英语PK台 第694期:清明祭祖,追思先人

 Tomb-sweeping Day

春至清明，祭先祖，会旧友，忆故人，思己身。

Dialogue 1

Mark: Jingjing, are you all set to go on your trip?

马克：京晶，你都准备好开始你的旅行了吗？

Jingjing: That isn't until next week, after the holiday.

京晶：那是下周的事，节后了。

Mark: Oh yeah, we have a couple days off. Do you have to work on the weekend?

马克：哦，是吗？我们有几天假，你周末还得工作吗？

Jingjing: No, I have four days off in a row. I'm going to use it to get some work done early, and spend one of the days with friends or relatives here in Beijing.

京晶：不了，连下来我总共有四天假期。我要用它来提前完成一些工作，然后花一天时间和在北京的朋友、亲戚们聚聚。

Mark: Do you have any ancestors¹ here?

马克：这里有你的先人吗？

Jingjing: Well, a cousin of mine is married to a Beijing native. We might get asked to come along to honor² their grandparents who have passed on. Most likely, we'll meet them after they've taken care of that, though.

京晶：我的一位表姐嫁给了北京当地人，他们可能会叫上我们一起去给他家过世的祖父母祭奠。最可能的是，他们完事以后我们再见面。

Mark: Have you ever burned spirit money or joss paper on the street?

马克：你曾经在街上烧过纸钱吗？

Jingjing: No, I haven't. I understand why people do that. But I try to get back to my home town at least once a year, so I can visit the actual resting place of my relatives.

京晶：没有。我理解人们为何那样做。但是我尽量每年回家乡一次，这样我就能去亲自前去亲人们的安息之地了。

Mark: Do you usually go there with your mom and dad?

马克：你通常会跟着父母同去吗？

Jingjing: Yes, we walk up the hill to the burial³ site together. If any other relatives are in town, they come too.

京晶：是的，我们一起爬上山去墓地。如果还有其他亲戚也在，他们也会一起来。

Mark: That sounds like a good way to spend a morning together with members of your family.

马克：听上去是一个不错的和家人一起共度上午的方式。

Jingjing: Yeah, I usually enjoy it, even though it's not fun per se. It takes me back to childhood: the smell of incense⁴, carrying bags for the older people that are with me, all that stuff⁵.

京晶：是的，我很喜欢。虽然这本身并非是相聚来玩的。但这总把我带回童年：香火的气味，替同行的长辈们拎着包，诸如此类。

Mark: The ceremony hasn't changed, I imagine.

马克：祭奠的仪式一直以来都没有改变过吧，我猜。

Jingjing: Not really. Let's talk about it more next time.

京晶：没有。下次我们多聊几句。

New words: 习语短语

all set 准备好了

ready

ancestors 先人，先祖

relatives older than parents, no longer alive

passed on 过世的

no longer living

spirit money 纸钱

a kind of "play money" burned as an offering⁶ to the dead

joss paper 纸钱

paper made for burning, with a special smell

resting place 墓地

grave⁷ or other burial site

per se 本身 本质上

exactly

takes me back to 令我想起…

makes me remember, makes me miss old times

incense 香

sticks made for burning, with a special smell

Dialogue 2

Mark: So, Jingjing, are you ready to have some days off?

马克：那，京晶，准备好休息几天了吗？

Jingjing: You bet⁸! I like working, but I definitely⁹ like having some time to myself.

京晶：那是当然！我喜欢工作，但是我当然也喜欢留点时间给自己。

Mark: Is there anything special that you do on the Qingming weekend—if you don't go back to your home town?

马克：清明这个周末你会做点什么特别的事吗？如果不回老家的话

Jingjing: Well, it's a great time to reflect on life.

京晶：这可是很好的能用来反思生活的时间了。

Mark: Do you get together with anyone?

马克：要和谁聚一聚吗？

Jingjing: If my relatives are in town, of course it's family time. If not, I see friends that have it like I do—away from family for work.

京晶：如果我的亲戚们都在一个城市的话，这当然是应与家人相处的时间。如果不在的话，就去见见那些和我一样为了工作离开亲人的朋友们。

Mark: It must be nice to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while.

马克：见到许久不见的人那种感觉一定很棒。

Jingjing: It really is. I remember in past years, there were a few times I stayed in Beijing, didn't have relatives with me, and called around to see who wanted to meet for lunch.

京晶：确实。我记得过去几年，有好几次我在北京，身边一个亲人也没有，我到处打电话找人出来吃午饭。

Mark: Do you have a regular group?

马克：你有经常能聚的朋友们吗？

Jingjing: Usually, yes. But with the holiday, my closest friends are sometimes tied up.

京晶：通常有的。但是节假日到来时，最亲近的朋友有时也忙得不可开交。

Mark: That's a good chance to see people you lost touch with.

马克：那就是个好机会去见见失去联系的人们。

Jingjing: Exactly. I try to gather four or five people, and sometimes end up having lunch with old friends who have two or three years' worth of stories for me.

京晶：的确。我尽量攒四五个人，有时候往往最后和那些两三年没见的朋友们相聚吃了饭。

Mark: It's a good time of year for it. Don't forget to send out those messages to see who's free.

马克：这当然是一年中适宜相见的时节了。别忘了发发信息看都谁有空。

Jingjing: For sure.

京晶：一定的。

New words: 习语短语

reflect 省察，沉思

think about something you have done, consider what to do differently in the future

tied up 繁忙的 

busy

1 ancestors   

n.祖先( ancestor的名词复数 )；祖宗；原型；（动物的）原种

参考例句：

• His ancestors had come to America from Ireland. 他的祖先从爱尔兰来到美国。
• The custom of worshipping ancestors is prevalent among these people. 崇拜祖先的风俗在这些人中是普遍的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

3 burial   

n.埋葬，埋藏，掩埋

参考例句：

• The priest prepared the body for burial.牧师给死者作安葬准备。
• The Premier's burial was a solemn occasion.总理的葬礼是个庄严的场面。

4 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

5 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。

6 offering   

n.提供，奉献物，牲礼

参考例句：

• What is your competition offering?你的竞争者提出的条件是什么？
• The police are offering a big reward for information about the robbery.警方出大笔赏金要求提供那起抢劫案的破案线索。

7 grave   

n.墓穴，坟墓，雕刻工，抑音；adj.庄重的，严肃的，重大的，低沉的；vt.雕刻

参考例句：

• Marriage is the grave of love.婚姻是爱情的坟墓。
• This is a very grave matter indeed.这问题的确非常严重。

8 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

9 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。