书法是中国传统的汉字书写艺术，经过千百年的创作和发展，已成为一门风格独特的艺术。中国历史上出现了许多着名的书法家，如：王羲之、欧阳询、颜真卿、柳公权、赵孟頫等。他们经过多年的勤学苦练，形成了不同的风格和流派，使中国的书法艺术达到了很高的水平。书法的书写工具，是被人们称为“文房四宝”(“Four Treasures of the Study”)的笔、墨、纸、砚。
Calligraphy is the traditional art of writing Chinese characters. After centuries of production and evolution, calligraphy has become a unique form of art. There have been many famous calligraphers, such as Wang Xizhi, Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and Zhao Mengfu, to name but a few. After years of hard practice, each had formed a unique calligraphic style, elevating the Chinese calligraphy to a higher level. Chinese brush, ink stick, paper and ink stone are the necessary tools and materials for writing and painting and have always been named collectively as the “Four Treasures of the Study”.
佛教(Buddhism)发源于古印度，早在汉代(the Han Dynasty)就已经传入中国。佛教在中国的发展过程中不断中国化，逐渐发展成中国的重要宗教之一，深刻影响中国人思想和生活习惯。佛教中国化的重要时期是在隋唐时期(the Sui and Tang dynasties)，在这一时期随着国家的统一、经济的发展和文化交流的日益频繁，佛学获得了空前的繁荣发展。
Buddhism originated from ancient India and had been introduced to China as early as the Han Dynasty. During its development in China, Buddhism constantly adapted itself to the local context in China so as to gradually become one of the most important religions in China and to deeply influence the thoughts and living habits of Chinese. The localization of Buddhism in China was most significant in the Sui and Tang dynasties. During this period, with the unity of the country, the development of the economy and the more and more frequent cultural exchanges, Buddhism gained unprecedented development.
北京四合院(the Beijing courtyard houses)是典型的老北京民居，有着悠久的历史。在汉语里，它被称为“四合院”(Siheyuan)。这里“四”指东、西、南、北四面。整个词指院子四面都建有房屋。由于其特殊布局，它也被比作中间有花园的盒子。因为四合院只有一个门通向胡同，所以当门关闭时它与外界隔离开来。因此，一家人可以充分享受宁静，共享家庭团聚的幸福。
Being a typical ancient Beijing’s residence, the Beijing courtyard houses have a long history. It is called “Siheyuan” in Chinese. Here “Si” means “Four”, which refers to the four sides: east, west, north and south. The term “Siheyuan” refers to a?courtyard?surrounded by buildings on?all four sides. Due to its special layout, it is also compared to a box with a garden in the center. There is only one gate leading to a hutong, so when the gate is closed it loses touch with the outside world. Therefore family members can fully enjoy tranquility and share the happiness of a family union.
端午节(the Dragon Boat Festival)据说源于战国时期(the Warring States period)，据现在有2000多年的悠久历史。关于它的起源有很多传说，其中最为人熟知的版本跟屈原有关。屈原是战国时期楚国(the state of Chu)的诗人和政客，当他听说楚国被秦国(the state of Qin)打败后，投河自杀。在这个日子里，人们举办很多活动来纪念屈原，例如举行龙舟赛、吃粽子、系五彩丝线等等。
The Dragon Boat Festival, with a long history of more than 2,000 years, is believed to have originated during the Warring States period. A number of legends attempt to explain its origins. The best-known story is the legend of Qu Yuan, a poet and statesman of the state of Chu during the Warring States period. When Qu Yuan learned that Chu was conquered by the state of Qin, he committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. Many traditional activities are held on this special day to commemorate Qu Yuan. Among these customs are dragon boat racing, eating zongzi, tying five-colour silk thread, etc.
中国人的名字往往有一定的含义，表示某种愿望。有的名字中包含出生时的地点、时间或自然现象，有的名字表示希望具有某种美德，有的表示希望健康、长寿、幸福。男人的名字和女人的名字也不一样，男人名多用表示威武勇猛的字，女人名常用表示温柔美丽的字。现在，中国人起名已经没有古人那么多讲究了，但家长们仍希望给孩子取一个好听、有意义而且与众不同的名字。
Chinese names usually have a certain meaning, expressing some kind of wish. Some names embody the location, time or natural phenomenon when a person was born; some indicate the expectation of possessing some virtues; some express the hope for health, longevity and happiness. Male names are different from female ones: men’s names usually have characters meaning power and vigor, while those of women usually use characters representing gentleness and beauty. Today, the Chinese do not pay as much attention to naming as ancient people did, but parents still wish to give their children a special name which sounds good and meaningful.
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