北京冬奥为虎年带来更多可能

文/穆斯达里·布延（Musundali Bhuiyan, 孟加拉国） 译/史聪一

春节期间，北京街头张灯结彩，充满浓浓的年味（新华社记者 李欣 摄）

从青年时代起，我便对中国产生了强烈的兴趣。彼时，我习得中国有文字记载的历史超过两千年，而中华文明的悠久则更是绵延上下五千年。2019年来到北京后，我对真实中国的探求渴望，终于得以实现。在我看来，这一古老文明在赓续中，诸多独有的文化习俗与节日应运而生。其中，中国传统新年是最为盛大的节日。

春节：最令人期待的是家庭团圆

中国新年又被称为春节，既象征着旧岁寒冬的结束，也代表着新春的伊始。每年，全球各地的华人华侨都会在欢乐声中喜迎新春佳节。新年的庆典活动从除夕夜开始，一直持续到正月十五元宵节结束。从除夕开始的为期7天的公共假期，在中国被称为春节黄金周。在春节期间，人们会有一系列庆祝活动，包括舞狮、放鞭炮、家庭团聚、年夜饭、走亲访友、发红包，以及贴对联等。

我的中国朋友告诉我，除夕之夜，家家户户都会欢聚一堂，围坐在一起吃年夜饭。同时，他们会将房屋打扫得一尘不染，以示扫除晦气，并为来年博一个好彩头。他们还会在门窗上张贴喜庆的红色剪纸，并在房门的两侧及上方张贴对联。

挪威代表团成员在张家口赛区颁奖广场与北京冬奥会吉祥物“冰墩墩”合影（新华社记者 丁汀 摄）

就我个人的经历而言，春节期间，最为重要同时也是最令人期待的时刻，则是家庭团圆和年夜饭。在中国，每个家庭都要在除夕当天欢聚一堂，并共进年夜饭。为此，全球各地的华人都会在春节期间返回自己的家乡。

牛年春节：面对艰难始终面带微笑

当地的同事和朋友们告诉我：在中国，12年为一“纪”，循环往复。其中，每一年对应一生肖（动物），共有12种。2021年是牛年，在中国文化中代表着勤劳与财富。

节日活动与出游总能为新年的庆祝活动增添额外的喜庆。但由于疫情，我察觉到人们的庆祝方式变得有所不同，许多人放弃了同家人欢聚一堂并共进年夜饭的机会，政府部门建议人们就地过年，为此，各部门及单位做足了准备，为留守的人们营造过年的气氛。此外，还有单位为就地过年的员工们发放过节费。有的社区为每家每户安排了几道年夜饭，这样他们便不会有“独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲”的失落感。

除了一些人的家庭团圆及年夜饭聚餐被按下暂停键外，如往年一样，其余的习俗及庆典方式仍在春节期间如火如荼。红色剪纸以及悬挂着的灯笼，几乎遍布所有大城市的角落，以示庆祝。每扇房门也都装饰着红色的对联，写满了各种祝福语。五彩斑斓的灯光秀在不同的城市中闪耀夺目，为节日的庆典增添了别样的氛围。

我还了解到，作为春节庆典活动的重要组成部分，春节联欢晚会于每年除夕夜在中央广播电视总台播出。对中国人民而言，这是一场视听盛宴。春节联欢晚会简称“春晚”，作为顶流联欢晚会，已被《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》认定为全球收视率最高的电视节目。牛年春晚的全球收视人数达到了创纪录的12.7亿人次。

2021年，我第一次在中国过春节，尽管当时仍有疫情，但我发现中国人民在庆贺春节时洋溢着活力、热情与欢喜。他们的态度，极好地诠释了什么是面对困境时的积极心态。而事实也证明，中国人民是能够应对好任何不利局面，并克服一切困难的。面对艰难险阻，他们始终满怀信心；无论情况多么严峻，他们始终面带微笑。

虎年春节：与冬奥会同庆

此次在北京，我的2022年春节过得别有一番气氛。在今年的春节假期期间，万众瞩目的2022年冬奥会拉开帷幕。冬奥会为今年的春节庆典活动平添了不少乐趣，更带来了不少大场面。

伴随着春节与冬奥会的同期来临，北京被节日的气氛笼罩。全市家家户户张灯结彩，并贴上了寓意虎年大吉的春联。无论是旅游景点、购物中心和餐馆，还是商店、超市与小巷，均洋溢着节日的气氛，四周的灯柱上已然挂满了红灯笼与中国结。与此同时，奥运广告牌和横幅随处可见，令人眼花缭乱，也给北京平添了额外的节日气氛。

今年的春晚，特别聚焦在冬奥会与中国的太空成就上，并着重突出了中国共产党成立100周年、乡村振兴以及生态文明等重大主题。春晚的演出格外精彩，包括歌舞表演、魔术表演、传统喜剧，以及其他类型的创意节目，让中国及世界各地的观众共同庆祝这一时刻。

春节期间，人们还成群结队地前往购物中心。此次奥运会的吉祥物“冰墩墩”以及残奥会的吉祥物“雪容融”成为炙手可热的商品。在网络上，这些吉祥物早已被销售一空，就连库存也已清零。在北京的各类纪念品商店前，都能看到许多人排着长队购买吉祥物。

伴随着春节档电影的上映，中国的电影市场仍旧坚挺，电影院内人山人海。春节期间，除院线影片外，影迷们还可以选择在流媒体网站上观看影片。

如往年一样，在春节期间，人们还会激活自己的味蕾，品尝汤圆、饺子、年糕、春卷，以及其他各种令人垂涎的中国传统菜肴。许多中国人相信，每一种食物，都对他们的生活具有特殊的意义。他们认为：鸡蛋象征着一个健康的大家庭，龙虾则象征着财源滚滚，虾米象征着好运与财富，烤乳猪则象征着平安，鸭子象征着忠诚，寿桃象征着长寿，豆腐象征着全家的幸福与好运，鱼象征着有余与富贵。

然而，就在今年，奥运热潮已然超过了春节的欢庆。

由于疫情的影响，人们无法到现场去观看冬奥会，但他们对体育运动的热情从未消退。春节黄金周已经画上句点，人们也都回到了各自的工作岗位，但他们还是会挤出时间，在屏幕前观看自己喜欢的运动员及国家队的比赛，并为中国运动员在奥运赛场上向世界展示实力而感到欢欣鼓舞。中国人民之所以如此兴奋，是因为北京已成为全球唯一的“双奥之城”，既举办了夏季奥运会，又举办了冬奥会。

通过举办冬奥会，中国还创造了更多的纪录。中国成为历史上首个将8个夏季奥运会场馆重新用于冬奥会的国家，这着实令人不可思议。最重要的是，中国在这次奥运会上，首次使用了诸多高科技手段及工具，以确保在整个冬奥会期间实现碳中和的目标，这表明了中国对绿色奥运理念的承诺。

所有的场馆均由绿色能源供电，这也是奥运会历史上的首次。河北省山城张家口市拥有丰富的风能和太阳能资源，其所产生的电力被用于冬奥场馆。此外，北京还引进了用于制冰的二氧化碳制冷剂，这是一种环保的天然制冷剂，能够进一步减少温室气体的排放。

一些高科技也被用于应对本届奥运会面临的最严峻挑战——新冠肺炎疫情防控。中国还将在冬奥会结束后，对场馆进行改造，使其转变为社区及健康中心等不同用途的场所。这一切，都证明了中国对可持续发展和节约办奥运的庄严承诺。

I have been inquisitive to know China since my teens when I learned that with a recorded history of more than two thousand years, the Chinese civilization has been around for over five thousand years. My quest to be acquainted with authentic China started to fulfill after I got into Beijing in 2019. I felt that this ancient civilization has given rise to many splendid and unique cultural rituals and festivals. Of them, the Chinese New Year is the biggest.

Spring Festival: The Most Anticipated is Family Reunion

The Chinese New Year is better known as the Spring Festival as it marks the beginning of spring and the end of winter every year. Amid much festivity and fanfare, the Chinese worldwide celebrate the festival every year. The celebrations begin on the Eve of the New Year and end with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the year. The first seven days of the New Year are public holidays, known as the Golden Week, in China. After that, the festival combines an array of celebrations like lion dances, fireworks, family gatherings, family meals, visiting friends and relatives, giving red envelopes, and decorating with couplets.

My Chinese friends told me that Chinese families gather for the annual reunion dinner on the Eve of the New Year. Then, they thoroughly clean their house to sweep away any ill-fortune and make way for incoming good luck. The windows and doors of their homes are decorated with red papercuts and couplets.

I witnessed that, during the festival, the most important and attractive part of the festival is the family gathering and annual reunion dinner.Every member of the Chinese family joins the dinner every year. In doing so, the Chinese travel in droves to their ancestral homes from their workplaces around the globe.

Chinese New Year of the Ox: Always Smile in the Face of Difficulties

My local friends and colleagues told me that every year represents an animal in a 12-year repeating cycle, and 2021 was named the year of the ox, known for its diligence and fortune in Chinese culture.

Festivities and travel to families always mark and add extra color to the New Year celebrations. But last year, as I noticed, it was celebrated in a different but festive atmosphere. People canceled the main rituals of family gatherings and dinner for the pandemic. The government also advised people to celebrate the festival in their workplaces. It also undertook enough preparations to help people observe the carnival in festivity. The employers offered festival allowance to their employees.In the same way, some communities arranged dishes for every family so that they didn’t feel the absence of their family members celebrating the festival outside their homes.

As a result, except for suspending family gatherings and dinners, the other festival rituals were observed in a grand style like every year. Al-most every corner wore a celebratory look as each house was decorated with red papercuts and lanterns. Every door of every house was also decorated with red stickers written with different good luck wishes,and colorful illustrations of buildings in various cities brought extra vibes to the festivity.

I also came to know that as part of the new year celebrations, Chinese revelers enjoyed a spectacular visual feast-the annual Spring Festival Gala of China Media Group (CMG)-on the eve of the Chinese New Year. The superb gala known as Chunwan in the Chinese language has already earned the recognition of the most-watched television show in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. The show reached a record 1.27 billion viewers around the globe last year.

When I was first celebrating the festival in China last year, despite the pandemic, I found every Chinese person full of energy, enthusiasm, and ecstasy for the celebrations. Their attitudes portrayed how resilient they are. It proved that the Chinese could adapt to any situation and turn around any difficulties. They are confident to brave any hardship no matter how serious and grave it is, wearing a smile on their lips.

Chinese New Year of the Tiger: Celebrating with the Winter Olympics

This time I have experienced the festival in a different atmosphere in Beijing. During the golden week of the festival, the much-soughtafter Winter Olympics was inaugurated with a big bang in the capital of China. As a result, the Winter Olympics have added extra color and extravaganza to the New Year celebrations this year.

As the two carnivals have coincided, festivities have gripped Beijing.Homes across the city have been decorated with the red Chinese calligraphy scrolls wishing good luck in the year of the tiger. Tourist spots, shopping malls, restaurants, shops, supermarkets, and alleys of the city have worn a festive look as red lanterns and festoons are still hanging from the lampposts in every direction. Simultaneously, startling eye-glittering Olympics billboards and banners all around have brought additional festive vibes to Beijing. As a result, everyone can feel an air of festivities in the capital of China.

With a special focus on the Winter Olympic Games and China’s space achievements, this year’s gala featured major themes such as the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), rural revitalization, and ecological civilization. The splendid show presented an array of performances, including singing and dancing, magic shows, traditional comedy forms, and other creative programs. Many renowned older artists gathered in the studio and joined the younger generation, celebrating the occasion with viewers from China and worldwide.

People have flocked in droves to shopping malls. Bing Dwen Dwen,a panda that is the mascot for the Olympics, and Shuey Rhon Rhon, a lantern that is the mascot for the Paralympics, have been a hot cake in the market. Unfortunately, they have already run out of the online stock market, and many have been seen waiting in long queues in front of different shops across Beijing to buy the mascots.

With eight new productions, the movies around China still witness huge crowds every day. Besides theatrical releases, movie fans have many alternatives on streaming websites during the Spring Festival.

People are also feasting their taste buds with Tangyuan, dumplings, Nian Gao, spring rolls, and other mouth-watering traditional Chinese dishes during the festival like every year. Many believe that every food carries a special significance to their lives. For example, they think eggs symbolize a big and healthy family, unlimited lobster money rolling in, shrimp fortune and wealth, roasted pig peace, duck loyalty, peaches longevity, tofu happiness, and fortune for the entire family fish represents surplus and wealth.

However, the Olympic hysteria has surpassed the New Year extravaganza this year.

As everyone can’t see the games attending the venues due to the pandemic, they have never run out of enthusiasm for the sports. Though the golden week is already over, and people have gotten back to work, they make time to watch the competitions of their favorite athletes and teams on screen, and they get elated to witness how the Chinese athletes show the world their Olympic prowess. As a result, Beijing has become the only city to arrange both the winter and summer Olympics.

China has also set several more records by arranging the Olympics. The country made a rare history by reusing its eight Summer Olympics venues for Winter Olympics for the first time in history. On top of all, China demonstrates its commitment to the concept of a green Olympics by using many high-tech tools for the first time in the 2022 Olympic Games to ensure that the goal of carbon neutrality is achieved throughout the Olympic Games.

For the first time in the history of the Olympics, all the venues are wholly powered by green energy. Power generated from the prosperous wind and solar resources in Zhangjiakou, the mountain city in Hebei, is used in all the venues. In addition, Beijing has introduced eco-friendly carbon dioxide refrigerants for ice-making and further reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

High technologies are also being used to tackle the most formidable challenge facing the Games-COVID-19 prevention and control. China has also designed the venues into sites for different uses like community and health centers once the Winter Olympics are over. It has proved the country’s commitment to sustainable development and frugality.（）