关于冬至的兴趣小知识
“地利人事日相催，冬至阳生春又来。”各位都晓得，冬至是北半球整年中白天最短、黑夜最长的一天，但是你约莫不了解的是，冬至却不是日出最晚、日落最早的一天。本文就带你了解几个关于冬至的兴趣小知识。
[Photo/Pexels]
1. THE WORD SOLSTICE TRANSLATES TO “SUN STAND STILL.”
冬至英文solstice的意思是“太阳运动不动”
Solstice derives from the Latin term solstitium, containing sol, which means “sun,” and the past participle stem of sistere, meaning “to make stand.” This comes from the fact that the sun’s position in the sky relative to the horizon at noon, which increases and decreases throughout the year, appears to pause in the days surrounding the solstice.
冬至英文solstice源于拉丁文solstitium，sol意思是“太阳”，stitium是sistere的已往分词情势，意思是“停下去”。这是基于对正中午分太阳在天空中地点的察看，太阳的地点会随着四序循环升降，而在冬至前后太阳仿佛停下去不动了。
2. ANCIENT CULTURES VIEWED THE WINTER SOLSTICE AS A TIME OF DEATH AND REBIRTH.
古时文明将冬至视为殒命和重生的时节
The seeming death of the light and very real threat of starvation over the winter months would have weighed heavily on early societies, who held varied solstice celebrations and rites meant to herald the return of the sun and hope for new life. Cattle and other animals were slaughtered around midwinter, followed by feasting on what was the last fresh meat for several months.
冬月里黑夜漫漫，太阳仿佛远去了。在饥饿的要挟下，前人会举行种种冬至庆祝活动和仪式来欢迎太阳的回归，渴望重生的到临。冬至时节前人会宰杀畜生和其他生物，然后在接下去几个月恣意享用最初的鲜肉。
3. EARTH IS CLOSEST TO THE SUN AROUND THE WINTER SOLSTICE.
冬至前后地球距离太阳迩来
Though it doesn’t feel like it in the Northern Hemisphere, Earth is closer to the sun in early January— approximately 3 million miles closer—than it is in early July. The shortest distance between the sun and a planet is called perihelion; in 2021, Earth was at perihelion on January 2.
只管身在北半球的你约莫以为不到，但是地球在1月初比7月初距离太阳更近，近了约莫300万英里。太阳和一颗行星最短的距离叫作克日点，2021年地球于1月2日抵达克日点。
Despite the proximity to the sun, the reason for cold temperatures is because the Northern Hemisphere receives less sunlight and has cooler temperatures in winter due to Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun in winter, and toward it in July.
只管距离太阳更近，但是温度却很低，这是由于地球倾斜23.5度招致北半球在冬天吸收到的阳光更少，因此天气也更冷。北半球在冬天是背叛太阳的朝向倾斜着身子公转，而在炎天（7月）是向着太阳倾斜。
4. THE WINTER SOLSTICE MARKS THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, BUT NOT THE EARLIEST SUNSET.
冬至是一年中白天最短的一天，但不是日落最早的一天
Though the winter solstice is the day with the least amount of sunlight, that’s not because of the sunset. In fact, the earliest sunset happens about two weeks prior—in 2021 in New York, for example, the winter solstice is December 21, but the earliest sunsets occur on December 7 and 8 (at 4:28 pm).
只管冬至是日照最少的一天，但这不是由于日落时间早。内幕上，日落最早的时间是在约两周从前。以纽约为例，本年的冬至是12月21日，但是当地日落最早的日子是12月7日和8日（中午4点28分）。
The discrepancy is due to the way we calculate time. Our clocks operate on an exact 24-hour schedule, but our days are technically a little longer or shorter. One day equals the time between when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, called solar noon, and the next.
这种差别是由于我们盘算时间的办法产生的。我们的时钟依照准确的24小时来运转，但是从严厉意义上去讲我们每一天的时间会长一点或短一点。从太阳升至天空最高点（正中午分）到第二天再次升至最高点的这段时间算作一天。
A solar day is slightly longer than 24 hours during the summer and winter solstices and slightly shorter during the spring and fall equinoxes because of Earth’s tilt and orbit. During the winter solstice in New York on December 21, solar noon is actually 11:54 am EST.
由于地球的倾斜角度和公转，夏至和冬至时的一个太阳日比24小时略长，在春分和秋分比24小时略短。纽约冬至日12月21日的正中午分实践上是美国东部标定时间上午11点54分。
英文泉源：Mental Floss
翻译&编纂：丹妮
泉源：中国日报网
