The Chinese New Year is less than a month away. Are you ready to welcome the Year of the Tiger?

In Chinese culture, tigers are seen as the king of all the animals. They stand for power,energy(活力),and protection. Tigers are regarded as fearless creatures, so that's why you can see pictures of tigers on the walls of temples(庙)and houses. They are to protect us from disasters(灾难)and danger. In ancient times, some great generals(将军)were called the“tiger generals”. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms(《三国演义》),there are“Five Tiger Generals(五虎上将)”.It's said that people who were born in the Year of the Tiger are brave, strong and determined(有决心的).

Instead of tigers, in the West, lions are considered the king of all the animals. Brave warriors(战士) were nicknamed “the lion". In Europe, the animal is a national symbol(象征) for England as well as for Norway, Spain, Belgium and 13 other countries.

But in the West, tigers are also seen as very powerful animals. In English, if you want someone to calm down you can say to them “easy tiger”. Another famous phrase is“eye of the tiger",which means to have fierceness(凶猛)and strength.