新年诗：爆竹声中一岁除 New Year Poem: In the Booming Sound of the Firecrackers, One Year is Gone

在庆祝农历新年期间，把写在红纸上的对联贴在前门是一种习俗了。这在中国各地都实行。它源自一种把两块桃木板挂在门上的习俗。每块桃木板画上门神‘神荼’和‘郁垒’的像或名字。意图是驱走邪恶。这个习俗就叫‘桃符’。

这个习俗一直沿用了千多年。五代十国时，人们开始在桃木上写联句，而不是画像或写神鬼的名字。从宋朝开始，在门上贴上对联已经是相当普遍了，正如王安石诗《元日》中所反映。

王安石（1021-1086）是宋朝的一个大政治家、思想家、学者与伟大的宰相。1058年他上书宋仁宗，提倡改革，把软弱的国家振作起来，以建立一支强大军队与限制政府官员与大地主勾结来强盛国家。1070年，他被任命为宰相，开始实行新法。但是他受到保守分子强烈的反抗，终于在1076年退隐。

这首诗描述了新年的节日与愉快气氛。这时候，小孩最喜欢的就是爆竹了。

王安石《元日》

爆竹声中一岁除，

春风送暖入屠苏；

千门万户瞳瞳日，

总把新桃换旧符。

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During the lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival celebration, it is a custom to post couples written on red papers on front doors. This is practised in all parts of China. It originated from the custom of hanging up two peach wood plaques on the doors. On each peach wood was the portrait or the name of the door gods Shentu and Yulei. It was intended to drive away evil spirits. This custom was known as Taofu, or Peach-Wood Plaque.

This custom lasted for over a thousand years. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, people started to write couplet on peach woods instead of the names of door gods. Since Song Dynasty, the custom of displaying couplet on the doors had become quite common, as reflected by Wang Anshi’s famous poem ‘New Year’s Day’.

Wang Anshi (1021 - 1086) was a great politician, ideologist, litterateur and a great prime minister in Song Dynasty. He sent a proposal to Emperor Song Ren Zong in 1058 urging for a reform to change the feeble state to a strong country by building a powerful army and restraining government officials’ link to large landowners. In 1070, he became the prime minister and started implementing his reform plan. But he met with strong resistance from conservative elements and finally retired in 1076.

This poem depicts the festive and jolly atmosphere of the New Year. Fireworks are a favorite with the children on this occasion.

In the booming sound of the firecrackers, one year is gone

Spring wind is sending the warm to the Tusu wine

Tens of thousands of homes, doors, are in the shining sun

Always have to replace the old faded pictures onto new peach wood plaque