第1个回答 2024-05-18
Traditional Qingming Festival English Speech
The Qingming Festival, which translates to "Clear and Bright," falls on April 5th this year. It marks both the fifth term in the traditional lunar calendar and a time to pay homage to the deceased. It is an occasion to express our sorrow for lost loved ones. An ancient elegy describes a woman mourning her husband, whose grave was overgrown with weeds, symbolizing her enduring grief. For her, enduring the summer's heat and winter's cold was unbearable, yearning only for reunion in death.
Traditionally, people visit graves with their families to sweep and tend to the burial sites, also taking the opportunity to enjoy a spring outing. During the Tang Dynasty, the custom of taking an excursion on this day flourished. Spring returns, bringing life and vitality to the earth. The air is filled with the sensation of growing life, as sap rises in trees and buds bloom. The willow branches placed on each gate signify resilience and vitality. However, this custom extends far beyond mere decoration. It dates back over a thousand years.
During the Spring and Autumn Period in the Jin Kingdom, a prince named Chong Er was falsely accused of rebellion by a jealous concubine, who sought to install her son as the crown prince. Forced to flee, Chong Er was accompanied by loyal officials, including one named Jie Zitui. Amidst hardship, Jie selflessly provided Chong Er with a leg of flesh cooked for sustenance. Upon learning the truth, Chong Er was moved to tears and vowed to repay Jie's kindness. They endured three years of hunger and cold until the evil concubine's demise. When Chong Er eventually ascended the throne, he forgot Jie Zitui. Only upon reminder did he remember, but Jie declined the invitation, departing in silence.
Regret-stricken, Chong Er ordered a memorial for Jie. From then on, people mourned for Jie and the day before, they abstained from fire by consuming cold meals. The custom of planting willow branches also arose, symbolizing Chong Er's remorse and the enduring friendship between them.
Respected teacher and dear students:
As we bid farewell to the snow and welcome the green earth during the Qingming Festival, we gaze at the solemn red flag, our thoughts soaring to the hard-fought years of old China, where the people suffered under war and humiliation. In times of national crisis, brave patriots stepped forward, shedding blood for the independence of our motherland. Women like Qiu Jin, with their proud spirit, and Zou Rong, who fought with valor, are examples of those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Countless heroes, like Jiang and Liu, Huang and Dong, withstood the flames of war and the rigors of prison, never yielding. Their sacrifice laid the foundation for a new China.
Oh, martyrs, your battles on every inch of land have yielded fresh flowers and green grass today. The once smoky skies now reveal a clear blue horizon, where the red flag waves proudly. War has made us brave and strong, and the peaceful and beautiful environment we enjoy today provides us with the opportunity to study and grow. Dear martyrs, in the spring, perhaps you see the first leaves budding for you; perhaps you hear the birds singing their first melodies; perhaps you feel our resolve to serve our motherland with confidence.
Students, our happy life was not easily won; we must love ourselves and our motherland more. We must study hard, honoring their sacrifice and bringing her honor!