朕如何欢欢喜喜过大年？| 有声双语

The Chinese New Year is drawing near, and many people are already busy preparing for the biggest festival in China. Usually, for common families, there is a list of traditions to follow during the Spring Festival, such as wearing new clothes, eating dumplings, hanging spring couplets and visiting relatives. Do you know how the ancient emperors celebrated Spring Festival in the royal court? Let's investigate.

中国农历新年临近，不少人都在为这一最盛大的节日忙碌着。春节期间，老百姓通常会遵循一系列习俗，比如穿新衣、吃饺子、挂春联、走亲戚等等。那么，你知道古代的皇帝是如何在皇宫里庆祝春节的吗？让我们一起来看看吧。

Special clothes and dinners

特殊的服饰与晚宴

Like common people, the ancient emperors would wear special clothes and arrange a special dinner for the big occasion.

和寻常人家一样，古代皇帝们在这一隆重的场合会穿上特别的服饰，并安排一场特殊的宴会。

On the Chinese New Year's Eve, the 30th day of the 12th month in the Lunar Calendar, the emperor would solemnly wear a bright yellow dragon robe stitched with gold and colored thread, and embroidered with dragon patterns and 12 ornaments. The emperor would also wear a fur coat, a crown on the head and court beads on chest. The whole garment in bright colors symbolizes auspiciousness and a prosperous nation.

农历年三十的除夕夜，皇帝会郑重地穿上一件由金丝彩线织成的明黄色龙袍，上面绣有龙的图案以及12种纹饰。皇帝还会身着皮毛大衣，头戴冠冕，并佩戴朝珠。整套服饰色彩亮丽，象征着吉祥如意与国运昌盛。

The first dinner in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) royal court was dumplings, just like common families, while there were still ceremonies to obey. 

和平民百姓一样，清朝宫廷中的第一场晚宴是饺子宴，但仍要遵守一些典礼仪式。

In addition, family feasts were also indispensable. The emperor would host family feasts with the queen, concubines and princes respectively. The feasts were held strictly in accordance with etiquette, such as the number of dishes, the color and quality of the tableware as well as the order of seats. Though called a family feast, the form and etiquette are more important than appetite.

除此之外，家宴也必不可少。皇帝将分别主持与皇后、嫔妃以及王公贵族们用膳。宴会严格遵循礼制，菜肴的数量，餐具的颜色与品质，以及座位的次序都有讲究。尽管被称为家宴，但宴会的形式和礼仪要比菜色口味重要得多。

The royal court also obeyed the traditional custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, so a midnight snack would be prepared for the emperor, which always included fresh and dried fruit displayed in auspicious patterns.

皇家同样也遵循着除夕守岁的传统，所以宫里也会为皇帝备好夜宵，一般是带有吉祥寓意的新鲜水果及果脯。

Entertainment during the Spring Festival

春节期间的娱乐活动

From the second day of the first lunar month to the 10th day, an auspicious day would be chosen to hold a tea party, in which the emperor would invite dukes and ministers to create poetry under his rule and well-performed officials would be rewarded.

皇家会从正月初二到初十之间，挑选一个吉日举办茶会。皇帝会邀请王公大臣们按其命题来作诗，作得好的官员则有赏。

During the ancient times when there was no television, a major recreation in the royal court was watching Chinese operas, which had to be lively and auspicious. Several emperors in the Qing Dynasty would act in operas themselves, such as the Qianlong Emperor, Daoguang Emperor and Tongzhi Emperor. The Guangxu Emperor could even beat drums.

古时候没有电视，所以宫廷里的一大消遣就是看戏，所观看的曲目也要生动活泼、吉祥如意。清朝就有多位皇帝，比如：乾隆、道光、同治等曾亲自上阵表演。光绪皇帝甚至还会击鼓。

Hanging spring couplets and door gods

挂春联、贴门神

Hanging spring couplets and pasting door gods is a major custom during the Spring Festival. Unlike folk families, the spring couplets in the royal palace were written on white silk using ink, then framed and hung on the bright red pillars of the palaces. Thus the color contrast was enhanced to make the spring couplets more clear.

挂春联、贴门神是春节期间的一大习俗。和老百姓家不同的是，皇宫里的春联都是用墨汁写在白绸上的，然后再装裱起来，挂在宫内的大红柱子上。这么一来，颜色对比更加强烈，春联看起来也更为醒目。

The couplets in the royal palaces were quite numerous and were mostly themed on eulogizing peaceful and flourishing eras, the emperor's merits and virtues, or blessings for a prosperous country and contented people.

皇宫里的春联数量众多，大多数都是在歌颂天下太平，国家繁荣昌盛、一国之君的功绩美德或是祈求国泰民安。

No matter the superior emperor or common people, whether the ancient royal palace or modern families, the joyous mood and blessing for a better year during the Spring Festival has never changed.

不论是九五之尊还是平民百姓，不论是古代皇家或是现代家庭，过春节的喜悦之情以及对新年的美好祝愿，从未改变。

本文英文来源：中国日报网

本文音频由我报外籍编辑Jordon Shinn朗读

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