中國年輕人當中掀起了貼英文春聯(lián)慶祝春節(jié)的新潮流。
On China's biggest consumer online shopping platform Taobao, there are dozens of shops selling several kinds of couplets in English. A typical one reads "eat well, sleep well, have fun day by day" and "study good, work good, make money more and more".
在中國最大的網(wǎng)絡購物平臺淘寶網(wǎng)上,有幾十家網(wǎng)店都在出售多個版本的英文春聯(lián)。其中一副典型的英文春聯(lián)上聯(lián)是:eat well, sleep well, have fun day by day(吃的好睡的好開心每天),下聯(lián)是study good, work good, make money more and more(學習好工作好賺錢多多)。
Yu Runrun, who owns a Beijing shop, expects to sell about 600 sets of English couplets during the holiday season.
北京的一位淘寶店主于潤潤(音)預計在春節(jié)假期期間將賣出大約600副英文春聯(lián)。
"I began to sell English couplets four years ago, when I saw a friend from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region hanging couplets hand-lettered in the Mongolian language during Spring Festival," said Yu.
他說:“四年前,我看到一位內(nèi)蒙古自治區(qū)的朋友在春節(jié)時貼上手寫版的蒙古語春聯(lián),于是我開始賣英文春聯(lián)。”
A set of English couplets in his shop costs 25 yuan, almost double the price of the Chinese couplets.
他的店內(nèi)一副英文春聯(lián)售價25元,是中文春聯(lián)價格的近兩倍。
"Most of our buyers are young people who want to look cool and are willing to pay extra for fashionable things," Yu said, adding that some send the couplets to foreign friends as gifts.
他說:“大多數(shù)買家是年輕人,他們覺得這樣看起來很酷,也愿意為時尚產(chǎn)品多掏錢。”他還補充說,一些人買來送給外國朋友當禮物。
"Foreigners living in China also buy the English couplets to celebrate the festival, but my English is not good enough to talk with them," said the 33-year-old Beijinger.
33歲的于先生說:“住在中國的老外也會買英文春聯(lián)慶祝春節(jié),但我英語不好,沒法和他們交流。”
Spring Festival couplets, two complementary poetic lines adhering to certain rules, are one of the most common and important customs to celebrate Chinese New Year. They are often used to decorate doors and walls to express hope and happiness for the coming year.
春聯(lián)是按照平仄規(guī)則寫成的兩句對仗詩句,是慶祝春節(jié)時最常見也最重要的習俗之一,通常貼在門兩側(cè)和墻上,表達對來年的期盼和迎新年的喜悅之情。
Mo Hao, who teaches English at Guangdong University of Foreign Study's South China Business College, bought two sets of such couplets from Taobao, one for himself and the other for his colleague, Benjamin Wolken, who is from the United States. "It is very special and actually quite good-looking, which will certainly stand out," Mo said.
廣東外語外貿(mào)大學南國商學院英語教師郝墨(音)在淘寶網(wǎng)購買了兩副英文春聯(lián)。一副自用,一副送給來自美國的同事本杰明-沃爾肯。他說:“這很特別,也很好看,會非常顯眼。”
Wolken said, "I would consider buying the couplets for myself, or even make my own set in English, so I can talk more with the people around me to learn Chinese culture and language."
沃爾肯說:“我會考慮自己買英文春聯(lián),或者自己用英文寫一副,這樣我能多和周圍的人交談,學習更多的中國文化和漢語。”
He added, "I like being a part of the Chinese community, so I enjoy being a part of the traditions." 他補充說:“我喜歡融入中國社區(qū)中,體驗到傳統(tǒng)習俗讓我很愉快。”
The key to selling more English couplets is that they should consist of really simple words, so that people can easily understand the meaning, said Yu, the shopkeeper.
店主于先生說,賣出更多英文春聯(lián)的關(guān)鍵是單詞盡量簡單,這樣人們就更容易看懂。
"Grammar is not important and 'Chinglish' is also acceptable. If the sentence is grammatically incorrect, people will like it even more, just like the well-known and popular Chinglish proverb 'Good good study, day day up'," he said.
他說:“語法并不重要,中式英語也可以接受。如果句子有語法錯誤,人們反而更喜歡,就像人們用Good good study, day day up來表達眾人皆知的俗語‘好好學習,天天向上’一樣。”
After all, Spring Festival should be a happy reunion, he added.
他補充說,畢竟春節(jié)應該是一次快樂的團聚。
上聯(lián):大順大財大吉利 Great peace, great wealth, and great luck.
下聯(lián):新春新喜新世紀 New year, new joy, and new century.
橫批:萬事如意 Everything goes well.
上聯(lián):佳年好景隨春到 A good year and a nice view follow the spring.
下聯(lián):福樂安康順意來 Happiness and health arrive as you wish.
橫批:辭舊迎新 Ring out the old, ring in the new.
上聯(lián):瑞雪紛飛辭舊歲 The old year leaves amidst the falling snow.
下聯(lián):旭日東升迎新春 The new spring comes with the shining glow.
上聯(lián):Best wishes for the year to come! 恭賀新禧
下聯(lián):Good luck in the year ahead! 吉星高照
上聯(lián):等了一年又一年 I’ve been waiting year after year.
下聯(lián):年年結(jié)婚沒有咱 Each year lots marry, but not me.
橫批:再等一年 Wait one more year.
上聯(lián):Everything is possible. 任何事都可能
下聯(lián):Impossible is nothing. 沒有事不可能
橫批:Just do it. 只要肯去做
上聯(lián):Live as long as Captain America. 長壽如美國隊長
下聯(lián):Earn as much as Tony Stark. 財富比鋼鐵大俠
橫批:Marvel! 棒!