The Legend of Nian

经典阅读系列

Nian means Chinese new year. But according to the legend, it is a huge, fierce and mighty monster. It lives in the deep water. At the end of every year, it comes out to eat people. So every end of year, people live near the sea will escape. One year, near the end, people in a small village are ready to go. There comes an old man, he begs food but nobody gives him. Then he comes to an old woman’s house, the old woman gives him some food and tells him to leave here immediately, because the monster Nian is coming. But the old man says: “ Don’t worry, I can deal with it!” So the old man stays at the old woman’s house.

In the midnight, Nian comes to the village. It sees a big red paper on a door. It trembles hard and runs to the door. When it gets close to the door, he hears the explosion of fireworks. It trembles even harder. At this moment, the door opens and the old man comes out with bright red clothes. Nian is so scared and runs away.

The next day, people come back and see that the old man is still alive. The old man tells them: “Nian is afraid of loud noises and bright red colour.” So for every Chinese new year, people always wear red clothes and set off fireworks to drive away the monster-Nian. Until now, we Chinese still like to wear red clothes and set off fireworks for Chinese new year. Of course, it is not for driving away the monster Nian, but our tradition ！

经典阅读系列

单词：

legend 传说 mean 意思是

according to 根据 huge 巨大的

fierce 凶猛的 mighty 强有力的

monster 怪物 live 住

deep 深的 end 末尾

at the end of 在…的末尾

sea 大海 escape 逃跑

village 村庄 ready 准备好的

beg 乞讨 nobody 没人

leave 离开 immediately 马上

because 因为 deal with 对付，处理

stay 待在 midnight 半夜

tremble 颤抖 hard 剧烈地，强烈地

get close to 靠近 explosion 爆炸

fireworks 鞭炮 even 甚至，更加

at this moment 这时 bright 亮地，灿烂地

scared 害怕的 is afraid of 害怕…

alive 活着的

loud 大声的 noise 声音，噪音

wear 穿 set off 点燃，出发

drive away 驱赶 until now 直到现在

tradition 传统

经典阅读系列

译文：

年意思是中国新年。据传说，年是一只巨大的，凶猛的和力大无穷的怪兽。它住在深海里。 每年年末的时候，它就出来吃人。所以，每个年末，住在海边的人就会逃跑。一年，快到年末时，一个小村庄的人们正准备走。来了一个老人，他乞讨事物但是没人给他。然后，他来到了一位老妇人的家里，老妇人给了他一些食物并让他马上离开，因为年要来了。但是，老人说：“别担心，我能对付它！” 于是，他留在了老妇人的家里。

半夜，它看见了一张大红纸在门上。它颤抖的很厉害并冲向了门。当它靠近门的时候，它听到了鞭炮的爆炸声。它抖的更厉害了。这时，门开了，老人穿着亮红色的衣服出来了。年非常害怕就逃走了。

第二天，人们回来看见老人依然活着。老人告诉他们：“年害怕大的声音和亮红色。”

所以，每个中国新年，人们总是穿亮红色的衣服并放鞭炮来驱赶年兽。直到现在，我们中国人依然喜欢在新年穿红衣服，放鞭炮。当然，这不是为了驱赶年兽，而是我们的传统。