中秋节是中国传统文化中非常重要的节日之一，又称为团圆节，民间关于它的传说也非常多，接下来跟小编一起欣赏中秋传说之一 —— 吴刚伐桂。

Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeshipsall the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be animmortal, so he went to live in the mountains where heimportuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortaltaught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but afterthree days his characteristic restlessness returned and Wu Kangasked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal taught him chess, but after ashort while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if theycould travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the masterbanished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia treebefore he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical treerestored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.

吴刚是个懒惰而又不学无数的学徒。有一天他想学道成仙，于是他住到深山里强求仙人教他法术。起初，仙人教他治病的草药，但三天之后吴刚不安定的本性就暴露出来了。他又求仙人教他其他的东西，于是仙人教他下棋，但不久之后吴刚又失去了兴趣。于是仙人给了他研习仙术的书籍。当然没几天吴刚又觉得无聊了，并问仙人能否远行到一些新鲜有趣的地方。气恼于吴刚毫无耐心的本性，仙人罚他去月宫，并告诉他除非他能砍倒一棵巨大的桂树，否则他就不能回到人间。虽然吴刚日夜砍伐，但这棵神奇的树每次被砍倒创伤又会自己愈合，于是吴刚只有夜以继日地砍伐。