综合英语--Creating-a-Caribbean-Spring-Festival

Unit13MainIdeaThetextmainlytellsusastoryhappenedtoaChinesecouplelivinginFrenchGuadeloupe.TheylivedinaworldwhereChinesecustomandculturearenotwelltakennoticeof.Theauthorrecalledthehappinessofthelunarnewyearsshe’dbeenthroughinherhometownwhenshewasyoung,anddecidedtocreateaCaribbeanSpringFestivalinthiswesternculturedominatedisland.Thewholecelebrationwasimbuedwithfunandhappinessandakindoffeelingthathadbeenlostformorethan20years.They’veevenbeeninvitedtogivetalksonChineseculture.Thismadethemfeeltheurgetolearnmoreabouttheirmotherland.CreatingaCaribbeanSpringFestivalbyYiYenchunPara1[summary]ThewriterrecallshowherfamilycelebratedtheChineseLunarNewYearwhenshewaslittle.[author]YiYenchun,awriterfromTaiwan,isnowlivingonFrenchGuadeloupeinLatinAmerica.TheoriginalarticlewaswritteninChinese,translatedbyDanielRote.1.IrememberwhenIwaslittle,rightbeforetheLunarNewYearwe’dmakeanofferingtotheKitchenGod.makeanoffering:contribute(totheKitchenGod)offering:thingsoffered,especiallyasagiftorcontribution.提供之物，由指礼物，奉献之物Hegavehimaboxofchocolatesasapeaceoffering.Yesterdaytheymadeofferingstothedepartedspirit.LunarNewYear:ItreferstothetraditionalnewyearaccordingtoChinesecalendarlunar:lunarmonth,meanstheaveragetimebetweenonenewmoonandthenext.Cf:calendarmonth:periodoftimefromacertaindateinamonthtothesamedateinthenextone.2.Momalwaystoldusnottojabber,andthatweshouldeatsomesweets,soastospeaksomesweetwords.jabber:v.talkrapidlyinwhatseemstobeaconfusedmanner急促而含混不清地说话n.jabbering,chatterListentothosechildrenjabberingaway!你听那些孩子叽叽喳喳地说过不停！Youcanhearthejabberofmonkeysatthefootofmountainatnight.soastodosth.:withtheintentionofdoingsth.Heleftamessagesoastobesureofcontactingher.Cf.so…astodosth.:totheextentthatonedoessth.Shewassokindastophoneataxiforme.3.ThereshouldbenofightingordisturbancessoasnottocausetheKitchenGodtoreportunfavourablyonourfamilytotheJadeEmperorinHeaven.[paraphrase]WhilemakinganoffertotheKitchenGod,weshouldnotfightordisturb,ortheKitchenGodwouldgiveanunfavourablereporttotheJadeEmperorinHeaven.theJadeEmperor:TheJadeEmperoristhekingofallthegodsinChinesemythology.(玉皇大帝)reportunfavourablyonourfamily:toreportagainstourfamily,i.e.tospeakillofourfamily4.BeforeNewYear’sEve,MomhadalreadystartedthebusyprocessofmakingNewYearfoodslikesteamedbuns,bothstuffedandplain.MeanwhileDadpreparedtheNewYearcouplet.steamedbuns,bothstuffedandplain:“stuffed”bunsrefertobunswithotherfoodorflavourinside,while“plain”onesrefertothosewithoutanythingelseinside.couplet:twosuccessivelinesofverseofequallength.Inthetext,itreferstothosetypicalusedforcelebratingtheChineseLunarNewYear,attachingtobothsidesofone’sfamilydoor.春联5.Thebigstreetsandhiddenalleysofmyhometownwereswarmingwithpeopleatthistimeoftheyear.swarmwithsb./sth.:(ofaplace)be(unpleasantly)crowdedwithorfullof(peopleorthings)Thebeachisswarmingwithbathers.Thetableswarmedwithflies.6.ShopfrontswerepiledupwithallsortsoffoodsandgiftsappropriatefortheNewYear’sholiday.shopfronts:thepartoftheshopsfacingthestreetpileup:1)(meaninginthetext)increaseinquantity;accumulateEvidencewaspilingupagainstthem.Herdebtsarepilingupandshehasnomoneytopaythem.2)(ofanumberofvehicles)crashintoeachother,especiallyeachhittingtheoneinfront.appropriatefor/tosth.:suitable,rightandproperSportsclothesarenotappropriateforaformalwedding.7.Lastbutnotleast,oneofmyhappiestmemorieswasoftheNewYear’sdinnerandespeciallyofthemoneyhandedouttouskidsinredenvelopes.lastbutnotleast:usebeforethefinaliteminalist,meanslastbutnolessimportantthantheothers.最后但同样重要的redenvelope:红包(orcalled压岁钱insomelocalities)handsth.outtosb.:distributesth.Reliefworkerswerehandingoutemergencyrationstothesurvivors.救济人员在向生还者分发紧急配给品。8.IleftmyhometownwhenIwastwelveyearsoldandinaflashmorethantwentyyearshavepassed.inaflash:inaveryshorttimeYoujusthavetocallandhe’shereinaflash.9.Mymemories,however,notonlyhavenotdiminished,they’veactuallygotfresher.diminish:becomesmallerorlessNothingcoulddiminishherenthusiasmfortheproject.Hisillnessdiminishedhisstrength.Thatcountry’smoneyisdiminishinginvalue.Cf:lessendwindledecreasedeclineshrinkreducelessen:tobecomeormakeless减少，减轻Thenoiselessened.dwindle:tobecomesmallerandsmaller逐渐变小Thenumberofpeoplehelpingusdwindledsteadilyuntilthereareonlyfourleft.decrease:tobecomelessinsize,number,strength,amount,orqualityIshallhavetodecreaseyourwages.decline:tomovefromabettertoaworseposition下降，衰退Theoldmandeclinedrapidlyandsoondied.shrink:tobecomesmallerasfromtheeffectofheatorwater;tomovebackandaway收缩，畏缩Washingwoolinhotwaterwillmakeitshrink.reduce:tobecomesmallerorless缩减Para2[summary]Thewriter,afterexperiencingamiserableChineseLunarNewYearonGuadeloupenoactivities,noChinesefooddecidestorecreatetheChineseLunarNewYearspiritintheforeignland.1.ItwasherethatmyhusbandandIspentthemostmiserableNewYearofourlife,eatingsausagesentfromMomandDadthathadmildewedafterbeingdetainedincustomsfortoolong.miserable:a.1)veryunhappyoruncomfortable;wretchede.g.miserablefromcoldandhunger2)causingunhappinessordiscomfort;unpleasante.g.miserableweather3)poorinqualityorquantity;toosmallormeagere.g.Whatamiserablemeal