端午節，中國人或者該說是華人的三大節日，今年正好遇到星期四，又剛好排成連假。自從過完農曆年後好像沒放過這麼長的假日了，想要好好休息一下，但又得陪著老公寫論文，一連四天的連假應該又會在簡餐店中度過了。
正巧這一期的英文雜誌中有介紹端午節，就貼上來分享一下囉。
It's a tradition that goes back at least 2500 years and now people race dragon boats all over the world. Today we talk about the Dragon Boat Festival.
Draco: I was told that Daoism heavily influences the Dragon Boat Festival.
Bonita: Really ?
Draco: Yeah, some say Dragon Boat commemorates a girl named Cao Er who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned and after looking for his body for 17 days she jumped into the river and killed herself.
Bonita: I was always taught that the Dragon Boat Festival was for Qu Yuan. He oppeosed an alliance with Qin, and told the king it was a bad idea, but he was accused of treason and banished.
Draco: He was right. Qin eventually broke the treaty and conquered Chu in 278 BCE.
Bonita: When that happended Qu Yuan threw himself into the river.
Draco: There is another statesman that is associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, Wu Zixu.
Bonita: Who's that ?
Draco: Wu basically designed Suzhou. Anyway, for the state's protection, Wu Zixu advised the King of Wu t take over Yue, but the king listened to his other advisor Bo Pi instad.
Bonita: Oh, during the Zhou Dynasty.
Draco: You're good. Wu Zixu's body was thrown into a river after his forced suicied in 484 BCE.
Bonita: Wu Zixu was right; the state was overrun Yue about 10 years later.
Bonita: That story is a lot like Qu Yuan's story.
Draco: Except earlier.
Bonita: My friend said that the commemoration of Qu Yuan was fused to an existing holiday tradition.
Draco: Or Wu Zixu or ao Er.
Bonita: Yeah, anyway, the fifth month has long been considered and evil month.
Draco: Really ?
Bonita: What with summer bugs, droughts, snakes, mosquitoes -
Draco: - drownings, too.
Bonita: So herbal plants were always hung or even put in bath water during the fifth lunar month to ward off dirty things.
Draco: That makes sense.
Bonita: Have you heard of putting up Zhon g Kui's portrait for the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off ghosts ?
Draco: No, but I like his picture. He's fierce looking.
Bonita: Emperor Xuanzong got malaria and saw Zhong Kui in a vision - he ate a thieving ghost's eye. Xuanzong told the artist Wu Daozi to render a portrait, and that started the tradition.
Draco: I read people traditionally take a swig of this sulfur wine to avoid vice, and spray the rest in the corners of the house.
Bonita: My favorite part of the Dragon Boat Festival is those large rice wraps.
Draco: I like the kind with chestnuts.
Bonita: I like the Hakka kind.
Draco: Are you going to watch the dragon boat races ?
Bonita: I'll see them on TV, surely.
資料來源：地球村生活美語 May 2009
留言列表
