英语高考备考:16 个传统文化考点素材
传统文化热潮下,我们在英语备考过程中要对传统文化深层理解。今天,小
简老师给大家总结了 16 个传统文化考点素材,这些知识和话题可以运用到书面
表达中去,是难得的资料,因此,这份资料是英语复习的首选。
一. 长城(The Great Wall)
The Great Wall is one of the wonders of the world that created by
human beings! If you come to China without climbing the Great Wall, it's
just like going Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower; or going to Egypt
without visiting the Pyramids! Men often say, "He who doest not reach
the Great Wall is not a true man."In fact, it began as independent walls
for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great
Wall" until the Qin Dynasty. However, the wall we see today, starting
from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayunguan Pass in the west, was
mostly built during the Ming Dynasty.
长城是人类创造的世界奇迹之一。如果你到了中国却没去过长城,就想到了
巴黎没有去看看菲尔铁塔,或者就像到了埃及没有去看金字塔一样。人们常说:
“不到长城非好汉。”实际上,长城最初只是一些断断续续的城墙,直到秦朝统
一中国后才将其连城长城。然而,今天我们看到的长城——东起山海关,西至嘉峪关——大部分都是在明代修建的。
二. 饺子(Dumplings)
Dumplings are one of the Chinese people’s favorite traditional
dishes. According to an ancient Chinese legend, dumplings were first
made by the medical saint---Zhang Zhongjing. There are three steps
involved in making dumplings: 1) make dumpling wrappers out of
dumpling flour; 2) prepare the dumpling stuffing; 3) make dumplings
and boil them. With thin and elastic dough skin, fresh and tender
stuffing, delicious taste, and unique shapes, dumplings are worth eating
hundreds of times. There’s an old saying that claims, “Nothing could
be more delicious than dumplings”. During the Spring Festival and
other holidays, or when treating relatives and friends, Chinese people
like to follow the auspicious custom of eating dumplings. To Chinese
people who show high reverence for family love, having dumplings at
the moment the old year is replaced by the new is an essential part of
bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new year.
饺子是深受中国人民喜爱的传统食品。相传为古代医圣张仲景发明。饺子的
制作是包括:1) 擀皮、2) 备馅、3) 包馅水煮三个步骤。其特点是皮薄馅嫩,
味道鲜美,形状独特,百食不厌。民间有“好吃不过饺子”的俗语。中国人接亲待客、逢年过节都有包饺子吃的习俗,寓意吉利。对崇尚亲情的中国人来说,“更
岁交子”吃饺子,更是欢度除夕、辞旧迎新必不可少的内容。
三. 筷子(Chinese Chopsticks)
The Chinese way of eating with chopsticks is unique in the world.
The recorded history of chopsticks started more than three thousand
years ago. Chopsticks were named zhu in ancient Chinese. They look
deceptively simple to use, but possess multi-various functions, such as
clamping, turning over, lifting up, raking, stirring, scooping, poking,
tearing, and so on. Chopsticks were taken as an auspicious mascot by
ordinary people in ancient China. For example, the partial tone of
chopsticks is often used by people as a metaphor at weddings to
indicate a blessing or benediction for the couple to have a baby soon.
Unlike using a knife and fork or one’s own hands, a pair of chopsticks
also implies the meaning of “Harmony is what matters”. Chopsticks are
highly praised by Westerners as a hallmark of ancient oriental
civilization.
中国人使用筷子就餐的方式在世界上独树一帜。有史记载用筷的历史已有三
千多年。筷子古时称为箸,它看似简单,但却同时具有夹、拨、挑、扒、拌、撮、
戳、撕等多种功能。中国民间视筷子为吉祥之物,如婚俗中将筷子隐喻为快生贵子的祝福等。与使用刀叉以及手抓的 方式不同,成双结对的筷子含有“和为贵“的
意蕴。西方人赞誉筷子是古老的东方文明。
四. 中国功夫(Chinese kung fu)
Chinese kung fu, or Chinese martial arts, carries traditional Chinese
culture in abundance. It is a traditional Chinese sport which applies the
art of attack and defence in combat and the motions engaged with a
series of skill and tricks. The core idea of Chinese king fu is derived from
the Confucian theory of both “the mean and harmony” and
“cultivating qi” (otherwise known as nourishing one’s spirit).
Meanwhile, it also includes thoughts of Taoism and Buddhism. Chinese
kung fu has a long history, with multi-various sects and many different
boxing styles, and emphasizes coupling hardness with softness and
internal and external training. It contains the ancient great thinkers’
pondering of life and the universe. The skills in wielding the 18 kinds of
weapons named by the later generations mainly involve the skills of
bare-handed boxing, such as shadow boxing (Taijiquan), form and will
boxing (Xingyiquan), eight trigram palm (Baguazhang), and the skills of
kung fu weaponry, such as the skill of using swords, spears, two-edged
swords and halberds, axes, tomahawks, kooks, prongs and so on.中国功夫即中国武术,是将技击寓于搏斗和套路运动之中的中国传统体育项
目,承载着丰富的中国民族传统文化。其核心思想是儒家的中和养气之说,同时
兼容了道家、释家的思想。中国武术源远流长、流派林立、拳种繁多,讲究刚柔
并济、内外兼修,蕴含着先哲们对生命和宇宙的参悟。后世所称十八般武艺,主
要指:徒手拳艺,如太极拳、形意拳、八卦掌等;器械功夫,如刀枪剑戟、斧钺
钩叉等。
五. 汉字(Chinese characters)
Chinese characters were initially meant to be simple pictures used to
help people remember things. After a long period of development, it
finally became a unique character system that embodies phonetic sound,
image, idea, and rhyme at the same time. The writing system, which was
extremely advanced in ancient times, began with inscriptions on bones
and tortoise shells, and these are regarded as the original forms of
Chinese characters. Afterwards, Chinese characters went through
numerous calligraphic styles: bronze inscriptions, official script, regular
script, cursive script, running script, etc. Chinese characters are usually
round outside and square inside, which is rooted in ancient Chinese
beliefs of an orbicular sky and a rectangular Earth. The five basic strokes
of Chinese characters are “---“ (the horizontal stroke) “│” (the
vertical stroke), “ / ”( the left-falling stroke), “ \ ” (the right-falling stroke), and “乙” (the turning stroke).
汉字是从原始人用以记事的简单图画,经过不断演变发展最终成为一种兼具
音、形、意韵的独特文字。现存中国古代最早成熟的文字是甲骨文,被认为是现
代汉字的初形。此后,汉字又经历了金文、隶书、楷书、草书、行书等不同的阶
段。汉字结构“外圆内方“, 源于古人”天圆地方“的观念。汉字有五种基本笔
画,即:横、竖、撇、捺、折。
六. 秧歌舞(Yangko)
Yangko is one of tradition folk dance of Han in China.It is usually
performed in northern provinces. The dancers usually wear colorful and
light costumes, and the performance is powerful and rapid. During some
festivals such as Spring Festival, Lantein Festival, if people hear the
sound of drum and gong, no matter how cold the weather is , they will
come to street and appreciate the Yangko. Recent years, the old people
in city of east-northern of China organized the team of Yangko by
themselves, the teamers keep their health by dancing Yangko the whole
year.
秧歌舞是中国汉族的一种民间传统舞蹈,通常在北方省份表演。秧歌舞者通
常穿上明亮多彩的表演服装,他们的表演动作有力迅速。在农历春节、元宵节等节日期间,人们一旦听到锣鼓声,不管外面天气有多冷,他们都会蜂拥到街上看
秧歌舞表演。近年来,中国东北某些城市的老年人自发组织了了秧歌队,队员常
年通过跳秧歌舞来保持健康,同事他们也乐在其中。
七. 针灸(Acupuncture)
Acupuncture is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM). In accordance with the “main and collateral channels” theory in
TCM, the purpose of acupuncture is to dredge the channel and regulate
qi and blood, so as to keep the body’s yin and yang balanced and
achieve reconciliation between the internal organs. It features in
traditional Chinese medicine that “internal diseases are to be treated
with external therapy”. The main therapy of acupuncture involves using
needles to pierce certain acupoints of the patient’s body, or adopting
moxibustion to stimulate the patient’s acupoints so as to stimulate the
channels and relieve pain. With its unique advantages, acupuncture has
been handed down generation after generation and has now spread all
over the world. Nowadays, acupuncture, along with Chinese food, kung
fu (otherwise known as Chinese martial arts), and traditional Chinese
medicine, has been internationally hailed as one of the “four new
national treasures.”针灸是中医学的重要组成部分。按照中医的经络理论,针灸疗法主要是通过
疏通经络、调和气血,来达到阴阳归于平衡,使脏腑趋于调和之目的。其特点是“内
病外治”。主要疗法是用针刺入病人身体的一定穴位,或用艾火的温热刺激烧灼
病人的穴位,以达到刺激经络。治疗病痛的目的。针灸以其独特的优势,流传至
今并传播到了世界,与中餐、功夫、中药一起被海外誉为中国的“新四大国粹”。
八. 中国龙(Chinese Dragon)
Dragon totem worship in China has been around for the last 8,000
years. The ancients in China considered the dragon (or loong) a fetish
that combines animals including the fish, snake, horse and ox with cloud,
thunder, lightning and other natural celestial phenomena. The Chinese
dragon was formed in accordance with the multicultural fusion process
of the Chinese nation. To the Chinese, the dragon signifies innovation
and cohesion.
对龙图腾他的崇拜在中国大约已绵延了八千多年。中国龙是古人将鱼、蛇、
马、牛等动物与云雾、雷电等自然天象集合而成的一种神物。中国龙的形成与中
华民族的多元融合过程同步。在中国人的心目中,龙具有振奋腾飞、开拓变化的
寓意和团结凝聚的精神。
九. 中国印章(Chinese Seal)A seal can also be defined as a stamp. Both the Chinese official and
private seal of various dynasties have different titles, such as stamp, zhu
note, contract, fu, lease and others. The seals used by the emperors of
ancient China were called xi, yin, bao, etc. According to historical records,
seals were widely used during the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC).
The making of a seal is to engrave fonts, such as seal characters and
official script and so on; or images in the form of intaglio and
embossment into the seal, basically shaped as round or square. Covered
with a vermilion overlay, the Chinese seal is not only used in daily life,
but it is also used to represent signatures on paintings and calligraphies.
It is gradually becoming one of China’s unique artworks.
印章就是图章。中国历代官、私所用的印章有印信、朱记、合同、符、契等
等不同的称谓,而帝王所用的印章古时称玺、印、宝、章等。据史料记载,印章
在战国时代已普遍使用。印章的制作是将篆隶等字体、图像用阴、阳的形式雕刻
而成,形状以圆、方为主。印章用朱色 钤盖,除日常应用外,又多用于书画题
识,逐渐成为中国特有的艺术形式之一。
十. 京剧(Chinese Beijing Opera)
Praised as “Oriental Opera”, Beijing Opera is a genuine national quintessence of China. It originated from many kinds of ancient local
operas, especially huiban in southern China. At the end of the 19th
Century, Beijing Opera evolved and took shape, becoming the greatest
kind of opera in China. Beijing Opera is a blend of performing
arts---song, speech, performance, acrobatix fighting and dance. Beijing
Opera portrays and narrates the plot and characters through stylized
acting. The main types of roles in Beijing Opera are sheng(male), dan
(young female), jing (painted face, male), and chou( clown, male or
female).
京剧被誉为“东方歌剧”, 是地道的中国国粹。它起源于中国多种古老的地
方戏剧,特别是南方的“徽班”。到了 19 世纪末,京剧形成并成为中国最大的戏
曲剧种。京剧是综合性表演艺术,集唱(歌唱)、念(念白)、做(表演)、打
(武)、舞(舞蹈)为一体,通过程式化的表演手段,叙述故事,刻画人物。角
色主要分生(男性)、旦(女性)、净(男性)、丑(男性女性皆有)四大行当。
十一. 中国成语(Chinese Idioms)
Chinese idioms refer to comprehensive and integrated fixed phrases
and expressions. Idioms are established and accepted by constant usage
and common practice. An idiom is a language unit that is larger than a word, but has the same grammatical function as a word. Most Chinese
idioms consist of four characters. For example, ziqiangbuxi ( make
unremitting efforts to improve oneself), qingchuyulan(bluer than indigo),
and houjibofa (success comes with time and effort). Idioms are extrated
from folk proverbs, ancient works of literature, poems, fables, allusions,
and well-known sayings. Idioms are a part of the Chinese language that
are concise and have great vitality.
中国成语是汉语中意义完整的表示一般概念的固定词组或短语。“成语”中
的“成”既是约定俗成。成语是比词大而语法功能又相当于词的语言单位。绝大
多数的中国成语由四个汉字组成,例如:自强不息、青出于蓝、厚积薄发。成语
主要从民间谚语、古代文学作品、诗歌、寓言、典故、名言警句等方面提炼而成,
是汉语语言中精炼而又富有生命力的一部分。
十二. 丝绸(Silk)
China is the home of silk. Mulberry planting, sericulture, silk reeling
and thickening are all great inventions of the ancient Chinese. As early as
the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600BC-256BC), the Chinese people’s
silk-weaving techniques had reached an extremely high level. During the
Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD), Zhang Qian, an outstanding
diplomat, travelled around central Asia and connected China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, opening up a new era of
Sino-foreign trade, exchange and communication. From then on,
China’s silk became well known for its extraordinary quality, exquisite
design and color, and abundant culture connotations. Hitherto, Chinese
silk has been accepted as a symbol of Chinese culture and the emissary
of oriental civilization.
中国是丝绸的故乡。栽桑、养蚕、缫丝、织绸是中国古代人民的伟大发明。
商周时期丝绸的生产技术就已发展到相当高的水平。西汉时张骞通西域,把中原
与波斯湾、地中海紧密联系起来,开辟了中外交流贸易的新纪元。从此中国的丝
绸以其卓越的品质、精美的花色和丰富的文化内涵闻名于世,成为中国文化的象
征。东方文明的使者。
十三. 中国园林
(Chinese Classical Garden)
The Chinese classical garden is a precious treasure of our ancient
Chinese architecture. It is a kind of environment art, which systematically
combines artificial mountains and rivers, plants and buildings with the
natural landscape. The construction standard of a Chinese classical
garden is “artificial as it is, the garden must look ingenious and
natural.” When you go sightseeing in a Chinese classical garden, you should be able to appreciate its artistic concept which “makes use of
the natural landscape to create the real fun of mountains and rivers for
viewers.” Of the world’s three major garden systems, the Chinese
classical garden is hailed as one of the origins of the world’s garden
due to its long history and abundant connotations.
中国园林是把人造的山水、植物、建筑等与自然地貌有机结合的环境艺术,
是我国古代建筑艺术的珍宝。其建造原则是“妙极自然,宛自天开”。游赏中国
古典园林,能充分领略“假自然之景,创山水真趣”的园林意境。在世界三大园
林体系中,中国园林历史悠久、内涵丰富,被誉为世界造园史上的渊源之一。
十四. 文房四宝
(The Four Treasures of the Study)
The writing brush, ink stick, ink stone, and paper were requisite
treasures in the study of the scholars of ancient China, and they are
often referred to as the “Four Treasures of the Study.” The writing
brush and ink stick have been used by the Chinese to write and paint
since 5,000 years ago. In the Qin Dynasty (221BC---206BC), people
already used feathers of different hardness and bamboo trunks to make
brushes. During the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), man-made ink was
used instead of natural ink. After paper was invented by the Chinese, bamboo slips, wooden tablets, brocade and silk, which originally
functioned as writing surfaces, gradually faded out. The ink stone was
first developed with the use of writing brushes and ink. After the Song
Dynasty (960AD---1279AD), the “Four Treasure of the Study”
particularly referred to hubi, the writing brush produced in Huzhou,
Zhejiang province; huimo, the ink stick produced in Huizhou, Anhui
province; xuan paper, a kind of paper produced in Xuanzhou, Anhui
province; and duanyan, the ink stone made in Zhaoqing, Guangdong
province (Zhaoqing was earlier called Duanzhou). Indeed, the Four
Treasures of the Study” have writtin the whole Chinese civilization, as it
is.
笔墨纸砚是中国古代文人书房当中必备的宝贝,被称为“文房四宝”。用笔
墨书写绘画在中国可追溯到五千年前。秦时已用不同硬度的毛和竹管制笔;汉代
以人工制墨替代了天然墨;有了纸张以后,简牍锦帛逐失其用;砚台则随笔墨的
使用而发展。“文房四宝”到宋朝以后特指湖笔、徽墨、宣纸、端砚。可以说文
房四宝书写了整个中华文明。
十五. 中国印章(Chinese Seal)
A seal can also be defined as a stamp. Both the Chinese official and
private seal of various dynasties have different titles, such as stamp, zhu note, contract, fu, lease and others. The seals used by the emperors of
ancient China were called xi, yin, bao, etc. According to historical records,
seals were widely used during the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC).
The making of a seal is to engrave fonts, such as seal characters and
official script and so on; or images in the form of intaglio and
embossment into the seal, basically shaped as round or square. Covered
with a vermilion overlay, the Chinese seal is not only used in daily life,
but it is also used to represent signatures on paintings and calligraphies.
It is gradually becoming one of China’s unique artworks.
印章就是图章。中国历代官、私所用的印章有印信、朱记、合同、符、契等
等不同的称谓,而帝王所用的印章古时称玺、印、宝、章等。据史料记载,印章
在战国时代已普遍使用。印章的制作是将篆隶等字体、图像用阴、阳的形式雕刻
而成,形状以圆、方为主。印章用朱色 钤盖,除日常应用外,又多用于书画题
识,逐渐成为中国特有的艺术形式之一。
十六. 天干地支(Chinese Era)
The Chinese era is the symbol that the Chinese calendar uses for
recording and naming years. The ten Heavenly Stems are: jia, yi, bing,
ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, gui. The twelve Earthly Branches are: zi.chou,
yin, mou, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai. After observing the lunar month, the ancients found that the moon always wazes and wanes
roughly 12 times a year, and two lunar months account for about 60 days,
so the order of the ten Heavenly Stems and the order of the twelve
Earthly Branches are properly matched in turn. In terms of recording date,
60 years is considered to be a full time cycle. The Chinese era chronology
was first invented in ancient times and is still in use now.
天干地支是中国历法中用以记录和命名年岁的方法。十天干为:甲、乙、丙、
丁、戊、已、庚、辛、壬、癸;十二地支为:子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、
申、酉、戊、亥。古人观测朔望月,发现月亮圆缺 12 次大体上是一年的天数,
而两个朔望月约是 60 天。古人以十天干与十二地支的顺序依次相配,记录不同
年份,60 年为一个轮回。干支纪年法从古沿用至今。