“立冬”是二十四节气中的第十九个节气，冬季的第一个节气。斗柄指向西北方位，太阳黄经达225°，于每年公历11月7-8日之间交节。立冬是季节类节气，表示自此进入了冬季。立，建始也；冬，终也，万物收藏也。立冬，意味着生气开始闭蓄，万物进入休养、收藏状态。其气候也由秋季少雨干燥向阴雨寒冻的冬季气候渐变。我们来看看如何用英文描述立冬这一节气，学会用英文讲述节气的故事，传播中国文化。The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. Lìdōng(pīnyīn), literally "Start of Winter", is the 19th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 225° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 240°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 225°, which in the Gregorian calendar is around November 7.传统农历将一年划分为24个节气。立冬，拼音为Lìdōng，英文为Start of Winter，是一年中第19个节气。它始于太阳到达黄经225°，结束于太阳到达黄经240°。它更常指的是太阳正处于黄经225°的日子，在公历中，通常在11月7日左右。Each solar term can be divided into 3 pentads. They are: first pentad, second pentad and last pentad. Pentads in Lidong include:每个节气可分为三候：初候、次候和末候。立冬的三候为：First pentad 初候:
水始冰
Water begins to freeze地始冻
The earth begins to harden 雉入大水为蜃
Pheasants enter the water and become clamsStart of Winter is the first solar term of winter, which means winter is coming and crops harvested in autumn should be stored up. Start of winter is also one of the seasonal nodes that Chinese people attach great importance to. It is a time to enjoy a good harvest and take a good rest. People look forward to the prosperity and happiness of life in the coming year.立冬是冬季的第一个节气，这意味着冬季即将来临，秋季收获的作物应该储存起来。立冬也是我国民间非常重视的季节节点之一，是享受丰收、休养生息的时节，人们期待着来年生活的兴旺如意。In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. However in fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter of every area doesn’t begin at the same time.在古代，中国人把立冬当作冬天的开始。然而事实上，从气象学的角度来看，立冬并并不是冬天的开始。每年的气候都不一样，所以冬天的开始可能会大不相同。由于中国幅员辽阔，每个地区的冬天并不是同时开始的。The four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, the ancient emperor would take a shower and have no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of "welcoming the winter."“四立”（四个季节的开始：立春、立夏、立秋和立冬）在古代是重要节日。立冬前，古代皇帝会洗个澡，不再吃肉。在立冬这一天，皇帝将带领官员们一起到郊区，举行“迎冬”仪式。A legend has it that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing saved many people in Henan province from a typhoid epidemic and their ears' from being frostbitten around Start of Winter. He cooked mutton, hot peppers and herbs to dispel the cold and increase body heat. He wrapped these ingredients into dough wrappers and made them into ear shapes. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as "dumpling". Today there is still a saying that goes "Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten". 传说，东汉末年，“医圣”张仲景在河南省的一次伤寒疫情中拯救了许多人，并使他们的耳朵在立冬前后免受冻伤。 他煮羊肉、辣椒和草药来驱寒和增加体温。他把这些原料包成面皮，做成耳朵形状。从那时起，人们就学会了制作这种人称“饺子”的食物。今天仍然有一句俗语说“立冬不端饺子碗，冻掉耳朵没人管”。 On the first day of Start of Winter, there is a custom, "nourishing the winter", in Southeast China in places such as Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan provinces. To prepare for the oncoming cold winter, people there like to eat high-calorie food such as chicken, duck, beef, mutton, and fish, which are usually stewed with some Chinese medicines to enhance the effectiveness of the nourishment.在立冬的第一天，在中国东南部的福建、广东、台湾等地，有一种“补冬”的习俗。为了迎接即将到来的寒冬，那里的人们喜欢吃高热量的食物，如鸡、鸭、牛肉、羊肉和鱼，这些食物通常与中药（当归、川芎、白芍和地黄等）一起炖，以增强营养效果。Now it's your time to open your mouth and practice!Have fun learning English!
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