English words for Chinese festival vocabulary

Language Learning Chinese
1

I got minimal responseon the Teaching board, so let’s see if anyone over here can do better.

The challenge:
Who can think of the best English translations for these Chinese words for some lesson plans for Chinese festivals?

xiang bao (fragrant packages) - the things kids whear around their necks at Dragonboat Festival
(forgot the Chinese) - red bits of paper with good luck phrases people stick on their doors at Chinese New year

To sweeten the deal I’ll throw in 100 karma points from my vast reserves to be divided amongst those who give me the best suggestions.

Brian

2

Most local books refer to xiang bao as a “Sachet Necklaces”. In any case it’s a sachet something. Maybe a “Scented Sachet Necklace”.

As for the red things, one book describes them as “banners of red and gold”. Perhaps we can shorten it to “Good luck banners.” Or “Red fortune banners.” Or “New Years Red Fortune Banners.” Or “Good Fortune Banners.” Take your pick.

I’ll ask at work tomorrow, as well.

3

Try scented charm necklaces for these. Similar to a charm bracelet.

I like New Year couplets for these.

Cheers,

T.

4

[quote=“Sir Donald Bradman”]

[quote]xiang bao (fragrant packages) - the things kids whear around their necks at Dragonboat Festival[/quote] I remeber my dad told me the reason for wearing this Xiang Bao stuff originally because it will protect from the snakes and other pestilence that comes out in season of Dragonboat Festival.

[quote](forgot the Chinese) - red bits of paper with good luck phrases people stick on their doors at Chinese New year [/quote][/quote] We call it

5

I think that “spring couplets” is a standard translation for chunlian - I have seen it in several books.

6

I’ve sometimes seen chunlian simply described as ‘lucky inscriptions’ in English.

7

Well, I went for ‘sachet necklaces’ and ‘New Year’s couplet’s’, clumsy as they both seem.

Now that’s 100 karma points - 50 to split between the 5 responses here and 50 between the two responses on the teaching forum.
Thanks
Brian

8

The challenge continues, but I’m upping the ante.

500 Guanxi for the first really good answer for both of these (or failing a good answer, the best of a bad bunch).

  1. Tang yuan: the sweet soup with little sesame seed (or other stuff) balls that you drink at New Year.

  2. Nian Gao: The kind of cake made form rice that you east at New Year. I’m thinking ‘sticky rice cake’ for this, or maybe just ‘rice cake’, but if you cna think of a better answer.

The challenge is to make a good translation into English that is good for teaching kindergarten kids.

Brian

9

[quote=“Bu Lai En”]1) Tang yuan: the sweet soup with little sesame seed (or other stuff) balls that you drink at New Year.
[/quote]

(Sweet) rice dumpling soup? Or sticky rice dumpling soup? (Assuming that stuff is rice). All sorts of very tempting answers to that, none suitable for kindy kids :slight_smile:

10

[quote=“daasgrrl”][quote=“Bu Lai En”]1) Tang yuan: the sweet soup with little sesame seed (or other stuff) balls that you drink at New Year.
[/quote]

(Sweet) rice dumpling soup? Or sticky rice dumpling soup? (Assuming that stuff is rice). All sorts of very tempting answers to that, none suitable for kindy kids :slight_smile:[/quote]

there are fillings inside the dumplings,
but there are not necessarily fillings in tang yuan.

11

[quote=“Celloist”]there are fillings inside the dumplings,
but there are not necessarily fillings in tang yuan.[/quote]

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

[b]dump

12

No way. To the kids I teach, dumplings, means shuijiao, and rice dumplings means zongzi. Dumpling soup makes me think of hun dun tang, and rice dumpling oup makes methink of soup with zongzi in it. Yeuck!

Alright, I’m upping the prize money to 1000 Guanxi. I need an answert before tomorrow morning.

Brian

13

No way. To the kids I teach, dumplings, means shuijiao, and rice dumplings means zongzi. Dumpling soup makes me think of hun dun tang, and rice dumpling oup makes methink of soup with zongzi in it. Yeuck!

Alright, I’m upping the prize money to 1000 Guanxi. I need an answert before tomorrow morning.

Brian[/quote]

since there are meatballs…would “riceball soup” do???
All these different kinds of food are “Chinese” food, there’s nothing similar in the West, wouldn’t it be easier to just say them in Chinese? (and if you write in pinyin, everyone can understand as well) There’s no unified translation, it’s possible that people do not understand you if you try to translate them into English.

14

I really haven’t been here long enough - I had to do a search to figure out what the heck zongzi were :slight_smile:

I thought Celloist’s answer was pretty good, though I might suggest modifying it to ‘sweet rice ball soup’ or ‘sticky rice ball soup’…

15

i am changing my nickname to cellist, since there’s no such word as celloist, can i still keep the quanxi?? What’s the quanxi for anyways?
Didn’t I see 2,500 some quanxi just 5 min ago??? hmmmmmm…

16

I really haven’t been here long enough - I had to do a search to figure out what the heck zongzi were :slight_smile:

I thought Celloist’s answer was pretty good, though I might suggest modifying it to ‘sweet rice ball soup’ or ‘sticky rice ball soup’…[/quote]

hey, but not all riceballs are sweet, Chinese cook riceballs salty too, ask your Chinese friends!

17

Alright,

I’m going for sticky rice cake for nian gao, and rice ball soup for tang yuan.

1000 G$ for Cellist and 200 consolation prize for Daasgirl

Brian

18

[quote=“Bu Lai En”]Alright,

I’m going for sticky rice cake for nian gao, and rice ball soup for tang yuan.

1000 G$ for Cellist and 200 consolation prize for Daasgirl

Brian[/quote]

How cool!
But please tell me what i can do with the Guanxi??
To show off with? heheh :wink:

When can i get one of those fancy titles??

19

Oh, thanks Brian! Very sweet of you - I’m doing a dance of geeky happiness that I can get an avatar now :smiley:

That’s assuming I have some :laughing: Anyway, I believe you - it’s just that Brian specifically mentioned ‘sweet’ in his original request so I thought that’s what was wanted. That was interesting to know though! I think someone’s already answered your guanxi question so I won’t go into it - lots of stuff to play with… :slight_smile:

20

I don’t think I have gotten any answer from any one…