2023年
是农历癸卯兔年
兔是十二生肖之一，排名第四
在十二地支中配属“卯”
According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is the forth of the twelve traditional Chinese zodiac signs, and 2023 is represented by the Water Rabbit.
兔子外表温顺，活泼好动
可爱的形象深受人们喜爱
在中国传统文化中
兔子也一直被视为祥瑞之兽
The rabbit is docile, yet lively and active, and its lovely image is favored by people. In Chinese traditional culture, rabbits have long been regarded as auspicious animals.
宋代的《瑞应图》中记载：
“赤兔大瑞，白兔中瑞。”
因为古代野生兔子多为灰褐色
白色极为稀少，是要献给帝王的
It was recorded in a Song Dynasty painting that, “red rabbits indicate great fortune, while white rabbits indicate medium fortune”. In ancient times, white rabbits were quite rare, and they were usually presented to the emperor, because most wild rabbits were grey.
兔子谐音“吐子”
具有极强的繁殖能力
因此常被古人视为
多子多孙，家族兴旺的象征
多运用在家具建筑上作为装饰题材
The pronunciation of Rabbits in Chinese is ‘Tu Zi’, which sounds like the pronunciation of “to give birth to children”. As is well known, rabbits are very fertile, so the ancient people regarded rabbits as a symbol of a prosperously growing family. This is also the reason why rabbits were often carved into or painted onto furniture and other objects as a decorative subject.
兔子是敏捷聪颖的代表
不少成语都显示了它的特性
比如出自《战国策》的“狡兔三窟”
出自《孙子兵法》的“动如脱兔”
Rabbits also represent agility. There are many traditional Chinese idioms which reflect upon the many positive attributes of rabbits. For example, “A cunning rabbit always has three rabbit holes” from Intrigues of the Warring States, and “Move like a running rabbit” from The Art of War.
玉兔捣药的神话故事家喻户晓
又使得兔子成为月亮的代名词
沉淀了几千年的中国兔文化
充满着民俗意趣与深刻内涵
The tale of a jade rabbit grinding medicine is widely known in China, and rabbits are also representative of the moon. Chinese folk culture concerning rabbits has a history of thousands of years, and is full of profound meaning.
值此2023年兔年之际
六悦祝愿各位
新年大展宏“兔”
On the occasion of the 2023 New Year of the Rabbit,
Six Arts wishes you all the best in the new year!