泼水节在傣语里称“桑堪比迈”，是新年的意思，因此泼水节也是庆祝新一年的开始，是西双版纳最隆重的节日之一。不只有傣族过泼水节，甚至还有其他国家也庆祝这个节日。

The water-splashing festival is the New Year for the Dai people, which is called "sangkangbimai". Many other ethnic minorities in China, along with some Southeast Asian countries, also celebrate this festival.

西双版纳有傣族、汉族、哈尼族等13个世居民族和长达966.3公里的国境线，与老挝和缅甸接壤。发源于唐古拉山的澜沧江在此出境后流经老缅泰柬越，被称为湄公河。

Xishuangbanna is home to 12 ethnic minorities and boasts a border extending over 966.3 kilometers, adjacent to Laos and Myanmar. The Lancang River originates from the Tanggula Mountain Range, known as the Mekong River in other countries. Six nations are situated along the Lancang-Mekong River: China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

除了傣族，布朗族、佤族、基诺族等少数民族也共同庆祝这一节日。此外，柬埔寨、泰国、缅甸、老挝等国家也有泼水节，其时间与傣历六月中旬相符，即在中国的清明节前后十天。

Apart from the Dai ethnic group, minority ethnicities like the Blang, Wa, and Jinuo also join in the celebration of this festival. Meanwhile, countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos also celebrate it, coinciding with the mid-sixth month of the Dai calendar, roughly ten days before or after China's Qingming Festival.

在来云南之前，中国56个民族对梅丽莎而言只是数字，但来到这里以后，这个数字好像活了过来。

Before our Russian explorer Melissa came to Yunnan, the 56 ethnic groups in China were no more than a number to her, but now, the number took on something more concrete.

原来泼水节泼的水是澜沧江取来的，被当地人称作圣水，是傣族新年中的“红包”，是祝福。泼水是一种送祝福的独特方式。当地人认为被泼得越多，以后的日子会过得越轻松快乐。

"Water" is a unique way of sending blessings to the Dai people on New Year's Day. The more you're soaked, the more blessings you get. This is how people express their feelings and wishes for the future.

这个时候不论你来自哪里、是什么身份，你都可以跟身边人尽情享受泼水的乐趣，沉浸在这一刻的快乐疯狂。

At this moment, it doesn't matter where you're from or what you do. You can splash to your heart's content and relish the carefree joy of this moment.

来源：中国日报双语新闻