| Sun1'er2: |
Zhei4xie1 he4nian2ka3 hao3 piao4liang a!
Ba4ba, zhei4 ji3 zhang1 shi4 nin2 de. |
|
These New Year greeting cards are beautiful! These few
are yours, Daddy. |
| Ye2ye: |
Da4fu4, nong2li4 xin1nian2 kuai4 dao4 le,
wo3men gai1 ban4 nian2huo4 le. |
|
Dafu, Chinese New Year is just round the corner. It's
time we buy the New Year necessities. |
| Er2zi: |
Hao3 ba, jiao1gan1, nian2gao1, la4wei4, tang2guo3....
zhei4xie1 nian2huo4 yi2ding4 yao4 mai3. |
|
Yes, mandarin oranges, New Year cakes, cured meat, sweets
and candies... All these are necessities we must buy. |
| Sun1'er2: |
Hao3 a! Xin1nian2 kuai4 dao4 le, wo3men you4 ke3yi3
chuan1 xin1yi1, na2 hong2bao1 le. Ma1, wo3 lai2 bang1 nin2 zuo4
gao1bing3 hao3 ma? |
|
Marvellous! New Year is just round the corner. It's time
we put on new clothes and get red packets! Mum, can I help you make New
Year cakes? |
| Xi2fu4: |
Bie2 dan1xin1: Po2po hui4 bang1 wo3 zuo4.
Ni3 he2 Jie3jie bang1 Ba4ba da4 sao3=chu2 ba! |
|
Don't worry, Grandma will give me a hand. Just help your
Daddy in the spring cleaning with your sister. |
| Ye2ye: |
Da4fu4, ni3 ke3 bie2 wang4le song4-li3 yo. |
|
Dafu, don't forget about the gifts. |
| Sun1'er2: |
Wa1! Jin1wan3 de cai4yao2 hao3 feng1fu4 a!
Ma1, wei4shen2me hai2 bu4 kai1-fan4 ne? |
|
Wow! What sumptuous dinner courses for this evening!
What are we still waiting for, Mum? |
| Er2zi: |
Jin1tian1 shi4 Chu2xi1, wo3men yao4 deng3
ni3 de Shu1shu hui2lai2 chi1 tuan2yuan2fan4. |
|
Today being New Year's Eve, we are waiting for your uncle
to return for the reunion dinner. |
| Sun1'er2: |
Ye2ye, shen2me jiao4zuo4 tuan2yuan2fan4? |
|
Grandpa, what is a reunion dinner? |
| Ye2ye: |
O4! An4zhao4 Hua2ren2 de feng1su2, Chu2xi1
zhei4tian1, jia1li de cheng2yuan2, bu4guan3 qu4le duo2 yuan3 de di4fang,
dou1 yao4 gan3=hui2lai2 tuan2yuan2 chi1-fan4, Zhe4 jiu4 jiao4zuo4
"tuan2yuan2fan4". |
|
Well, according to the Chinese custom, members of a family,
wherever they are, must hurry back for reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.
This is called "reunion dinner". |
| Xi2fu4: |
Chi1=wan2 le "tuan2yuan2fan4", Ye2ye he2
Po2po hui4 gei3 ni3men "ya4sui4qian2", Ba4ba yao4 dai4 ni3men
qu4 Niu2che1shui3 guang4 hua1shi4 mai3 nian2hua1. |
|
After the reunion dinner, Grandpa and Grandma will give
you yasuiqian (red packets). Daddy will take you to the flower market in
Chinatown. |
| Er2zi: |
Shi4 a! Niu2che1shui3 shi4 nong2li4 xin1nian2 qi1jian1
zui4 re4nao de nian2huo4 shi4chang3, ge4zhong3 nian2huo4, ying1you3-jin4you3. |
|
Yes, Chinatown is the busiest place where New Year necessities
may be bought. |
| Sun1'er2: |
Nar4 zhuang1shi4 de wu3cai3-bin1fen1, er2qie3 dao4chu4
ren2shan4-ren2hai3, deng1guang1 can4lan4. |
|
This place is well decorated and crowded with people
and full of colours and lights. |
| Ye2ye: |
Jin1wan3 wo3men yao4 shou3-sui4 guo4-nian2 ne! |
|
Tonight we shall stay up to usher in the New Year! |
| Sun1'er2: |
Ye2ye, wei4shen2me yao4 shou3-sui4 guo4-nian2 ne?
|
|
Grandpa, why must we stay up for the New Year? |
| Ye2ye: |
O4! Xiang1chuan2 zai4 hen3 jiu3 yi3qian2, you3 yi4zhong3
chi1 ren2 de ye3shou4 jiao4zuo4 "Nian2". Ta hai4pa4 hong2se4,
ye3 hai4pa4 huo3guang1 he2 sheng1xiang3. Dang1shi2 de ren2min2, jiu4 yong4
hong2se4 tu2 zai4 men2qian2, dian3 liang4 huo3ba3, ran2fang4 bao4zhu2,
xi1wang4 ba3 ta1 gan3=pao3. Di4 er4 tian1, qing4xing4 mei2you3 bei4 "Nian2"
chi1=diao4, jiu4 suan4 zeng1jia1 yi2sui4. Yu2shi4 da4jia1 jiu4 hu4xiang1
zhu4he4. Zhe4 jiu4 shi4 shou3-sui4 guo4-nian2. |
|
Well, it is said that long ago there existed a man-eating
animal known as Nian. It was scared of the colour red, light and noise.
So, the people painted the front doors of their houses red, lighted the
torches and firecrackers in the hope of driving away the animal. On the
following day, they were happy that they had not been "eaten"
by Nian and thus considered themselves older by one year. Then they congratulated
one another and wished one another good luck. That's the purpose of staying
up to usher in the New Year. |
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