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中国人有春节放鞭炮和烟花的习俗，这起源于一个神话故事。
Chinese have the custom of set off firecrackers and fireworks during CNY. This custom originates from mythology.

传说，很久以前，有一头叫“夕”的怪兽。一到冬天下大雪的时候，因为没有食物，就到村庄里攻击村民，吃掉他们的牲畜。
In the legend, a long time ago, there was a monster named ‘Xi’. When Xi cannot find food in winter due to snow, Xi would go to villages, attack villagers and eat their livestock.

村民都很怕夕，有的关紧门窗，有的躲到山里。
Villages were so afraid of Xi. Some of them tightly close the doors and windows, some of them hide in the mountains.

今年的农历腊月二十五是阳历一月三十日。
This year, 25th Dec of the Agricultural calendar falls on 30th Jan of the public calendar.

为什么人们要“推磨做豆腐”呢？
Why do people ‘grind and make tofu’?

虽然豆腐很好吃，但是它是一个很平凡的食物，更是清贫的象征。
Although tofu is delicious, it is indeed a very normal food and can be seen as a symbol of a simple life.

美国司法部已正式起诉华为及其首席财务官孟晚舟。
The US Justice Department has officially filed lawsuits against Huawei and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou.

指控的罪名一共有23项，包括银行欺诈、妨碍司法、窃取商业机密等等。
There are a total of 23 charges, including bank fraud, obstruction of justice, theft of technology and etc.

华为和孟晚舟均否认这些指控。
Both Huawei and Meng Wanzhou have denied these allegations.

与此同时，中国高级官员将会于本月30日至31日访问华盛顿，进一步协商贸易战分歧。
In the meantime, senior officials from China will visit Washington from 30th to 31st Jan and continue trade war talks to achieve an agreement.

小年最重要的习俗就是“祭灶”了。
The most important customs of the Minor Spring Festival is ‘Ji Zao’.

神话传说里，生活在灶底的神仙，“灶王爷”，会在小年这一天上天庭汇报人间事项。
According to traditional mythology, ‘Zao Wang Ye’, who is a god living under cooking stoves, will visit the Palace in Heaven and report on affairs on earth on Minor Spring Festival.

所以人们会“祭灶”，给灶王爷献上好吃的，请他在玉帝面前多多美言，保佑来年平安。
Therefore, people will ‘Ji Zao’ and offers delicacies to Zao Wang Ye, so that he can send good words to Emperor Yu in Heaven, who will guarantee prosperity of the next year.

“二十三，糖瓜粘”。农历腊月二十三的今天，中国北方正式迎来“小年”，而南方地区则是明天。
‘Twenty three, tanggua sticky’. 23rd Dec of the Agricultural calendar is the Minor Spring Festival of northern China, while southern China is tomorrow.

老话“官三民四船五”说的就是这一现象。
There is an old saying ‘officials three, civilians four, boats five’, which is used to refer to this difference.

官家农历腊月二十三过小年，寻常百姓二十四，水上人家二十五。
Families with government ties celebrate the Minor Spring Festival on 23rd Dec of the Agricultural calendar, common civilians celebrate on 24th and people living near water celebrate on 25th.

到今天为止，美国政府已关门35天。幸运的是，这个数字暂时不会增长了。

Up until now, the US government has been shut down for 35 days. Luckily, this number will not increase for now.

日前，多个机场的航班由于空管人员的短缺延迟了。

Just recently, many flights from multiple airports have been delayed due to the shortage of air traffic controller.

今天，参议院和众议院全票通过了一份法案。这份法案提议为联邦政府的运行提供3星期的资金。

Today, the Senate and House unanimously passed a bill. This bill is about funding the federal government for 3 weeks.

随后，特朗普总统签署了这份法案，停止了美国历史上最长的政府关闭。

本月22日，中国支付宝和意大利付款支付公司Tinaba、打车应用程序IT Taxi联合宣布，意大利10余个旅游城市8000辆出租车可以用支付宝付费了！

22nd Jan, China’s zhifubao, Italian payment company Tinaba and taxi app IT Taxi issued a joint statement that about 8000 taxis in more than 10 tourism cities in Italy accepts zhifubao as a payment method!

在此之前，支付宝已经扩散到了除中国大陆以外的多个国家和地区。

Prior to this, zhifubao has already spread to many districts and countries outside of mainland China.

其中包括香港、澳门、台湾、日本（东京、冲绳）、新加坡、美国（纽约、拉斯维加斯）、芬兰（赫尔辛基、洛瓦涅米）、意大利（罗马）和澳大利亚。

每年的国情咨文是美国最重要的时刻之一。当任美国总统会在国会发表演讲，是一次难得的争取国会支持以及提高民意支持率的机会。

The annual State of the Union Address is one of the most important moments for the US. The present president would deliver a speech at Congress, which is a good opportunity to gain Congress support and raise public support rate.

今年的国情咨文原本应该在1月16日发表，但是因为政府关门，它被一再推迟到1月29日。

Originally, the State of the Union address was scheduled for 16th Jan, but due to the shutdown, it was delayed to 29th Jan.

昨天（1月23日，星期三），众议院议长佩洛西撤回了演讲邀请，理由是自1977年以来，美国没有在政府关门的情况下发表国情咨文的先例。

最近，随着2019年春运的开始，网络上开始了如火如荼有关“熊孩子”的讨论。

As chunyun 2019 begins recently, there has been a viral decision online regarding ‘bear children’.

“熊孩子”是指那些特别淘气、影响到其他人的孩子。而“熊孩子”一般有过分溺爱他们的“熊家长”。

‘Bear children’ refer to those who are particularly naughty and affects other people. ‘Bear children’ usually have ‘bear parents’ who are enabling them

想一下，如果车厢里有很多熊孩子制造噪音，跑来跑去，不仅会让旅途格外难熬，而且如果他们摔倒或撞到别人，也会产生安全隐患。

春节是家人们欢聚一堂的节日。
The Spring Festival is the holiday during which the family gets together.

生活在一个国土面积比较大的国家，很多中国人背井离乡，到其他城市工作。
Living in one of the biggest counties on earth, many Chinese live their hometown and seek job opportunities in other cities.

但是无论如何，在春节前夕，这些人会赶回家，直到春节假期结束后才再次外出工作。
No matter what, these people will rush back home prior to the Spring Festival and only leave after the Spring Festival holiday.

春节期间的交通运输被称作“春运”。
The transportation takes place during the Spring Festival is called ‘chūnyùn’.