压岁钱yā suì qián是shì怎么zěn me来lái的de？ ▸ 

▸ 每měi年nián过年guò nián的de时候shí hou，长辈zhǎng bèi会huì用yòng红色hóng sè的de纸zhǐ把bǎ钱qián包bāo起来qǐ lai，送sòng给gěi小辈xiǎo bèi。

Every year during Chinese New Year, older generations will wrap money inside red paper and give it to the younger generations.

▸ 这zhè些xiē钱qián就jiù是shì压岁钱yā suì qián。

This money is New Year’s money.

▸ 为什么wèi shén me中国人zhōng guó rén过guò春节chūn jié的de时候shí hou要yào给gěi孩子hái zi压岁钱yā suì qián呢ne？

Why do Chinese people give children New Year’s money during Chinese New Year?

▸ 这里zhè lǐ有yǒu一yí个ge有趣yǒu qù的de故事gù shi。

There is an interesting story here.

▸ 传说chuán shuō，古时候gǔ shí hou有yǒu一yì种zhǒng小妖xiǎo yāo，名字míng zi叫jiào“祟suì”，

According to legend, in ancient times there was a little demon called “Sui”.

▸ 每年měi nián年三十nián sān shí的de晚上wǎn shang就jiù会huì出来chū lái害hài人rén。

Every year on the night of New Year’s eve, it would come and cause harm.

▸ 它tā用yòng手shǒu在zài熟睡shú shuì的de孩子hái zi头tóu上shang摸mō三sān下xià，

It would touch the heads of sleeping children with its hand three times.

▸ 孩子hái zi就jiù会huì吓xià得de哭kū起来qǐ lái，然后rán hòu就jiù会huì发烧fā shāo得病dé bìng。

The children would be terrified and start crying, then they would fall sick and start running fevers.

▸ 有yǒu一yí对duì夫妇fū fù很hěn怕pà祟suì来lái害hài孩子hái zi，

There was a couple who were very afraid that Sui would come and hurt their child.

▸ 就jiù点亮diǎn liàng灯火dēng huǒ坐zuò在zài一起yì qǐ不bú睡觉shuì jiào，看kān着zhe孩子hái zi。

So, they lit a candle and sat together, not sleeping and taking care of the child.

▸ 他们tā men还hái用yòng红hóng纸zhǐ包bāo了le八bā枚méi铜钱tóng qián让ràng孩子hái zi玩wán。

They also wrapped eight copper coins in red paper and gave them to the child to play with.

▸ 孩子hái zi拆chāi开kāi红hóng纸zhǐ再zài包bāo上shàng，包bāo上shàng又yòu拆chāi开kāi，

The child opened the red paper, wrapped it back up, then opened it and wrapped it back up again.

▸ 一直yì zhí玩wán到dào睡着shuì zháo，

He kept doing this until he fell asleep.

▸ 包bāo着zhe八bā枚méi铜钱tóng qián的de红hóng纸zhǐ就jiù放fàng在zài了le枕头zhěn tou边biān上shang。

The eight copper coins wrapped in red paper were placed next to his pillow.

▸ 半夜bàn yè里lǐ，小妖xiǎo yāo来lái了le，

In the middle of the night, the little demon came.

▸ 它tā用yòng手shǒu摸mō孩子hái zi的de头tóu时shí，

When it touched the child’s head with its hand, ..

▸ 孩子hái zi的de枕zhěn边biān突然tū rán出现chū xiàn一yí道dào亮liàng光guāng，祟suì尖叫jiān jiào着zhe逃跑táo pǎo了le。

.. a beam of light suddenly appeared next to the child’s pillow and Sui fled, screaming.

▸ 这zhè对duì夫妇fū fù把bǎ用yòng红hóng纸zhǐ包bāo八bā枚méi铜钱tóng qián吓xià退tuì祟suì的de事shì告诉gào su了le大家dà jiā。

The couple told everyone the story of how eight copper coins wrapped in red paper scared away Sui.

▸ 大家dà jiā也yě都dōu学xué着zhe在zài年夜饭nián yè fàn后hòu用yòng红hóng纸zhǐ包bāo上shàng八bā枚méi铜钱tóng qián

Everyone then learned to wrap eight copper coins in red paper after New Year’s eve dinner, ..

▸ 交jiāo给gěi孩子hái zi放fàng在zài枕zhěn边biān，

.. and give it to their children to place next to their pillows.

▸ 果然guǒ rán从cóng那nà以后yǐ hòu祟suì就jiù再也zài yě不bù敢gǎn来lái害hài孩子hái zi了le。

As expected, since then Sui hasn’t ever dared to come back and harm the children.

▸ 因此yīn cǐ，人们rén men把bǎ这zhè钱qián叫jiào“压yā祟suì钱qián”，

Hence, people called this money “money to suppress Sui”.

▸ 又yòu因为yīn wèi“祟suì”与yǔ“岁suì”发音fā yīn相同xiāng tóng，慢慢màn man地de就jiù被bèi称为chēng wéi“压岁钱yā suì qián”了le。

And because “Sui” is pronounced the same as “year” in Chinese, its name slowly turned into “New Year’s money”.

▸ 老lǎo一yí代dài人rén把bǎ压岁钱yā suì qián用yòng红hóng纸zhǐ包bāo起来qǐ lai给gěi年轻nián qīng一yí代dài人rén，

The act of older generations wrapping New Year’s money in red paper and giving it to younger generations ..

▸ 里面lǐ miàn饱含bǎo hán着zhe老lǎo一yí代dài对duì年轻nián qīng一yí代dài的de爱ài，

.. embodies the love that older generations have for younger generations, ..

▸ 希望xī wàng他们tā men能néng在zài新xīn的de一yì年nián里lǐ拥有yōng yǒu好hǎo的de运气yùn qi。

.. hoping that they will have good luck in the new year.

▸ 这zhè就jiù是shì压岁钱yā suì qián的de来历lái lì了le。

This is how New Year’s money came to be.

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