“祭祖”常见的英文表达是 “offer sacrifices to ancestors” 或 “worship ancestors”。
“offer sacrifices to ancestors”:侧重于表达向祖先献上祭品这一具体行为,在涉及传统祭祀仪式、描述具有明确祭祀动作的场景中较为常用。例如:In some traditional villages, people still offer sacrifices to ancestors on important festivals.(在一些传统村落,人们仍然会在重要节日祭祖。 )
“worship ancestors”:更强调对祖先的崇敬、礼拜这一情感和仪式行为,使用场景更为宽泛,既可用于正式的书面表达,也可用于口语交流。例如:Many families gather at the ancestral temple to worship ancestors during the Spring Festival.(春节期间,许多家庭会聚集在宗祠祭祖。 )