparing the dinner, and some rich families may take on extra hands. 其次，亲戚朋友间也会兴高采烈互访。这样的欢庆方式，有助于 加强亲情和友情。 The second value lies in the happy visits mutually made between friends and relatives, a good way to strengthen kinship and friendship. 然而，经济的发展带来了人们生活方式的改变。 However, economic development has resulted in some changes in lifestyles. 忙碌了一年，人们不愿在过年的时候还要忙年夜饭，越来越多的人宁愿花钱在高级的餐馆吃，亲朋好友之间也不再登门拜访，代之以 电话、短信拜年。 After a busy year people are tired of preparing for the reunion dinner, and would rather hold their reunion dinner in posh restaurants, despite the exorbitant costs. The festival door-to-door visits have give way to greetings via telephone or text messages. 有的举家出游，甚至干脆住进酒店“避年” 避免亲戚朋友造访，图个清净。 Some families even go to extremes as to travel and seek temporary refuge in a hotel as to avoid being visited.有的传统人士认为，没有了团圆饭和亲戚朋友互访的习俗和它们 所代表的核心价值观，新年将失去意义。 Some tradition-minded people regard the reunion dinner and visits to relatives and close friends during the New Year as core values, without which the holiday would lose much of its significance. 有一些悲观的人士认为随着西方文化的不断入侵，中国的传统佳 节都在逐渐失去本来的意义，变成一个个商业性的节日，就像圣诞节一样。 Some pessimism contend that, as the popularity of western culture grows, Chinese traditional festivals gradually lose their original meaning and degenerate into commerce festivals like Christmas.春节是中华文化遗产的重要部分，新春活动将延续下去，庆祝的形式 虽然会和以前不一样，但他们代表的核心价值观，即对亲情和友情的重视则应该保留。 The Spring Festival is an important part of the Chinese cultural heritage, and it would continue to be celebrated. The modes of celebration may change, but the core value should be sustained that of respect for kinship and friendship. de rigueur: French word means required , standard custom. It makes better sense than to say “ its the most important meal in the year.”显示：to show, to reflect, or to underscor