Seeds （lotus seeds， watermelon seeds， etc）種子（蓮子，西瓜籽等）

Visit an Asian bakery during the Chinese New Year， and youre likely to find a wide sorts of snacks with different types of seeds in them. The seed-filled treats represent bearing many children in Chinese culture.

在中國春節(jié)期間去糕點房逛逛，你很可能就會看到品種繁多的由不同種類的種子制成的中國小吃。包著種子的客食在中國文化中象征多子。

Noodles面條

Noodles are a symbol of long life in Chinese culture. They are as much a part of a Chinese birthday celebration as a birthday cake with lit candles in many countries. Since noodles do symbolize long life， it is considered very unlucky to cut up a strand.

面條在中華文化中是長壽的象征。在中式的生日慶典中，面條的重要性不亞于很多國家點著蠟燭的生日蛋糕。鑒于面條象征長壽，切斷面條被看作是非常不吉利的做法。

Is there any major holiday that isnt celebrated with a special festive food？ Given the important role food plays in Chinese culture， it is not surprising that many foods have symbolic meaning. The symbolic significance of a food may be based on its appearance or on how the Chinese word for it sounds. Here are several symbolic Chinese foods.

哪個特殊的節(jié)日會沒有美食的陪伴呢？美食在中華文化中扮演著重要的角色，也自然地有了象征意義。食物的象征意義可以來源于其外形本身或者名字發(fā)音。本文介紹了一些在中國文化中極具象征性的食物。

Fruit — Tangerines， Oranges and Pomelos

水果——橘子、橙子和柚子

Tangerines and oranges are passed out freely during Chinese New Year as the words for tangerine and orange sound like luck. As for pomelos， this large ancestor of the grapefruit symbolizes abundance， as the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the word for “to have”.

在中國春節(jié)期間，有的地方人們會贈送橘子和橙子，因為這兩種水果的漢語發(fā)音聽起來吉利。大個頭柚子是葡萄柚的原種，象征著富饒，因為其中文發(fā)音和“有”接近。

The Vegetables蔬菜

Chinese garlic chives symbolize eternity， while cone-shaped winter bamboo shoots are a symbol of wealth.

Do not disregard the dish—it is more than just， simply food combination. Bear in mind the culture elements—appreciate the blessing within.

在中國，韭菜象征著永恒，錐形的冬筍象征著財富。

不要認為菜肴只是簡單的食物搭配而忽視它。牢記美食中蘊含的文化元素，感受食物被賦予的美好祝福吧。

Eggs雞蛋

Eggs hold a special symbolic significance in many cultures， and China is no exception. The Chinese believe eggs symbolize fertility. After a baby is born， parents may hold a “red egg and ginger party，” where they pass out hard boiled eggs to announce the birth. In some regions of China the number of eggs presented depends on the sex of the child： an even number for a girl， and an odd number if a boy has been born.

雞蛋在很多文化中都有著特殊的象征意義，在中國也不例外。中國人相信雞蛋象征著繁衍。嬰兒出生后，父母可以組織一個“紅雞蛋和生姜宴”，傳遞煮好的雞蛋以宣布新生兒的出生。在中國有些地區(qū)，拿出的雞蛋個數(shù)代表著孩子的性別：偶數(shù)代表女孩，奇數(shù)代表男孩。endprint

Fish魚

Although westerners sometimes balk at the sight of an entire fish lying on a plate， in China a fish served whole is a symbol of prosperity. In fact， at a banquet it is customary to serve the whole fish last， pointed toward the guest of honor. Fish also has symbolic significance because the Chinese word for fish， yu， sounds like the word for riches or abundance， and it is believed that eating fish will help your wishes come true in the year to come.

盡管西方人看到一整條魚躺在盤子里有時會猶豫不前，然而在中國，端上的整條魚是富饒的象征。事實上，宴會的習俗是魚要最后端上桌，魚頭要對著貴賓。魚的象征意義也來自于中文魚的發(fā)音，其與表示富有和充裕的“余”同音，而且人們相信吃魚會讓他們在來年心想事成。

Cake糕點

And what about the sweet， steamed cakes that are so popular during the Chinese New Year season？ Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich， sweet life， while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally， the round shape signifies family reunion.

中國春節(jié)期間廣受歡迎的蒸糕又有 什么象征意義呢？像糯米糕之類的糕點在很多方面都有著象征意義。糕點本身的甜味象征著富足、甜美的生活，而多層的糕點結(jié)構(gòu)又象征著來年更上一層樓的富有。還有，圓圓的外形代表著家庭團聚。

Chicken雞

In Chinese culture， chicken forms part of the symbolism of the dragon and phoenix. At a Chinese wedding， chickens feet （sometimes referred to as phoenix feet） are often served with dragon foods such as lobster. Chicken is also popular at Chinese New Year， symbolizing a good marriage and the coming together of families （serving the bird whole emphasizes family unity）.

在中國文化中，雞是組成龍和鳳凰的一部分。在中式婚禮上，雞爪（有時被稱為鳳爪）通常和與龍有關(guān)的食物（比如龍蝦）一起被奉上。雞也是中國新年慶祝的一部分，象征婚姻美滿和家庭團聚（整只雞更強調(diào)家庭團圓）。

Duck鴨

If you are ever invited to a Chinese wedding banquet， dont be surprised to spot a mouthwatering platter of Peking duck on the banquet table. Ducks represent fidelity in Chinese culture. Also， red dishes are featured at weddings as red is the color of happiness. （Youll find them served at New Years banquets for the same reason.）

如果你被邀請參加中式婚宴，看到宴席上讓人垂涎三尺的北京烤鴨不要太過驚訝。鴨子在中國文化中象征忠誠。而且，紅色菜肴是婚禮的特色，因為紅色是象征幸福的顏色（同樣的原因，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)它們也會出現(xiàn)在新年宴席上）。

Word Study

eternity /?'t?n?ti/ n. 永恒；不朽

abundance /?'b?nd?ns/ n. 富饒；充裕

prosperity /pr?'sper??t?/ n. 繁榮；富裕

signify /'s?gn?fa?/ v. 表示；意味著

emphasize /'emf?sa?z/ vt. 強調(diào)；著重

mouthwatering /'ma?θ'w??t?r??/ adj. 味道好的；誘人的endprint