端午情思（双语）
The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of morethan 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.
端午节是古老的传统节日，始于中国的春秋战国时期，至今已有2000多年历史。
There are many legends about the evolution of the festival, the most popular of which is incommemoration of Qu Yuan (340-278 BC). Qu Yuan was minister of the State of Chu and oneof China's earliest poets. In face of great pressure from the powerful Qin State, he advocatedenriching the country and strengthening its military forces so as to fight against the Qin.However, he was opposed by aristocrats headed by Zi Lan, and later deposed and exiled byKing Huai.
据《史记》“屈原贾生列传”记载，屈原，是春秋时期楚怀王的大臣。他倡导举贤授能，富国强兵，力主联齐抗秦，遭到贵族子兰等人的强烈反对，屈原遭馋去职，被赶出都城，流放到沅、湘流域。
In his exiled days, he still cared much for his country and people and composed immortalpoems including Li Sao (The Lament), Tian Wen (Heavenly Questions) and Jiu Ge (Nine Songs),which had far-reaching influences. In 278 BC, he heard the news that Qin troops had finallyconquered Chu's capital, so he finished his last piece Huai Sha (Embracing Sand) and plungedhimself into the Miluo River, clasping his arms to a large stone. The day happened to be the 5thof the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
他在流放中，写下了忧国忧民的《离骚》、《天问》、《九歌》等不朽诗篇，独具风貌，影响深远(因而，端午节也称诗人节)。公元前278年，秦军攻破楚国京都。屈原眼看自己的祖国被侵略，心如刀割，但是始终不忍舍弃自己的祖国，于五月五日，在写下了绝笔作《怀沙》之后，抱石投汨罗江身死，以自己的生命谱写了一曲壮丽的爱国主义乐章。
After his death, the people of Chu crowded to the bank of the river to pay their respects tohim. The fishermen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for his body. People threwinto the water zongzi (pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bambooleaves) and eggs to divert possible fish or shrimp from attacking his body. An old doctorpoured a jug of reaglar wine (Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar) into the water, hoping toturn all aquatic beasts drunk. That's why people later followed the customs such as dragonboat racing, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine on that day.
传说屈原死后，楚国百姓哀痛异常，纷纷涌到汨罗江边去凭吊屈原。渔夫们划起船只，在江上来回打捞他的真身。有位渔夫拿出为屈原准备的饭团、鸡蛋等食物，“扑通、扑通”地丢进江里，说是让鱼龙虾蟹吃饱了，就不会去咬屈大夫的身体了。人们见后纷纷仿效。一位老医师则拿来一坛雄黄酒倒进江里，说是要药晕蛟龙水兽，以免伤害屈大夫。后来为怕饭团为蛟龙所食，人们想出用楝树叶包饭，外缠彩丝，发展成棕子。
一 端午习俗之赛龙舟
Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. Asthe gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniouslyand hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination. Folk tales saythe game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan's body, but experts, afterpainstaking and meticulous research, conclude that dragon boat racing is a semi-religious,semi-entertaining program from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In the followingthousands of years, the game spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China's Taiwanand Hong Kong. Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic sports item whichfeatures both Chinese tradition and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the statesports competition programs and has since been held every year. The award is called "Qu YuanCup."
賽龙舟，是端午节的主要习俗。相传起源于古时楚国人因舍不得贤臣屈原投江死去，许多人划船追赶拯救。他们争先恐后，追至洞庭湖时不见踪迹。之后每年五月五日划龙舟以纪念之。借划龙舟驱散江中之鱼，以免鱼吃掉屈原的身体。竞渡之习，盛行于吴、越、楚。其实 ，“龙舟竞渡”早在战国时代就有了。在急鼓声中划刻成龙形的独木舟，做竞渡游戏，以娱神与乐人，是祭仪中半宗教性、半娱乐性的节目。后来，赛龙舟除纪念屈原之外，在各地人们还付予了不同的寓意。此外，划龙舟也先后传入邻国日本、越南等及英国。1980年，赛龙舟被列入中国国家体育比赛项目，并每年举行“屈原杯”龙舟赛。
二 端午习俗之吃粽子
Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is said that people ate them inthe Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In early times, it was only glutinous ricedumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread, but now thefillings are more diversified, including jujube and bean paste, fresh meat, and ham and egg yolk.If time permits, people will soak glutinous rice, wash reed leaves and wrap up zongzithemselves.
Otherwise, they will go to shops to buy whatever stuff they want. The custom of eating zongziis now popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
端午节吃粽子，这是中国人民的又一传统习俗。粽子，又叫“角黍”、“筒粽”。其由来已久，花样繁多。据记载，早在春秋时期，用菰叶(茭白叶)包黍米成牛角状，称“角黍”;用竹筒装米密封烤熟，称“筒粽”。一直到今天，每年五月初，中国百姓家家都要浸糯米、洗粽叶、包粽子，其花色品种更为繁多。从馅料看，北方多包小枣的北京枣粽;南方则有豆沙、鲜肉、火腿、蛋黄等多种馅料，其中以浙江嘉兴粽子为代表。吃粽子的风俗，千百年来，在中国盛行不衰，而且流传到朝鲜、日本及东南亚诸国。
三 端午习俗之佩香囊
On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a perfumepouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes orherbal medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume pouch will be hungaround the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able toward off evil.
端午节小孩佩香囊，传说有避邪驱瘟之意，实际是用于襟头点缀装饰。香囊内有朱砂、雄黄、香药，外包以丝布，清香四溢，再以五色丝线弦扣成索，作各种不同形状，结成一串，形形色色，玲珑可爱。
端午传说
1.Qu Yuan jumped off river
屈原投江
In order to commemorate patriotic poet Qu Yuan who jumped into the Miluo river, and avoid his body to be eaten by fish and shrimp, so people cast many of bamboo rice (rice dumplings) in the river, and compete to row (acetate ship) hoping to find the body of Qu yuan.
为了纪念爱国诗人屈原，居民为了不让跳下汨罗江的屈原尸体被鱼虾吃掉，所以在江里投下许多用竹叶包裹的米食(粽子)，并且竞相划船(赛龙船)希望找到屈原的尸体。
2.Cao E looked for her father’s corpse
曹娥寻父尸
Cao E, dutiful girl of the eastern Han dynasty, whose father drowned in the river when she was 14-year old. She cried along the river, still didn’t see his father’s corpse after 17 days, and she jumped into the river on May 1st as well, after five days the two corpses folded together and float. That was a moving story, so people in the township worship her.
东汉孝女曹娥，因曹父溺江而亡，年仅十四岁的她沿江豪哭，经十七日仍不见曹父尸首，乃在五月一日投江，五日后两尸合抱而浮起的感人事迹，乡人群而祭之。
3.Madam White Snake
白蛇传
The legend of white snake Bai Suzhen, in order to repay Xu Xian , fell in love with him and finally got married. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival white snake drink realgar wine, almost reveal herself snakelike, and among the white snake, Fa Hai and water logging Jinshan temple , are popular folk opera repertoire.
传说白蛇白素贞，为了报答许仙的恩惠，与许仙结为夫妻的凄美的爱情故事。端午节当天白蛇喝了雄黄酒，差点现出蛇形，加上法海白蛇及水淹金山寺的情节，都是脍炙人口的民间戏曲的曲目。
4.Wu Zixu's death anniversary
伍子胥的忌日
It’s a legend that after He Lu ,the king of Wu died , the prince Fuchai ascended the throne, send armed forces to suppress Yue and won. Goujian ,the king of Yue please reconciliation , Fuchai didn’t listen but agreed treacherous official and judged Wu Zixu commit suicide. And jumped his body into river on May 5, since then people commemorated him on Dragon Boat Festival.
传说伍子胥助吴伐楚后，吴王阖闾逝世，皇子夫差继位，伐越大胜，越王勾践请和，伍子胥主张和，夫差不听，却听信奸臣言，赐伍子胥自杀，并于于五月五日将尸体投入江中，此后人们于端午节祭祀伍子胥。
