英语杂谈：87 Talking About Festivals

Do you know about...?
你知道……是怎么回事吗？

A:Do you know about All Fools' Day?
B:On that day,people play all kinds of tricks on others,and the one easily taken in

 is called April fool.
A:April fool!
B:April the first is coming.Be careful!

]What do people usually do on...?
在……人们通常干什么？
A:What do people usually do on Saint¹ Valentine's Day?
B:On that day,boys are supposed to give roses to their sweethearts.
A:What will the girls do?
B:They give chocolate in return.

Tell me something about...
给我讲讲……吧。
A:Tell me something about your Ice & Snow Festival.
B:That's the most magic Festival,people build palaces and sculpture things with

 ice and snow.It's beautiful!
C:Especially at night when the lights are on.

Is...official?
是法定节日吗？
A:Is Water Shrinking² Festival official?
B: No,most of the traditional festivals of the minority nationalities are not official
A:Don't you think these festivals are more interesting!
B:What an idea!

Could you tell me the origin of...?
你告诉我……的来历好吗？
A:Could you tell me the origin of the Dragon-Boat Festival?
B:Yes,it's a way to commemorate³ a great ancient romantic poet,
and the race is a symbol of the attempt to save him.
A:I see.Did they succeed in the end?
B:Of course not.He drowned.

Can you name some festivals of religious nature?
你能说出几个由宗教来的节日吗？
A:Can you name some festivals of religious nature?
B:Yes,such as Christmas and Easter.
A:What about historic⁴ festivals?
B:Thanksgiving Day,Independence Day.

How many days do you take off for...?

你们……放几天假？

A:How many days do you take off for Easter?
B:Usually we have a month off.
A:What will you do for this Easter?
B:I'll stay at home and have a complete rest.

What do you plan to do...?
你打算干什么？
A:What do you plan to do at the Mid-autumn night?
B:I'll go to Chinatown,and there'll be a party to celebrate the traditional Chinese Festival.
A:Can I go with you?
B:Sure,my pleasure.

How did you spend...last year?

去年...你怎么过的？
A:How did you spend Christmas Eve last year?
B:I joined the Parade.
A:Was it interesting?
B:Very.It was the happiest Christmas Eve I've ever had.

What will you do this...?

……你打算干什么？

A:What will you do this Spring Festival?
B:I'll go back to China and spend it in a traditional Chinese way.
A:You'll make dumplings. 

B:Certainly.

What's the date of May Day according to the lunar calendar this year?

今年五一是阴历几号？

A:What's the date of May Day according to the lunar calendar this year?
B:It's the sixth of the fourth month.
A:Only two days before your birthday!

 B:Yes,Grandma.

 

How many official days off for...?

……法定假日几天？

A:How many official days off for Labor⁵ Day?
B:One day only.
A:How many do you actually have?
B:A week since it's followed by our spring break.

1 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

2 shrinking   

a.畏缩的，犹豫不决的

参考例句：

• She purposely made the dress larger to allow for shrinking when it was washed. 她故意把衣服做大一些，以防洗时缩水。
• I can't imagine why a dynamic young woman like her is marrying a shrinking violet like him. 我不能想像，像她这样一个充满活力的年轻女子为什么会嫁给他这样一个胆怯害羞的人。

3 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

4 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

5 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。