Shining decorations of the zodiac animal "Yang" in three colors at a square close to Nanjing Road in Shanghai (Photo: IC)

上海南京西路常德路附近一广场上出现了大小三只造型懵懂的“羊”，这三只羊分别为金色、银色和玫瑰红色，所用材料十分闪亮抢眼，路过市民纷纷驻足观望。

When a lot of English-speakers fall into the heated discussion that what animal - sheep, goat or ram - is the symbol of the upcoming lunar Chinese New Year, all kinds of the zodiac animal decorations in different shapes, made of different materials and in different species have been exhibited throughout China to celebrate the Spring Festival, and all of them are very festive and lovely. Actually, sheep, goat, ram and their similar counterparts are known collectively as "Yang" (pronounced like the word young) in Chinese, the zodiac animal this year.

当英语国家的朋友们正在热议中国羊年的羊到底是绵羊sheep，山羊goat，还是白羊ram时，一大波不同品种、不同造型、不同材质的“羊”景观亮相全国各地，可亲可爱，年味十足。事实上，绵羊、山羊、白羊等在中文里被统称为羊。

Editor: Wang Jiaye

Source: english.eastday.com