春节（The Spring Festival）

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees. Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened. On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves. After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called "Seeing the New Year in". Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing. Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils. Then people begin decorating their clean rooms featuring an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets, highlighting Chinese calligraphy with black characters on red paper. The content varies from house owners' wishes for a bright future to good luck for the New Year. Also, pictures of the god of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance. The Chinese character "fu" (meaning blessing or happiness) is a must. The character put on paper can be pasted normally or upside down, for in Chinese the "reversed fu" is homophonic with "fu comes", both being pronounced as "fudaole." What's more, two big red lanterns can be raised on both sides of the front door. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass and brightly colored New Year paintings with auspicious meanings may be put on the wall. People attach great importance to Spring Festival Eve. At that time, all family members eat dinner together. The meal is more luxurious than usual. Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd cannot be excluded, for in Chinese, their pronunciations, respectively "ji", "yu" and "doufu," mean auspiciousness, abundance and richness. After the dinner, the whole family will sit together, chatting and watching TV. In recent years, the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) is essential entertainment for the Chinese both at home and abroad. According to custom, each family will stay up to see the New Year in. Waking up on New Year, everybody dresses up. First they extend greetings to their parents. Then each child will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in red paper. People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new". Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure. Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another." The first five days after the Spring Festival are a good time for relatives, friends, and classmates as well as colleagues to exchange greetings, gifts and chat leisurely. Burning fireworks was once the most typical custom on the Spring Festival. People thought the spluttering sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, such an activity was completely or partially forbidden in big cities once the government took security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. As a replacement, some buy tapes with firecracker sounds to listen to, some break little balloons to get the sound too, while others buy firecracker handicrafts to hang in the living room. The lively atmosphere not only fills every household, but permeates to streets and lanes. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished. China has 56 ethnic groups. Minorities celebrate their Spring Festival almost the same day as the Han people, and they have different customs.春节的由来和习俗 春节是我国一个古老的节日，也是全年最重要的一个节日，如何过庆贺这个节日，在千百年的历史发展中，形成了一些较为固定的风俗习惯，有许多还相传至今。 扫尘 “腊月二十四，掸尘扫房子” ，据《吕氏春秋》记载，我国在尧舜时代就有春节扫尘的风俗。按民间的说法：因“尘”与“陈”谐音，新春扫尘有“除陈布新”的涵义，其用意是要把一切穷运、晦气统统扫出门。这一习俗寄托着人们破旧立新的愿望和辞旧迎新的祈求。 每逢春节来临，家家户户都要打扫环境，清洗各种器具，拆洗被褥窗帘，洒扫六闾庭院，掸拂尘垢蛛网，疏浚明渠暗沟。到处洋溢着欢欢喜喜搞卫生、干干净净迎新春的欢乐气氛。 贴春联 春联也叫门对、春贴、对联、对子、桃符等，它以工整、对偶、简洁、精巧的文字描绘时代背景，抒发美好愿望，是我国特有的文学形式。每逢春节，无论城市还是农村，家家户户都要精选一幅大红春联贴于门上，为节日增加喜庆气氛。这一习俗起于宋代，在明代开始盛行，到了清代，春联的思想性和艺术性都有了很大的提高，梁章矩编写的春联专著《槛联丛话》对楹联的起源及各类作品的特色都作了论述。 春联的种类比较多，依其使用场所，可分为门心、框对、横披、春条、斗方等。“门心”贴于门板上端中心部位；“框对”贴于左右两个门框上；“横披”贴于门媚的横木上；“春条”根据不同的内容，贴于相应的地方；“斗斤”也叫“门叶”，为正方菱形，多贴在家俱、影壁中。 贴窗花和倒贴“福”字 在民间人们还喜欢在窗户上贴上各种剪纸——窗花。窗花不仅烘托了喜庆的节日气氛，也集装饰性、欣赏性和实用性于一体。剪纸在我国是一种很普及的民间艺术，千百年来深受人们的喜爱，因它大多是贴在窗户上的，所以也被称其为“窗花”。窗花以其特有的概括和夸张手法将吉事祥物、美好愿望表现得淋漓尽致，将节日装点得红火富丽。 在贴春联的同时，一些人家要在屋门上、墙壁上、门楣上贴上大大小小的“福”字。春节贴“福”字，是我国民间由来已久的风俗。“福”字指福气、福运，寄托了人们对幸福生活的向往，对美好未来的祝愿。为了更充分地体现这种向往和祝愿，有的人干脆将“福”字倒过来贴，表示“幸福已到”“福气已到”。民间还有将“福”字精描细做成各种图案的，图案有寿星、寿桃、鲤鱼跳龙门、五谷丰登、龙凤呈祥等。 年画 春节挂贴年画在城乡也很普遍，浓黑重彩的年画给千家万户平添了许多兴旺欢乐的喜庆气氛。年画是我国的一种古老的民间艺术，反映了人民朴素的风俗和信仰，寄托着他们对未来的希望。年画，也和春联一样，起源于“门神”。 随着木板印刷术的兴起，年画的内容已不仅限于门神之类单调的主题，变得丰富多彩，在一些年画作坊中产生了《福禄寿三星图》、《天官赐福》、《五谷丰登》、《六畜兴旺》、《迎春接福》等精典的彩色年画、以满足人们喜庆祈年的美好愿望。 我国出现了年画三个重要产地：苏州桃花坞，天津杨柳青和山东潍坊；形成了中国年画的三大流派，各具特色。 我国现今我国收藏最早的年画是南宋《随朝窈窕呈倾国之芳容》的木刻年画，画的是王昭君、赵飞燕、班姬和绿珠四位古代美人。民间流传最广的是一幅《老鼠娶亲》的年画。描绘了老鼠依照人间的风俗迎娶新娘的有趣场面。民国初年，上海郑曼陀将月历和年画二者结合起来。这是年画的一种新形式。这种合二而一的年画，以后发展成挂历，至今风靡全国。 守岁 除夕守岁是最重要的年俗活动之一，守岁之俗由来已久。最早记载见于西晋周处的《风土志》：除夕之夜，各相与赠送，称为“馈岁”；酒食相邀，称为“别岁”；长幼聚饮，祝颂完备，称为“分岁”；大家终夜不眠，以待天明，称曰“守岁”。 “一夜连双岁，五更分二天”，除夕之夜，全家团聚在一起，吃过年夜饭，点起蜡烛或油灯，围坐炉旁闲聊，等着辞旧迎新的时刻，通宵守夜，象征着把一切邪瘟病疫照跑驱走，期待着新的一年吉祥如意。这种习俗后来逐渐盛行，到唐朝初期，唐太宗李世民写有“守岁”诗：“寒辞去冬雪，暖带入春风”。直到今天，人们还习惯在除夕之夜守岁迎新。 古时守岁有两种含义：年长者守岁为“辞旧岁”，有珍爱光阴的意思；年轻人守岁，是为延长父母寿命。自汉代以来，新旧年交替的时刻一般为夜半时分。 爆竹 中国民间有“开门爆竹”一说。即在新的一年到来之际，家家户户开门的第一件事就是燃放爆竹，以哔哔叭叭的爆竹声除旧迎新。爆竹是中国特产，亦称“爆仗”、“炮仗”、“鞭炮”。其起源很早，至今已有两千多年的历史。放爆竹可以创造出喜庆热闹的气氛，是节日的一种娱乐活动，可以给人们带来欢愉和吉利。随着时间的推移，爆竹的应用越来越广泛，品种花色也日见繁多，每逢重大节日及喜事庆典，及婚嫁、建房、开业等，都要燃放爆竹以示庆贺，图个吉利。现在，湖南浏阳，广东佛山和东尧，江西的宜春和萍乡、浙江温州等地区是我国著名的花炮之乡,生产的爆竹花色多，品质高，不仅畅销全国，而且还远销世界。 拜年 新年的初一，人们都早早起来，穿上最漂亮的衣服，打扮得整整齐齐，出门去走亲访友，相互拜年，恭祝来年大吉大利。拜年的方式多种多样，有的是同族长带领若干人挨家挨户地拜年；有的是同事相邀几个人去拜年；也有大家聚在一起相互祝贺，称为“团拜”。由于登门拜年费时费力，后来一些上层人物和士大夫便使用各贴相互投贺，由此发展出来后来的“贺年片”。 春节拜年时，晚辈要先给长辈拜年，祝长辈人长寿安康，长辈可将事先准备好的压岁钱分给晚辈，据说压岁钱可以压住邪祟，因为“岁”与“祟”谐音，晚辈得到压岁钱就可以平平安安度过一岁。压岁钱有两种，一种是以彩绳穿线编作龙形，置于床脚，此记载见于《燕京岁时记》；另一种是最常见的，即由家长用红纸包裹分给孩子的钱。压岁钱可在晚辈拜年后当众赏给，亦可在除夕夜孩子睡着时，由家长偷偷地放在孩子的枕头底下。现在长辈为晚辈分送压岁钱的习俗仍然盛行。 春节食俗 在古代的农业社会里，大约自腊月初八以后，家庭主妇们就要忙着张罗过年的食品了。因为腌制腊味所需的时间较长，所以必须尽早准备，我国许多省份都有腌腊味的习俗，其中又以广东省的腊味最为著名。 蒸年糕，年糕因为谐音“年高”，再加上有着变化多端的口味，几乎成了家家必备的应景食品。年糕的式样有方块状的黄、白年糕，象征着黄金、白银，寄寓新年发财的意思。 年糕的口味因地而异。北京人喜食江米或黄米制成的红枣年糕、百果年糕和白年糕。河北人则喜欢在年糕中加入大枣、小红豆及绿豆等一起蒸食。山西北部在内蒙古等地，过年时习惯吃黄米粉油炸年糕，有的还包上豆沙、枣泥等馅，山东人则用黄米、红枣蒸年糕。北方的年糕以甜为主，或蒸或炸，也有人干脆沾糖吃。南方的年糕则甜咸兼具，例如苏州及宁波的年糕，以粳米制作，味道清淡。除了蒸、炸以外，还可以切片炒食或是煮汤。甜味的年糕以糯米粉加白糖、猪油、玫瑰、桂花、薄荷、素蓉等配料，做工精细，可以直接蒸食或是沾上蛋清油炸。 真正过年的前一夜叫团圆夜，离家在外的游子都要不远千里万里赶回家来，全家人要围坐在一起包饺子过年，饺子的作法是先和面做成饺子皮，再用皮包上馅，馅的内容是五花八门，各种肉、蛋、海鲜、时令蔬菜等都可入馅，正统的饺子吃法，是清水煮熟，捞起后以调有醋、蒜末、香油的酱油为佐料沾着吃。也有炸饺子、烙饺子（锅贴）等吃法。因为和面的“和”字就是“合”的意思；饺子的“饺”和“交”谐音，“合”和“交”又有相聚之意，所以用饺子象征团聚合欢；又取更岁交子之意，非常吉利；此外，饺子因为形似元宝，过年时吃饺子，也带有“招财进宝”的吉祥含义。一家大小聚在一起包饺子，话新春，其乐融融。 Good luck, good health, hood cheer. I wish you a happy New Year. 祝好运、健康、佳肴伴你度过一个快乐新年。 With best wishes for a happy New Year! 祝新年快乐，并致以良好的祝福。 I hope you have a most happy and prosperous New Year. 谨祝新年快乐幸福，大吉大利。 With the compliments of the season. 祝贺佳节。 May the season's joy fill you all the year round. 愿节日的愉快伴你一生。 Season's greetings and best wishes for the New Year. 祝福您，新年快乐。 Please accept my season's greetings. 请接受我节日的祝贺。 To wish you joy at this holy season. Wishing every happiness will always be with you. 恭祝新年吉祥，幸福和欢乐与你同在。 Good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the year. 恭祝健康、幸运，新年快乐。 May the joy and happiness around you today and always. 愿快乐幸福永伴你左右。 Please accept my sincere wishes for the New Year. I hope you will continue to enjoy good health. 请接受我诚挚的新年祝福，顺祝身体健康。 Allow me to congratulate you on the arrival of the New Year and to extend to you all my best wishes for your perfect health and lasting prosperity. 恭贺新禧，祝身体健康、事业发达。 Best wishes for the holidays and happiness throughout the New Year. 恭贺新禧，万事如意。 With very best wishes for your happiness in the New Year. 致以最良好的祝福，原你新年快乐幸福。 Please accept our wishes for you and yours for a happy New Year. 请接受我们对你及你全家的美好祝福，祝你们新年快乐。 May the coming New Year bring you joy, love and peace. 愿新年为你带来快乐，友爱和宁静。 Wishing you happiness during the holidays and throughout the New Year. 祝节日快乐，新年幸福。 A happy New Year to you. 恭贺新年。 Season's greetings and sincere wishes for a bright and happy New Year! 献上节日的问候与祝福,愿你拥有一个充满生机和欢乐的新年。 I give you endless brand-new good wishes. Please accept them as a new remembrance of our lasting friendship. 给你我无尽的新的祝福，让它们成为我们永恒友谊的新的纪念。 Good luck and great success in the coming New Year. 祝来年好运，并取得更大的成就。 May everything beautiful and best be condensed into this card. I sincerely wish you happiness, cheerfulness and success. 愿一切最美好的祝福都能用这张贺卡表达，真诚地祝你幸福、快乐、成功

中国京剧 Peking Opera

Known as China's national opera, Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a synthesis of music, dance, art and acrobatics. It is the most influential and representative of all operas in China.　 　Based upon traditional Anhui Opera, it has also adopted repertoire, music and performing techniques from Kun Opera (a local opera from Jiangsu Province) and Qinqiang Opera (from Shaanxi Province) as well as traditional folk runes in its development, eventually forming its own highly stylized music and performing techniques.　 　Peking Operas can be divided into "civil" pieces, which are characterized by singing, and "martial" ones, which feature acrobatics and stunts. Some operas are combinations of both.　　Its repertoire includes historical plays, comedies, tragedies and farces, many historical events are adapted into Peking 　Opera plays, which in the past were an important primer on history and ethical principles for poorly educated fold. 　　Two orchestras, playing string and percussion instruments, accompany the singing, which follows a fixed pattern but has a variety of melodies and rhythms. The "jinghu," a small two-stringed bowed instrument, is the backbone of the orchestras. 　　The operatic dialogues and monologues are recited in Beijing dialect, and some of the words are pronounced in a special fashion, unique to the opera. 　 　The actors and actresses, in addition to singing, use well-established movements, such as smoothing a beard, adjusting a hat, jerking a sleeve of raising a foot, to express certain emotions and meaning. 　　The hands and body trembling all over indicates extreme anger, and the flicking of a sleeve expresses disgust. If an actor throws his hand above his head and flicks his sleeves back, he is astonished or surprised. An actor or actress demonstrates embarrassment by covering his or her face with one sleeve. 　　Some of the movements are less easily understood. and actor grasps his sleeves with a quick movement and then promptly puts his hands behind his back in a decisive manner to show that he is bracing himself for some peril to come.　 　Sometimes a movement can go on for as long as 20 minutes. For example, while an actor is conceiving a plan, his fingers and hands flutter nervously at his sides, and when the plan is formulated, he just thumps his fist against the palm of his hand with a resounding smack. When worried the actor will rub his hands together for several minutes. 　 　Peking Opera's acrobatic fighting, whether between two parties or in a melee, is a skillful combination of martial arts and dancing.　 　There are four roles in general: the male, the female, the "painted face," and the clown, which are further classified by age and profession. Sheng or male roles can be divided into three categories: the old, the young and the martial arts expert. Dan or female roles include the young and the middle-aged, the innocent and dissolute, girls with martial arts skills and old women. Jing or painted face roles are always played by frank and open-minded men with brightly colored faces. Chou or clown roles are marked by a dab of white on the ridge of the nose. This character is sometimes positive, kindhearted and humorous, but sometimes negative, crafty, malicious or silly. Each role has its fixed singing and acting styles.　 　Like the acting and singing, the makeup is stylized, inspired by the masks worn by dancers in Tang, Song and Yuan dynasty operas. The makeup highlights and exaggerates the principal features of characters. 　　For the painted face role, the color of their made-up faces can be an indication of their characters of personality. Red indicates uprightness and loyalty; white is craftiness and cunning. Blue indicates a vigorous, courageous and enterprising nature while yellow means an intelligent character, but a less extroverted one. Black shows a sound and honest character while brown is often the symbol of a stubborn and obstinate character. 　　The costumes are based on those of the Ming Dynasty, no matter when the story is set. The props can include a cloth wall, tents, parasols, whips, paddles and weapons. The props are realistic, but not so elaborate that they detract from the performance. Exaggeration and symbolism are characteristics of the opera. Holding a whip is enough to indicate an actor is galloping on a horse. A few soldiers on the stage may represent a whole army. An actor circling the stage suggests a long journey. 　　Often there are just a table and a few chairs on the stage. The description of many situations depends on the performance of the actors and actresses. 　　Opening a door, walking at night, rowing a boat, eating, drinking and the like are all demonstrated by the stylized movements of the actors and actresses. Performers also use their eyes and facial expressions to help convey the specific meaning. 　　In the past 200 years, numerous schools and celebrated performers have emerged. Many of them are emulated by modern-day actors and actresses.　 　Famous male actors include Tan Xinpei, Yang Xiaolou, Yu Shuyan, Ma Lianliang and Zhou Xinfang. The most famous actors who played female roles are Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu and Xun Huisheng. 　Peking Opera represents an important part of Chinese culture and has become a refined art form as a result of the hard work of hundreds of artists over the past two centuries.

美国华人的历史Chinese Americans

For many years it was common in the United States to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries. People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations by the prejudice and discrimination that faced them in this country. 在美国，很多年以来，人们通常都把美籍华人与饭馆和洗衣店联系在一起。他们并没有认识到，美籍华人之所以从事这些职业，是在这个国家面临的偏见和歧视使然。 The first Chinese to reach the United States came during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Like most of the other people there, they had come to search for gold. In that largely unoccupied land, the men staked a claim for themselves by placing makers in the ground. However, either because the Chinese were so different from the others or because they worked so patiently that they sometimes succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one; they became the scapegoats of their envious competitors. They were harassed in many ways. Often they were prevented from working their claims; some localities even passed regulations forbidding them to own claims. The Chinese therefore started to seek out other ways of earning a living. Some of them began to do the laundry for the white miners; others set up small restaurants. (There were almost no women in California in those days, and the Chinese filled a real need by doing this "woman's work".) Some went to work as farmhands or as fishermen. 第一批到达美国的华人是在1849年加利福尼亚淘金热期间来到这里的。就像大多数到那里的人一样，他们是去挖掘金子的。在那一大片无人占领的土地上，人们通过在地面上做一些标记来声明自己对土地的所有权。然而，或是因为中国人与其他人太不一样，或是因为他们工作起来很有耐心，以致有时他们能成功地把表面看来毫无价值的开采资格变为有利可图的东西，这使他们成为爱嫉妒的竞争者们的替罪羊。他们受到了多种形式的骚扰。他们经常被阻止在他们的占领地上开矿；一些地区甚至通过了禁止他们拥有自己开采地的条例。因此，中国人开始艰难地寻找其它的谋生途径。他们中的一些人开始为开矿的白种人洗衣服；其他一些人则开设了小饭馆。(在那段岁月，在加利福尼亚几乎没有妇女，因而中国人所做的这些“妇女”的工作确实迎合了当时的需要。)还有一些人做起了农夫或是渔夫的工作。 In the early 1860's many more Chinese arrived in California. This time the men were imported as work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad. They were sorely needed because the work was so strenuous and dangerous, and it was carried on in such a remote part of the country that the railroad company could not find other laborers for the job. As in the case of their predecessors, these Chinese were almost all males; and like them, too, they encountered a great deal of prejudice. The hostility grew especially strong after the railroad project was complete, and the imported laborers returned to California -- thousands of them, all out of work. Because there were so many more of them this time, these Chinese drew even more attention than the earlier group did. They were so very different in every respect: in their physical appearance, including a long "pigtail" at the back of their otherwise shaved heads; in the strange, non-Western clothes they wore; in their speech (few had learned English since they planned to go back to China); and in their religion. They were contemptuously called "heathen Chinese" because there were many sacred images in their houses of worship. 在19世纪60年代初，更多的中国人来到加利福尼亚。这一次他们是作为建造第一条横贯大陆的铁道的劳工而进口来的。由于这项工作艰辛而危险，并且是在这个国家如此偏远的地区进行，以至于铁路公司找不到修建铁路的其他劳力，因而非常需要这批人。就像他们的祖先一样(即到此地的第一批人)，这些中国人几乎全是男性；而且还有一点非常相似，他们也遇到了一系列的偏见问题。这种敌意在修路工程完成后变得尤其强烈，这些成千上万回到加利福尼亚的劳工全部失业了。这次的劳工比第一批人数更多，因而吸引了更多的注意力。他们在每一个方面都与其他民族不同：他们的外表，包括在他们刮光了前半部的脑袋后面的一根长长的辫子；他们穿的迥然不同于西方人的衣服；他们的语言(因为原本打算完工后回国，所以很少有人学习英语)；还有他们的信仰。他们被蔑称为“异教徒”，因为在他们的礼拜堂里有许多他们崇拜的神像。 When times were hard, they were blamed for working for lower wages and taking jobs away from white men, who were in many cases recent immigrants themselves. Anti-Chinese riots broke out in several cities, culminating in arson and bloodshed. Chinese were barred from using the courts and also from becoming American citizens. California began to demand that no more Chinese be permitted to enter their state. Finally, in 1882, they persuaded Congress to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which stopped the immigration of Chinese laborers. Many Chinese returned to their homeland, and their numbers declined sharply in the early part of this century. However, during the War II, when China was an ally of the United States, the Exclusion laws were ended; a small number of Chinese were allowed to immigrate each year, and Chinese could become American citizens. In 1965, in a general revision of our immigration laws, many more Chinese were permitted to settle here, as discrimination against Asian immigration was abolished. 当日子过得很艰难时，他们会因为以较低的工资从白人手中夺走了工作而受到责骂，而那些白人自己也是新移民。在好几座城市发生了反对中国人的骚乱，甚至出现了纵火和流血事件。中国人被禁止利用法庭，也不能成为美国公民。加利福尼亚人开始要求不再允许中国人进入他们的州。最后在1882年，他们说服国会通过了“排华法案”，禁止输人中国劳工。许多中国人回了国，他们的人数在本世纪初期迅速减少。但在第二次世界大战期间，中国是美国的盟国，这个排华法便告终止了；每年允许一小部分中国人移民美国，有些人也能人籍成为美国公民。1965年，在一次移民法的全面修订中，更多的中国人被允许在美国定居，因为对亚洲移民的歧视已被废除了。 From the start, the Chinese had lived apart in their own separate neighborhoods, which came to be known as "Chinatowns". In each of them the residents organized an unofficial government to make rules for the community and to settle disputes. Unable to find jobs on the outside, many went into business for themselves -- primarily to serve their own neighborhood. As for laundries and restaurants, some of them soon spread to other parts of the city, since such services continued to be in demand among non-Chinese, too. To this day, certain Chinatowns, especially those of San Francisco and New York, are busy, thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and for those who enjoy Chinese food. 中国人从一开始就生活在与别人分离的地区，这些地区后来被称作“唐人街”，每个城市的唐人街的居民组成民间“政府”，自主制定法规并解决争端。许多人由于在外面找不到工作而开始为他们自己服务--主要是为他们周围的人服务。至于洗衣店和餐馆，它们中的一部分已迅速地向城市的其他部分发展，因为这种服务在无中国人的地区还是很需要的。直到今天，有相当多的唐人街，尤其是旧金山和纽约的唐人街已成为繁忙兴旺的地区，这些地区对喜欢中国食物的人和游客来说有着巨大的吸引力。 Most of today's Chinese Americans are the descendants of some of the early miners and railroad workers. Those immigrants had come from the vicinity of Canton in Southeast China, where they had been uneducated farm laborers. The same kind of young men, from the same area and from similar humble origins, migrated to Hawaii in those days. There they fared far better, mainly because they did not encounter hostility. Some married native Hawaiians, and other brought their wives and children over. They were not restricted to Chinatown and many of them soon became successful merchants and active participants in general community affairs. 现在的美籍华人大多数都是一些早期矿工和铁路工人的后裔。那些人本来是中国东南部的广东附近未受过教育的农民。当时，该地区同样卑微出身的年轻人移居到了夏威夷。在那儿他们的日子好过多了，主要是因为他们没有遭遇到敌视。他们中的一些人与夏威夷当地人结婚；而另一些人则把妻子和孩子带了去。他们没有被限制在唐人街地区，许多人很快地成为成功的商人和公众事务的积极参与者。 Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient culture, even after having lived here for several generations. For Example, their family ties continue to be remarkably strong (encompassing grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and others). Members of the family lend each other moral support and also practical help when necessary. From a very young age children are imbued with the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency among them. 美籍华人保留了他们古老文化的许多方面，甚至在美国生活了几代人之后也是如此。例如，他们的家庭关系还是异常的紧密(围绕着祖父母、叔伯、姑姨、堂兄妹，还有其他人)。家族中的成员相互给予精神鼓励和必要时的实际帮助，连非常小的孩子们都对旧道德充满了崇敬，包括尊敬长辈和对家庭的责任感。这也就解释了为什么在他们当中很少有少年犯罪的发生。 The high regard for education which is deeply imbedded in Chinese culture, and the willingness to work very hard to gain advancement, are other noteworthy characteristics of theirs. This explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. (Many of the most outstanding Chinese American scholars, scientists, and artists are more recent arrivals, who come from China's former upper class and who represent its high cultural traditions.) 深植于中国文化里对教育的高度重视，以及努力工作以得到发展的心愿，是他们具有的其他显著特征。这也就说明了为什么有这么多未受过教育的体力劳动者的后代成功地成为医生、律师及其他的专业人士。(许多最杰出的美籍华人学者、科学家和艺术家多是最近的新移民，他们来自中国昔日的上层社会，并代表了中国的高等文化传统。) Chinese Americans make up only a tiny fraction of our population; there are fewer than half a million, living chiefly in California, New York, and Hawaii. As American attitudes toward minorities and toward ethnic differences have changed in recent years, the long-reviled Chinese have gained wide acceptance. Today, they are generally admired for their many remarkable characteristics, and are often held up as an example worth following. And their numerous contributions to their adopted land are much appreciated. 美籍华人仅组成了我们人口的一小部分，大约不到50万，主要居住在加利福尼亚、纽约和夏威夷。因近年来美国人对少数民族和对种族、宗教上的文化差异的态度有所改变，长期被谩骂的中国人已得到广泛的承认。今天，他们因有着许多优秀的品质而受到普遍的赞赏，并且经常被树立为值得学习的榜样。我们非常感激他们对接纳他们的这个国家所做出的难以计数的贡献。

美国励志书中的中国智慧

During past two years, I have read a lot of self-improvement and inspirational books by American writers. It is interesting to see a lot of American authors like to refer to Asian wisdom and philosophy, especially Chinese ancient wisdom. 　　　　Several authors used the Chinese explanation of “Crisis” (危机) to educate people not to be despaired by a dangerous situation. Crisis is combined by two words in Chinese: danger (危) and opportunity (机). There is always opportunity in the dangerous situation. If you are not scared and victimized by the crisis, you can utilize the crisis as a changing point for your life or career. Whether the crisis is a danger or a chance, it depends on your wisdom, judgment and quick action. Keep cool in a crisis, protect yourself being hurt and utilize it and benefit from it as a new staring point. 　　　　The other story appeared several times in the books I read is “an old man who lost his horse (塞翁失马)” from Lao Tzu’s “Dao De Jing”. 　　　　Once upon a time, there was an old man who spent all his money to buy a horse. Unfortunately, one day the horse ran away. What a loss! After several days, the horse returned with a group of stallions. What bliss! However, when his only son rode and trained a stallion, he fell down and broke his leg, and became lame forever. The old man was very sad. Then a war broke out, all the young healthy men were enlisted to fight, but the old man’s son was exempted because of his lame leg. The battles were so fierce, nearly all the soldiers died. Fortunately, the old man still had his son alive. 　　　　The situation is changing, so we can’t judge the outcome at the beginning. Losing may be no cursing; getting may be no blessing. Fortune comes from misfortune; misfortune may hide in fortune. Don’t be overjoyed when you obtain something, be careful of the latent change; don’t be despaired by losing, there is still hope. 　　　　A male author ever used this story and said it is an Indian one. I had an urge to write to him that it is a Chinese story composed 2,500 years ago, but I stopped. Now, I am reading the book “Inner Excellence at Work” authored by Carol Orsborn, who referred this story to Lao Tzu. Also, Carol Orsborn used several stories from Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu and Buddhism to enlighten readers. 　　　　Troy Anderson, an entrepreneur and a competent Go player, composed a book “The Way of Go”. Go is an ancient Asian chess game with 361 grids and played by two persons who hold either black or white chesses. In “The Way of Go”, Anderson told us how to use the philosophies and strategies found in the game Go to succeed in the real life and the business world, such as how to utilize the limited resources, how to deal with global and local, how to read people’s minds, how to change disadvantaged situation to your benefit and so on. Inspired by this book, I tried to play Go, but I can never be a good player of it because I am unable to think five steps in advance. 　　　　I read motivational books by American authors to learn Western philosophies and wisdoms, and try to be more proactive and positive. The American writers like to assimilate Asian wisdom in their books to search for inner peace and wisdom. Therefore, I think, the best wisdom should be a combination of both the Western philosophy and the Eastern philosophy.

中国八大菜系

China covers a large territory and has many nationalities, hence a variety of Chinese food with different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavor. Since China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, generally, Chinese food can be roughly divided into eight regional cuisines, which has been widely accepted around. Certainly, there are many other local cuisines that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine. Shandong Cuisine Consisting of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, clear, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallot and garlic are usually used as seasonings so Shangdong dishes tastes pungent usually. Soups are given much emphasis in Shangdong dishes. Thin soup features clear and fresh while creamy soup looks thick and tastes strong. Jinan cuisine is adept at deep-frying, grilling, frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong division is famous for cooking seafood with fresh and light taste. Shandong is the birthplace of many famous ancient scholars such as Confucious and Mencius. And much of Shandong cuisine's history is as old as Confucious himself, making it the oldest existing major cuisine in China. But don't expect to gain more wisdom from a fortune cookie at a Shandong restaurant in the West since fortune cookies aren't even indigenous to China. Shandong is a large peninsula surrounded by the sea to the East and the Yellow River meandering through the center. As a result, seafood is a major component of Shandong cuisine. Shandong's most famous dish is the Sweat and Sour Carp. A truly authentic Sweet and Sour Carp must come from the Yellow River. But with the current amount of pollution in the Yellow River, you would be better off if the carp was from elsewhere. Shandong dishes are mainly quick-fried, roasted, stir-fried or deep-fried. The dishes are mainly clear, fresh and fatty, perfect with Shandong's own famous beer, Qingdao Beer Sichuan Cuisine Sichuan Cuisine, known often in the West as Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavor, Sichuan cuisine, prolific of tastes, emphasizes on the use of chili. Pepper and prickly ash also never fail to accompany, producing typical exciting tastes. Besides, garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and animals are usually chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling and braising are applied as basic cooking techniques. It cannot be said that one who does not experience Sichuan food ever reaches China. If you eat Sichuan cuisine and find it too bland, then you are probably not eating authentic Sichuan cuisine. Chili peppers and prickly ash are used in many dishes, giving it a distinctively spicy taste, called ma in Chinese. It often leaves a slight numb sensation in the mouth. However, most peppers were brought to China from the Americas in the 18th century so you can thank global trade for much of Sichuan cuisine's excellence. Sichuan hot pots are perhaps the most famous hotpots in the world, most notably the Yuan Yang （mandarin duck） Hotpot half spicy and half clear. Guangdong Cuisine Cantonese food originates from Guangdong, the southernmost province in China. The majority of overseas Chinese people are from Guangdong （Canton） so Cantonese is perhaps the most widely available Chinese regional cuisine outside of China. Cantonese are known to have an adventurous palate, able to eat many different kinds of meats and vegetables. In fact, people in Northern China often say that Cantonese people will eat anything that flies except airplanes, anything that moves on the ground except trains, and anything that moves in the water except boats. This statement is far from the truth, but Cantonese food is easily one of the most diverse and richest cuisines in China. Many vegetables originate from other parts of the world. It doesn't use much spice, bringing out the natural flavor of the vegetables and meats. Tasting clear, light, crisp and fresh, Guangdong cuisine, familiar to Westerners, usually chooses raptors and beasts to produce originative dishes. Its basic cooking techniques include roasting, stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming. Among them steaming and stir-frying are more commonly applied to preserve the natural flavor. Guangdong chefs also pay much attention to the artistic presentation of dishes. Fujian Cuisine Consisting of Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine and Xiamen Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine is distinguished for its choice seafood, beautiful color and magic taste of sweet, sour, salty and savory. The most distinct features are their "pickled taste". Jiangsu Cuisine Jiangsu Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Aquatics as the main ingredients, it stresses the freshness of materials. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, simmering, etc. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and with delicate elegance. Jiangsu cuisine is well known for its careful selection of ingredients, its meticulous preparation methodology, and its not-too-spicy, not-too-bland taste. Since the seasons vary in climate considerably in Jiangsu, the cuisine also varies throughout the year. If the flavor is strong, it isn't too heavy; if light, not too bland. Zhejiang Cuisine Comprising local cuisines of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Cuisine, not greasy, wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, smoothness of its dishes with mellow fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most famous one among the three. Hunan cuisine Hunan cuisine consists of local Cuisines of Xiangjiang Region, Dongting Lake and Xiangxi coteau. It characterizes itself by thick and pungent flavor. Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessaries in this division. Anhui Cuisine Anhui Cuisine chefs focus much more attention on the temperature in cooking and are good at braising and stewing. Often hams will be added to improve taste and sugar candy added to gain 中国地域辽阔，民族众多，因此各种中国饮食口味不同，却都味美，令人垂涎。因为中国地方菜肴各具特色，总体来讲，中国饮食可以大致分为八大地方菜系，这种分类已被广为接受。当然，还有其他很多著名的地方菜系，例如北京菜和上海菜。 山东菜系 山东菜系，由济南菜系和胶东菜系组成，清淡，不油腻，以其香，鲜，酥，软而闻名。因为使用青葱和大蒜做为调料，山东菜系通常很辣。山东菜系注重汤品。清汤清澈新鲜，而油汤外观厚重，味道浓重。济南菜系擅长炸，烤，煎，炒，而胶东菜系则以其烹饪海鲜的鲜淡而闻名。 山东是许多著名学者的故乡，例如孔夫子和孟子。许多山东菜的历史和孔夫子一样悠久，使得山东菜系成为中国现存的最古老的主要菜系之一。但是不要期望在西方国家的山东菜馆里从签饼(中国餐馆的折叠形小饼,内藏有预测运气话语的纸条)获得更多的好运气，因为签饼在中国也不是本土的。 山东是个巨大的被向东流去的大海环绕的半岛，黄河曲折的流经其中部。因此海鲜是山东菜系的主要构成。山东最著名的菜肴是糖醋鲤鱼。正宗的糖醋鲤鱼必须打捞自黄河。但是因为现在黄河的众多污染，其他地方的鲤鱼更好一些。山东菜主要是速炸，烧烤，炒或深炸。菜肴清新肥美，搭配山东本地的著名啤酒——青岛啤酒就完美了。 四川菜系 四川菜系，是世界上最著名的中国菜系之一。四川菜系以其香辣而闻名，味道多变，着重使用红辣椒，搭配使用青椒和prickly ash，产生出经典的刺激的味道。此外，大蒜，姜和豆豉也被应用于烹饪过程中。野菜和野禽常被选用为原料，油炸，无油炸，腌制和文火炖煮是基本的烹饪技术。没有品尝过四川菜的人不算来过中国。 如果你吃四川菜，发现它过于柔和，那么你可能吃的不是正宗的四川菜。红绿辣椒被用在许多菜肴中，带来特别的辣味，在中国文字里叫麻，通常会在口中留下麻木的感觉。然而，多数青椒是在18世纪从美国传入中国的，因此你应当为四川菜的精妙而感谢全球贸易。四川火锅也许是世界上最出名的火锅，尤其是半辣半清的鸳鸯火锅。 广东菜系 广东菜源自于中国最南部的省份广东省。大多数华侨来自广东，因此广东菜也许是国外最广泛的中国地方菜系。 广东人热衷于尝试用各种不同的肉类和蔬菜。事实上，中国北方人常说，广东人吃天上飞的，除了飞机；地上爬的，除了火车；水里游的，除了船儿。这一陈述很不属实，但是广东菜是各类丰富的中国菜系之一。使用很多来自世界其他地方的蔬菜，不大使用辣椒，而是带出蔬菜和肉类自身的风味。 广东菜系，味道清，淡，脆，鲜，为西方人所熟知，常用猛禽走兽来烹饪出有创意的菜肴。它的基础烹饪方法包括烤，炒，煸，深炸，烤，炖和蒸。其中蒸和炒最常用于保存天然风味。广东厨师也注重于菜肴的艺术感。 福建菜系 福建菜系由福州菜，泉州菜，厦门菜组成，以其精选的海鲜，漂亮的色泽，甜，酸，咸和香的味道而出名。最特别的是它的“卤味”。 江苏菜系 江苏菜，又叫淮阳菜，流行于在淮阳湖下流。以水产作为主要原料，注重原料的鲜味。其雕刻技术十分珍贵，其中瓜雕尤其著名。烹饪技术包括炖，烤，焙，煨等。淮阳菜的特色是淡，鲜，甜，雅。江苏菜系以其精选的原料，精细的准备，不辣不温的口感而出名。因为江苏气候变化很大，江苏菜系在一年之中也有变化。味道强而不重，淡而不温。 浙江菜系 浙江菜系由杭州菜，宁波菜，绍兴菜，组成，不油腻，以其菜肴的鲜，柔，滑，香而闻名。杭州菜是这三者中最出名的一个。 湖南菜系 湖南菜系由湘江地区，洞亭湖和湘西的地方菜肴组成。它以其极辣的味道为特色。红辣椒，青辣椒和青葱在这一菜系中的必备品。 安徽菜系 安徽厨师注重于烹饪的温度，擅长煨炖。通常会加入火腿和方糖来改善菜肴的味道。

Holy books and place of worship 中国佛教

Holy books and place of worship DescriptionThere was no real holy book, just a book full of the teachings of the Buddha that the monks had written down before he had died. The Buddha did not want to be worshiped as a god he just wanted people to known as a man. Although people still worship him and his teachings in temples known as a wat. But the book that they did study was the “Tipitaka”. the buddhist temple a place of worship.[edit]Major beliefs and practices In order to achieve enlightenment you must first achieve nirvana,which is the end of imperfection.Buddhist do not believe in one all-powerful god. The teachings of Buddha have no need for such a being They believe the Buddha himself was just a human being. Buddhist believe in the cycle that continues first birth then old age, illness, death and finally rebirth. Buddhist do not believe in reincarnation (the rebirth of the soul into another bodily form) because they don’t believe in a soul.The only way to escape the cycle is to gain enlightenment (or reach nirvana).They also believe everyone can become a Buddha and gain enlightenment.They worship in temples and in their own homes. They follow the 4 noble truths which are: 1. there is suffering. 2.the cause of suffering is wanting. 3.suffering can end completely. 4.the eightfold path is the cure. They also follow the eightfold path which is: 1.right understanding: to understand the four noble truths 2.right thought:To have positive, loving thought towards all things and people. 3.right speech:Whatever you say is thoughtful, truthful and kind think of the effect of your words before you say them. 4.right action:Must be kind to others and to all living things. 5.right work:Any job must let them practice the right action and be kind to others and all living creatures. 6.right effort:Banish any thoughts or actions that promote hatred, greed, or ignorance. 7.right mindfullness:Try to stay calm and act

Chinese knots中国结(英文介绍)

Chinese KnotsTraditional Chinese decorative knots, also known as Chinese knots, are typical local arts of China. They are a distinctive and traditional Chinese folk handicraft woven separately from one piece of thread and named according to its shape and meaning. In Chinese, "knot" means reunion, friendliness, peace, warmth, marriage, love, etc. Chinese knots are often used to express good wishes, including happiness, prosperity, love and the absence of evil.Chinese people have known how to tie knots using cords ever since they began learned how to attach animal pelts to their bodies to keep warm thousands of years ago. As civilization advanced, Chinese people used knots for more than just fastening and wrapping. Knots were also used to record events, while others had a purely ornamental function. In 1980, dedicated connoisseurs collected and arranged decorative yet practical knots passed down over centuries in China. After studying the structures of these knots, the devotees set about creating new variations and increasing the decorative value of knots. The exquisitely symmetrical knots that come in so many forms are as profound as the great cultural heritage of the Chinese people.The Chinese knot is based on over a dozen basic knots named according to their distinctive shapes, usages, or origins. The Two-Coins Knot, for example, is shaped like two overlapping coins once used in ancient China. The Button Knot functions as a button, and the Reversed Swastika Knot was derived from the Buddhist symbol commonly seen on the streamers hanging down from the waistband of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.The knots are pulled tightly together and are sturdy enough to be used for binding or wrapping, making them very practical. Furthermore, the complicated structure of the Chinese knot allows all kinds of variations and enhances its decorative value. Almost all basic Chinese knots are symmetrical, which has set certain technical limitations on the design and creation of new patterns and themes. Symmetry is consistent with time-honored ornamental and aesthetic standards in China. Visually, the symmetrical designs are more easily accepted and appreciated by Chinese people.Except for the Two-Coins Knot, the Chinese knot is three dimensional in structure. It comprises two planes tied together leaving a hollow center. Such a structure lends rigidity to the work as a whole and keeps its shape when hung on the wall. The hollow center also allows for the addition of precious stones.Crafting the Chinese knot is a three-step process which involves tying knots, tightening them and adding the finishing touches. Knot-tying methods are fixed, but the tightening can determine the degree of tension in a knot, the length of loops (ears) and the smoothness and orderliness of the lines. Thus, how well a Chinese knot has been tightened can demonstrate the skill and artistic merit of a knot artist. Finishing a knot means inlaying pearls or other precious stones, starching the knot into certain patterns, or adding any other final touches.Since ancient times, the Chinese knot has adorned both the fixtures of palace halls and the daily implements of countryside households. The Chinese Macrame has also appeared in paintings, sculptures and other pieces of folk art. For instance, the Chinese Macrame was used to decorate chairs used by the emperor and empress, corners of sedans, edges of parasols, streamers attached to the waistbands of lady's dresses, as well as all manners of seals, mirrors, pouches, sachets, eyeglass cases, fans and Buddhist rosaries.The endless variations and elegant patterns of the Chinese knot, as well as the multitude of different materials that can be used (cotton, flax, silk, nylon, leather and precious metals, such as gold and silver, to name a few) have expanded the functions and widened the applications of the Chinese knot. Jewelry, clothes, gift-wrapping and furniture can be accentuated with unique Chinese knot creations. Large Chinese knot wall hangings have the same decorative value as fine paintings or photographs, and are perfectly suitable for decorating a parlor or study.The Chinese knot, with its classic elegance and ever-changing variations, is both practical and ornamental, fully reflecting the grace and depth of Chinese culture. 中国结 "中国结"全称为"中国传统装饰结"。它是一种中华民族特有的手工编织工艺品，具有悠久的历史。"中国结"的起源可以追溯到上古时期，当时的绳结不仅是人们日常生活中的必备用具，同时还具有记载历史的重要功用，因而在人们的心目中是十分神圣的。很早以前人们就开始使用绳纹来装饰器物，为绳结注入了美学内涵。除了用于器物的装饰，绳结还被应用在人们的衣着、佩饰上，因此绳结也是中国古典服饰的重要组成部分。唐宋时期（公元7～13世纪）是中国文化、艺术发展的重要时期。这一时期中国结被大量地运用于服饰和器物装饰中，呈明显的兴起之势。至明清时期（公元1368～1911年），"中国结"工艺的发展达到鼎盛阶段，在诸多日常生活用品上都能见到美丽的花结装饰。其样式繁多，配色考究，名称巧妙，令人目不暇接，由衷赞叹。"中国结"的编制过程十分复杂费时。每个基本结均以一根绳从头至尾编制而成，并按照结的形状为其命名。最后再将不同的基本结加以组合，间配以饰物，便成为富含文化底蕴，表示美好祝福，形式精美华丽的工艺品。悠久的历史和漫长的文化沉淀使"中国结"蕴涵了中华民族特有的文化精髓。它不仅是美的形式和巧的结构的展示，更是一种自然灵性与人文精神的表露。因此，对传统"中国结"工艺的继承和发展是极有意义的。