中国新年是中国最重要的传统节日，在中国也被称为春节。新年的庆祝活动从除夕开始一直延续到元宵节(the Lantern Festival)，即从农历(lunar calendar)最后一个月的最后一天至新年第一个月的第十五天。各地欢 度春节的习俗和传统有很大差异，但通常每个家庭都会在除夕夜团聚，一起吃年夜饭。为驱厄运、迎好运，家家户户都会进行大扫除。人们还会在门上粘贴红色的对联(couplets)，对联的主题为健康、发财和好运。其他 的活动还有放鞭炮、发红包和探亲访友等。
参考答案：
Chinese New Year is the most important traditional Chinese holiday. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival. New Year celebrations run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the lunar calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month. Customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year vary widely from place to place. However, New Year’s Eve is usually an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean the house in order to sweep away ill fortune and to bring in good luck. And doors will be decorated with red couplets with themes of health, wealth and good luck. Other activities include lighting firecrackers, giving money in red envelopes, and visiting relatives and friends.
难点精析：
1.庆祝活动：译为celebrations即可，考生要注意，不要看到“庆祝活动”就想在celebration的后面加上： • activities。
2. 有很大差异：译为…vary widely,此句还可以翻译为…are rather different。
3.驱厄运、迎好运：译为sweep away ill fortune and to bring in good luck，此处的“驱”如果考生无法译出： : sweep away，也可以用简单的get rid of来表达。
4.大扫除：译为thoroughly clean the house。
5.放鞭炮、发红包：译为 lighting firecrackers, giving money in red envelopes。放鞭炮还可以用 set off ' I firecrackers或 fire firecrackers来表达。
