对于英语爱好者而言，了解西方的风土人情和文化习俗无疑是很重要的。但熟悉我国的方方面面，并能运用英语准确表述，也是进行交流必不可少的条件。同学们，我们在本期“环球风情”栏目中打开了这一小扇中国之窗。希望大家在轻松的阅读学习中能丰富中国文化知识，领略英语语言的魅力。
　　随着太阳缓缓地向更远的南面移动，北半球的日照时间变得越来越短，而天气也变得越来越冷。最终，全年最漫长的夜晚到来了。这就是冬至，冬至过后太阳开始慢慢地回归地球北面。中国人称这一天为“冬至”，它通常在12月21或22日。
　　为什么中国人会庆祝一年中白昼最短的一天呢？这个习俗源自于阴阳学说。“阴”代表着宇宙中女性的、消极的和黑暗的特质，而“阳”则代表着其对立面—男性的、积极的和火热的特质。在冬至当天，当太阳处于最弱的时候，日照时间也最短，阴气开始变弱，让位给阳气的光与热。从这天起，阳气变得越来越强，直至春回大地的时候，阳气最盛行。这是庆祝乐观和喜悦的时刻。
　　数千年来冬至一直是一个重要的节日。1800年前东汉的历史记载告诉我们，当时的皇帝和朝廷官员在过冬至时都放假几天，平民百姓也以别具一格的方式庆祝这一节日。这个全年最漫长的夜晚是人们穿上最好的新衣裳，带着礼物探访朋友，在欢声笑语中畅饮至夜深的时候。
　　食物在所有中国节日中都是重要的一部分，但各地人们在冬至期间所吃的食物却有所不同。在北方，许多人吃羊肉和狗肉。这些是热气腾腾的“阳”食品，它们给人体驱寒保暖和驱散冷冷的“阴”气。面条在很多地区都很受欢迎，因为从冬至那天起，日照开始变长，所以人们说“白天就像线长一样每天在慢慢地变长。”因此专为这个节日而做的面条就叫做“长线面”。
　　数字九与冬至的紧密关系也是根据阴阳学说而来的。数字在这个学说里起着重要的作用。双数属于“阴”而单数属于“阳”。九是最大的阳数字，它代表着无穷无尽与终极。冬至是一“九”的开始。一共有九个“九天”，总共81天。春天会在第九个“九天”的结束后到来。根据实际经验—又或许使日子过得快些，人们就写了《数九歌》。这是当中的一首：
　　
　　一九二九伸不出手，
　　三九四九冻死猫狗，
　　五九六九隔河看柳，
　　七九河开，八九雁来，
　　九九寒尽，春暖花开。
　　


　　


　　
　　Window of China——Winter 1)Solstice
　　
　　As the sun 2)creeps further to the south, daytime in the northern 3)hemisphere gets shorter and shorter, and the weather becomes colder and colder. Finally, the longest night of the year comes. It is the Winter Solstice, after which the sun begins its slow return to the north. The Chinese call this day Dongzhi. It usually falls on December 21 or 22.
　　Why do the Chinese 4)celebrate the shortest day of the year? Well, the custom comes from the theory of Yin and Yang. Yin 5)symbolizes the 6)feminine, negative and dark qualities of the universe, while Yang stands for the opposite the 7)masculine, positive and 8)fiery qualities. On the Winter Solstice, when the sun is at its weakest and daylight hours are at their shortest, Yin begins to 9)weaken, giving way to the light and warmth of Yang. From this day on, Yang gets stronger and stronger until it 10)prevails with the earth’s awakening in the glorious 11)rebirth of spring. It is a time for 12)optimism and joyful celebration.
　　The Winter Solstice has been an important festival for 13)millennia. Records from the Eastern Han 14)Dynasty dating back 1,800 years tell us that the emperor and court officials would take a few days off work for the 15)occasion. Ordinary people also celebrated 16)in style. The longest night of the year was a time to put on one’s best brand new clothes, to visit friends with gifts, to laugh and drink deep into the long night.
　　Food is an important part of all Chinese festivals. But the kinds of food people eat during the Winter Solstice 17)vary from place to place. In Northern China, many people eat 18)mutton and dog meat. These are hot Yang foods, bringing warmth to the body and 19)dispelling the cold of Yin. Noodles are popular in many areas, due to the fact that, from this point, daytime starts to get longer and we say “every day gets longer by the length of a 20)thread.”So the noodles, which are specially made for the festival, are called “Long Thread Noodles.”The close relation between the number nine and the Winter Solstice is also based on the theory of Yin and Yang. Numbers play a 21)significant role in the theory. Even numbers belong to Yin and odd numbers to Yang. Nine is the largest Yang number and 22)represents 23)infinity and 24)extremity. The day of the Winter Solstice is the beginning of the first nineday period. There are nine nineday periods altogether, making a total of 81 days. Spring comes at the end of the ninth period. Based on practical experience and probably to speed things up a bit, people wrote “cold dispelling”songs. Here is the translation of one of these songs.
　　
　　The first and second “nine days”are so cold
　　That we dare not hold out our hands,
　　Stray cats and dogs freeze to death
　　During the third and fourth “nine days”
　　The fifth and sixth “nine days”see a thin 25)veil of green
　　On the far bank of the river,
　　The rivers thaw during the seventh “nine days”
　　The eighth “nine days”welcome the wild geese back,
　　Winter finally draws to an end in the last “nine days”
　　When bright blossoms and flowers smile in warm spring.