新年春節大掃除General House Cleaning

Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China start well in advance of the New Year's Day. The 24th of the twelfth month is set aside for the annual housecleaning. Every household will give a thorough cleaning to their houses, clothes, bedclothes and all utensils,(器具) to bid farewell to the old year and to usher in the new. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes the house ready for good luck to enter. All brooms and dustpans are put away on New Year's Eve so good luck cannot be swept away.

在舊中國，元旦之後就開始提前準備過年的東西了。十二月二十四是留給年度大掃除的。家家戶戶都會徹徹底底的打掃他們的房子，衣服，被褥和所有的器具，來辭舊迎新。據說，打掃可以趕走壞運氣，使房子有好運氣。在除夕夜，所有的掃帚和簸箕都會被放在一邊，免得好運被掃走了。

Spring couplets, written in black ink on large vertical scrolls of red paper, are put on the walls or on the sides of the doors. These couplets, short poems written in classical Chinese, are expressions of good wishes for the family in the coming year. In addition, symbolic flowers and fruits are used to decorate the house. Animated(活生生的) door gods, scrolls of happiness, beautiful window flowers, colorful New Year paintings and flower-decorated red lanterns, all gives a happy and prosperous atmosphere of the Festival.

春聯，用黑墨水寫在垂直滾動大紅紙上，是貼在牆壁上或在門邊。這些對聯和短詩是用繁體字寫的，都是表達了對家庭在新的一年裏的良好祝願。此外，象徵性的鮮花和水果是用來裝飾房子。（活生生的）門神，充滿幸福的卷軸，美麗的窗花，豐富多彩的年畫和用花裝飾的紅燈籠，都展示出了一個喜慶和熱鬧的節日氣氛。

Storeowners are busy as everybody goes purchasing for the New Year, from edible(食用的) oil, rice, chicken, fish and meat, to fruit, candies and nuts, and to various decorations, new clothes and shoes for children as well as gifts for friends and relatives.

店主正忙着給大家進行新的一年的採購，從食用油，大米，雞肉，魚，肉，水果，糖果和堅果，到各種不同的裝飾，新衣服和給孩子們的鞋子以及給朋友和親戚的禮物。