小年是祭灶王爺的日子，在不同地區具體日期也不盡相同，有「官三民四船五」的說法，即官家的小年是臘月二十三，百姓家的是臘月二十四，而水上人家則是臘月二十五，也有稱其他日子為小年的地區。
有學生問我：小年在英語裡怎麼說？我也不知道，查了手頭的三本漢英詞典，都是採取的解釋譯法。依《現漢》的解釋，「小年」一詞，其實有三個義項，而每個義項對應的英語不同。
義項一：指農曆臘月是小建的年份，也就是說，農曆臘月只有29天，沒有年三十的年份。
【外研社漢英雙語現代漢語詞典】lunar year in which the last month has 29 days
【外研社漢英詞典第三版】lunar year in which the last month has 29 days (opp. 大年)
【上海譯文漢英大辭典第三版】a lunar year (in which the last month has 29 days)
義項二：節日，臘月二十三或二十四日，舊俗這天祭灶。
【漢英現漢】festival on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year, when sacrifices are made to the kitchen god
【漢英三】festival on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year when sacrifices are made to the kitchen god
【漢英大三】a festival that falls on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th month of the lunar year
義項三：指果樹歇枝、竹子等生長得慢的年份。
【漢英現漢】off year; non-bearing year (for fruit trees, bamboo, etc.)
【漢英三】off year (for fruit trees, bamboos, etc.)(opp. 大年)
【漢英大三】off year
上網搜索，有人大張旗鼓地宣傳「小年」英語是off year，「小年夜」英語是off year eve，顯然這是一個天大的誤會。
off year在英語中指果樹、竹子的歉收年，又稱lean year；off year在美國也指「非大選年」，這些跟我國的祭灶節完全是風馬牛不相及了。
也有人建議可以用Minor New Year，但New Year顯然不是春節的意思，似可考慮Minor Spring Festival或Minor Chinese New Year的說法。
上述義項一和義項二都是中國文化用語，與陰曆曆法和傳統節日有關，使用拼音後接解釋性翻譯是比較通用的譯法。
上述三部漢英詞典的翻譯相比，個人以為當以《外研社漢英對照現代漢語詞典》為優，但剛剛出版的《漢英詞典》第三版增加了對應詞的指示，這是一個好處，譯文也和《漢英現漢》基本一樣，只是bamboo一詞在英語中屬於不可數名詞（查科林斯電子詞典語料庫裡的26個例子沒有一個是複數形式的），加了s就畫蛇添足了。
1. Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God
祭灶王
One of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, dispatching the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct over the past year. The Kitchen God is then welcomed back by to the home through the pasting of a new paper image of him beside the stove. From this vantage point, the Kitchen God will oversee and protect the household for another year.
「小年」最具特色的風俗就是「祭灶王」，具體來講就是將舊的灶王像燒掉，送「灶王」上天稟報這家人過去一年的善惡。大年三十的晚上，要在灶臺旁貼一張新的灶王像，也就是「接灶」。這樣，來年「灶王爺」就能繼續監督並庇佑這一家人。
Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God's mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to heaven to make his report.
人們還會在祭灶時給灶王爺擺上多種甜點做貢品，認為這會堵住灶王爺的嘴，讓他上天匯報時只說好話。
2. House cleaning
掃塵土
Between Laba Festival, on the eighth day of the last lunar month, and Little New Year, on the twenty-third day, families throughout China undertake a thorough house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.
從臘八到小年這段時間，中國大部分家庭都會徹底清掃房屋，「辭舊迎新」。
According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities' timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their dwellings, down to every last drawer and cupboard.
根據中國民間習俗，鬼魂和神靈都要在臘月選擇返回天上還是留在人間。為了保證「他們」及時離開，人們必須徹底進行清掃，包括個人衛生和住所，抽屜和碗櫃的犄角旮旯也都要打掃乾淨。
3. Eat Guandong candy
吃關東糖
Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat, is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.
關東糖是用麥芽、小米熬製而成，是人們在小年吃的傳統小吃。
4. Paste paper-cuts to windows
貼窗花
In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year's posters, and auspicious decorations are pasted up.
過小年時，要把去年春節貼的春聯和窗花取下，貼上新的窗花、年畫和各種大吉大利的裝飾品。
5. Bath and hair-cut
沐浴理髮
As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they're rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.
民間有「有錢沒錢，剃頭過年」的說法。「小年」時人們常要沐浴理髮。
6. Preparations for Spring Festival
辦年貨
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.
從小年開始，人們就要為過年置辦了，包括給祖先的貢品、招待客人的用品，還有過年期間一家人的吃食都要提前買好。
（轉自公號「BEC劍橋商務英語」「酷艾英語」）
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【今日打卡金句】
Literature is a kind of intellectual light which like the light of the sun, may sometimes enable us to see what we do not like.
文學是知識的光，它像陽光一樣，有時能使我們看到我們不喜歡的東西。