二十四節(jié)氣之寒露和霜降

王洋帆

寒露

每年的公歷10月7日至10月9日是寒露時(shí)令，隨著這一時(shí)節(jié)的到來，氣溫逐漸下降，節(jié)氣中也開始帶上“寒”字?！昂笔莻€(gè)會意字，描繪的是古代臨近冬季時(shí)人們躲避冰霜、藉草取暖的景象：在寶蓋頭“宀”的屋子里，人們正蜷臥在“”形的草堆中取暖，最下方的兩點(diǎn)則表示屋外寒冷的冰霜。

The period from October 7th to October9th each year on the Gregorian calendarmarks Hanlu， or Cold Dew. During thisperiod， temperatures gradually decrease， andthe character? （coldness） becomes morefrequently used in solar terms. The character is an associative compound depictiondepicting ancient peoples avoidance of frostwhile seeking warmth with grass as winterapproaches： Under the roof represented by theradical 宀， individuals huddle together amonggrass symbolized by the configuration ， toretain heat. The two downward strokes at thebase signify the cold frost outside the dwelling.

寒露時(shí)節(jié)，中國大部分地區(qū)已經(jīng)告別了炎熱的暑氣，南方秋意漸濃，而北方則已經(jīng)步入深秋。寒露時(shí)節(jié)的首要任務(wù)是為即將到來的冬天做準(zhǔn)備。農(nóng)田里，秋收與秋播的繁忙景象隨處可見。農(nóng)諺“寒露不摘棉，霜打莫怨天”提醒人們在霜凍到來前將已經(jīng)成熟的農(nóng)作物收割入庫。而“秋分早，霜降遲，寒露種麥正當(dāng)時(shí)”的俗語則指導(dǎo)農(nóng)民翻松土地，種下冬小麥等耐寒作物，期待著迎接新一輪的豐收。

By the Hanlu， most regions of China havebid farewell to the lingering heat of summer. Inthe south， autumn sets in gradually， while thenorth transitions into deep autumn. The primaryfocus during the Hanlu period is preparing for theimpending winter. Across fields， the lively scenes ofautumnal harvests and sowings unfold. There is anagricultural adage “If you dont pick cotton duringCold Dew， you only have yourself to blame whenfrost strikes，” advising that farmers should harvestthe mature crops and store them before the frostarrives. Another saying suggests that “Too earlyduring Autumn Equinox （late September） andtoo late during Frost Descent （late October）; theoptimal time for sowing wheat is during Cold Dew，”which guides farmers to till the soil and plant coldresistantcrops like winter wheat in anticipation ofanother bountiful harvest.

除了人類，動植物們也會在寒露時(shí)節(jié)為度過冬季早早打算起來。大雁們排成“一”字或“人”字向南飛去，到溫暖的南方尋找過冬的樂土；熊、鹿等哺乳動物開始換上更加厚重的絨毛，這層細(xì)密的“毛絨外套”能夠幫助它們抵御嚴(yán)寒；菊花作為這一時(shí)節(jié)最具代表性的花卉，競相綻放。人們觀賞菊花，品菊花酒，詠菊寄情，慶賀金秋，共度重陽佳節(jié)。

In addition to humans， animals and plants alsostart their preparations for winter during the ColdDew season. Geese form a 一 or 人 shape as theymigrate southward in search of warmer habitatsfor winter. Mammals such as bears and deer begingrowing thicker fur coats to endure the harsh coldconditions. Chrysanthemums， the quintessentialflowers of this season， bloom profusely. Peopleapprec iate chr ysanthemums ， i ndulge inchrysanthemum wine， compose poetry about theirblossoms， celebrate the resplendent autumn， andobserve the Double Ninth Festival together.

寒露時(shí)節(jié)，稻谷歸倉，瓜果飄香。南宋詩人曹彥約在《寒露日阻風(fēng)雨左里詩》中描寫自己在歸家途中感受到的寒露時(shí)節(jié)的美好秋意：

During the Hanlu period， rice is stored inbarns while melons and fruits emit a fragrantaroma. The Southern Song poet Cao Yanyuecaptured the essence of the enchanting autumnatmosphere during the Hanlu period in hispoem “Wind and Rain Blocking the Road onCold Dew Day in Zuoli1”：甕白應(yīng)浮酒，籬黃可著花。

一江三十里，直欲問仙槎（chá）。

As the wine in the jar turns pure white，the golden blossoms adorning the fence isready for picking.My home is only thirty miles away by water，which fills my heart with overwhelming joy.

斟滿美酒，再摘下籬笆旁已經(jīng)盛開的金黃菊花，想著家鄉(xiāng)只與自己相隔三十里水路，歸鄉(xiāng)之情中滿溢的快樂就足以令人飄飄欲仙了。

As he fills his jar with exquisite wineand plucks the golden chrysanthemumsblooming by the fence， the poet experiencedan overwhelming sense of elation upon hisimminent return， realizing that his hometownlies a mere thirty miles away by water.

寒露時(shí)令，登高望遠(yuǎn)，既能眺望朗朗秋光，也能透過即將來臨的寒冬，望見來年又一個(gè)明媚的春天。

During the Hanlu period， by ascendingto great heights and gazing into the distance，one can appreciate the crisp autumn light andpeer through the approaching winter， eagerlyanticipating the arrival of another splendidspring in the forthcoming year.

霜降

霜降時(shí)節(jié)的到來，意味著秋天的結(jié)束和冬天的開始。這個(gè)節(jié)氣通常在每年的公歷10 月23日或24日?！八笔怯捎跉鉁伢E降，加之晝夜溫差大而形成的自然現(xiàn)象?！八禋俨荨?，寒霜的降臨使得植物蕭條衰敗，此時(shí)大地逐漸褪去鮮艷的色彩，用一片淡色迎接冬天的到來。

The advent of Shuangjiang， or FrostDescent， signifies the end of autumn andthe beginning of winter. This solar termtypically occurs on October 23rd or 24th.“Frost” is a natural phenomenon triggeredby a sudden plummet in temperature，accentuated by substantial temperaturedifferentials between day and night. Theadage asserts， “The descending frost killsall plants，” as the onset of harsh frost resultsin the withering and decline of vegetation.During this period， the landscape graduallyloses its vivid hues， welcoming theencroachment of winter with a subduedpalette.

在枯槁的草木中，有兩抹紅色令人眼前一亮。一是柿子的紅，“霜降摘柿子，立冬打軟棗”，霜降正是柿子大批量成熟的時(shí)節(jié)。人們摘柿子、吃柿子，“柿”同“事”，寓意人們事事平安順?biāo)?；“柿”也同“市”，寄托商人“利市”的美好愿望。二是楓葉的紅，秋霜摧敗了草木，卻也催紅了楓葉，構(gòu)造出漫山霞似火的畫面。唐代詩人杜牧的《山行》有云：

Amidst the desolate grasslands andtrees， two crimson splashes captivate thegaze. One emanates from persimmons，whose red hue shines prominent ly.“Harvest persimmons at Frost Descent，and gather soft dates at the Beginning ofWinter.” This is a tradition acknowledging?the abundant ripening of persimmons during thisseason. People harvest and savor persimmons， asthe Chinese term for “persimmon” phoneticallyresembles “everything，” symbolizing wishes forsmooth progression in all endeavors. Furthermore，it phonetically resembles “profit” in Chinese，signifying aspirations for commercial prosperity.The other crimson allure arises from maple leaves.Despite the devastation wrought by autumn froston vegetation， it induces the vibrant transformationof maple leaves into fiery red， culminating in apicturesque vista reminiscent of hills ablaze withflames. In the Tang Dynasty， the poet Du Mupenned in his work “Autumn Glory”：

遠(yuǎn)上寒山石徑斜，白云生處有人家。

停車坐愛楓林晚，霜葉紅于二月花。

Off the main road runs a narrow stone path，winding， climbing， vanishing into the cloudyheights where perch a few tiny cottages.

Here I pull up my carriage， entranced. Forthe twilight mountainside is ablaze with crimsonmaples more vivid than spring flowers.

蜿蜒曲折的山間小路一直通向深秋山林的高處，高聳入云之處竟然還住著幾戶人家。詩人停下車馬，長久地流連于此處，是為了欣賞眼前的楓林晚景，看那被寒霜浸染的楓葉，火紅的顏色更勝二月鮮艷的春花。

The sinuous mountain track ascends towardsthe depths of the profound autumn woodlands，where surprisingly a few homesteads dot the loftyarea. The poet interrupted his journey， lingering inthis locale to admire the late autumnal spectacle of?maple groves， beholding the frost-kissed mapleleaves with their incandescent hues eclipsingthe resplendent blossoms of early spring.在霜降時(shí)節(jié)要注意“秋補(bǔ)”，以抵御寒冬?！耙荒暄a(bǔ)透透，不如補(bǔ)霜降”，人們愛吃的牛羊肉，蛋白含量高，味道鮮美，還能溫暖脾胃，是極佳的滋補(bǔ)食材。

During the Shuangjiang period， peoplepay attention to “autumn supplementation”to brace for the impending winter. “Better tosupplement at Frost Descent than to regret theentire year.” Beef and mutton consumption isfavored during this period for their rich proteincontent， delectable flavor， and capacity toinvigorate the spleen and stomach， renderingthem superior nourishing ingredients.

“天上繁霜降，人間秋色深”，從一年之初的萬物復(fù)蘇，再到如今冰霜出現(xiàn)，草木凋落，自然萬物應(yīng)候而榮，順時(shí)而凋。霜降時(shí)節(jié)為這周而復(fù)始、生生不息的循環(huán)畫上了短暫的休止符，預(yù)示著立冬的腳步已近。然而，待到來年霜雪消融、春暖花開之時(shí)，又有新的生命循環(huán)……

“As frost descends from the heavens，autumnal hues deepen on the earth.”2 From thereawakening of life at the years outset to theadvent of frost， which ushes in leaf fall， we havewitnessed the ebb and flow of the natural worldas ordained. The Shuangjiang phase constitutesa brief interlude in this perpetual cycle，heralding the imminent onset of Lidong， or theBeginning of Winter. Nonetheless， when thefrost and snow thaw in the approaching year，and the warmth of spring coaxes forth bloomsanew， a fresh life cycle shall commence.