Originating from Han Dynasty（206BC-220），the firework display has a history of around 2， 000 years.Before gunpowder and paper，people set bamboo on fire to produce a cracking sound，hoping to frighten away evil ghosts and bring auspiciousness and good luck.Fireworks made of gunpowder did not appear until the Tang and Song dynasties.The sound of fireworks was once regarded as the most typical feature of Spring Festival.Firework displays are forbidden in many Chinese cities today for the safety and environmental protection.Under this circumstance，some people record the sound of fireworks in tapes and play it during Festival，or crack mini balloons to imitate the sound.Some just buy artificial fireworks and decorate their houses with them.
压岁钱 Giving Gift Money to Children
压岁钱是用红纸将钱包好，由长者向自家或者亲戚、朋友家的孩子散发。一则表示新年伊始，家庭富庶宽裕，二则有企望之意，希望孩子来年在各方面都有长足进步。
Family elders will hand out gift money wrapped in red paper to their own children or children of relatives and friends，which implies two meanings，prosperity in the New Year and great expectations of the children.
倒贴“福”字 Posting Inverted Fu
中国的“福”字代表幸运和幸福，每逢春节，几乎家家户户都要倒贴“福”字，以祈求喜庆吉利，福运到来。之所以要倒贴，是因为“倒”在中文里与“到来”谐音。
The Chinese character Fu represents happiness and good luck.During Spring Festival，almost every family posts an inverted Fu on windows or doors to invite good fortune.But why do the Chinese put Fu upside down？ It is because the Chinese word “inverted”（dao）bears the same pronunciation as the word “arrive”.
元宵节 Lantern Festival
元宵节已经有1000多年的历史。相传有几位天神在旧历正月十五之夜一起从天而降，与人间的百姓同乐。人们为了取悦他们，便在正月十四至十六的晚上，张灯结彩。从唐代开始，在这几天夜间就有关灯风俗，因而元宵节也叫灯节。没到元宵夜，常有小孩子打着造型各异的灯笼在街上玩耍，观灯会上更是集中了数不清的创意独特的艺术宫灯。
The Lantern Festival has a history 1000 years.Legend has it that on the 15th night of the first lunar month，several gods would descend from heaven and fraternize with people on the earth.To please these gods，people hang up lanterns and silk festoons from 14th to 16th of the first lunar month.Since the Tang Dynasty，people have observed the custom of watching lanterns during these nights，hence the name the streets with Lanterns Festival.Every year on these nights，children will play on the street with lanterns of various shapes，while the lantern show displays numerous artistic lanterns of original designs.
Passage 2
北京申奥标志和2008年奥运会标志
北京申奥标志是一副中国传统手工艺图案，即“同心结”或“中国结”，它采用的是奥林匹克五环标志的典型颜色。图案表现了一个人打太极的动感姿态，其简洁的动作线条蕴含着优美、和谐及力量，寓意是各国人民之间的团结、合作和交流。
北京29届奥运会的标志也是北京申奥委的正式标志，它是北京奥林匹克形象的核心部分，将成为奥运史上最具活力的形象标志之一。奥运标志“舞动的北京”，具有丰富的文化内涵，充分展示了2008北京奥运会的主题。该标志以独特的，具有五千年历史的中国印章篆刻和书法为手段，把中国的传统艺术和现代奥林匹克精神结合起来。简洁的动作线条勾勒出的动态人物寓意一位跑步运动员冲向终点拥抱胜利的姿态，体现了奥林匹克“更快、更高、更强”的精神。构成人物的笔画与汉字“京”十分相像，用优美的中国传统书法的独特字体完成，它代表主办城市--中国的首都北京。极具动感的线条也可以诠释为一名“舞者”，它代表了13亿中国人民办好奥运的心愿和欢迎世界各地来宾的一片热诚。
The Emblem of the XXIX Olympiad，Beijing 2008
The candidature logo features a stylized traditional Chinese handicraft pattern known as the “knot of one heart” or “Chinese folk knot”，using the typical colors of the five Olympic rings .The design depicts a dynamic human figure in a stance that portrays someone doing “Taiji”or shadow boxing.The simple gesture lines symbolize the graceful，harmonious and dynamic movements that connote the unity of，cooperation among，exchange between and development for the peoples all over the world.
The emblem of the XXIX Olympiad，which is also the official emblem for BOCOG and a core element of Beijing’s Olympic image and book，is expected to become one of the most powerful graphic identities in the history of the Olympic Games.The emblem of the 2008 Olympics，rich in culture and dubbed “Dancing Beijing”，fully reflects the theme of the Olympic Games to be held in 2008 in Beijing .The logo combines Chinese traditional art with modern Olympic spirit by means of the unique techniques of Chinese seal cuttingandcalligraphy，which have a story of 5000 years .The simple gesture lines depict a stylized dynamic human figure in a stance that suggests a racing athlete crossing the finish line to embrace victory-portraying the Olympic spirit of Citius，Altius，Fortius（for Swifter，Higher Strong）.The figure strokes resemble the Chinese character “jing” drawn in graceful Chinese calligraphy of a unique style，which stands for the name of the host city-the capital city of China .The gesture lines can also be interpreted as a “dancing figure”，conveying the aspiration of the 1.3 billion Chinese people for the great games and their enthusiasm for welcoming visitors form all over the world .
二、一般来说，旅游翻译，出现的问题有的是干瘪呆板，索然无味（英译汉），有的是累赘堆砌，言之无物（汉译英）。如何使译文做到扬长避短、各展其长而又传神达意呢？不妨看看下面这三篇译文，注意它们是如何从整体上把握原文的风格，又如何在遣词用字，行文布局上搞好英、汉互译，做到雅俗共赏。
Passage 3
Hawaii（Extract）
The eight major islands and over 100 small islets of Hawaii-like a chain of beads some 2575 kilometers long-lie upon the Pacific，southeast to northwest.Although the state is located in the tropical zone，its shores and winds that blow across the land form the northeast.The temperature usually remains close to the annual average of 24 degrees centigrade.
Rough，black rocks of lava just out of the water along parts of the coastline.In some places cliffs rise almost straight from the water’s edge.Along the gentle sloping land areas to the southeast are beaches of yellow，white and black sands.
The largest island，Hawaii，lies at the southeastern end of the chain and is almost twice as large as all the others combined，Five volcanoes gave the island its form；two are still alive： Kilauea and Mauna Loa.Mauna Loa the world’s larges active volcano，towers above the scenic Hawaii National Park which stretches form the 4250-meter mountain peak across the sea to neighboring Maui，the valley is land，Tropical plants， sandy desert， waterfalls， craters and caves make the 780-square- kilometer park a tourist attraction.
