美国文化脱口秀 第322期:怎么跟老外解释清明节?

清明节英语怎么说?美国有类似的节日吗?中美对生老病死又有何不同的理解?

关键词：

清明节

Tomb Sweeping Day: 清明节

Tomb: 坟墓

Sweep: 扫

Sweep the floor: 扫地

The lunar calendar: 阴历

There's no equivalent of Tomb Sweeping Day in America：美国没有类似清明节的节日

There's Memorial Day, but it's for remembering soldiers who passed away serving the country. It's not like Tomb Sweeping Day: 有一个Memorial Day，但它是纪念阵亡将士的;和清明还是不同的

Tomb Sweeping Day is such a great tradition to honor and pay respect to your ancestors: 清明节是一个特别好的传统，来纪念你的前辈、祖先

有什么比“die"更恰当的词?

Die:死 (动词)

Dead: 死了 (形容词)但这两个词都很直接、比较刺耳

下面这些词要婉转、礼貌很多

Deceased: 过世、逝去

Pass away：过世、逝去

Pass on: 过世、逝去

Pass: 逝去

They're in a better place now: 他们在一个更好的地方

Heaven:天堂

怎么跟老外解释清明节?

怎么安慰伤心的人?

How do you console and comfort people? 怎么安慰伤心的人?

Don't be so upset. They (the person who passed away) wouldn't want you to be so upset: 别太难过了，他(去世的人)也不想看到你这么伤心

My condolences: 节哀顺变 (对逝者家属说的)

I'm very sorry for your loss: 这也是英语里常用的安慰逝者家属的话;这里的sorry不是对不起，而是我为你感到很难过

Some Americans call funeral a celebration of life: 有些美国人把葬礼叫做庆祝逝者的生命

Attendants sometimes tell jokes and share the happy memory of the person who passed: 有些人在葬礼发言时会说些笑话，纪念逝者生前给大家带来的快乐回忆

It's very different from the Chinese culture where funerals need to be very solemn: 这和中国文化很不同，中国的葬礼需要很肃静

Some might see laughter as disrespectful: 很多人会觉得葬礼上笑是很不尊重的行为

Quaker: 贵格会教徒

Burial site: 墓地、埋葬地

美国的殡仪馆

Funeral home: 殡仪馆

There are many small family-run funeral homes in America: 美国有很多小型、家庭经营的殡仪馆

Wake: 葬礼后的类似茶话会的仪式

A wake is where family and friends gather after the funeral to console each other: wake通常在葬礼后，逝者的家人和好友聚在一起，互相安慰

Wake is usually held at the funeral home and would have some food and drinks: wake通常也在funeral home举行，会有一些小吃和饮料

青团

Green dumplings: 青团 (好吧，所有的中国点心都叫dumplings)

I'm a fan of green dumplings: 我很喜欢吃青团

Sticky rice: 糯米 (口语的说法)

Glutinous rice: 糯米(正式的说法)

Red bean paste: 豆沙

江浙沪以外的朋友似乎不吃青团;你们清明吃什么呢?

网红肉松青团

The most viral green dumpling this year: 今年网红的青团

Green dumpling with meat floss and egg yolk: 蛋黄肉松青团

买不到肉松青团

试试Spencer的美式青团!

I love eating qingtuan with peanut butter and a glass of milk : 我喜欢青团上涂花生酱, 再配一大杯牛奶

What a mix of cultures: 中西合璧

Spencer强烈推荐大家试试他的创意青团吃法;Give it a try!