节日的由来(英语)

春节的由来
The Origin of Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is now popularly known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the Begining of Spring (the first of the twenty-four terms in coodination with the changes of Nature). Its origin is too old to be traced. Several explanations are hanging around. All agree, however, that the word Nian, which in modern Chinese solely means "year", was originally the name of a monster beast that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year.
One legend goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bite. People were very scared. One day, an old man came to their rescue, offering to subdue Nian. To Nian he said, "I hear say that you are very capable, but can you swallow the other beasts of prey on earth instead of people who are by no means of your worthy opponents?" So, it did swallow many of the beasts of prey on earth that also harrassed people and their domestic animals from time to time.
After that, the old man disappeared riding the beast Nian. He turned out to be an immortal god. Now that Nian is gone and other beasts of prey are also scared into forests, people begin to enjoy their peaceful life. Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each years end to scare away Nian in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color the beast feared the most.
From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of Nian is carried on from generation to generation. The term "Guo Nian", which may mean "Survive the Nian" becomes today "Celebrate the (New) Year" as the word "guo" in Chinese having both the meaning of "pass-over" and "observe". The custom of putting up red paper and firing fire-crackers to scare away Nian should it have a chance to run loose is still around. However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, except that they feel the color and the sound add to the excitement of the celebration.
参考资料：

如何用英语介绍赵州桥

Zhaozhou Bridge
The Zhaozhou Bridge (traditional Chinese: 赵州桥; simplified Chinese: 赵州桥; pinyin: Zhàozhōu Qiáo) is the worlds oldest open-spandrel stone segmental arch bridge.[1] Credited to a craftsman named Li Chun, the bridge was constructed in the years 595-605 during the Sui Dynasty. Located in the southern part of Hebei Province, it is the oldest standing bridge in China, although the Chinese had built bridges over waterways since the ancient Zhou Dynasty.
Name and location
The Zhaozhou Bridge is also known as the Safe Crossing Bridge (traditional Chinese: 安济桥; simplified Chinese: 安济桥; pinyin: An Ji Qiáo, englished as the Anji Bridge) and the Great Stone Bridge (Chinese: 大石桥; pinyin: Dà Shí Qiáo). It crosses the Xiao River (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: 洨河; pinyin: Xiào Hé, Jiao He) in Zhao County, approximately 40 km southeast of the provincial capital Shijiazhuang. It is named for the nearby Zhao County (赵县), which was formerly known as Zhaozhou (赵州).
Construction
The Zhaozhou Bridge is about 50 m long with a central span of about 37 m. It stands 7.3 m tall and has a width of 9 m. The arch covers a circular segment less than a semicircle and has a rise-to-span ratio of approximately 1:5 (7.3 to 37 m). This is considerably smaller than the rise-to-span ratio of 1:2 of a semicircular arch bridge and subjects the abutments of the bridge to large forces.
The central arch is made of 28 thin, curved limestone slabs which are joined with iron dovetails. This allows the arch to adjust to shifts in its supports, and prevents the bridge from collapsing even when a segment of the arch breaks. The bridge has two small side arches on either side of the main arch. These side arches serve two important functions: First, they reduce the total weight of the bridge by about 15.3% or approximately 700 tons, which is vital because of the low rise-to-span ratio and the large forces on the abutments it creates. Second, when the bridge is submerged during a flood, they allow water to pass through, thereby reducing the forces on the structure of the bridge.
Li Chuns innovative spandrel-arch construction, while economising in materials, was also of considerable aesthetic merit. An inscription left on the bridge by Tang officials seventy years after its construction reads:
“ This stone bridge over the Jiao River is the result of the work of the Sui engineer Li Chun. Its construction is indeed unusual, and no-one knows on what principle he made it. But let us observe his marvellous use of stone-work. Its convexity is so smooth, and the wedge-shaped stones fit together so perfectly... How lofty is the flying-arch! How large is the opening, yet without piers!.. Precise indeed are the cross-bondings and joints between the stones, masonry blocks delicately interlocking like mill wheels, or like the walls of wells; a hundred forms (organised into) one. And besides the mortar in the crevices there are slender-waisted iron cramps to bind the stones together. The four small arches inserted, on either side two, break the anger of the roaring floods, and protect the bridge mightily. Such a master-work could never have been achieved if this man had not applied his genius to the building of a work which would last for centuries to come.[2] ”
Later history and reputation
In the next 1400 years, the bridge survived at least eight wars, ten major floods and numerous earthquakes, the nearest of which being the 7.2 degree Xingtai Earthquake in 1966. Yet, the support structure remains intact and the bridge is still in use. Only the ornamental railings have been replaced every few hundred years.
The intriguing design of the bridge has given rise to many legends. According to one legend, the bridge was built by a master architect named Lu Ban in a single night. In another story, the bridge was put to the test by two immortals who crossed it at the same time and Lu Ban saved it by wading into the water and supporting the structure.
Although Ming Dynasty authors compared the bridge to "a new moon rising above the clouds" and "a long rainbow hanging on a mountain waterfall"[2], it later fell into obscurity. When Professor Liang Sicheng (梁思成) of Tsing Hua University rediscovered the bridge on a field exploration of ancient architecture in Hebei province, made detailed measurements, and published a report and drawing ("An Chi Chiao the Great Stone Bridge Chao Hsien, Hobei, Sui Dynasty AD 569-617, Li Chun Master Builder"), it became world famous.
Zhaozhou Bridge was dedicated as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1991. The Chinese authorities nominated it for incription on the World Heritage List as having "a very important place in the world bridge building history".[2]
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You can tell your friend to google it online--Zhaozhou Bridge.

英语中的主将从现，主祈从现，主情从现是什么意思呀？

1、主将从现是指如果主句用将来式则从句用现在时态。
例句：I will walk to school if it doesnt rain tomorrow.
主句是"I will walk to school"中有“will”，表示将来，句中如果有“am/is/are going to"也是一般将来时态，it doesnt rain是从句，句中的”doesnt“很好的体现出这是一般将来时态，tomorrow是时间状语，通常由”if“引导的句子是主将从现。
2、主祈从现应该是如果句子是祈使句那么时态用一般现在时。
例句：Please let me know if he comes back.
这是主祈从现，主句是Please let me know中含有”please“是祈使句，祈使句一般开头是以do  、let、dont、never、to do开头，"he comes back"是从句，"comes"说明是一般现在。 
3、 主情从现应该是指如果句子中有情态动词那么情态动词后加一般现在时的动词，即动词原型。
例句：If you feel hungry ,you should eat something.
这是主情从现，"you should eat something"是主句，句中的”should“是情态动词，情态动词常用的有can、may、must、should，"you feel hungry"是从句。
总结：主要看句中有没有if，when，as soon as……这些词有时代表主将从现，主祈从现，主情从现，注意："when"有时可以和延续性动词连用，也可以和短暂性动词连用。

扩展资料：
一、if作为连词，引导条件状语从句。它表示的意思是“假如”“如果”等。在复合句中如果主句用将来时，则if引导的状语从句用一般现在时。例如： 
1、If itdoesn’train,we will go to the park next Sunday.
如果天不下雨，下周星期天我们将去公园。
2、If you ask him，he will help you.
如果你求他，他将会帮助你。
二、if还可以引导让步状语从句。这时if当作“即使是”,“虽说”。例如： 
1、If she’s poor,at least she’s honest．
虽说她很穷，但至少她还是诚实的。
2、If I am wrong,you are wrong,too． 
即使说我错了，那么你也不对。
3、I’ll do it,even if it takes me all the afternoon． 
虽然会花费我一下午的时间，我还是要做这事。
三、if引导时间状语从句，当if做“当”或“无论何时”解而不含有条件之义时，if从句中的时态与主句中的时态相同。例如： 
1、If youmix yellow and blue,you get green．
你将黄色与蓝色混合，便会得到绿色。 
2、If she wants the servant,she rings the bell．
每当她需要仆人时，她便按铃。