发布时间：Sep 23, 2022 转载处：珠海市图书馆
「 秋 分 · 昼 夜 平 」
Autumnal Equinox
秋分（Autumnal Equinox）是一年中的第十六个节气，也是秋季的第四个节气。
汉代《春秋繁露》里说：“秋分者，阴阳相半也，古昼夜均而寒暑平。”秋分的“分”，在古汉语中是“半”的意思。
一方面，太阳在秋分这一天直射赤道，所以全球大部分地区在秋分这天昼夜时长均等；另一方面，农历以立春、立夏、立秋、立冬作为四季的开始，秋分这天恰好平分了整个秋季。
2022年的秋分已到来，让我们一起来阅读MET全民英语的双语文章，通过英语了解秋分。
秋分三候
Three Phases of the Autumnal Equinox
二十四节气的完整记载最早见于周朝，每五天为“候”，每三候为一节气，秋分也有属于自己的三候。
The 24 solar terms were first recorded in the Zhou dynasty. Each solar term was divided into three five-day phases known as "hou". As a solar term, the Autumnal Equinox has three unique phases.
秋分一候曰“雷始收声”。秋分之后就渐渐听不到雷声了，古人相信雷声的偃旗息鼓，是日照缩短造成阳气收敛的征兆。
During the first phase, rumbling thunder gradually dies away. The ancient Chinese saw this phenomenon as a sign of the decline of Yang energy, as the sunlight hours became shorter and shorter.
秋分二候曰“蛰虫坯户”，说的是虫子已然感到秋天的阴冷，于是躲进洞穴里，并且用泥土封住洞口抵御寒气。
The second phase is when insects feel the autumn chill and retreat into their burrows. They will also seal their burrow openings with mud to keep the cold at bay.
秋分三候曰“水始涸”，时间渐渐步入深秋，降水越发减少，许多湖泊、河流蓄水量下降，甚至出现干涸。
The third phase sees low water levels in rivers and lakes. As a result of a significant decrease in late autumn rainfall, many lakes and rivers have less water and some may even dry up.
秋社
Qiu She
古时候，人们在秋分前后祭祀土地神，这一传统又名“秋社”。秋社是起源于汉代、庆祝丰收的汉族节日。
In the past, people worshipped the gods of the land around the Autumnal Equinox. This tradition, known as Qiu She, originated in the Han Dynasty and became a harvest festival of the Han Chinese.
秋社来临时田间大都已秋收完毕，农人们会在田野间点上香火祭拜土地神，还会手拿稻穗在庙宇门前奏乐起舞，希望通过这些仪式酬谢带来丰收的神明。
By the time of Qiu She, most fields had already been harvested. Farmers burned incense sticks in the fields and danced with rice ears in their hands in front of the temples of the gods of the land to express their gratitude for the good harvest.
时过境迁，现在的秋分已经被确立为“中国农民丰收节”。尽管习俗可能与古人不尽相同，但丰收带来的质朴喜悦却足以穿越时空。
Today, the Autumnal Equinox is established as the "Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival". Customs may vary with time, but the simple joy of a good harvest stays the same.
吃秋菜
Eating Chinese Spinach
“秋分吃秋菜”是岭南地区的习俗，所谓“秋菜”指的就是苋菜。每逢秋分，农民们就会在田间搜寻，采摘新鲜苋菜。
Eating “autumn vegetables” during the Autumnal Equinox is a custom in the Lingnan area. “Autumn vegetables” refer to Chinese spinach. When the Autumnal Equinox comes, farmers scour the fields for fresh Chinese spinach.
农人们还会将秋菜与鱼片一起熬汤，称为“秋汤”。“一碗秋汤，健康平安”，这句俗语传递了美食背后人们最朴素的愿望。
They also cook Chinese spinach with fish fillets to make a soup called “autumn soup”. There is a saying, “A bowl of autumn soup brings good health”, which reveals the simple good wishes that underlie this eating custom.
品桂花
Tasting Sweet Osmanthus
农历八月也被称为“桂月”，虽已入秋，但我国许多南方地区却仍有闷热，催得桂花开。苏州人将这种闷热称为“木樨蒸”，木樨便是桂花的别称。
The eighth lunar month is also known as the "month of the osmanthus". Although it is autumn, the weather is still hot in many parts of southern China, which prompts the osmanthus to bloom. The Suzhou people call this sultry heat "Muxi steam", and Muxi is another name for the osmanthus.
秋分已经是农历八月的尾声，也是秋天第一批糖渍桂花制作完成的时候。
The Autumnal Equinox falls at the end of the eighth lunar month when people have made osmanthus sugar from the first osmanthus blossom in the autumn.
将桂花晾干，和白砂糖混合放入容器里，紧密压实并密封，当糖与桂花相融时，糖渍桂花就做好了。
People dry up osmanthus flowers, mix them with sugar, compact them and then bottle them up. When the flowers merge with the sugar, the osmanthus sugar is ready.
甘甜中伴着丝丝桂花香，这便是属于秋日的好滋味。
Osmanthus sugar tastes sweet with the fragrance of the flowers. This is the unique flavour of autumn.
司马迁在《史记》中写道：“夫春生夏长，秋收冬藏，此天道之大经也。”秋分带来了丰收，也带来了恰如其分的通透舒爽，或许也在告诉我们面对收获时要保持不以物喜不以己悲的态度，厚积薄发。
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