过小年了！“小年”英语怎么说？[朗读]

little new year
小年是中国传统文化中的节日，由于各地风俗不同，被称为小年的日子也不尽相同，中国民间有“官三民四船五”的传统，官家的小年是腊月二十三，百姓家是腊月二十四，水上人家则是腊月二十五。不过，问题来了，你知道小年的英语翻译是什么吗？
小年到了，你知道小年的英文表达吗？
小年儿，腊月二十三或二十四日，旧俗这天祭灶。
即：festival on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year,when sacrifices are made to the kitchen god


从各大主流媒体的相关英文报道可以看出，小年译为“little new year”“xiaonian”或者“minor new year”均可。
before chinese new year’s day officially arrives,people will celebrate xiaonian（小年）,usually on the 23rd or 24th day of the last month of the lunar calendar,which is also the start of celebrations welcoming the new year.on that day,the kitchen god（灶神）,a domestic god that protects the health and family,will return to heaven to report to the emperor of the heaven（玉皇大帝）on the activities of every household over the past year.the emperor either rewards or punishes a family based on the kitchen god’s annual report.so,people offer sacrifices to the kitchen god as a good send-off.农历腊月二十三，民间传统的祭灶日，也称“小年”。这一天有祭灶王、扫尘土、剪窗花等习俗。小年也意味着人们开始准备年货，打扫赶紧准备高高兴兴过个好年，新年一定要有新气象！你知道吗？在中国神话中，灶王老爷是中国众多居家庇佑神灵中最重要的一位，守护着健康以及家庭幸福。据说，农历十二月二十三日，在中国新年的前7天，灶王老爷会重返天庭，向玉皇大帝报告去年一整年每家每户的活动情况。玉皇大帝会根据灶王老爷的报告奖励或者惩罚这些家庭。因此，人们会在小年夜用各种供品“祭灶”，其中必不可少的就是“糖瓜”（malt sugar candies），好把灶王爷的牙齿黏住,让他不能乱说话,因此又有“年廿三,糖瓜儿粘”的说法。小年的这一习俗用英文怎么表达呢？一起来看一下：
下面就让我们来看看关于“小年”的一些传统习俗：
to describe a tradition the little new year, you should say:
what is it
who takes part in it
what activity there are
and explain how you feel about it
offer sacrifices to the kitchen god
祭灶神in one of the most distinctive traditions of the little new year is the burning of a paper image of the kitchen god,dispatching the god's spirit to heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year.the kitchen god is then welcomed back by to the home through the pasting of a new paper image of him beside the stove.from this vantage point,the kitchen god will oversee and protect the household for another year.小年最具特色的风俗就是“祭灶神”，具体来说就是将旧的灶神像烧掉，送“灶神”上天去禀报这家人在过去一年的善恶。到时（译者注：大年三十的晚上）将新的灶神像贴在灶台旁，也就是“接灶”。这样，来年“灶王爷”就能继续监视并庇佑这一家人。 the offerings to the kitchen god include pig's head,fish,sweet bean paste,melons,fruit,boiled dumplings,barley sugar,and guandong candy,a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat.most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties.it is thought that this will seal the kitchen god's mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report.the kitchen god will be invited to sit in a sedan chair for his trip to heaven.人们往往会给灶神供上猪头、鱼、豆沙、瓜果、煮熟的饺子、麦芽糖、灶糖和关东糖（一种用麦芽、小米制成的粘糖）。大部分供品是各式各样的甜品。传说这样是为了封住灶神的嘴，让他坐轿上天汇报时，只说这户人家的好话。
house cleaning大扫除between laba festival,on the eighth day of the last lunar month,and little new year,families throughout china undertake a thorough house cleaning,sweeping out the old in preparation for the new year.从腊八(农历最后一个月的第八天)到小年期间，中国各地的家庭都要进行一次彻底的房屋大扫除，除旧迎新。according to chinese folk beliefs,during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to heaven or to stay on earth.it is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities'timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their dwellings,down to every last drawer and cupboard
根据中国民间习俗，鬼魂和神明都要在腊月选择返回天上或是留在人间。传说为了确保他们及时离开，人们必须彻底清洁身体和住所，抽屉和碗柜犄角旮旯的地方也都要打扫干净。
paste paper-cuts to windows贴窗花in the little new year,old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous spring festival are taken down,and new window decorations,new year's posters,and auspicious decorations are pasted up
小年当天，人们会取下前一年的春联和窗花，贴上新的窗花、年画和各种吉祥的装饰品。
bath and hair-cut沐浴理发as the old chinese saying goes,whether they're rich or poor,people often have a haircut before the spring festival.the activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the little new year
民间有“有钱没钱，剃头过年”的说法。小年时，人们常要沐浴理发。
preparations for spring festival办年货people start to stock up necessary provisions for the spring festival since the little new year.everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors,entertain guests,and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.从小年开始，人们就要为春节置办年货了，包括给祖先的供品、招待客人的用品，还有过年期间一家人的吃食都要提前买好。before setting out to the market,a spring festival shopping list must be made,including items such as meat,poultry and eggs,fruit and vegetables,rice and flour,cigarettes,alcohol,sugar,and tea.incense and candles,snacks,new calendars,and toys must also be purchased.not to be forgotten are new clothes for children and firecrackers to welcome in the new year.在出发采购前，一定要列一份春节购物清单，包括肉禽蛋、果蔬、米面、烟酒糖茶；还要买香、蜡烛、零食、日历、玩具；给孩子们的新衣服和迎新年的鞭炮也不能忘。