暖阳平分昼夜清宁，唤醒阡陌遍野的芳辰，这份凝结着华夏先民观象智慧的节令，便以玄鸟归巢、纸鸢逐风的诗意，绘就了神州大地上的仲春画卷。它是二十四节气里最具温润气韵的平衡之章，既将春分之柔融于新苗的破土、春蔬的鲜嫩，也以昼夜均而寒暑平的古老哲思，揉着清风的绵软与天地的盎然，藏着天人相应的底蕴与生生不息的美好。
今天，就让我们一同走进春分的温润时节，探寻这份镌在时光流转里的文化印记吧！本期让我们跟随英语2505班朱欣悦同学的脚步，漫步于飘着梨香的田埂与漾着晴光的郊野，感受这份独属于春分的温婉与生机。
大家好，我是来自英语2505班的朱欣悦，平时喜欢旅游、打游戏。
The Spring Equinox
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox (Chinese: 春分), as the fourth term of the year starts on March 20 and ends on April 5 this year.
The Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.
Here are 5 things you need to know about the Spring Equinox.
Swallows fly north
The ancient Chinese people divided the fifteen days of the Spring Equinox into three hou's, or five-day parts. As the old saying goes, swallows fly back to the North in the first hou; thunder cracks the sky in the second hou; lightning occurs frequently in the third hou, which vividly reveals the climate feature during the Spring Equinox.
Egg-standing games
Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that dates back to 4,000 years ago. People practice this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.
Some believe that the Spring Equinox is the best time to practice this game because on this day the axis of the earth is relatively balanced against the orbital plane of the earth's rotation around the sun, which makes it easier to erect an egg.
Eating spring vegetables
Eating spring vegetables during the Spring Equinox is a commonly practiced custom in many regions of China. 'Spring vegetables' refers to seasonal vegetables that differ from place to place. The ancient teachings in the Chinese classic, Huangdi Neijing, suggests that people eat seasonal foods to help preserve health and bring good luck.
Sacrifice to the Sun god
During the Spring Equinox, an old traditional practiced by Beijing locals is offering sacrifices to the Sun god. This tradition is called Zhonghe Festival. The Sun Cake, a round cake made from wheat and sugar, serves as the main offering.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636—1912), the imperial family held this ritual in Ritan park every Spring Equinox. The Ritan park gradually became a common place for public recreation. However, the practice still exists among the public.
Reward farm cattle
This practice is popular in the southern area of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. As the Spring Equinox comes, farm work starts and both the farmers and the cattle start to become busy. Farmers will reward cattle with sticky rice balls to express their gratefulness. Meanwhile, people will also make sacrifice to birds, to thank them for bringing signals for farm work and to ask them not to eat grains later in the year.
本文摘录自ChinaDaily 2019-03-18
春分
中国传统农历将一年分为二十四个节气，春分作为一年中的第四个节气，今年的交节时间为3月20日至4月5日。
春分意味着昼夜时长相等，这一天，太阳直射赤道。春分过后，太阳直射点向北移动，北半球的白昼开始逐渐变长，南半球则黑夜渐长。
以下是关于春分你需要知道的5件事。
燕归来
古人将春分的十五天分为三候，每候五天。古语有云：一候玄鸟至，二候雷乃发声，三候始电，生动描绘出春分时节的气候特征。
立蛋游戏
春分竖蛋是风靡全国的趣味习俗，这一古老传统可追溯至4000年前，人们以此迎接春天的到来。民间认为，能将鸡蛋立起来的人，来年会有好运气。
有人认为春分是竖蛋的最佳时机，因为这一天地球地轴与绕太阳公转的轨道平面趋于平衡，让立蛋变得更容易。
吃春菜
春分吃春菜是中国多地的普遍习俗，“春菜”指的是各地应季的时令蔬菜。中国经典古籍《黄帝内经》中记载，应季饮食有助于养生，还能带来好运。
祭日神
春分时节，北京民间有祭祀日神的古老传统，这一习俗也被称作“中和节”，祭祀的主要供品是由小麦和糖制成的圆形糕点——太阳糕。
明清时期（明：1368-1644，清：1636-1912），皇室每年春分都会在日坛举行祭日仪式。如今日坛公园早已成为市民休闲的好去处，而祭日的习俗仍在民间流传。
犒劳耕牛
这一习俗盛行于长江下游的南方地区。春分至，农忙始，耕牛和农夫都开始忙碌起来。农人们会用糯米团子犒劳耕牛，以表达对它们的感谢。同时，人们还会祭祀百鸟，感谢其为农事送来时节讯号，也祈求鸟儿日后勿啄食庄稼。
Equinox 春分
Traditional 传统的
Lunar 月球的
Hemisphere 半球
Gradually 逐渐地
Reveal 揭示
Custom 习俗
Preserve 保护
Gratefulness 感激
Question 1：What is special about the day of the Spring Equinox?
A. Day and night are almost equal in length
B. It is the coldest day in spring
C. Farmers begin to plant rice
D. Swallows fly to the south
Answer：A
解析：文中明确提到 The Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, the sun is directly above the equator. 因此 A 为正确答案。
Question 2：What do people do to celebrate the coming of spring during the Spring Equinox?
A. Eat ice cream and cold food
B. Stand an egg upright
C. Stay at home and rest
D. Fly to the north
Answer：B
解析：文中明确提到 Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. People practice this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. 因此 B 为正确答案。
Question 3：Why do people eat spring vegetables during the Spring Equinox?
A. Because spring vegetables are very cheap
B. Because seasonal food helps preserve health
C. Because there is no other food to eat
D. Because it is a tradition to welcome swallows
Answer：B
解析：文中明确提到 Huangdi Neijing suggests that people eat seasonal foods to help preserve health and bring good luck. 因此 B 为正确答案。
