Episode 29 ｜ 春节快乐！
Joanne 00:02
Hello大家好，欢迎大家回到我们新的一期，瞎扯学中文。今天的日子比较特殊，因为明天是春节前的除夕夜，后天就是星期二就是新年，也就是春节。今天我邀请到了一个老朋友Angelina，我们来一起聊一聊关于春节的那些事儿。 Hello everyone, welcome back to our new issue, Blindly Learning Chinese. Today is a special day because tomorrow is New Year’s Eve before Chinese New Year, and the day after is Tuesday is New Year, or Chinese New Year. Today I’ve invited an old friend Angelina, let’s talk about Chinese New Year.
Angelina 00:33
Hello大家好，我又回来啦，然后今天因为快要到春节了，所以说我跟join我们两个也都穿得很喜庆，都穿了红色的衣服，因为红色在中国的文化里面就代表着喜庆还有吉祥。 Hello everyone, I’m back again, and today, because it’s almost Chinese New Year, I’m wearing red clothes with Joanne, because red is a symbol of joy and good luck in Chinese culture.
Joanne 00:51
对，然后刚才我跟Angelina在录节目之前正好说起，明天我要在除夕夜的时候跟在中国的父母我的爸妈打一个视频电话，然后我们就最怕的一件事情就是每次一到春节就会被父母家里的亲戚朋友问一个问题。 Yes, Angelina and I were just talking before the show, tomorrow I’m going to make a video call with my parents in China on New Year’s Eve, and then one of the things we’re most afraid of is that every time we get to the Chinese New Year, we’ll be asked a question by our parents’ relatives and friends at home.
Angelina 01:14
就是你什么时候结婚？ When will you get married?
如果你结了婚之后，就是你什么时候生小孩？ If you get married, when are you going to have kids?
Joanne 01:23
对，现在我和Angelina两个人都在国外，所以这个问题我们基本上可以怎么说避开，如果我们不和爸妈打电话的话，但是之前我在国内的时候，我真的很怕每一年过春节，因为过春节的传统习俗在中国就是要回家，然后要跟你的比如说像我我们家是在上海，但是我爷爷奶奶以及外公外婆家都是在上海附近的一个岛叫崇明岛，在农村，所以按照习俗，我们每年春节是要回去跟爷爷奶奶外公外婆一起过春节，但是因为这是一个比较农村的，怎么说，比较乡村的地方，所以平时就是到了春节大家也闲着，没什么事好聊，每次一聊一定会聊到你们家小孩都已经你们家女儿已经30岁了，怎么还没结婚，什么时候生小孩？ Yes, now both Angelina and I are abroad, so this question we can basically how to say to avoid, if we do not call with Mom and Dad, but before I was in the country, I really dreaded every year for the Chinese New Year, because the traditional customs of the Chinese New Year in China is to go home, and then to talk to your for example, like I our family is in Shanghai, but my grandparents and grandpa Grandparents are in an island near Shanghai called Chongming Island, in the countryside, so according to the custom, we have to go back every year to spend the Spring Festival with grandparents and grandparents, but because this is a more rural, how to say, more rural places, so usually is to the Spring Festival we are also idle, nothing to talk about, every time a chat will certainly talk about your children have been your daughter has been 30 years old, how not married, how to get married? The year is 30 years old, how not married, when to have children?
Angelina 02:23
你们是不是也是一样，因为我听到你关于聊到30岁，你们也是会算虚岁的吗？ You guys are not the same, because I heard you about talking about 30 years old, you also count the virtual age?
Joanne 02:30
对，我们会算虚岁，我现在一直觉得我已经30岁了，在中国的话算年龄，是要在实际年龄上面加一岁，所以叫虚岁。 Yes, we do count imaginary years, I always think I’m 30 now, in China, you add one year to your actual age, so it’s called imaginary years.
Angelina 02:41
是的，你刚出生比如说你可能还没有过几个月，但是你可能就已经是一岁了，他是从一岁开始算的，所以说是虚岁。所以我觉得因为算了虚岁，然后我觉得又给催婚上面加了一层紧迫感，因为觉得你年龄越来越大。 Yes, you have just been born for example you may not have passed a few months, but you may already be one year old, he started counting from one year old, so it is called imaginary years. So I think because of the virtual age calculation, then I think it adds another layer of urgency to the rush because it feels like you’re getting older.
Joanne 03:00
而且30岁是一个很可怕的一道坎，每次说的30岁了还没有结婚，在中国很晚的一件事情。 And 30 years old is a very scary hurdle, every time you say 30 years old and not married, it’s very late
Angelina 03:11
是的，我也是对，我觉得很多不光是谈话之中，包括很多电视作品，还有综艺节目都在渲染这30岁是一道坎，比如说之前有一个电视节目叫30而已，讲就是过30的女人。或者是乘风破浪的姐姐，就是讲30加的姐姐。我觉得很多时候我可以理解这些节目的立意，就是想说30家的女生还是女人还是很迷人，有不一样的风采，但是我觉得也有太多的重点放在了30这个年龄上，但是我觉得年龄很多时候其实不是最重要的。 Yes, I am also right, I think a lot of not only in the conversation, including a lot of television works, and variety shows are playing up this 30 years old is a hurdle, for example, there is a television program called 30 only, about is over 30 women. Or the sister who is riding the wave, is talking about 30 plus sister. I think a lot of times I can understand the intention of these programs, is to say that 30 home girls or women are still very attractive, have a different style, but I think there is also too much focus on the age of 30, but I think age is often actually not the most important.
Anyways我觉得我们有点扯远了，我们回到催婚这个话题上来。 Anyways I think we’re getting a little far away from this, let’s get back to the topic of marriage.
Joanne 03:56
对这个词本身也是蛮有中国特色的，就是催婚，催就是你要催别人做一件什么事情，婚就是结婚的婚，然后这个词催婚，这就是在我们这个年龄的女生Angelina和我最可怕的问题，但是你还记不记得，以前我们比较小的时候，比如说可能刚毕业的时候过回去过春节，还有什么可怕的问题经常会被问起。 The word itself is also quite Chinese, is to rush marriage, rush is you have to rush others to do something, marriage is the marriage of marriage, and then the word rush marriage, which is in our age girls Angelina and I the most terrible problem, but do you remember, before we were relatively small, such as perhaps just graduated when going back over the Spring Festival, and what terrible problems are often asked.
Angelina 04:24
我觉得那家长之间的互相比较了，比如说很多人会问你工作了没有，如果还在上大学的话，那就是你的GPA是多少啊，或者问你有没有考研考博士的计划，反正我觉得很多情况之下在互相的比较，而且我觉得这个比较很大一部分上是源自于很多，我觉得国内的家长是期望于你在一个阶段会做某一件事情，他们会觉得说你要是快毕业了就得马上找工作，你找了工作之后就得马上买房，你房子有着落了之后就得马上结婚，你结婚之后就一定马上要有小孩。 I think that parents compare each other, for example, many people will ask you if you have worked, if you are still in college, that is, how much is your GPA, or ask you if you have plans to study for a PhD, anyway, I think many cases are comparing each other, and I think a large part of this comparison is derived from many, I think domestic parents are expecting you to do a certain thing at one stage. They think that if you are going to graduate, you have to find a job right away, and after you find a job, you have to buy a house right away, and after you have a house, you have to get married right away, and after you get married, you have to have kids right away.
Joanne 05:07 Joanne 05:07
对，而且我觉得为什么这种问题总是在过春节的时候发生，平时你可能也不太会了解这些话题，但是过春节就会有七大姑八大姨，这是1个中国的怎么说固定特色成语，就是你的所有亲戚朋友，就好像你有7个姑姑，8个大姨他们就会聚在一起，但这一帮人他们平时也不经常见面，所以他们也没有什么可以聊的，聊来聊去比较自己的小孩到了什么阶段，然后他们分别做了什么工作，有没有结婚？ Yes, and I think why this kind of problem always happens at the time of the Spring Festival, usually you may not know much about these topics, but the Spring Festival will have seven aunts and eight great aunts, which is 1 Chinese how to say fixed characteristic idiom, is that all your relatives and friends, as if you have 7 aunts, 8 great aunts they will get together, but this group of people they usually do not often meet, so they also There is nothing to talk about, talk about what stage to compare their children to, and then what work they did respectively, did they get married?
我最讨厌的其实就是这些亲戚，他们问我，他们也不是真的关心我，是的。你懂吧？对，他们其实就是随口那么问一问，因为真的没有什么其他好聊的，但是就会有很多的压力。 What I hate the most is actually these relatives, they ask me, and they don’t really care about me, yes. You get it, right? Yes, they actually just ask that casually, because there is really nothing else to talk about, but then there is a lot of pressure.
Angelina 06:04
是的，我觉得他们很多人问你你结婚了吗？或者你生小孩了吗？普遍到像在北美或者在欧洲那边问how are you how’s it going？ Yes, I think a lot of them ask you are you married? Or did you have kids? It’s common to ask how are you how’s it going like in North America or in Europe?
Joanne 06:17
对，你现在29岁，他们见到你就不会问how are you，他们就会问are you married？ Yeah, you’re 29 now, they won’t ask how are you when they see you, they’ll ask are you married?
Angelina 06:24
是的。 Yes.
Joanne 06:26
对，但是anyways就抛开催婚这个话题，因为我们两个现在都在国外，你今年春节反正我们两个都回不了家，你有没有最想念的，或者说如果你在国内最喜欢的春节的什么活动，今年最想念的活动是什么? Yes, but anyways just put aside the topic of marriage, because both of us are abroad now, you can’t go home this Spring Festival anyway, we both can’t go home, do you have the most missed, or if you are at home what is your favorite Spring Festival activity, what is the most missed activity this year?
Angelina 06:47
有，我觉得小时候长大的记忆，我觉得可能我们都是一样的，我觉得大家在一起吃饭，然后吃完饭之后看春晚，然后就觉得当时的春晚就是春节联欢晚会是中央台播出的一套节目，上面有小品歌舞之类的。 Yes, I think the memories of growing up as a child, I think maybe we are all the same, I think we all eat together, and then after eating dinner to watch the Spring Festival Gala, and then I think the Spring Festival Gala at that time is the Spring Festival Gala is a set of programs broadcast by the Central Television, which has skits songs and dances and so on.
小时候会觉得可能也是因为当时娱乐的选择没有那么多，会觉得春晚真的是一个很好的娱乐的平台，所以说大家都会守着电视看春晚，会一个节目这样看下去。然后还有大年初一的时候，我们家里面会放鞭炮，就是fireworks，然后会去长辈家里面拜年，吃吃喝喝，对，然后就做各种各样很有趣的事情。现在长大了之后，我觉得好像春晚是越来越少的人在看了，但是我还是很喜欢跟家里人在一起团聚的那些记忆。 When I was young, I thought it might be because there were not so many entertainment options at the time, and I thought the Spring Festival Gala was really a good platform for entertainment, so everyone would watch the TV to see the Spring Festival Gala, and would watch one program like this. Then there is the first day of the New Year, we will set off firecrackers, that is, fireworks, and then will go to the elders’ homes to pay their respects, eat and drink, yes, and then do all kinds of very interesting things. Now that I’ve grown up, I feel as if the Spring Festival Gala is less and less people are watching it, but I still love the memories of reunions with my family.
包括我第一次带瑞福回去过春节的时候，我父母也还是买了鞭炮，买了炮竹给我们放，所以说也是一个很开心的回忆，对你。 Including the first time I took Raphael back for the Chinese New Year, my parents still bought firecrackers and firecrackers for us to play, so it’s also a very happy memory for you.
Joanne 08:04
我其实还蛮喜欢看春晚我，真的吗？ I actually quite like watching the Spring Festival Gala me, really?
我觉得是一个对我来说首先是一个传统，就像你说的春晚它已经有40年50年的历史了，真的从我的小时候每一年除夕，春节前一天晚上一定要做的事情就是全家一起在电视机前面从8点一直看到12点，然后它会有一个倒数。 I think it’s a tradition for me first of all, like you said the Spring Festival Gala has a history of 40 years and 50 years, really since I was a child every New Year’s Eve, the night before the Spring Festival must do is the whole family together in front of the TV from 8 o’clock until 12 o’clock, and then it will have a countdown.
春节到了10 9 8 7 6 5 4321是然后他会继续放到12:30，然后我就看完睡觉，对，然后迎接春节，我每一年都会这么做，所以虽然春晚其实有的时候会有一些，像propaganda，或者你知道现在也有很多人诟病说春晚这个不好那个不好，而且有很多其他的电视台，中国的其他电视台也出了类似的很长时间的在除夕夜可以放的一些节目，所以对春晚来说也是一个竞争，但对我来说春晚是一个传统。 Spring Festival to 10 9 8 7 6 5 4321 is then he will continue to put 12:30, and then I will watch to sleep, yes, and then to meet the Spring Festival, I will do this every year, so although the Spring Festival Gala actually sometimes there will be some, like propaganda, or you know now also a lot of people criticized that the Spring Festival Gala this bad that bad, and there are a lot of other TV stations, China’s other There are a lot of other TV stations, other Chinese TV stations have come out with similar long time programs that can be shown on New Year’s Eve, so it’s a competition for the Spring Festival Gala, but for me the Spring Festival Gala is a tradition.
另外一个事情我觉得我看春晚其实是为了吐槽这个。 Another thing I think I watch the Spring Festival Gala is actually to spit this out.
Joanne 09:15
对吧？就是春晚它就是有很多可以吐槽的点，但是你不看的话你就没有跟大家有共同语言，不能一起吐槽老师，这个是所以其实我最期待的。从8点开始你就开始刷朋友圈，就是朋友圈是微信的Moment，相当于是微博之类的，然后你想想象一下全中国，我不知道一共14亿人，可能有5亿人在看春晚是，然后你的朋友圈里所有的人都在讨论同一个，而且它是实时播的，对，所以比如说所有人都在看同一个唱歌的节目，然后大家都在一起讨论，这种感觉就是非常的有各种community。 Right? The Spring Festival Gala has a lot to roast, but if you don’t watch it, you don’t have a common language with everyone, you can’t spit on the teacher together, and that’s what I’m actually looking forward to. From 8 o’clock onwards you start to brush the circle of friends, is the circle of friends is WeChat Moment, equivalent to weibo and so on, and then you want to imagine the whole China, I do not know a total of 1.4 billion people, there may be 500 million people watching the Spring Festival Gala is, and then all your friends are discussing the same, and it is real-time broadcast, yes, so for example, all people are watching the same singing show, and then everyone All are discussing together, this feeling is very much a variety of community.
对有一种参与感，所以我还是蛮喜欢这种感觉的。 Yes, there is a sense of participation, so I still quite like this feeling.
Angelina 10:05
倒是对了，你们家里面有发微信红包的传统吗？我觉得这是一个新的习俗。对。 By the way, do you have a tradition of sending WeChat red envelopes in your family? I think it’s a new custom. Right.
Joanne 10:14
这个是从哪一年开始的？微信推出了红包以后，春节发微信红包抢红包变成了一个习俗，是的。 What year did this start? After WeChat introduced the red envelope, it became a custom to send out WeChat red envelopes to grab red envelopes at Chinese New Year, yes.
Angelina 10:25
你现在在国外之后有还继续看春晚吗？ Do you continue to watch the Spring Festival Gala after you’re abroad now?
Joanne 10:29
有，说到明天不是除夕吗？然后国内的晚上8点是我现在欧洲时间的下午1点，我明天下午专门请了假，我明天请了半天的假，从我的公司，就是为了我要专心看春晚。我很认真的对待的。 Yes, it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow, isn’t it? And then 8:00 p.m. at home is 1:00 p.m. European time for me now, and I took tomorrow afternoon off specifically, I took a half day off tomorrow from my company, just so I can focus on watching the Spring Festival Gala. I’m taking it very seriously.
Angelina 10:52
真的你真的很认真我觉得。 Really, you really are very serious I think.
像我在北美这边的话，其实说实话做可能是刚出国那几年会，真的会跟同学看春晚，但是到现在的话，我可能还是在国外的春晚的那种氛围不是很浓，就不会有特地去关注春晚这些，就不会特地再花时间来看。 I’ve been in North America for a couple of years, and I’ll be honest, I’ve been watching the Spring Festival with my classmates, but now, I’m still in a foreign country where the atmosphere of the Spring Festival is not very strong, so I’m not going to pay special attention to it, and I’m not going to take the time to watch it.
所以说还是有点遗憾的，对。 So it’s still a bit of a pity, yes.
Joanne 11:22
对，其实这次也是第一次我想到要请假去看春晚，然后我明天也是请了三个中国朋友来家里，然后可能明天会去买一些瓜子很重要，看春晚的时候要嗑瓜子。瓜子的英语是什么？ Yes, in fact, this time is also the first time I thought of taking time off to watch the Spring Festival Gala, and then I also invited three Chinese friends to come home tomorrow, and then probably tomorrow will go to buy some guazi. It is very important to eat sunflower seeds when you watch the Gala. What is Guazi in English?
Angelina 11:41
瓜子应该是sunflower seed，因为是向日葵的籽。 Guazi should be sunflower seeds, because it is the seeds of sunflowers.
Joanne 11:48
对，但是在这是一个中国的零食，因为我好像从来没有看到过外国人吃。 Yes, but in this is a Chinese snack because I never seem to see foreigners eating them.
Angelina 11:56
我觉得国外人就很不喜欢吃，让你你要费就是费一些时间或者力气才能吃到的东西。 I think foreigners just really don’t like to eat, so that you you have to fee is to spend some time or effort to eat something.
比如说很多人喜欢，比如说像瑞福他只喜欢吃鸡胸肉，他不喜欢吃任何有骨头的东西，我觉得瓜子应该也是一样的。 For example, many people like, for example, like Raphael he only likes to eat chicken breast, he doesn’t like to eat anything with bones, and I think the melon should be the same.
Joanne 12:14
对，不是瓜子是一个中国的零食，但是你要用牙齿把瓜子的壳剥开，然后去掉，然后你吃里面的瓜子的仁瓜子仁就是叫什么客人这里面的这个东西。对，然后这个东西其实它吃不饱，是的，所以你可以吃很久4个小时，吃很久一包瓜子你可以吃很久，所以这是中国人在看春晚或者聊天的时候最喜欢吃的一个零食。 Yes, not melon seeds is a Chinese snack, but you have to use your teeth to peel the shell of the melon seeds and then remove it, and then you eat the kernel of the melon seeds inside the kernel of the melon seeds is what is called the guest this inside this thing. Right, and then this thing actually it does not eat full, yes, so you can eat a long time 4 hours, eat a long time a packet of melon seeds you can eat a long time, so this is the Chinese people in watching the Spring Festival dinner or chatting when the most like to eat a snack.
所以anyways我觉得明天我可能会买一些瓜子，然后我请了三个朋友一起然后吐槽或者跟我爸妈打一个电话，还是蛮期待，我觉得有一些、仪式感，对是的。 So anyways I think tomorrow I might buy some melon seeds and then I invited three friends together and then spit it out or make a phone call with my parents, still quite looking forward to it, I think there is some, sense of ritual, right yes.
Angelina 12:57
你你有准备煮什么大餐吗？ Do you you have any big dinner planned to cook?
Joanne 13:03
明天晚上我们去一家中国的餐厅吃中餐幸福幸福。 Tomorrow night we’re going to a Chinese restaurant for Chinese food happy happy happy.
Angelina 13:09
我今天晚上正好约了另一个朋友，也是一个中国的朋友来，然后我们准备做水饺，做酸菜鱼、做红烧羊肉。 I happen to have another friend, also a Chinese friend coming over tonight, and then we are going to make dumplings, make pickled fish, and make braised lamb.
Joanne 13:16
你们自己做水饺吗？ Do you make your own dumplings?
Angelina 13:19
对我们自己做，actually是他做好之后带过来。对，所以说对跟其他的朋友一起庆祝，但是可惜的是因为多伦多还在封城当中，所以说餐馆是不开的，所以就不可以去餐馆里面一起吃。 Yes, we make them ourselves, actually he makes them and brings them over. Yes, so we celebrate with other friends, but unfortunately because Toronto is still closed, so the restaurants are not open, so we can’t go to the restaurants to eat together.
Joanne 13:36
说到吃的习俗， Angelina你们家有什么春节一定要吃的东西吗 Speaking of food customs, Angelina, do you have anything that your family must eat for Chinese New Year?
Angelina 13:44
有，我觉得每年一到春节的时候，各种肉类，比如说羊肉、猪肉，还有牛肉是我们家就一定会买很多的，然后包括有香肠也特别重要，然后春晚，然后餐桌上一定要有鱼，因为就意味着年年有余，就是说 you always have left over for the next year。 Yes, I think every year when the Chinese New Year comes, all kinds of meat, such as mutton, pork, and beef is something that our family will definitely buy a lot of, and then including sausages is also very important, and then the Spring Festival dinner, and then there must be fish on the table, because it means that there is surplus in the year, that is you always have left over for the next year.
Joanne 14:08
对，这是一个谐音，这是一个pun，对，这是一个pun,很重要，因为鱼就是fish，但在中文它的发音和leftover是一个意思，所以每年都有一些剩余的leftover，说明你明年会更有更多的。 Yes, It’s a pun, yes, it’s a pun, it’s important because fish is fish, but in Chinese it’s pronounced and leftover is a meaning, so every year there is some leftover, it means you will have more next year.
Angelina 14:24
like好运的是这样子。你们呢？ like good luck is this way. What about you guys?
Joanne 14:27
因为我是上海人，我们每年春节一定要有的东西是我知道八宝饭。你这你可以跟大家解释一下什么是八宝饭。 Because I am from Shanghai, something we must have every year for the Chinese New Year is I know eight treasure rice. You this you can explain to everyone what is “ eight treasure rice”
Angelina 14:42
应该它为什么叫八宝饭，因为里面应该是有很多不同很多各种各样的元素element在里面，它不光是饭，它里面我记得应该还有什么花生。 It should be why it is called eight treasure rice, because it should have a lot of different many various elementselement in it, it is not only rice, it should have what peanuts inside I remember.
Joanne 14:56
瓜子、枣、瓜子、红枣，对核桃、桂圆有吗？对我也不知道具体有什么，但是有8样，理论上应该有8样不同的东西，是的，所以是8个宝贝八宝饭是的，但是它其实就是总体而言，大家可以想象一下是一碗饭是糯米饭，就是sticky rise，但它整个的是甜的，里面有各种各样的这些小东西，核桃什么的，最后它是一道甜品的形式呈现的。 There are seeds, dates, melon seeds, red dates, to walnuts, cinnamon have? Yes I don’t know exactly what is there, but there are 8 kinds, theoretically there should be 8 different things, yes, so it is 8 baby eight treasure rice yes, but it is actually just overall, we can imagine is a bowl of rice is glutinous rice, is sticky rise, but it is sweet throughout, there are all kinds of these small things inside, walnuts or something, and finally it is a dessert in the form of presented.
然后所以每年的最后一道菜就是一道八宝饭，而且八宝饭的形状它是圆的嗯。因为在中国缘也是一个比较吉祥的含义，因为大家要团圆要在一起。 Then so the last dish of the year is a eight treasure rice, and the shape of the eight treasure rice it is round um. Because in the Chinese edge is also a more auspicious meaning, because we have to reunite to be together.
Angelina 15:44
是的，我觉得这个很有意思的一点，我觉得很多中国特别是在年夜饭的习俗上，它很多的菜肴都是它菜肴的名字都是有一定的寓意，有一定的习俗的，就像八宝饭一样，因为它的意思也 eight treasury也代表了对新的一年到来的一个美好的愿望。 Yes, I think this is a very interesting point, I think a lot of Chinese especially in the custom of the New Year’s Eve dinner, it is a lot of dishes are the name of its dishes have a certain meaning, there are certain customs, like the eight treasure rice, because its meaning is also e
Joanne 16:06
对刚才你说的那个词，年夜饭也是一个我觉得中国特有的词，就是刚才我们在说春节前的一天晚上叫除夕，但是另外一个名字叫大年夜，然后所以说大年夜那天晚上吃的晚饭叫年夜饭，年夜饭是在中国习俗里最重要的一顿饭，是的，就有点像在西方世界里的，那Christmas就是圣诞节的那一个大圣诞节的晚饭。 Yes, the word you just said, New year’s eve’s dinner is also a word that I think is unique to China, that is, just now we are talking about the night before the Chinese New Year is called ChuXi, but another name is called DaNianYe, and then the dinner that is eaten on the night of New Year’s Eve is called Nian Ye Fan, It is the most important meal in China that Christmas is that big Christmas dinner of Christmas.
Angelina 16:36
是的没错。对， Yes that’s right. Right.
Joanne 16:40
然后我刚才还想到一个事儿，你们家有没有贴福字或者春联？ And then I just thought of one more thing, do you put up “fortune” or spring coupletss in your house?
Angelina 16:46
有，我觉得这也是一个很有意思的习俗。 Yes, I think it’s a very interesting custom.
因为我们家是一个小小镇，所以说每年一到春节的时候就会有各种各样的集市，然后你就可以去集市上买各种各样的福字，然后春联，然后各种各样红颜色的装饰品就可以放在家里面，然后就也是家里面可以是红彤彤的一片，也是寓意着你新年里面会有一个好兆头。 Because our family is a small town, so every year when the Chinese New Year comes, there are all kinds of markets, and then you can go to the market and buy all kinds of fortune words, and then spring coupletss, and then all kinds of red decorations can be put inside the house, and then the house can be red, and it means that you will have a good sign in the New Year.
Joanne 17:18
对，我觉得还是要大家给大家解释一下春联和福字是什么。 Yes, I think it’s important for everyone to explain what the spring couplets and fortune words are.
Angelina 17:22
字福应该就是fortune，对吧？然后中国有一个很有意思的习俗，就是你买了福之后，你一定要把它给倒过来贴，就是you have to have a upside down。为什么要把它给倒过来贴？因为这又是一个pun，福倒过来 Up side down又跟到up side down的，跟coming到来的到是一个词，是一个是同样的发音，对，所以说很多时候大家就想用这样子的一个胖了，然后来表示说我想请我的fortune来到我的家里面，这样子我明年的时候我们家就会事事很多事情就会很顺利，就会有运气有福到来。 The word fortune should be fortune, right? And then there’s a very interesting custom in China, that is, after you buy a fortune, you have to have a upside down, why do you have to have a upside down? Because this is another pun, “Dao” , “up side down” and “coming” are the same pronunciation, yes, so that many times people want to use this kind of a fat, and then to say that I want to invite my fortune to my home inside, this way I next year when our family , every thing will be very smooth, there will be luck and fortune to come.
Joanne 18:10
然后福字说白了，它其实就是一张红色的贴纸，然后你会把它贴纸上面写着符，就是刚才Angelina说的fortune这个字把它贴在门上或者窗户上，然后春联。 And then the word fortune to put it bluntly, it is actually a red sticker, and then you will put it on the sticker with a charm written on it, is just Angelina said the word fortune to put it on the door or the window, and then the spring couplet.
Angelina 18:27
我觉得春联也是有很悠久的历史，春联一般是贴在门上的，然后春联的话会是比较长的一个句比较长的句子，然后他们是会对账的意思就是rhythm or rhyme actually这两个句子是会rhyme。 I think the spring couplet is also has a very long history, the spring couplet is generally posted on the door, and then the spring couplet words will be a relatively long sentence relatively long sentence, and then they are going to account for the meaning is rhythm or rhyme actually these two sentences is going to rhyme.
然后春联上表达的也是对新的一年的一些美好的向往或者是愿望之类的，对。 And then the spring couplet expresses also some good yearning or wish for the new year and so on, yes.
Joanne 18:55
对，所以这两个其实福字春联，然后有的时候我们会贴窗花，是用一张红色的纸，然后是一个剪纸，就是paper cutting的艺术品，最后它我觉得归根结底在中国的春节，我们就是会往门或者窗户上贴红色的装饰品，因为红色在中国是寓意着好运吉祥，然后上面写的字也是寓意着好运吉祥，所以这些装饰品贴到家里就会让一下子你会觉得家里特别的festive，特别的有节日的气氛，很喜庆，对中文叫喜庆，是的。 Right, so these two actually fortune spring couplet, and then sometimes we will paste the window flower, is with a red paper, and then is a paper cutting, is paper cutting artwork, and finally it I think in the end in the Chinese New Year, we will be to the door or window paste red decorations, because the red in China is a symbol of good luck and good fortune, and then the word written on it is also a symbol of good luck and good fortune, so these decorations paste to the home will let a moment you will feel the home special festive, special festive atmosphere, very festive, to the Chinese called festive, yes.
Angelina 19:38
我觉得就跟在圣诞节的时候，西方家里面人必须要有圣诞树，或者是有那些装饰其实是一样的道理，对fairy lights一样的道理。对。 I think it’s the same reason as at Christmas time, people in western homes must have Christmas trees, or have those decorations is actually the same reason with fairy lights
Joanne 19:50
所以今年你有没有买在多伦多有没有买到这些春联，福字没有买。 So this year did you buy any of these spring couplets in Toronto did you buy any of these spring couplets, the fortune words?
Angelina 19:56
因为最近太忙了，我都没有时间去中国超市，不过 Joey现在可以看到，因为我之前9月份的时候回了趟国，所以说买了一套红颜色的衣服，上面写着日进斗金，就是说money everyday也代表了我这两天一直在穿，所以说也代表了我对未来的一个美好的希望。 Because I’ve been so busy lately, I don’t even have time to go to the Chinese supermarket, but Joey can see now, because I went back to my country before in September, so that I bought a set of red-colored clothes, which says day in day out, that means money everyday also represents what I’ve been wearing these two days, so that also represents a good hope for my future.
Joanne 20:21
对在中文里面有很多这样的4个字的成语，是可以用在春节的嗯，比如说日进斗金就是一个很好的词，然后还有最著名的应该是恭喜发财。 Yes, in Chinese there are many such 4-character idioms that can be used in Chinese New Year, for example, 日进斗金 is a very good word, and then there is the most famous one which should be 恭喜发财
Angelina 20:35
我觉得恭喜发财的意思就是congratulate you on your fortune。我觉得很多中国很多这些4字成语，包括就是新年的祝福语，其实都是跟钱有关 I think the meaning of congratulate you on your fortune. i think a lot of these Chinese many of these 4-character idioms, including is the New Year’s blessing, are actually related to money.
Joanne 20:47
也不全是，比如说万事如意，对。 not everything, for example, 万事如意
Angelina 20:51
但是我觉得有相当一部分是跟钱有关的，我觉得还是挺有意思的一点，因为你不会在西方的祝福语上会说 merry Christmas，I hope you make a lot of money next year But I think there’s quite a lot of money related, I think it’s still quite an interesting point because you wouldn’t say merry Christmas on a western greeting, I hope you make a lot of money next year
Joanne 21:01
对，感觉就是中国人还是蛮注重的，蛮实际的，这样我们这样来结束今天的pod cast，我们来比赛，每个人说一个4字成语，就是我们在春节会说的吉祥语，然后看谁先说不出来的好吗？ Yea I feel that the Chinese are still quite focused, quite practical, so let’s end today’s pod cast this way: let’s race, each person say a 4-character idiom, that is, we will say the lucky words in the Chinese New Year, and then see who cannot continue the first, okay?
好好我先来好，恭喜发财。 Good good I come first good, congratulations and fortune.
Angelina 21:25
鸿运当头，万事如意。吉祥开泰。 Hóngyùn dāngtóu, wànshì rúyì. Jíxiáng kāi tài.
Joanne 21:31
吉星高照。
Jíxīng gāozhào.
Angelina 21:34
步步高升 Bùbù gāoshēng
Joanne 21:39
她在作弊，Angelina刚才作弊，因为他在看自己的衣服上写了什么字，我讲一下恭贺欣喜，日进斗金。春节快乐，年年有余。 Ok。好的，我们今天的节目就到这里，最后祝听我们的节目的所有人春节快乐。 She’s cheating, Angelina just cheated because he was looking at what he wrote on his shirt, I’ll talk about congratulations and joy, day by day. Happy Chinese New Year, year after year. Ok. Ok, that’s it for our show today, and finally happy Chinese New Year to everyone listening to our show.
Angelina 22:09
还有因为今年是虎年，所以说祝大家虎虎生威。 And because this year is the Year of the Tiger, I wish you all the best of luck.
Joanne 22:13
对，说得好。对春节我们每年都会有一个动物的属性，今年是虎年。对。对好，那祝大家活虎生威，新年快乐。节快乐拜拜。 Yes, good point. For Chinese New Year we have an animal attribute every year, and this is the year of the tiger. Right. Right, well, then wish everyone a happy year of Tiger! Happy New Year.
