秋分至，残暑终，昼夜平，如何用英文表达“秋分”，“Equinox”又是什么意思？

“秋分”的英文表达为Autumn Equinox，它有以下两层含义：

1. 平分秋季：秋分是秋季的中点，将秋天一分为二。

2. 平分昼夜：这天太阳几乎直射地球赤道，各地昼夜等长。

equinox  /ˈekwɪnɒks/ 这个词来源于拉丁语，意思是“白天与夜晚等长”。

秋分的气候特征

昼夜平分

After that day, the location of direct sunlight moves to the south, making days shorter and nights longer in the northern hemisphere.

秋分过后，太阳直射点向南移动，北半球白昼时间变短，夜晚时间变长。

After that day, the location of direct sunlight moves to the south, making days shorter and nights longer in the northern hemisphere.

秋分过后，太阳直射点向南移动，北半球白昼时间变短，夜晚时间变长。

昼暖夜凉

It is hot during the day and cool at night , so people have to wear light clothing when it is hot, and put on more clothes when it is getting cooler. 

秋分时节，中国南方昼暖夜凉，所以人们白天穿单衣，温度变凉时就要加衣服。

雨洗凉秋

It is getting colder after every autumn rain. When the cold air southward meets the declining warm and wet air, precipitation is the result. The temperature also drops frequently.

一场秋雨一场寒。当南下的冷空气与不断衰退的暖湿空气相遇时，就产生了降雨，温度也频频下降。

秋分的节气习俗

吃秋菜

In Southern China, there is a custom popularly known as "having Qiucai (autumn vegetable) on the Autumn Equinox day". Qiucai is a kind of wild amaranth. Every Autumn Equinox day, all the villagers go to pick Qiucai in the wild. Qiucai is verdant in the field, thin, and about 20 cm in length.

中国南方，逢秋分有“吃秋菜”的习俗。秋菜是一种野苋菜。每到秋分这天，全村人都去野外采摘秋菜，这时田野里的青菜碧绿纤瘦，约20公分高。

祭月节

Originally, the festival of sacrificing to the moon was set on the Autumn Equinox. Since it is not a fixed day in lunar August, there might be no full moon on the Autumn Equinox. During the festival, if there was no moon to make sacrifices to, it would spoil the fun. Thus, the day was changed to the Mid-Autumn Day.

农历八月的“祭月节”并不是固定的，秋分日并不一定会有满月。如果祭月期间无月可祭，就大煞风景了。因此，祭月节便由秋分改成了中秋节。

spoil the fun：扫兴，大煞风景