Tomb-Sweeping Day-Memorializing the Ancestors
清明祭祖
So why do Chinese so value the rituals in memory of their ancestors?
为什么华人如此热衷祭祖呢?
Veneration of ancestors apparently arose from the Chinese people's keen attachment to the family,
中华民族有浓厚的“家文化”，
which extends beyond one's immediate family members to the whole clan not only those present but also the departed and the ones to come.
这个“家”不仅指家庭, 还指家族，家族不仅包含现世的父母叔伯,还包括已逝的先人,未来的子孙。
As far as Chinese are concerned, their presence is but a phase of the genealogical perpetuity.
自己在家族的历史脉络中只是承前启后的一个点而已。
The ancestors started from scratch to establish the family through hardships and troubles, procreated, and passed down their legacies.
先祖们筚路蓝缕，历经坎坷一生，传给后世生命和智慧。
They deserve to be kept in the commemorative memory of their descendants,
值得敬重和缅怀，
who, carrying on those legacies, fulfill their life's purpose and are in turn remembered by children of their own.
而自己又将成为后人的先祖,被家族后人铭记细怀将是自己生命意义的延续。
On the other hand, it is a Chinese belief that one's soul remains immortal even after the body perishes.
同时，中国人相信人的灵魂不灭。
Paying tribute to the ancestors means also praying for their blessing and protection for the living.
祭祖祈福还能祈求祖先灵魂庇护后人。
For these two reasons, Chinese take ancestral worship very seriously, forming and observing the tradition expressed in the phrase “shenzhong zhuiyuan”
出于这两个原因，中国人“慎终追远”的传统就逐渐形成了
( handle the funeral and mourning of one's parents with solemnity, and worship the ancestors with piety ).
(慎重地办理父母丧事,虔诚地祭拜远代先祖)
In these pious rituals, Chinese people reflect on their origin and existence,
中华子孙，就在这虔诚的祭祖活动中反思自己的起源和存在，
as well as pray for a better future.
又期盼祈求美好的未来
While seeking to examine their own inner selves, they discover their ultimate roots.
因此，可以说华人是在祭祖中审视自己的内心，探寻自己的根源，获得灵魂沉思和升华。
未经允许不得转载：英语作文范文 » 清明节英语怎么说？清明节的习俗
