中国文化相关英文词汇

传统节日词汇

• 拜年: pay a new year call
• 爆竹: firecracker
• 鞭炮: a string of small fire crackers
• 大扫除: year-end household
• 灯谜: lantern riddles
• 庙会: temple fair
• 年画: new year’s picture
• 挂年画: to hang out new year’s picture
• 年夜饭: family reunion dinner on lunar new year
• 守岁: to stay awake all night
• 年糕: glutinous cake for new year
• 大年初一: the first day of the first lunar month
• 八宝饭: eight-treasure rice pudding
• 对联: poetic couplets
• 贴春联: to put up antithetical couplets
• 糊窗花: to put up window paper-cuts
• 压岁钱: money given to children as a lunar new year gift

民俗词汇

• 轿子: sedans
• 风车: pinwheel
• 杂技: acrobatics
• 魔术: magic
• 皮影: shadow puppet
• 糖人: sugar-molded
• 四合院: courtyard homes
• 踩高跷: stilt walk
• 武术: martial arts
• 人力车: rickshaw
• 宫灯: palace lantern
• 猜拳: finger-guessing game
• 说书: monologue story-telling
• 老字号: time-honored
• 相声: cross talk
• 本命年: this animal year of sb.
• 处世之道: philosophy of life
• 姻缘: yinyuan (prefixed fate of marriage)

中国独特的传统饮食

• 馄饨: wonton
• 锅贴: guotie (fried jiaozi)
• 春卷: Spring Roll(s)
• 莲藕: Lotus Root
• 花卷: steamed twisted rolls
• 套餐: set meal
• 盒饭: box lunch; Chinese take-away
• 米豆腐: rice tofu
• 米粉: rice noodles
• 冰糖葫芦: a stick of sugar-coated haws (or apples, etc.)
• 火锅: Hot Pot
• 八宝饭: eight-treasure rice pudding
• 粉丝: glass noodles
• 豆腐脑: jellied bean curd
• 北京烤鸭: Beijing Roast Duck
• 小吃摊: Snack Bar/Snack Stand

中国古代独特事物

• 宣纸: rice paper
• 衙门: yamen
• 叩头: kowtow
• 孔子: Confucius
• 牌楼: pailou; pai-loo
• 武术: wushu (Chinese Martial Arts)
• 功夫: kungfu; kung fu
• 中庸: the way of medium (cf. Golden Means)
• 中和: harmony (zhonghe)
• 孝顺: to show filial obedience
• 孝子: dutiful son
• 家长: family head
• 三纲: three cardinal guides: ruler guides subject, father guides son, husband guides wife
• 五常: five constant virtues: benevolence (humanity), righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity
• 八股文: eight-legged essays
• 多子多福: The more sons/children, the more blessing/great happiness
• 养儿防老: raising sons to support one in one’s old age

特有的一些汉语词汇

• 武术: martial arts
• 气功: Qigong
• 打擂台: to fight a challenge fight in an arena
• 听评书: to listen to historical or traditional stories
• 下象棋: to play Chinese chess
• 练习书法: to make special studies of calligraphy
• 画国画: to do traditional Chinese painting
• 题诗: to inscribe a poem
• 求对: to match an antithetical couplet
• 禅宗: Zen Buddhism
• 禅: dhyana; dhgaya
• 混沌: chaos
• 道: Daosim, the way and its power
• 四谛: Four Noble Truths
• 八正道: Eightfold Path
• 无常: anity
• 五行说: Theory of Five Elements
• 无我: anatman
• 坐禅: metta or transcendental meditation
• 空: sunyata
• 虚无: nothingness
• 还愿: redeem a wish (vows)

中国古代文学

• 红楼梦: A Dream of Red Mansion/Chamber
• 水浒: Water Margin
• 西游记: Journey to the West
• 三国演义: Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• 聊斋志异: Strange Tales from a Scholar’s Studio
• 牛郎和织女: The Cowherd and the Weaving Girl
• 《西厢记》: The Western Chamber
• 《醒世恒言》: Stories to Awaken Men
• 《喻世明言》: Stories to Enlighten Men
• 《警世通言》: Stories to Warn Men
• 《官场现形记》: Exposure of the Official World
• 《本草纲目》: Outline of Herb Medicine
• 《史记》: Records of the Historian
• 《资治通鉴》: History as a Mirror

中华民族的节日

• 国庆节: National Day
• 中秋节: Mid-Autumn Day/Festival
• 除夕: Chinese New Year’s Eve/Eve of the Spring Festival
• 春节: Spring Festival
• 元宵节: Lantern Festival
• 儿童节: Children’s Day
• 端午节: Dragon Boat Festival
• 妇女节: Women’s Day
• 泼水节: Water-Splashing Day
• 教师节: Teachers’ Day
• 五四青年节: Youth Day

中国的艺术

1. 画类

   • 壁画: mural
   • 国画: Chinese traditional painting
   • 水墨画: ink and wash painting
   • 绢画: silk painting
   • 木刻画: wood engraving
   • 版画: engraving
   • 贝雕画: shell carving painting
   • 年画: new year picture

2. 陶器类

   • 陶器: pottery ware
   • 玉器: jade article
   • 瓷器: china ware
   • 青瓷: celadon
   • 青铜器: bronze ware
   • 景泰蓝: cloisonné enamel
   • 漆器: lacquer ware
   • 彩陶: painted pottery
   • 唐三彩: trio-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty

3. 雕刻类

   • 冰雕: ice carving
   • 玉雕: jade carving
   • 石雕: stone carving
   • 骨雕: bones carving
   • 贝雕: shell carving
   • 木雕: wood carving
   • 根雕: tree root carving
   • 瓷器雕: porcelain carving
   • 象牙雕: ivory carving

4. 塑像类

   • 彩塑: painted sculpture
   • 画塑: dough figurine
   • 泥人儿: clay figure

5. 扇类

   • 绢扇: silk fan
   • 檀香扇: sandal wood fan
   • 折扇: folding fan

6. 宝石类

   • 珍珠: pearl
   • 玛瑙: agate
   • 珊瑚: coral
   • 翡翠: green jade
   • 琥珀: amber
   • 玉: jade

7. 工艺类

   • 刺绣: embroidery
   • 双面绣: two-sided embroidery
   • 挂毯: tapestry
   • 蜡染: batik
   • 藤条制品: wickerwork
   • 真丝: pure silk
   • 烟嘴: cigarette holder
   • 鼻烟壶: snuff bottle
   • 图章: seal