年画，顾名思义，就是过年时张贴的画。
New Year pictures, as the name implies, are the pictures posted during the new year.
旧时候，每当春节来临，新的一年即将到来的时候，家家户户都把房院打扫得干干净净，在堂房、卧室、窗旁，
门上以及灶前，院内的神龛上，贴上焕然一新的年画，既用以创造喜气洋洋的新年气氛，又借以祈求上天赐给幸
福，消除灾祸与不幸。
In the old days, when the Spring Festival is coming and the new year is coming, every family cleans
up the house and courtyard. In the hall, bedroom, window, door and in front of the stove, the
shrine in the courtyard is pasted with a brand-new new year's picture, which not only creates a
happy new year's atmosphere, but also prays for heaven's blessing to eliminate disasters and
misfortunes.
古书里记载，传说很久以前，有名叫神茶、郁垒的两个兄弟，专门监督百鬼，发现有害的鬼就捆绑起来去喂老虎。
In ancient books, it is said that long ago, there were two brothers named Shencha and Yu Lei, who
supervised hundreds of ghosts and bound them to feed tigers when they found harmful ghosts.
于是黄帝就在门户上画神茶、郁垒的像用以防鬼。这个神话就是后来“门神”画产生的缘由。据说唐代皇帝曾命
吴道子画钟馗像，并摹刻出来分赏给大臣贴挂以辟鬼。
So the Yellow Emperor painted the images of divine tea and Yu Lei on the door to prevent ghosts.
This myth is the origin of the later "door god" paintings. It is said that the emperor of Tang
Dynasty once ordered Wu Daozi to draw Zhong Kui's image, and to copy it and reward it to the
ministers to stick it up to fight against ghosts.
宋代出现雕版技术后，为木版年画提供了技术制作条件，促使年画不断发展。随着年画的广泛流传，其内容和功
能也不断丰富。
After the emergence of engraving technology in Song Dynasty, it provided technical conditions for
making woodblock New Year pictures and promoted the continuous development of New Year pictures.
With the wide spread of New Year pictures, their contents and functions are constantly enriched.
到清代，年画发展到高峰。从最初被作为辟邪驱鬼的符录，渐渐地又增加了吉祥如意、多子多寿、娃娃仕女一类
的题材，从而也具有了表达在新一年中美好意愿，以及美化环境的功能。
In the Qing Dynasty, New Year pictures reached a peak. Since it was originally used as a symbol to
ward off evil spirits and exorcise ghosts, it has gradually added themes such as auspicious and
wishful, many children and longevity, dolls and ladies, which also has the function of expressing
the good will in the new year and beautifying the environment.
同时，年画也出现了表达农民自己现实生活以及民间传说、故事的内容，使年画具有了丰富文化生活，传播知识
的作用。
At the same time, the New Year pictures also appeared to express farmers' real life, folklore
and stories, which made the New Year pictures have the function of enriching cultural life and
spreading knowledge.
民间年画基本上属于农民自己的艺术。画中形象质朴、自然、简练单纯，比较直白地表达农民朴实的主观愿望。
Folk New Year pictures basically belong to the art of farmers themselves. The image in the painting
is simple, natural, simple and straightforward to express the simple subjective wishes of farmers.
很多画面都有情节性、装饰性、趣味性，色彩鲜艳强烈。这样的表现方法既适合于广大农民、市民的欣赏习惯和
审美趣味，也便于木板印刷制作。民间年画是先画出底稿，再复刻在木板上印刷而成，或印出轮廓线，再用笔填色。
Many pictures have plot, decoration, interest and bright colors. This method of expression is not
only suitable for the appreciation habits and aesthetic tastes of farmers and citizens, but also
convenient for wood printing. Folk New Year pictures are made by first drawing the manuscript,
then copying it on the board, or printing the outline, and then filling with a pen.
在现代印刷技术产生之前，这是大批量生产图画的唯一方法。民间木版年画的体裁有很多，也很讲究。门神是贴
在院门上的，根据门神的种类，又细分为贴在大门、二门、后门或闺房门上的区别。
Before modern printing technology came into being, it was the only way to mass produce pictures.
There are many types of folk woodblock New Year pictures, which are also very particular. The door
god is pasted on the courtyard door. According to the type of door god, it is divided into the
difference pasted on the gate, the second door, the back door or the boudoir door.
神像有灶王神、天地神、仓房财神，甚至贴在牛棚马圈上的车马神。“中堂”贴在客厅，“月光”贴于窗旁，
斗方则贴在箱柜或升、斗上，真是各有规矩。总之，过年时，屋里屋外，院内院外，各个角落都贴得红红火火，
花花绿绿，既用以表达了主人的心愿，又布置烘托了节日气氛。
The gods include the God of kitchen king, the God of heaven and earth, the God of wealth in the
barn, and even the God of chariots and horses stuck on the cowshed horse circle. "The nave" is
pasted in the living room, "Moonlight" is pasted beside the window, and the square of the fight
is pasted on the cabinet or the elevator or the fight. There are rules for each. In a word, during
the new year, all corners of the house and yard are pasted in red and green, which not only
expresses the wishes of the host, but also sets off the festival atmosphere.
随着时代的推移，旧年画中一些迷信落后的观念渐渐被淘汰。年画只是作为一种非常通俗而普及的艺术形式保留
下来。自本世纪中叶以来，在不同的历史阶段，年画艺术家创造了新的年画形式，并用以表现现实生活。至五十
、六十年代新年画一直兴旺发达。它已经改用新的印制技术，印数和发行量极大。可以说，迄今为止，没有哪一
个画种出版数量能达到年画的出版量。年画是世界上读者最多的画种。
With the passage of time, some superstitious and backward ideas in the old year's paintings are
gradually eliminated. New Year pictures are only preserved as a very popular and popular art form.
Since the middle of this century, in different historical stages, new year artists have created
new forms of New Year paintings and used them to express real life. New year's paintings flourished
in the 1950s and 1960s. It has changed to a new printing technology, with a large number of prints
and circulation. It can be said that up to now, there is no one kind of painting that can reach the
publishing volume of New Year pictures. New Year pictures are the most popular in the world.