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Celebrating the ox
牛年說牛：趣談中國文化中的牛
The Year of the Ox is coming. In China, you will find various ox figures made of gold, wood, plastic, paper, shell and stone on sale in stores and on streets to celebrate the return.
牛年要來了。在中國，你會發現商場和大街上都在出售用黃金、木頭、塑料、紙、殼、石頭制成的各式各樣的牛型擺件，以慶祝牛年的到來。
But why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs?
但十二生肖中為什么有牛呢？
Centuries ago, most people earned their living through farming. The ox was used to help plow, cultivate and carry heavy goods.
幾百年前，大多數人以農業為生。牛常被用來幫助犁地、耕種、馱重物。
The ox has long had a significant place in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers frequently described the ox in literature. In the Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, the animal was mentioned in nine out of the 305 pieces.
牛在中國文化中向來占有重要地位。中國古代詩人和作家常在文學作品中描寫牛。在我國現存最早的詩歌總集《詩經》的305篇詩歌中，有9篇都提到了牛。
The ox is considered a symbol of diligence and earnestness in Chinese culture. To this day, the phrase "the spirit of ox" still refers to conquering anything that may present itself as an obstacle. The spirit is highly praised and many people follow it as their work ethic. When someone achieves a great accomplishment through hard work, people often use "niu", meaning "awesome", to describe him or her.
在中國文化中，牛被視為勤勞誠懇的象征。如今，“牛氣沖天”仍喻意能夠戰勝一切成為阻礙之事。這一精神也被高度贊揚，很多人將其奉為工作準則。當有人通過辛苦努力獲得巨大成就時，人們往往會會說他或她“牛”，意為“很棒”。
Oxen seldom bully the weak or fear the strong. They work hard and make sacrifices.
牛很少欺軟怕硬。它們努力工作，犧牲自我。
This is reflected in a couplet from a poem by Lu Xun (1881－1936): "Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; Head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children", which fully expresses the poet's loyalty to the people.
這點體現在了魯迅一首詩的對句“橫眉冷對千夫指，俯首甘為孺子牛”中，這兩句詩充分表達了詩人對人民的忠誠。
So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, reliable and loyal. "They never seek to be the center of attention and do not look for praise," the website China Highlights noted.
因此，在牛年出生的人自然常常被認為是勤勞、可靠、忠誠的人。“他們從不想要成為關注的焦點，也不期許獲得贊美，”“中華游”網站上如此寫道。
