【英语早间课堂】跟老外聊春节 贴春联（二）

 短文回顾：The Spring Couplet, also called “couplet” or“a pair of antithetical phrases” is a special form of literature in China. The Spring Couplet is composed of two antithetical sentences on both sides of the door and a horizontal scroll¹ bearing an inscription², usually an auspicious³ phrase above the gate. The sentence pasted on the right side of the door is called the first line of the couplet and the one on the left the second line. On the eve of the Spring Festival, every household will paste up on doors a spring couplet written on red paper to give a happy and prosperous atmosphere of the Festival. In the past, the Chinese usually wrote their own spring couplet with a brush or asked others to do for them, while nowadays, it is common for people to buy the printed spring couplet in the market. What's more , spring couplets which express good wishes is one of the house decorations. They are usually posted in pairs because even numbers are connected with good luck and auspiciousness⁴ in Chinese culture.

 

1. antithetical [ˌænti'θetikəl] adj.对偶的, 对立的

 

Eg . Antithetical couplet is a kind of traditional literature form, which has a long history. 对联是一种传统的文学形式，有着悠久的历史渊源。

 

2. horizontal [ˌhɔri'zɔntl] adj.水平的, 横的

 

Eg . The vertical⁵ line meets the horizontal one here. 垂直线与水平线在此相交。

 

3. scroll [skrəul] n.（供书写用的）羊皮纸卷, 纸卷. 画卷

 

Eg . My friend was much pleased with my explanation and left for home with the scroll. 我的朋友对我的解释非常的高兴，拿着画卷就离开回家了。

 

4. inscription [inˈskripʃən] n.铭文，碑文，题字

 

Eg . The ring bears an inscription. 这个戒指上刻有字。The inscription on the coin had worn away. 铸造在硬币上的文字已经磨损。

 

5. auspicious [ɔ:'spiʃəs] adj.吉利的, 幸运的

 

Eg . The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career. 我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。I' m pleased that you' ve made such an auspicious start to the new term. 你新学期开门红使我很高兴.

 

6. prosperous ['prɔspərəs] adj.繁荣的, 兴旺的

Eg . The city at one time must have been prosperous for it enjoyed a high level of civilization. 这座古城在一个时期准是很繁荣的，因为它曾享有高度文明。At no time has the country been more prosperous than at present. 我国任何时候都没有现在这样繁荣。

 

7. atmosphere ['ætməsfiə]

 

Eg . There is an atmosphere of peace and calm in the country, quite different from the atmosphere of a big city. 在乡间有一种和平宁静的气氛，和大城市的气氛截然不同。The people are in a festal atmosphere. 各族人民都沉浸在节日的气氛之中。

 

8. paste [peist] 裱糊,粘贴

 

用法（1）~ sth (on) to sth; ~ sth on (sth) 用浆糊把......贴在......上面

 

Eg. She pasted posters onto the wall. 她把海报贴在墙上了

 

用法（2）~ A and B together 用浆糊把......粘在一起

 

Eg .My naughty nephew pasted pieces of paper together. 我那淘气的侄儿把纸粘在一起了。

 

9. bear 显示（某事物）; 明显地带有

 

Eg. The ring bears an inscription.这个戒指上刻有字. I saw a tombstone bearing the date 1602. 我见到一块刻有1602年字样的墓碑。He was badly wounded in the war and still bears the scars. 他在战争中受了重伤, 现在仍有伤疤.

 

转自可可英语

1 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

2 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

3 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

4 auspiciousness   

吉兆；幸运

参考例句：

• The folks take the phoenix as the symbol of auspiciousness and happiness. 民间即以次象征吉祥和喜庆来歌颂幸福的生活。 来自互联网
• Peafowl are precious birds that people love as a symbol of auspiciousness. 孔雀作为吉祥之鸟深受人们喜爱，是举世驰名的珍禽。 来自互联网

5 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。