Over the past few years, China’s aerospace industry has witnessed many landmark events. Apart from celebrating these scientific achievements, the public has also developed a growing interest in the missions’ unique names, of which many are derived from China’s myths and legends.

China’s spacecraft are called Shenzhou. This literally means “heavenly ship” in Chinese, and is also a homonym for the Chinese words “divine land”, which is a term used in literary works to refer to the country. China’s moon exploration project and its lunar probe(月球探测器)are both named after a Chinese goddess of the moon,Chang’e. In 2013,the Chang’e-3 lunar probe landed on the moon and was carried around by a lunar rover(月球车)called Yutu. The two names perfectly match the legend of the moon fairy and her pet. In another example,the relay satellite for the Chang’e-4 moon exploration mission is called Queqiao, or “magpie bridge”. The magpie bridge, in a Chinese folk tale, was formed by millions of magpies, so that a separated couple could meet each other despite the Milky Way. Likewise,the Queqiao relay satellite serves as a “space-bridge”for communication between the moon and the earth.

Chinese people’s eagerness for the universe dated back to ancient times, some even tried to explore. Luban, a great inventor living in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, made a flying wood bird. Others created many myths and legends, such as “Kuafu Chases the Sun”, to explain phenomena that they could not explain. These traditional stories have become the source of inspiration for Chinese scientists in the naming of major space missions.

The famous spacecraft and rovers built by the United States include the Challenger,the Opportunity and the Spirit, whose names reflect a positive and enterprising spirit. This is quite unlike how the Chinese name their spacecraft,which reflects the Chinese people’s sense of romance and awe for space as well as their efforts to pass down traditional culture and their ancestors’ spirit of scientific discovery. Nevertheless, all these names, Chinese or foreign, showcase the dreams of humankind and our collective pursuit to discover the secrets of space.

When Apollo 11 prepared to land on the moon, the control center on earth told the astronauts onboard to “watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit”, which refers to Chang’e and her rabbit Yutu. With the rapid progress of China’s aerospace industry, more and more Chinese stories embodying Chinese romanticism will be shown to the world.

The Chinese words for “fish” and “plenty” are homonyms (同音异义词). A whole fish, eaten on the eve of the lunar new year — represents a wish for plenty to come. It can be deep-fried or roasted in a pan, but if you live on a coast, or have access to first-rate fish, steaming is the way to go. 【小题1】, which symbolizes hopes for a surplus (盈余) in the year ahead. Spring rolls, with their fanciful appearance of gold bars, represent hopes for wealth. Uncut noodles symbolize a long life.

【小题2】. On the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, Jews make their challah, a traditional enriched bread, in a round shape to represent the cycle of life and creation. The bread, and often apples too, are covered with honey, symbolizing the wish for a sweet year.

On New Year’s Day in America, black southerners have long eaten green vegetables together with Hoppin’ John, a delicious dish of rice and black-eyed peas (豌豆), cooked with salt pork. 【小题3】. Some people put a clean coin in the pot. Whoever gets it on their plate will enjoy a lot of good luck.

Whether anyone actually believes in a causal relationship between eating these foods and receiving the promised benefits is unclear. Mainly, these traditions continue for the same reason that other traditions do. 【小题4】.

Fish and noodles, bread and apples, beans and greens appear regularly on Chinese, Jewish and American tables. 【小题5】. Rather these foods are ordinary, yet with good meaning when eaten at the right time and in the right frame of mind. Good fortune, they suggest, lies all around, and is always within reach.

Although not as much as in the past, grandparents are the teachers of the Navajo (纳瓦霍人) youth. They make young people aware of life at an early age. The parents grant them the privilege of teaching the children, and the grandparents take great pride in raising the children or at least having a big part in raising them.

Young children often stay with their grandparents for years at a time, developing a close and trusting relationship. The grandparents teach the children Navajo legends and the principle of life, emphasizing both new culture trends and the preservation of traditions.

The grandparents are also often the leading figures in teaching the youth the arts of weaving, caring for the livestock, using herbal medicine, and other arts and crafts.

The children are taught to respect their elders, to care for them, to help them whenever they are in need, and to learn from them. Young people are urged to listen with care to the words of their elders and to keep as much wisdom as possible. Grandparents often go to social gatherings and traditional events, and the young have opportunities to learn more about their culture and traditions.

I live with my grandmother for thirteen years, and she raised me in the old ways of our people. Although I was going to school, she taught me as much as she could about our traditions. She was a beautiful woman. If I had a chance, I would listen again to her wise teachings, expressed with kindness in a soft voice that touched my heart.

We used to plant com and pumpkin every summer. They never grew big enough to feed us, but we planted them anyway. I asked my grandmother why. She said, “Grandson, our plants will be far more beautiful than the flowers outside the fence.” I did not understand until one day I saw their beauty as I was coming over the hill with her. She said, “Anything that is a part of you is always far more beautiful than the things which you pass by.” We had some beautiful years together. I am glad she is a part of me and I am a part of her.

Children used to be well disciplined, possessing more respect for culture, tradition, and beliefs than they do now. The world of the Navajo has been influenced by the western world, and the grandparents have less control and influence than they used to. But the young people who have been touched by their teachings have glimpsed a way of life beyond what most people know today.