Intermediate - Jewish Holiday (C1250)

A: 小韩,新年快乐!
Xiǎo Hán, xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year, Xiao Han!
B: 新年?现在才9月!
xīnnián? xiànzài cái jiǔ yuè!
New Year? It's only September!
A: 是犹太新年!
shì Yóutài xīnnián!
It's the Jewish New Year!
B: 哦!新年快乐!
ò! xīnnián kuàilè!
Oh! Happy New Year!
A: 我带了苹果和蜂蜜,一起吃吧。
wǒ dài le píngguǒ hé fēngmì, yīqǐ chī ba.
I brought apples and some honey. Let's eat them together.
B: 为什么要吃苹果和蜂蜜?
wèishénme yào chī píngguǒ hé fēngmì?
Why should we eat apples and honey?
A: 意思就是祝你有一个甜蜜的新年。看,要这样吃。
yìsi jiùshì zhù nǐ yǒu yī ge tiánmì de xīnnián. kàn, yào zhèyàng chī.
They mean "Here's wishing you a sweet New Year!" Look, you should eat them this way.
B: 苹果沾着蜂蜜吃?有意思。还有什么特别的?
píngguǒ zhān zhe fēngmì chī? yǒu yìsi. hái yǒu shénme tèbié de?
Smearing the apple with honey? That's really interesting. Is there anything else special to do?
A: 要去犹太会堂祈祷,请求上帝宽恕你的罪恶。
yào qù Yóutài huìtáng qídǎo, qǐngqiú shàngdì kuānshù nǐ de zuì è.
You have to go to the synagogue to pray and ask God to forgive your sins.
B: 你们过新年要反省自己?
nǐmen guò xīnnián yào fǎnxǐng zìjǐ?
You have to reflect on yourself on the New Year?
A: 对。新年就是要重新开始。
duì. xīnnián jiùshì yào chóngxīn kāishǐ.
Yes. You need to make a new start on the New Year.

Key Vocabulary

新年 xīnnián New Year
cái only
犹太 Yóutài Jewish
蜂蜜 fēngmì honey
甜蜜 tiánmì sweet
zhān to smear with, to be stained with
有意思 yǒu yìsi interesting; funny
特别 tèbié special, distinctive
犹太会堂 Yóutài huìtáng assembly hall, meeting place
祈祷 qídǎo to pray
请求 qǐngqiú request
上帝 shàngdì God
宽恕 kuānshù to forgive
罪恶 zuì è sins, wrong-doing
反省 fǎnxǐng to reflect on
重新 chóngxīn anew, afresh
开始 kāishǐ to begin

Supplementary Vocabulary

犹太人 Yóutàirén Jews
犹太教 Yóutàijiào Judaism
宗教 zōngjiào religion
赎罪节 Shúzuìjié Yom Kippur
安息日 An1xīrì Sabbath, Shabbos
逾越节 Yúyuèjié Passover
原谅 yuánliàng to forgive, to pardon

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