Amid the whirl of the holiday season, many are vaguely aware of the approach of the winter solstice, but how much do you really know about it? Whether you’re a fan of winter or just wish it would go away, here are some things to note—or even celebrate—about the shortest day of the year.
随着节日的到来，许多人都模模糊糊地感受到冬至的来临。那么，你对冬至到底了解多少呢？你喜欢冬天，还是希望冬天快快远去？这里是关于冬至，一年当中最短一天的一些有趣信息。
BUXTREE/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES
THE WINTER SOLSTICE HAPPENS ON DECEMBER 21 IN 2021.
2021年的冬至是在12月21日。
The date of the winter solstice varies from year to year, and can fall anywhere between December 20 and December 23, with the 21st or 22nd being the most common dates. The reason for this is because the tropical year—the time it takes for the sun to return to the same spot relative to Earth—is different from the calendar year. The next solstice occurring on December 20 will not happen until 2080, and the next December 23 solstice will not occur until 2303.
冬至的日期每年都不一样，一般会在12月20日和23日之间。最常见的是在21日或22日。每年冬至的日期之所以有变化是由于太阳年-也就是太阳回到相对于地球的同一个位置所花费的时间与日历年有所不同。下一个出现在12月20日的冬至将要到2080年才会出现，而下一个出现在12月23日的冬至则要到2303年才会出现。
tropical year：太阳年
calendar year：日历年
THE WINTER SOLSTICE HAPPENS AT A BRIEF, SPECIFIC MOMENT.
冬至出现在特定的时刻且这一刻很短暂
Not only does the solstice occur on a specific day, but it also occurs at a specific time of day, corresponding to the instant the North Pole is aimed farthest away from the sun on the 23.5° tilt of the Earth’s axis. This is also the time when the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. In 2021, this moment occurs at 3:59 p.m. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) on December 21. For those on Eastern Standard Time, the solstice will occur at 10:59 a.m on December 21. And regardless of where you live, the solstice happens at the same moment for everyone on the planet.
冬至不仅会出现在特定的某一天，而且还会出现在一天当中的特定时刻，这一时刻就是地球轴线倾斜23.5°时北极与太阳距离最远的瞬间。这也是太阳直接照射在南回归线的时刻。2021年，冬至出现在12月21日下午UTC时间（协调世界时间）3:59分。按照东部标准时间，冬至出现在12月21日早上10:59分。无论你住在哪里，冬至对于地球上的所有人而言都会在同一时间出现。
Tropic of Capricorn：南回归线
THE WINTER SOLSTICE MARKS THE LONGEST NIGHT AND SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.
冬至是北半球一年当中黑夜最长，白天最短的一天。
As most are keenly aware, daylight hours grow shorter and shorter as the winter solstice approaches, and begin to slowly lengthen afterward. It’s no wonder that the day of the solstice is referred to in some cultures as the “shortest day of the year” or “extreme of winter.” Washington, D.C. will experience 9 hours and 26 minutes of sunlight. Helsinki, Finland, will get 5 hours and 49 minutes of light. Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, will not have a sunrise at all (and hasn’t since mid-November; its next sunrise will be on January 22), while the North Pole has had no sunrise since October. The South Pole, though, will be basking in the glow of the midnight sun, which won’t set until March.
大部分人都清楚地知道，随着冬至的来临，白天变得越来越短。随后，白天又会慢慢变长。所以，在某些文化中，冬至被认为是一年当中“白天最短的一天”或“冬天的极致”。在冬至这一天，华盛顿特区将迎来时长为9小时26分的白天。而芬兰的赫尔辛基将经历5小时49分的白天。阿拉斯加的尤奇亚维克（Utqiagvik）（之前叫做巴罗）则根本不会有日出（并且从11月中旬开始一直没有日出）；下一次日出是在1月22日，而北极从10月份开始就没有日出了。而南极则沉浸在午夜阳光的照射下并会一直持续到3月份。
ANCIENT CULTURES VIEWED THE WINTER SOLSTICE AS A TIME OF DEATH AND REBIRTH.
古代文化将冬至看做是死亡和重生的时刻。
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.
冬季期间，阳光的消失和饥饿的威胁对早些时候的社会而言都是沉重的负担。因此，古时候的人们会举办各种冬至庆祝活动和仪式并以此期待重新沐浴在阳光下和新生命的诞生。在冬至前后，人们会屠宰牛和其他牲畜并在接下来的几个月享受用最后的新鲜肉类所烹饪而成的盛宴。
THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR MARKS THE DISCOVERY OF NEW AND STRANGE WORLDS.
一年当中白天最短的一天也标志着新世界和新事物的探索与发现
The Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth on December 21, 1620, to establish a society in which they could worship freely. On the same day in 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium, ushering in an atomic age. And on December 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 spacecraft launched, becoming the first crewed moon mission.
清教徒于1620年12月21日到达普利茅斯并建立了一个可以自由信仰的社会。在1898年的同一天，皮埃尔和玛丽居里发现了镭并引领人类社会走向原子时代。在1968年的12月21日，阿波罗8号发射，成为第一艘载人探月飞船。
EARTH IS CLOSEST TO THE SUN AROUND THE WINTER SOLSTICE.
在冬至时，地球与太阳的距离最近
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.
尽管在北半球并不能感觉到，在1月初，地球离太阳更近了，与7月初相比，它们之间的距离大约缩短了3百万英里。太阳和地球之间的最短距离被称为近日点；在2021年，地球在1月2日处于近日点。
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.
尽管接近阳光，但是由于北半球日照减少而且由于地球倾斜23.5度，所以温度也就更低。北半球在冬季偏离太阳并在7月时朝太阳倾斜。
WINTER’S COLDEST DAYS HAPPEN AFTER THE SOLSTICE.
冬至过后就是冬季最寒冷的日子
January and February are the coldest days in the Northern Hemisphere despite receiving more sunlight than in December’s short days. What gives?
尽管接收到的阳光比白天短暂的12月还要多，但是1月和2月却是北半球最冷的时候。这是为什么呢？
The delayed reaction is due to the way Earth takes in and releases heat. The planet absorbs heat during the summer months and releases it gradually throughout the fall and into the winter; it doesn’t fully cool down until January or February. By then, snow is falling in many areas, creating a reflective shield against solar radiation. So, in midwinter, our stores of heat have run out—and the warmth of the sun is not being absorbed as readily.
反应的滞后归结于地球吸收和释放热量的方式。地球会在夏季吸收热量并会在秋季逐渐释放热量，直到冬天降临；地球直到1月或2月才会完全冷却下来。到那时，许多地方开始下雪。积雪会对阳光照射形成反射。因此，在冬至时分，地球所储存的热能逐渐散去-而阳光的温暖也没那么容易被吸收。
THE WINTER SOLSTICE MARKS THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR, BUT NOT THE EARLIEST SUNSET.
冬至代表一年当中白天最短的时候，但却并非是日落最早的时候
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 p.m.).
尽管冬至是一天当中日照最少的一天，但这并非是由于落日。事实上，纽约2021年最短的日落大约出现在2周之前，比如冬至是12月21日，那么最早的日落则是在12月7号和8号（下午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.
差异主要是由于我们计算时间的方式所造成的。我们的时钟精准按照24小时制运行，而我们的白天则实际上更短或更长。一个白天的时长为太阳在天空中最高点（正午）和下一次处于天空最高点之间的时间。
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.
在夏至和冬至时，太阳日要略长于24小时并且在春分和秋分时略短，这是因为地球的倾斜和运行轨道所造成的。
VERY PLANET HAS A WINTER SOLSTICE.
每颗星球都有冬至
Because the solstice has to do with a planet’s tilt and orbit around the sun, every other planet in our solar system also experiences a winter solstice of sorts—though the seasons themselves look much different that ours. The seasons on Neptune and Uranus last decades, while Venus has the shortest seasons. Mars orbits the sun in a much more elliptical way than Earth, so its years are 687 days long and its fluctuations more extreme.
由于冬至与星球的倾斜角度和绕太阳运行的轨道有关，太阳系中的其他每颗星球也会出现各种冬至-尽管它们的冬至会与我们在地球上的冬至完全不同。海王星和天王星的冬至时间会持续数十年，而金星的冬至则最短。火星按照比地球运行椭圆得多的轨道围绕太阳运行，因此火星一年有687天，而季节的变化也更加极端。
来源：Mental Floss 编辑&翻译：上海译锐翻译
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