The Qingming Festival 清明节
作者 /俞佳奇
指导教师 / 班海东
As one of the four great traditional Chinese festivals, the Qingming Festival (also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival) is the most important traditional Chinese festival to sweep tombs and pay respect to the deceased ancestors.
清明节是中国传统中最重要的祭祖和扫墓的日子，是中国四大传统节日之一。
The Qingming Festival can be traced back to over 2,500 years ago.
清明节已经有两千五百多年的历史。
Legend has it that the festival originated from the Cold Food or Hanshi Festival, which commemorates Jie Ziti, a loyal official of the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period.
相传这个节日起源于寒食节，为了纪念春秋时期一个忠于晋国的官员介子推。
Jie followed his master Prince Chong’er, who was forced to exile because of persecution.
当时晋国公子重耳被迫逃亡在外。
In extreme hardship, Jie once cut flesh from his thigh and cooked it as his master’s food.
生活艰苦，跟随他的介子推不惜从自己的腿上割下一块肉让他充饥。
Later on, Chong’er returned to his native country and became king of the state of Jin.
后来，重耳回到晋国，做了国君（春秋五霸之一晋文公）。
As soon as he ascended throne, he rewarded his followers in his time of need but forgot Jie.
即位后封赏当初伴随他流亡的功臣，唯独忘了介子推。
Many people complained about the injustice and advised Jie to seek reward from the king.
很多人为介子推鸣不平，劝他面君讨赏。
Jie despised these acts and retreated to Mianshan Mountain with his mother.
然而介子推鄙视争功讨赏的行为，他带了母亲隐居绵山。
The king felt great regret upon knowing the fact.
晋文公听说后，羞愧莫及。
After his vainly painstaking efforts of trying to retrieve Jie, the king followed the advice of setting fire to the mountain with the purpose of forcing them out.
他遍寻介子推母子不得，无奈下放火烧山，以便逼出介子推母子。
However, Jie and his mother refused to go out and were finally burnt to death.
谁知这场大火却将母子烧死。
In honor of Jie Zitui, the king fixed the date of Jie’s death as the Cold Food Festival and another day following it as the Qingming Festival.
为了纪念介子推，晋文公下令将每一年的这一天定为寒食节，并把寒食节的后一天定为清明节。
As a result of the affinity of the two festivals, the two festivals gradually merged into one.
由于清明节和寒食节十分相似，后来两个节日渐渐合二为一。
Eventually, in the Southern Song Dynasty, the Qingming Festival replaced Cold Food Festival completely.
到了南宋时期，清明节完全取代了寒食节。
Sweeping tombs and commemorating the deceased ancestors, among others, are two important customs during the Qingming Festival.
扫墓祭祖是清明节的重要习俗。
On that day, people set out offerings, burn incense and joss paper, tend to the tombs, and kowtow to show respect to their ancestors.
清明扫墓时，人们要在亲人墓前供奉祭品焚香烧钱，为坟墓培添新土，叩头祭拜。
In addition, Qingming is also one of the 24 seasonal division points in Chinese calendar, falling on one day from the fourth to sixth of April every year.
清明也是中国农历的二十四节气之一时间为每年的公历 4月4日到6日的一天。
Upon the arrival of Qingming, the temperature is on the rise and it is good time to sow plants in spring, which can be reflected in a Chinese saying: people start to sow beans and plant melons before ang after the Qingming Festival.
清明一到，气温升高，正是春耕春种的大好时节，故有“清明前后，种瓜点豆”游踏春、享受春光的节日的俗语。
In the meanwhile, Chinese people are fond of going out to enjoy spring sunshine and beautiful scenery.
同时，清明也是中国人郊郊游踏春、享受春光的节日。
俞佳奇
英语B2204班
我来自河北省涿州市。我喜欢篮球，音乐，阅读，既安静又好动。
我的家乡是个北方小城，是刘关张桃园三结义的地方，交通便利，四季分明，虽然特色不多，但我很依赖我的家乡。
我很喜欢我学习的英语专业，希望自己的英语口语能越来越好，近期的目标就是能像说母语一样把英语能很自然地说出来。
