猪年用英语该如何表达呢?千万不能简单地译为pig year,中国的十二生肖,在英语中可是有一套表达方法。在西方国家,星座的表达是“Star sign”或者“Zodiac sign”;因而生肖对应的英文表达是“Chinese zodiac sign”或者“Chinese animal sign”。
The Chinese Zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao, is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year of the Chinese lunar calendar in that cycle related to an animal sign. 2019 is the year of the Pig according to the calendar, starting from Feb.5, 2019 to Jan. 24, 2020. These signs in order are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep(goat), monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
十二生肖,又叫属相,以12年为一个周期,在此周期内,每一农历年对应一种动物属相。如果按照日历来划分,2019是十二生肖中的猪年,农历年为2019年2月5日至2020年1月24日。十二生肖的顺序依次为鼠,牛,虎,兔,龙,蛇,马,羊,猴,鸡,狗,猪。
如果问今年的生肖年,怎么说?
-What's the Chinese zodiac/animal sign of 2019?
2019是什么年?
- It's the year of the Pig.
是猪年。
Tips:生肖年的正确表达方式是year of the (生肖),所以猪年不应该是pig year,而是year of the Pig。
如果想问别人是什么生肖,怎么问?
- What is your Chinese zodiac/animal sign?
你什么属相?
- My Chinese zodiac/animal sign is Dragon 或 I am a Dragon
我的属相是龙。(对于本命年的猪宝宝们,可以美美地说声“I’m a Pig”)
也可以说:
- What Chinese zodiac/animal sign were you born under?
你是属什么的?
- I was born under/in the year of the Pig.
我属猪。
Tips:十二生肖的英文表达通常是约定俗成的,尽管有些属相的翻译存在争议,但已经为大多数人所接纳。因此尽量使用这些固定表达。比如鼠用rat而不用mouse, 狗用dog而不用bitch, 鸡用rooster而不用Hen等。
最后在此送上最真挚的新年祝福:
Wish you all good luck and great success throughout the year of Pig.
祝您在新的一年里好运连连,大获成功。