2023年山东省滨州市中考 - 阅读理解B

Showing respect for seniors
尊老

Dads have Father’s Day. Moms have Mother’s Day. Kids have Children’s Day. But, do our grandparents have a special holiday? Yes, they do!
爸爸们有父亲节，妈妈们有母亲节，孩子们有儿童节。但是，我们的祖父母有特殊的节日吗？有的！

The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for elderly people in China. The festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. As the Chinese word for nine has the same sound as the word for long, people take the Double Ninth Festival to show their wishes of long life for elderly people.
重阳节是中国老年人的特殊节日。节日在农历九月九日。由于汉语中“九”和“久”字发音相同，人们在重阳节表达对老年人长寿的祝愿。

There are many traditions for this festival. On that day, families get together and climb mountains for luck and in the hope that elderly people will live much longer. They also drink chrysanthemum wine and wear a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are regarded as clean plants that can clean houses and cure diseases.
这个节日有很多传统。在那一天，家人聚在一起爬山以求好运，希望老年人能活得更久。他们还喝菊花酒，并佩戴一种名为茱萸的植物来庆祝。菊花和茱萸都被认为是可以清洁房屋和治疗疾病的清洁植物。

Respecting elderly people is shown not only on this special day but also in daily life. For example, when an older person enters a room, everyone stands up. When there are several guests at the table, the host usually introduces them from the oldest to the youngest. When a younger person is presenting something to an older person, two hands are used. On a crowded subway or bus, younger people always offer their seats to elderly people.
尊老不仅体现在这个特殊的日子，也体现在日常生活中。例如，当一个老人走进一个房间时，每个人都站起来。当桌子上有几个客人时，主人通常会从大到小介绍他们。当年轻人向老年人赠送东西时，会用两只手。在拥挤的地铁或公共汽车上，年轻人总是把座位让给老年人。

It is a traditional virtue in China to respect elderly people. That’s because the Chinese know that elderly people have knowledge and experience that young people can learn from. So, Chinese people are proud of being old. Besides, to respect the elderly people is to respect yourself tomorrow.
尊老是中国的传统美德。这是因为中国人知道老年人有年轻人可以学习的知识和经验。所以，中国人以老为荣。此外，尊老就是尊重明天的自己。