叶子上的“二十四节气”"Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on tree leaves

Art majors Li Wei and Li Ling from Liaocheng(聊城), Shandong Province, designed(设计) and painted(涂画) graphics(图形) of China's 24 solar terms on tree leaves. They presented(展示) the project(项目) on Wednesday as UNESCO inscribed(列入) China's "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity(人类非物质文化遗产代表名录).

China's Twenty-Four Solar Terms, knowledge of time developed through observation of the sun's annual motion(运动), is one among the 37 requests proposed for the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The 24 solar terms, based on the sun's position(位置) in the zodiac, were created(创造) by farmers(农民) in ancient China to guide(指导) the agricultural affairs(农事) and farming activities(农业生产).

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides(划分) the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Spring (Chinese: 立春) is the first solar term of the year. Start of Spring lifts the curtain of spring. After that everything turns green and full of vigor; people clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer.

The names of the 24 solar terms are: Start of Spring(立春), Rain Water(雨水), Awakening of Insects(惊蛰), Spring Equinox(春分), Clear and Bright(清明), Grain Rain(谷雨), Start of Summer(立夏), Grain Buds(小满), Grain in Ear(芒种), Summer Solstice(夏至), Minor Heat(小暑), Major Heat(大暑), Start of Autumn(立秋), End of Heat(处暑), White Dew(白露), Autumn Equinox(秋分), Cold Dew(寒露), Frost's Descent(霜降), Start of Winter(立冬), Minor Snow(小雪), Major Snow(大雪), Winter Solstice(冬至), Minor Cold(小寒) and Major Cold(大寒).

For example, Rain Water (雨水) signals(标志) the increase in rainfall and rise(升高) in temperature(气温). With its arrival, lively spring-like scenery starts blossoming: the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north, and trees and grass turn green again.

Awakening of Insects (惊蛰) signals a rise in temperature and increased rainfall. As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name alludes to the fact that animals sleeping in winter(冬眠的动物) are awakened(唤醒) by spring thunder(雷声) and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities.

Clear and Bright(清明), the 5th solar term, is the only one whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day. The words “clear” and “bright”describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.

词汇 Words:

[shè jì] 设计 design
[tú] 涂 paint
[chuàng zào] 创造 create
[zhǐ dǎo] 指导 guide
[huà fēn] 划分 divide
[biāo zhì] 标志 signal
[tú xíng] 图形 graphics
[yùn dòng] 运动 motion
[wèi zhì] 位置 position

重点词汇 Key word:

设计 <动词 v.>

• Design; plan;
  E.g. Zhè zuò dàlóu shì fǎngxiào yījiā jiǔdiàn shèjì de。
  这座大楼是仿效一家酒店设计的。
  This building was designed on the model of a hotel.

• Work out a plot
  E.g. Zhè shì gè shèjì qiǎomiào de piànjú。
  这是个设计巧妙的骗局。
  That's a cute trick.