中国农历新年即将到来，但今年的生肖却让西方人感到非常困惑: 到底是山羊还是绵羊？
The western countries and the media are getting confused with the zodiac animal sign of upcoming Chinese Lunar Year: goat or sheep ?
中国农历以十二年为周期，每年以一种动物作为象征。十二生肖中的第八个生肖是“羊”，而这个字在没有修饰限定语的情况下可指山羊或者绵羊。The Chinese lunar calendar assigns an animal symbol to each year in every 12-year cycle. Yet the Chinese character for the eighth zodiac animal is “Y á ng羊”, which can refer to either of the two animals.
查現存記述十二生肖的古籍，最古的是東漢王充《論衡．物勢》：「未禽，羊也。」沒有說是山羊還是綿羊。
The oldest book which describes the 12 zodiac signs has been written by Wang Chong from the Eastern Han Dynasty. Neither Goat or Sheep but “Y á ng羊” is mentioned.
宋朝朱熹《讀十二辰詩卷掇其餘作此聊奉一笑》詩提到羊的一句是「烹羊酤酒聊從容」，指的顯然是肉味甘美的綿羊。
In Song Dynasty, Zhuxi mentioned Yang in one of his poems, which refers obviously to the delicious Sheep.
中国生肖邮票和剪纸上羊的形象往往都是带胡须的山羊。而惨遭洗劫的圆明园生肖喷泉一部分的青铜羊首复制品，也是山羊头。
Images on China’s zodiac stamps and paper cuttings are often bearded goats. The replica of the Yang bronze statue that once formed part of a zodiac fountain in the looted Old Summer Palace also has a goat head.
中国民俗学家表示，羊年生肖的象征物既可能是绵羊，也可能是山羊，但山羊的可能性更大，因为在汉族地区山羊作为家畜更为常见。Chinese folklorists say the animal symbol can be either a sheep or a goat but more likely goat, given the latter’s popularity as a farm animal among Han Chinese.
我们到底该怎么叫？— 羊年！
What should we say? — The year of the“Y á ng”.
