压岁钱

湖北省潜江市园林高中 倪达虎供稿

压岁钱

湖北省潜江市园林高中 倪达虎供稿

Ya Sui Money

编者注

小朋友们，马上过新年了！你们是不是又要收到很多压岁钱啊？你们知道压岁钱的来历吗？你们计划怎样花你的压岁钱呢？写信告诉我们，有礼物等着你们哦！

Brief Introduction 简介

In the old days,New Year’s money was given to the children in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string.They symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old.Today,money is placed inside red envelopes,which represents luck and happiness.在过去，压岁钱都是用红线把一百个铜钱串在一起给孩子们的，代表长命百岁。 如今，压岁钱都是用红色信封包好后给孩子们的，代表吉祥与好运！

Origin由来

During the Spring Festival visits,the seniors will give the prepared gift money to the younger generation.It’s said that gift money can suppress the evil,for the two Chinese words share the same pronunciation.The younger generation who get the gift money can spend the coming New Year peacefully.春节拜年时，长辈要将事先准备好的压岁钱分给晚辈。据说压岁钱可以压住邪“祟”，因为“岁”与“祟”谐音。得到压岁钱的晚辈就可以平平安安度过一岁。

小朋友们，你们知道压岁钱的来历吗？让我们一起来看下面的传说吧！

In the ancient time,there was a fairy named “Sui”,who would come out to touch the sleeping children’s foreheads.The child was scared to cry,and then he or she would suffer fever and become an idiot.So each family would light the lamps to stay up,which was called“stay up!”古时候，有一种小妖叫“祟”。大年三十晚上出来用手去摸熟睡着的孩子的头。孩子往往吓得哭起来，接着头疼发热，变成傻子。因此，家家都在这天亮着灯坐着不睡，叫做“守祟”。

One old couple got their son in their late years,so they regarded the son as their treasure.It was Spring Festival Eve,and they gave eight coins to the son as a toy.The child was tired and fell asleep.And then they wrapped the coins in a red paper and put them under the pillow.The couple didn’t dare to close their eyes.有一家夫妻俩老年得子，把他们的儿子视为心肝宝贝。到了年三十夜晚，他们拿出八枚铜钱给孩子玩。孩子玩累了就睡着了，他们就把八枚铜钱用红纸包着放在孩子的枕头下，夫妻俩不敢合眼。

At midnight,a ghostly wind blew the door open,and put out the light.When Sui reached for the child’s forehead,there came a flash under the pillow,and scared the Sui away.半夜里，一阵阴风吹开房门，吹灭了灯火。“祟”刚伸手去摸孩子的头，枕头边就迸发道道闪光，吓得“祟”逃跑了。

The eight coins were fairies in fact.The next day,the old couple told the story to the neighbors and every one followed their examples.And all the children could lead a peaceful life from then on.And later,the gift money came into being.原来，这八枚铜钱是神仙变的。第二天，夫妻俩把用红纸包八枚铜钱吓退“祟”的事告诉了大家，以后大家学着做，孩子们都平安无事了。因为“祟”与“岁”谐音，之后逐渐演变为“压岁钱”。……