ORIGIN 起源
Qing Ming is popularly associated with Jie Zi Tui, who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord's life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small principality, he invited his faithful follower to join him. However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring to lead a hermit's life with his mother in the mountains.
谈到清明节，有点历史知识的人，都会联想到历史人物介子推。据历史记载，在两千多年以前的春秋时代，晋国公子重耳逃亡在外，生活艰苦，跟随他的介子推不惜从自己的腿上割下一块肉让他充饥。后来，重耳回到晋国，作了国君（即晋文公，春秋五霸之一），大事封赏所有跟随他流亡在外的随从，惟独介子推拒绝接受封赏，他带了母亲隐居绵山。
Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. To his consternation, Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death. To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie's death. Thus began the "cold food feast", a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit.
晋文公无计可施，只好放火烧山，他想，介子推孝顺母亲，一定会带着老母出来。谁知这场大火却把介子推母子烧死了。为了纪念介子推，晋文公下令每年的这一天，禁止生火，家家户户只能吃生冷的食物，这就是寒食节的来源。
The "cold food" festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passes, the Qing Ming festival replaced the "cold food" festival. Whatever practice is observed，the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one's elders by making a special effort to visit their graves, ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more meaningful, some time should be spent to remind the younger members of the family of the lives and contributions of their ancestors, and the story of Jie Zi Zhui who choose death over capitulation.
寒食节是在清明节的前一天，古人常把寒食节的活动延续到清明，久而久之，清明取代了寒食节。拜介子推的习俗也变成了清明扫墓的习俗了。无论以何种形式纪念，为了使纪念祖先的仪式更有意义，我们应该让年轻一代的家庭成员了解先人过去的奋斗历史，当然，还要学习介子推宁死不屈的气节。
【清明习俗】
sweeping the tomb 扫墓
One of the most important activities on this day is to tend graves to honor ancestors, dead relatives and friends. On Tomb Sweeping Day, thousands of Chinese families will head to cemeteries to clean and sweep the tombs of deceased family members. As we gather with our families to remember our ancestors, remember to give thanks for family and the gift of life. In addition, as the spring comes and everywhere gets green, people often go picnicking, hiking, play kites or plant willows.
清明一大重要的活动就是上坟祭拜祖先、去世的亲人及朋友。在清明这天，成千上万的中国家庭将要前往陵园去为逝去的亲人扫墓。当我们全家一起祭奠祖先的时候，记得一同感谢家人和生命的礼物。除此之外，春天到来万物复苏，人们也常常借此机会外出野餐，徒步旅行、放风筝或者种柳树。
清明节相关英文词汇
day of sacrifice 祭祀节日
offer sacrifices to ancestors 祭祖/上供
condolence 哀悼之情
hell note/joss paper 纸钱
funeral supplies/products 殡葬用品
funeral services 殡葬服务业
mortician 殡仪业者
burn incense 焚香
tomb-sweeping 扫墓
tomb sweeper 扫墓的人
kite flying 放风筝
spring outing 踏青
god's lantern 神灯
memorial tablet 纪念碑
willow branches inserted on each gate 门旁插柳
cremation urn 骨灰盒
mourning ceremony 哀悼仪式
inhumation 土葬
cremation 火葬
sea-burial 海葬
boat-coffin burial 船棺葬
tree burial 树葬
celestial burial 天葬
flower burials 花葬
filial piety 孝顺 孝心
Day of the Dead(亡灵节，墨西哥传统节日，人们通过守灵、上供等方式祭奠逝去的亲人。)
清明节的英文例句：
为什么我们在清明节要扫墓?
Why must we go and sweep the tomb on Tomb Sweeping Day?
清明节的时候，我们去为忠烈扫墓。
In early April, we went to sweep the martyrs' graves.
你清明节有放假吗?
Do you have holidays on Tomb Sweeping Festival?
清明节对中国人来说是一个很重要日子。
Tomb-sweeping day is an important day for chinese.
写出了清明节的特殊气氛。
Write the tomb-sweeping day special atmosphere.
清明节我们放假三天。
We have three days free on Tomb-sweeping Day.
清明节在中国是法定节假日。
The Qingming Festival is a statutory public holiday in China.
随着时间的推移，寒食也为清明节所替代。
Over time, Hanshi Day was replaced with tomb-sweeping day.
四月份的清明节期间，对原该县百姓开放。
It reopened to former residents during Qingming, or tomb-sweeping day, in April.
在这个追思逝者的清明节，人们却更多地感受到了生命的力量、生命的顽强，他们表达着来自同胞的关爱与对国家救援的赞赏。
In this Tomb Sweeping Day for memorizing the deceased, people nevertheless sensed more of the power of life and showed great concern to their compatriots and great compliment to our state’s rescue.
清明节是扫墓拜祭先人的日子。
The Qingming Festival in spring is the occasion for visiting ancestral graves.
据中国传统习俗，人们通常在清明节放风筝。
According to our traditions and customs, flying kites usually happen at the QingMing Festival.
重阳节登山和清明节扫墓等民俗应当被铭记，因为它们是中国文化遗产不可或缺的组成部分。
Folk customs like climbing a mountain during the Double Ninth Festival orcleaning the tombs during the Qingming Festival deserve to be remembered asthey are integral part of the Chinese heritage.
清明节是一个纪念祖先的节日。
Qing Ming is a time to remember the dead and the dearly departed.
人们在清明节会怎样过?
How do people celebrate Qingming Featival?
随着中国人在一年一度的清明节期间祭祀先人，公墓及殡葬服务价格暴涨成为激起民愤的一个焦点问题。
As millions paused to honor their ancestors during the annual Tomb-Sweeping Festival, the increasing cost of cemetery plots and funerals has become a focusof national anger.
周一是中国传统的清明节，人们在这一天祭奠逝 去的亡灵。
Monday was China's traditional "Tomb-Sweeping Day", when people mourn theirdead.
每年4月4-6日左右的清明节是传统的扫墓的日子。
Qingming Day, the traditional tomb-sweeping day, falls on April 4-6 each year.
随着清明节的到来，全国各地的人们都在怀念和哀悼逝去的亲友。
People around China commemorated deceased relatives and friends as theQingming Festival begins.
