Weather , 天气 , tiān qì 。
Sunny , 晴天 , qíng tiān 。
Partly cloudy , 多云 , duō yún 。
Cloudy , 阴天 , yīn tiān 。
Rain , 下雨 , xià yǔ 。
Snow , 下雪 , xià xuě 。
Windy , 刮风 , guā fēng 。
中国古代的天气预报
按照“天命论”的观点，日出日落和潮涨潮落是周而复始的自然周期变化现象。人们对这些周期性变化能够做出较准确的预报。然而，人们又常常看不到规则的日出日落和潮涨潮落。这时，人们又指望能预先知道那些不规则的现象。
自古以来，中国知识分子关注着对天文、对地震和对气象的预测。古代思想家董仲舒提出了“屈民而伸君，屈君而伸天”的口号。前句是要臣民服从皇帝。后句是要皇帝听信天意。天意给皇帝的行动有了制约。
这些天意多来自对天(如日食)和对地(如地震)的不认识，对极端天气和异常气候，如雷电、旱灾、水灾、火灾、蝗虫灾害等的不可预测。对自然灾害的上(皇帝)下(臣民)无知为臣民们发表意见大开了方便之门。早期，天文和气象是不分家的。天文和气象都要观测和预报。三千年前，我国甲骨文中就有了关于天气实况的记录，包括风、云、虹、雨、雪、霜、霞、龙卷和雷暴等。自从有了文字记载了大量的天气事件后，一些知识分子终于有了对气候的认识。在我国古代，观测天文气象，制定历法，了解和预测气候，最明确的用途是为了安排农事生产、祭祀及其他活动。卜辞中还反映出人们已经有预知天气状况的要求，这些都是和当时农业生产的需要相适应的。如远在春秋时代，古人就定出仲春、仲夏、仲秋和仲冬等四个节气。以后不断地改进与完善，到秦汉年间，二十四节气己完全确立。
Weather Forecast for Ancient China
According to the “Destiny Theory”, the sunrise and sunset and the ebb and flow of tides are natural cycles that occur again and again. People can make more accurate forecasts for these periodic changes. However, people often fail to see the regular sunrise and sunset and the ebb and flow of tides. At this time, people expect to know the irregularities in advance.
Since ancient times, Chinese intellectuals have paid attention to the prediction of astronomy, earthquakes and meteorology. The ancient thinker Dong Zhongshu put forward the slogan “Qu the people stretch out the ruler, and the ruler stretches out the sky”. The first sentence is to obey the emperor. The second sentence is for the emperor to listen to God’s will. Providence restricted the emperor’s actions.
Most of these providences come from ignorance of the sky (such as solar eclipses) and the earth (such as earthquakes), and the unpredictability of extreme weather and abnormal climates such as thunder and lightning, drought, flood, fire, and locust disasters. The ignorance of natural disasters (the emperor) and the (subjects) greatly opened the door for the subjects to express their opinions. In the early days, astronomy and meteorology were not separated. Both astronomy and meteorology have to observe and forecast. Three thousand years ago, my country’s Oracle included records of the actual weather, including wind, clouds, rainbows, rain, snow, frost, clouds, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. After a large number of weather events have been recorded in writing, some intellectuals finally have an understanding of the climate. In ancient my country, observing astronomy and weather, formulating calendars, understanding and predicting climate, the clearest use was to arrange agricultural production, sacrifices and other activities. The inscriptions also reflect that people already have requirements for predicting weather conditions, which are all in line with the needs of agricultural production at that time. As far as the Spring and Autumn Period, the ancients set four solar terms: Mid-Spring, Mid-Summer, Mid-Autumn and Mid-Winter. Continuous improvement and perfection in the future, by the Qin and Han Dynasties, the twenty-four solar terms have been fully established.
