STA, 8 April 202 - The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly changed life in Slovenia and the rest of the world, a change perhaps best reflected in language, which has reacted fast to put the new reality into words. Slovenian has thus made room for social distancing, coronahumour and coronaidiots.

More than three weeks into the lockdown, Slovenian has a plethora of new words to deal with the epidemic and its fallout, some borrowed from foreign languages, some given a new meaning, some brought back from oblivion and some brand new.

The novel words are so many that the www.fran.si platform of web dictionaries, run by the Fran Ramovš Institute of Slovenian Language affiliated with the Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts, released a special version called Fran, Covid-19.

The words admitted range from alpha coronavirus (alfakoronavirus) to helicopter money (helikopterski denar), corona package, corona law and corona bond (koronapaket, koronazakon, koronaobveznica) to corona crisis (koronakriza) and corona time (koronačas).

Slovenians have embraced the corona greeting (koronapozdrav) and even various types of isolation (samoizolacija, samokarantena, samoosamitev), while they look down on corona idiots (koronaidiot) and corona panic (koronapanika).

Interestingly enough, the Slovenian word for infectious (kužen) derives from plague (kuga), which is perhaps why most have been so good at keeping their distance from each other.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Osamljene cvetoče češnje

Lonely flowering cherries

Written Romana Dobnikar  Šeruga translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Japonsko sta ta teden pretresli dve novici: poletne olimpijske igre so prestavljene za leto dni in okoli cvetočih češenj v tokijskih parkih so postavili plastične trakove, da bi preprečili piknike pod njimi.

Japan was shaken by two news stories this week: the Summer Olympics have been postponed for a year and plastic barriers have been placed around flowering cherries in Tokyo's parks to prevent picnics underneath them.

Kaj je lepšega kot sedeti v parku in z najdražjimi uživati ob pogledu na cvetoče češnje? Na Japonskem je to pravi praznik, hanami. Izjemno je priljubljen tako med domačini kot obiskovalci iz tujine.

What is better than sitting in the park and enjoying the cherry blossoms with your loved ones? In Japan, this is a real holiday, hanami. It is extremely popular with both locals and visitors from abroad.

Japonski meteorologi vsako leto izdelajo celo napoved za sezono hanamija.

Every year, Japanese meteorologists even make a forecast for the hanami season.

Češnje so te dni že vzcvetele v Tokiu in njegovi okolici, v okolici Osake in Kjota pa jih pričakujejo naslednji teden. Bolj ko se pomikamo proti severu, kasneje cvetijo češnjeva drevesa.

In recent days cherries have already bloomed in Tokyo and its surroundings, and are expected next week in Osaka and Kyoto. The more we move north, the later the cherry trees bloom.

»Simbolika češnjevega cveta je poleg lepote tudi minljivost, kar je v teh nepredvidljivih časih, ko se svet bojuje proti koronavirusu, dobrodošlo sporočilo vsem ljudem,« pojasnjuje Maja Rome iz Genki centra, japonskega izobraževalnega in kulturnega centra, ki skrbi za širjenje japonske kulture in učenje japonščine v Sloveniji.

"In addition to beauty, the symbolism of cherry blossom is their fleeting nature, which in these unpredictable times, when the world is fighting the coronavirus, is a welcome message to all people," explains Maja Rome of Genki Center, a Japanese education and cultural centre that work to spread Japanese culture and learning Japanese in Slovenia.

»Prepoznavanje lepote življenja, kljub njegovi minljivi naravi, nam lahko daje optimizem tudi v težkih situacijah bolezni in smrti,« dodaja. 

"Recognizing the beauty of life, despite its fleeting nature, can give us optimism even in difficult situations of illness and death," she adds.

Tudi v Sloveniji se po japonskem vzoru zadnja leta družimo pod cvetočimi češnjevimi drevesi v ljubljanskem Botaničnem vrtu.

In Slovenia, too, following the Japanese model, we have been hanging out under the flowering cherry trees in the Ljubljana Botanical Garden for the past few years.

Zaradi koronavirusa to druženje letos odpade. Toda še vedno, pravi Maja Rome, lahko doma na svojem vrtu poleg češnjevih cvetov opazujemo tudi druga cvetoča pomladna drevesa, ki nam prav tako pričarajo občutek pomladne moči življenja.

Because of the coronavirus, this group activity is cancelled this year. But still, says Maja Rome, at home in her garden, besides cherry blossoms, we can see other flowering spring trees that also give us a sense of spring’s power of life.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

You might be stuck at home for a while, with some time on your clean hands as work slows down, most likely with some concerns about a decline in income and the general economic outlook. In which case why not add to your skillset, make yourself more employable, and ensure a more integrated and secure future in Slovenia, by finally learning the language, getting it a level where it's self-sustaining and you can just watch TV, listen to the radio and enjoy OnaPlus.

Of course, the best place to start is probably the most comprehensive guide to resources for learning the language, over at Wandering Helene. It covers books, websites, apps and more, and seems to be regularly updated. Keep that page bookmarked and explore the links as your abilities and interest arise. What we can offer at TSN is around 120 dual texts, in relatively simple Slovene and with an English translation, to give you some support as you pick up words and phrases, useful chunks to apply to daily life. The texts come from Časoris - the award-winning online news website for children in Slovenia - and cover and all kinds of topics. We publish a new one every week, and you can find them here.

There's also a growing collection of videos, in Slovene with English subtitles, in our video section (here), and although you'll have to dig around to find those among the all-English ones you'll come across a lot of other Slovene-themed content that might be of interest.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Novo vlado bo najverjetneje vodil Janez Janša

The new government is likely to be led by Janez Janša

Written by Katarina Bulatović translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Ali kdaj prelomiš obljubo staršem, učiteljem, prijatelju?

Do you ever break a promise to your parents, teachers, friend?

Nikar se ne zgleduj po politikih, pri katerih ni to nič nenavadnega.

Do not look up to politicians, as this is not uncommon among them.

Stranki SMC in DeSUS sta pred parlamentarnimi volitvami leta 2018 zagotavljali, da ju sodelovanje z največjo stranko SDS ne zanima.

Before the 2018 parliamentary elections, the SMC and DeSUS parties promised they were not interested in working with the largest party, the SDS.

A ko je predsednik vlade Marjan Šarec januarja letos odstopil s položaja, sta si premislili. S stranko NSi in stranko SDS sta se začeli pogovarjati, ali bi lahko sestavili novo vlado pod vodstvom predsednika SDS Janeza Janše.

But when Prime Minister Marjan Šarec stepped down in January, they changed their minds. They discussed with the NSi party and the SDS party whether they could form a new government under the leadership of SDS President Janez Janša.

Kaj si želijo doseči v naslednjih dveh letih, so nazadnje zapisali v dokument, ki mu rečemo koalicijska pogodba. Dogovorili so se tudi, kdo predvidoma bi vodil katero od ministrstev.

What they want to achieve in the next two years they finally wrote down in a document called the Coalition Treaty. They also agreed on who would lead which of the ministries.

Sprva je kazalo, da bi lahko ljudje še letos znova šli na volitve. Vsi člani strank SMC, Desus in NSi se namreč niso strinjali s sodelovanjem. Nazadnje so popustili in tako verjetno preprečili predčasne volitve.

Initially, it appeared that people would go to the polls again this year. Indeed, not all SMC, DeSUS, and NSi party members agreed to participate. Finally, they relented and thus probably prevented early elections.

Predsednik republike Borut Pahor se bo predvidoma danes uradno sestal z Janezom Janšo. Nato ga bo poslancem v državnem zboru najbrž predlagal kot kandidata za predsednika vlade.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor is expected to formally meet with Janez Janša today. Then he will probably propose him to the National Assembly as a candidate for the Prime Minister.

Ti bodo o njem glasovali prihodnji teden.

They will vote on it next week.

Če želi Janez Janša postati predsednik vlade, potrebuje vsaj 46 glasov.

If Janez Janša wants to become Prime Minister, he needs at least 46 votes.

To ne bi smelo biti ovira, saj ima SDS skupaj z ostalimi tremi strankami SMC, NSi, in DeSUS zagotovljenih predvidoma 48 glasov.

This should not be an obstacle, as the SDS together with the other three parties, the SMC, NSi, and DeSUS, has an estimated 48 votes.

Borut Pahor lahko državni zbor obvesti tudi, da ga ne bo predlagal. Potem ima dva dni časa, da poišče novega kandidata. Če ga ne najde, bi lahko šli na predčasne volitve.

Borut Pahor may also tell the National Assembly that he will not propose this. Then he has two days to find a new candidate. If he doesn't find one, he could go for an early election.

Svojo odločitev mora sporočiti najpozneje do petka.

He must report his decision by Friday at the latest.

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Kako Preprečevati SARS-CoV-2 Okužbo

How to Prevent SARS-COV-2 Infection

Written by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (Ministrstvo za izobraževanje, znanost in šport), translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Pri preprečevanju okužbe z virusom SARS-CoV-2 je tako kot pri drugih nalezljivih bolezni, ki povzročajo okužbe dihal, priporočljivo upoštevati vsakodnevne preventivne ukrepe:

Preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection is like with other infectious diseases that cause respiratory infections, and it is advisable to take daily preventive measures:

Izogibamo se tesnim stiskom z ljudmi, ki kažejo znake nalezljive bolezni;

We avoid close contact with people who show the signs of an infectious disease;

Ne dotikamo se oči, nosu in ust;

We do not touch the eyes, nose and mouth;

V primeru, da zbolimo, ostanemo doma;

In case we get sick, we stay at home;

Upoštevamo pravila higiene kašlja (kašljamo v robček, ki ga potem zavržemo, ali v komolec);

Follow the rules of cough hygiene (cough in a handkerchief, which is then discarded, or in the elbow);

Redno si umivamo roke z milom in vodo;

Wash our hands regularly with soap and water;

Če voda in milo nista dostopna, za razkuževanje rok uporabimo namensko razkužilo za roke. Vsebnost alkohola v razkužilu za roke naj bo najmanj 60%. Razkužilo za roke je namenjeno samo zunanji uporabi. Sredstva za čiščenje/razkuževanje površin niso namenjena čiščenju/razkuževanju kože.

If water and soap are not available, disinfect the hands using a dedicated hand sanitizer. The alcohol content of the hand sanitizer should be at least 60%. A hand sanitizer is for external use only. Surface cleaners / disinfectants are not intended for cleaning / disinfecting the skin.

Glede na trenutno epidemiološko situacijo splošna uporaba zaščitnih mask ni potrebna.

Given the current epidemiological situation, general use of protective masks is not necessary.

V času povečanega pojavljanja okužb dihal se izogibamo zaprtih prostorov, v katerih se zadržuje veliko število ljudi. Poskrbimo za redno zračenje zaprtih prostorov.

in times of increased respiratory infections we avoid enclosed spaces that hold large numbers of people. We regularly ventilate enclosed spaces.

Na spletni strani Nacionalnega inštituta za javno zdravje najdete tudi informacije o mitih in resnicah, povezanih z novim koronavirusom, pa tudi pogosta vprašanja in odgovore.

The National Institute of Public Health website also provides information on myths and truths related to the new coronavirus, as well as frequently asked questions and answers.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

STA, 21 February 2020 - Asked to comment on the state of Slovenian amid strong global currents that are headed by English, Nataša Gliha Komac of the Fran Ramovš Institute of Slovenian Language told the STA Slovenian remained an active and vibrant language. Still, many challenges remain, she added on the occasion of 21 February, International Mother Language Day.

Gliha Komac, who said we often forget that language lives with us and because of us, finds it hard to understand "why we feel uneasy when using our mother language, are apologising for our Slovenian or even for using it in the first place".

"And this is the case in a period when we (still) have universities in Slovenian, universities that produce top international experts...when we have a number of extraordinary masters of the language and a state with Slovenian as the official language," she said.

Gliha Komac added that Slovenian and its users also faced a lot of challenges, "but the most unusual thing is that they are about completely self-evident matters, such as Slovenian in the public, in science, higher education, classes in and about the Slovenian language".

She was however happy to report that the institute is working hard on resolving key theoretical issues as well on presenting linguistic issues in different manuals and applications.

Gliha Komac highlighted the www.fran.si platform of web dictionaries, which currently feature 39 dictionaries, four of which are constantly upgraded.

The institute's experts moreover participate in TV shows and contribute regular columns for papers, she said, adding that Slovenian is "actually our lifestyle".

Meanwhile, the president of the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) Dušan Merc wrote today that Slovenian has been developed in the last 100-plus years into a tool enabling Slovenia to operate as an independent nation state.

He however feels there is something very wrong with how the Slovenian language is treated in the education system.

"It is turning in a second grade teaching language, as we are getting a new teaching language - in place of the Croatian of Serbian language we would had gotten had we stayed in Yugoslavia - English."

"The mother tongue does not need to be loved and one does not need to raise one's hand to the heart, cry and distort the face when the national anthem is played. It only needs to be used, utilised, supplemented, changed, one needs to dream in it from morning until evening, speak and write.

"It should not be neglected, sidelined, treated like it's a servant to foreign master in its own house, degraded or seen as something one should be feel ashamed of even at home," Merc wrote.

International Mother Language Day was introduced by the UN in 2000 in memory of the 21 February 1952 Bengali Language Movement demonstration that also saw death casualties among Bengali students. The purpose of the day is to promote the preservation and protection of all languages.

Interested in learning Slovene? Find all our posts on this subject, including a growing collection of dual texts – relatively simple news stories in Slovene and English, here

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Luka Dončić na tekmi vseh košarkarskih zvezd dočakal svoj trenutek

Luka Dončić awaits his moment at the All-Star basketball game

Written by Sabina Lavrič, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Mladi slovenski košarkarski biser Luka Dončić je dočakal zgodovinski dan v svoji karieri – zaigral je na tekmi zvezd lige NBA All Star.

The young Slovenian basketball pearl Luka Dončić celebrated a historic day in his career - he played in an NBA All-Star game.

Ljubitelji košarke so z zanimanjem pričakovali zvezdniško tekmo v Chicagu, kjer je minuli konec tedna vladala prava norišnica.

Basketball fans were eagerly awaiting a star-studded game in Chicago, where a real mania took hold last weekend.

Vse skupaj se je začelo že v petek s tekmo vzhajajočih zvezd, na kateri je zaigral tudi Luka. Navdušil je s trojko kar s sredine igrišča!

It all started on Friday with the Rising Stars match, with Luka playing as well. He impressed with a three-pointer right from the middle of the field!

Na dobrodelnem dogodku pred obračunom je spoznal tudi nekdanjega ameriškega predsednika Baracka Obamo, kar mu bo gotovo ostalo v lepem spominu.

He also met the former US President Barack Obama at a charity event before the showdown, which will surely remain in his memory.

Tekmi vzhajajočih zvezd je sledilo tekmovanje v metanju trojk, pa v zabijanju, v nedeljo pa je bila na vrsti tista prava tekma najboljših med najboljšimi.

The Rising Stars Game was followed by a Three-Point Contest and a Slam-Dunk Contest, and on Sunday it was the real match of the best of the best.

Luka je kot drugi Slovenec, po Goranu Dragiću, dobil priložnost zaigrati na tekmi All Star. Izbrali so ga navijači, košarkarji lige in novinarji.

Luka is the second Slovenian, after Goran Dragić, to be given the opportunity to play in the All-Star game. He was selected by fans, basketball players in the league and reporters.

Ni veliko manjkalo, da bi bil celo kapetan moštva. Ta vloga je nato pripadla LeBronu Jamesu, ki je ekipo popeljal do zmage. Rezultat je bil 157 : 155.

He came very close to being team captain. That role fell to LeBron James, who led the team to victory. The result was 157: 155.

Obramba na tekmi ni bila tako pomembna kot to, da so se gledalci in košarkarji zabavali ter zabili čim več košev.

The defence in the match was not as important as keeping the spectators and basketball players entertained and scoring as many baskets as possible.

Letos je bila tekma All Star posvečena nedavno preminulima Kobeju Bryantu in njegovi hčerki Gianni.

This year, the All-Star match was dedicated to the recently deceased Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.

Vsi košarkarji LeBronove ekipe so na tekmi nosili dres s številko 2, ki jo je nosila Gianna, igralci moštva Giannisa Antetokounmpa pa so imeli na hrbtu 24, ki jo je nosil Kobe.

All of LeBron's team basketball players wore a number 2 jersey at the game, which was worn by Gianna, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's players had a 24 on their back, which was worn by Kobe.

Še ena dobra novica za slovenske navijače – Luka je potrdil, da bo igral za slovensko reprezentanco v kvalifikacijah za olimpijske igre!

Another good news for Slovenian fans - Luka has confirmed that he will play for the Slovenian national team in qualifying for the Olympic Games!

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Prvič v zgodovini je oskarja za najboljši film prejel film v tujem jeziku

For the first time in history, the Academy Award for Best Picture was received by a film in a foreign language

Written by Jelka Šutej Adamič, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Zadnja, 92. podelitev oskarjev je bila prelomna.

The last, the 92nd Academy Awards were groundbreaking.

Obe najbolj cenjeni nagradi, za najboljši film in najboljšo režijo, je namreč prejel film Parazit.

The two most prized awards, for Best Picture and Best Director, went to Parasite.

To je prvič, da so ju podelili filmu, v katerem igralci ne govorijo angleško.

This is the first time they have been awarded to a movie in which the actors do not speak English.

Dosedaj je bilo le deset filmov v tujem, ne angeškem jeziku nominiranih za najbolj pomembno nagrado – nagrado za najboljši film. A nobenemu še ni uspelo, da bi jo prejel.

So far, only ten films in a non-English language have been nominated for the most important award - the Best Picture Award. But none of them was successful and received it.

Parazit južnokorejskega režiserja Bong Joon Hoja pripoveduje o dveh družinah, ena je zelo revna, druga pa zelo bogata, in o tem, kaj se zgodi, ko se njihova življenja prepletejo.

South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's Parasite tells the story of two families, one very poor and the other very rich, and what happens when their lives intertwine.

Film je prejel še dve priznanji – za mednarodni (do lani tujejezični) film in za izvirni scenarij.

The film received two other awards - for international (until last year, foreign-language) film and for the Original Screenplay.

Za glavno moško in žensko vlogo sta oskarja prejela Joaquin Phoenix (za vlogo v filmu Joker) ter Renee Zellweger (za vlogo v filmu Judy).

The Oscars went to Joaquin Phoenix (for his role in the movie Joker) and Renee Zellweger (for her role in the movie Judy).

Brad Pitt je dobil svojega prvega oskarja za igro, in sicer v stranski igralski kategoriji (Bilo je nekoč … v Hollywoodu). Za stransko vlogo ga je prejela še Laura Dern (v filmu Zakonska zgodba).

Brad Pitt won his first Oscar in the Supporting Actor actor category (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood). The supporting actor [Oscar] was also received by Laura Dern (for the movie Marriage Story).

Oskarja za najboljši prirejeni scenarij so podelili ustvarjalcem filma Zajec Jojo, satiri o fantiču in njegovem namišljenem prijatelju Hitlerju.

The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay was awarded to the makers of Jojo Rabbit, a satire about a boy and his imaginary friend, Hitler.

Kot najboljši kratki film pa je slavil film The Neighbors’ Window. Med drugimi so oskarja za kostumografijo namenili filmu Čas deklištva, za scenografijo pa Tarantinovemu Bilo je nekoč … v Hollywoodu.

The best short film was The Neighbors' Window. Among others, the Oscars for costume design were given to the film Little Women, and for the set for Tarantino's Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.

Morda so bili najbolj razočarani ustvarjalci filma Irec (režiser Martin Scorsese), ki je imel deset nominacij, toda nobenega ni osvojil

Perhaps the most disappointed were the makers of the movie The Irishman (directed by Martin Scorsese), which had ten nominations, but won none.

Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Z Big Benom slovo od Evropske unije

With Big Ben, farewell to the European Union

Written by Romana Dobnikar Šeruga , translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Januarja ob enajstih zvečer po britanskem času (oziroma opolnoči po srednjeevropskem času) je Združeno kraljestvo Velike Britanije in Severne Irske po 47 letih članstva izstopilo iz Evropske unije.

On January 31, at eleven o'clock in the evening British time (or midnight Continental Europe time), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland left the European Union after 47 years of membership.

Na pročelje hiše na Downing Streetu 10, kjer je sedež britanskega premiera, so najprej projicirali posnetek slovitega Big Bena, kako odšteva minute do brexita, nato pa besedilo himne God Save the Queen (Bog obvaruj kraljico).

On the front of the building at #10 Downing Street, where the UK Prime Minister lives, they first projected a clip of the famous Big Ben counting down the minutes to Brexit, and then the lyrics of the national anthem, God Save the Queen.

Ta zgodovinski  trenutek so eni Britanci proslavljali, drugi obžalovali.

This historic moment was celebrated by some Britons, by others regretted.

»Za mnoge je to osupljivi trenutek upanja, trenutek, za katerega so si mislili, da ga ne bodo dočakali. In seveda mnogi so zaskrbljeni in čutijo izgubo,« je te mešane občutke strnil premier Boris Johnson.

“For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. And there are many of course who feel a sense anxiety and loss, ” as these mixed feeling were summed up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Na referendumu pred tremi leti in pol so se namreč državljani le s tesno večino odločili za brexit oziroma za izstop svoje države iz Evropske unije. In ta trenutek je nazadnje le napočil.

In the referendum of three and a half years ago, only a narrow majority voted for Brexit, or for their country to withdraw from the European Union. And that moment has only just begun.

In kaj se je spremenilo s prvim februarjem?

And what has changed since the first of February?

Za zdaj nič. Slovenci na primer še vedno lahko potujemo v Veliko Britanijo samo z osebno izkaznico, pa tudi uporaba mobilnika nas bo tam stala enako kot doma. 

Nothing for now. For example, Slovenians can still travel to the UK with only their ID card, and using a mobile phone will cost us the same as at home.

Tudi Britanci še nekaj časa ne bodo čutili posledic dejstva, da v Bruslju, na sedežu Evropske unije, v evropskem parlamentu in drugih ustanovah Evropske unije ne bodo imeli več svojih predstavnikov.

Even the British will for some time not feel the consequences of the fact that in Brussels, the seat of the European Union, the European Parliament and other institutions of the European Union, they will no longer have their representatives.

Toda do konca leta 2020 se bosta morala London in Bruselj dogovoriti, v kakšnih odnosih bo Velika Britanija s članicami Evropske unije, ki jih je zdaj samo še 27. 

But by the end of 2020, London and Brussels will have to agree on what kind of relations the UK will have with the European Union, which now has only 27 [members].

 Read more stories and improve your Slovene at Časoris, while all our dual texts can be found here.

Časoris is an online newspaper aimed at children. Each week we’ll take an article and post it here as a Slovene-English dual text.

Kitajci vstopajo v leto podgane

The Chinese are entering the Year of the Rat

Written by Katarina Bulatović, translated by JL Flanner & G Translate

Več kot milijarda ljudi bo vstopila v novo leto.

More than a billion people will enter the new year.

Tega bodo poleg tistih, ki sledijo gregorijanskemu koledarju in novo leto praznujejo prvega januarja, pa tudi vseh tistih, ki uporabljajo julijanski koledar in so v novo leto vstopili trinajst dni kasneje, torej 14. januarja, sedaj praznovali še Kitajci.

In addition to those who follow the Gregorian calendar and celebrate the New Year on January 1, as well as all those who use the Julian calendar and who entered the New Year thirteen days later, i.e. January 14, the Chinese will now celebrate.

Kitajci sledijo luninemu koledarju, zato se začetek leta spreminja. Letošnje se začne 25. januarja in bo trajalo do 11. februarja 2021.

The Chinese follow the lunar calendar, so the beginning of the year changes. This year begins on January 25 and will last until February 11, 2021.

Njihov koledar uporabljajo tudi nekatere druge azijske države, denimo Koreja, Vietnam, Laos.

Their calendar is also used by some other Asian countries, such as Korea, Vietnam, Laos.

Kitajci verjamejo, da vsakemu letu vlada ena od dvanajstih živali iz horoskopa. Novo leto bo v znamenju podgane, ki je prvo znamenje horoskopa, zato bo to leto novih začetkov.

The Chinese believe that each year one of the twelve horoscope animals rules. The New Year will be marked by a rat, the first sign of the horoscope, so this will be a year of new beginnings.

Kitajci med praznovanjem uživajo v ognjemetih, obesijo rdeče lampijone in pripravijo tradicionalno hrano. Otrokom podarijo rdeče ovojnice z denarjem. Praznovanja zaznamuje rdeča barva, ki simbolizira srečo in radost.

During the celebration, the Chinese enjoy fireworks, hang red lanterns and prepare traditional food. They give children red envelopes of money. The celebration is marked by red, which symbolizes happiness and joy.

Na ta kitajski najpomembnejši družinski praznik obiščejo tudi sorodnike. Kitajska je po površini tretja NAJvečja država na svetu, zato je potovanje v tem času še posebej težavno.

This is the most important family holiday in China, and when go and visit relatives. China is the third largest country in the world in terms of surface area, so travelling is especially difficult during this time.

Letos bodo morali biti potniki še posebno pazljivi. Decembra se je po državi začel širiti skrivnostni virus. Po podatkih svetovne zdravstvene organizacije je do sedaj zaradi koronavirusa umrlo več ljudi, še veliko več pa je okuženih.

This year, travellers will have to be extra careful. In December, a mysterious virus began spreading across the country. According to the World Health Organization, some people have been killed and many more infected by coronavirus so far.

Virus naj bi se začel širiti z ene od tržnic v Vuhanu, na kateri so prodajali ribe in divjačino.

The virus is thought to have spread from one of the markets in Wuhan selling fish and game.

Podoben je nevarnemu virusu sars, ki se prav tako širi prek dihalnih poti.

It is similar to the dangerous SARS virus, which also spreads through the respiratory tract.

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