Everyone around the world celebrates the New Year differently and at different times. Most people in the U.S. celebrate it on January 1. But they may also observe New Year traditions from other religions or cultures.
世界各地的人们都在不同的时间以不同的方式庆祝新年。美国大部分人都在1月1日庆祝新年，但是他们也可能会注意到出自其它宗教和文化的新年传统。
For example, many Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year. This date changes from year to year. The date of the Islamic New Year also changes from year to year. And in India, each religious group has its own date for the beginning of the year. For example, the Hindu New Year comes in April or May.
例如，很多亚洲文化中庆祝农历新年，这个日期每年都在变化。伊斯兰新年的日期也每年都在变化。在印度，每个宗教群体都有自己的新年伊始之日。例如，印度新年在每年的四月或五月。
No matter when you celebrate the New Year, it usually involves thinking about the past year and planning for the year ahead.
无论你什么时候庆祝新年，通常都会回顾过去一年并展望新的一年。
People have many different ways of ringing out the old and ringing in the new. But why are bells linked to the calendar change?
人们有许多不同的方式在钟声中辞旧迎新。但是为什么钟声会跟日历变更联系起来呢？
In the Christian and Buddhist religions, bells are often connected with the New Year. The website CatholicCulture.org explains that "bells serve as a beautiful symbol introducing a new year to be spent together as a community of families ..."
在基督教和佛教中，钟声往往跟新年有关。CatholicCulture.org网站解释说：“钟声被作为社会各界共同度过新年的美丽象征。”
Another website describes how bells are used in Japan on New Year's Eve. "As midnight approaches, Buddhist temples around the country begin ringing out the old year, sounding the temple bell 108 times." Each ring of the bell stands for each of the earthly desires a Buddhist must try to overcome -- all 108 of them!
另一家网站描述了日本新年前夕如何敲响钟声。“随着午夜临近，全国各地的佛教寺庙开始敲响钟声辞去旧岁，庙宇的钟声会敲响108次。”每一次钟声都代表着佛教徒必须克服的一个尘世欲望，一共是108个。
Even those who aren't religious but are a little superstitious, may ring bells at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to scare off bad luck.
即使是不信宗教但是有点迷信观念的人，他们也会在新年前夕午夜一过敲响钟声以赶跑厄运。
These age-old traditions have given us the phrase "to ring out the old and ring in the new."
这些古老的传统给我们带来了这句话：“在钟声中辞旧迎新。”
The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) made the phrase popular with his poem "In Memoriam [Ring Out, Wild Bells]." In this poem, Tennyson rings out, or says farewell to, the bad, and he rings in, or says hello, to the good.
英国诗人阿尔弗雷德·罗德·丁尼生(1809-1892)用他的诗《In Memoriam [Ring Out, Wild Bells]》让这句短语流行开来。在这首诗中，丁尼生敲响钟声向不幸告别，他又敲响钟声跟美好打了个招呼。
Tennyson wrote this poem for Arthur Henry Hallam. The two students met at Cambridge University and quickly became best friends, both showing great promise as writers. Hallam helped Tennyson publish volumes of his poetry in 1830 and 1832.
这首诗是丁尼生为阿瑟·亨利·哈勒姆（Arthur Henry Hallam）所作。这两名学生在剑桥大学相遇并很快成为了最好的朋友，这两人都表现出了成为作家的巨大潜力。哈勒姆帮助丁尼生出版了他在1830年和1832年所写的诗集。
The friends almost became family when Hallam became engaged to the poet's sister, Emily. However, before they could wed, Hallam died of a brain hemorrhage. He was only twenty-two years old.
这两位好朋友几乎就要成为一家人，当时哈勒姆跟丁尼生的妹妹艾米莉订了婚。然而，在他们结婚之前，哈勒姆死于脑溢血，当时他只有22岁。
To remember his good friend, Tennyson wrote the poem "In Memoriam." He also named one of his two sons Hallam.
丁尼生为了纪念他的好朋友写了诗歌《悼念》。他还将他两个儿子中的一个取名为哈勒姆。
Here is Jonathan Evans reading the first part of that poem.
以下由乔纳森·埃文斯为你带来这首诗的第一部分。
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
敲吧，疯狂黄钟，向荒寂天空，
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
送走飞云和如霜的寒光：
The year is dying in the night;
一年将在今夜终结消亡――
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
敲吧，疯狂的钟，让它善终。
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
钟声辞旧，钟声迎新――
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
敲吧，幸福的钟声响彻雪天；
The year is going, let him go;
这年即将过去，道别再见；
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
钟声送伪，钟声迎真。
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
钟声送走损害心灵的忧伤，
For those that here we see no more;
为了那些从此再见不到的人，
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
钟声送走贫富之间的纠纷，
Ring in redress to all mankind.
钟声迎来全人类相互补偿。
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
钟声送走渐渐垂亡的俗尘，
And ancient forms of party strife;
送走各陈式党羽间的争吵；
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
迎来更崇高的生活情调，
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
风尚更甜美，法律更真纯。
Thanks, Jonathan. And thank you, our listeners, for the time you have spent reading and listening to Words and Their Stories these past twelve months.
感谢乔纳森为我们带来这首诗。也感谢各位听众，感谢你们过去一年中阅读和收听词汇掌故节目。
We here at VOA Learning English wish all of you a happy start to the New Year.
美国之音全体工作人员祝福大家新年开门大吉。
For the New Year, what do you plan to ring in? Also in the coming New Year, what words, expressions or phrases would you like to learn more about? Let us know in the Comments Sections.
新的一年里，你想要迎来什么？在即将来临的新的一年里，你还想了解哪些词汇、表达方式和短语？请在评论区告诉我们。