英闻天下——277 Qingdao Locals Celebrate Spring Festival

 　　While shopping malls and supermarkets have sprung up around Qingdao, an international city in east China's Shandong Province, people are still fond of visiting traditional open air markets in the countryside during the New Year. The Licun village Fair is one of the biggest in Qingdao, and has a history dating back more than 500 years. For many locals during the Spring Festival it's a must to visit.

 

　　"I want to buy some red couplets and talismans¹."

 

　　"I came for some cushions for my sofa."

 

　　"This fair is more like a sight-seeing for me. I just hang out here and when I find something good, I'll pick it up. This is the best way to feel the festive² atmosphere. You cannot see much of it these days in other places."

 

　　A man surnamed³ Gao has sold fruits and nuts from his stall⁴ here for 20 years.

 

　　"I was here last year and every year. This year the fruits and nuts all sold well, about twenty to thirty thousand yuan every day."

 

　　A man surnamed Wang is a stall keeper who sells seafood⁵. He's not the kind of person who is easy to bargain with.

 

　　"If you want high quality stuff⁶, you pay a high price; if you pay low, you get the average stuff. It's new year time, so I guess you want good quality, right? I don't know how to sell it cheap."

 

　　Seafood is a must on Qingdao festival tables. They have all kinds of fish, shrimp⁷, scallops and clams⁸ cooked in different styles. Many Qingdao residents⁹ come to the fair frequently to purchase seafood.

 

　　"This fair is where we buy seafood, fresh or dried. I've bought some fresh fish and brought it back home. Today I want to get some dried scallops and clams. I come every year."

 

　　Another must on the dinner table is sausages. If you travel to Qingdao around Spring Festival time, you will see a unique scene of many windows decorated with hanging sausages. At this market you can get your sausages made right in front of your eyes and then bring them home.

 

　　"Every year I have some sausages made here, more or less. It's a tradition. I can watch the whole producing process. It's convenient. And the food safety is ensured."

 

　　A man surnamed Chu makes a living out of producing and selling sausages.

 

　　"I sell four to five tons of sausages every year. Around 100 kilograms every day."

 

　　But many people prefer to make them at home in a more traditional way.

 

　　"I buy some meat in advance. I prefer the touch and chewy part and save it for a long time. This way the sausages are very tasty, with a special aroma¹⁰."

 

　　Wang Duo, a sociologist¹¹ based in Qingdao, says there are more new ways that the locals celebrate the Spring Festival.

 

　　"Actually the customs keep changing from time to time, as the environment changes from time to time. As the old traditions fade out, the new ones begin to form. For example, many people choose to do the New Year shopping online these days, and they send New Year wishes through short messages. These are all new ways to celebrate the Spring Festival."

 

　　For CRI, this is Xiangwei.

1 talismans   

n.护身符( talisman的名词复数 )；驱邪物；有不可思议的力量之物；法宝

参考例句：

• Talismans are a form of contagious magic, carried on the person. 护身符就像是一种流行的魔法，携带在人的身上。 来自互联网
• We should welcome the Tiger and the Dragon as talismans. 我们应当把这一龙一虎当作吉祥物欢迎。 来自互联网

2 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

3 surnamed   

vt.给…加姓（surname的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He is surnamed Wang. 他姓王。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Alexander was surnamed "the Great". 亚历山大被加给“大帝”的封号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 stall   

n.摊位，铺子，售货亭

参考例句：

• She sells fruits at a market stall.她在市场的货摊上卖水果。
• He has a stall that sells designer ripoffs.他开了个铺子卖仿冒设计师品牌衣服。

5 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

6 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

7 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

8 clams   

n.蛤；蚌，蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The restaurant's specialities are fried clams. 这个餐厅的特色菜是炸蚌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We dug clams in the flats et low tide. 退潮时我们在浅滩挖蛤蜊。 来自辞典例句

9 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

10 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

11 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。