國慶長(cháng)假話(huà)中秋（附英文中秋介紹）

http://gaoyou.blog.bokee.net    2006-10-5

 

忙碌了四天，終于可以休息了，打算利用剩下的三天時(shí)間陪家人外出走走，但因為特殊原因，還無(wú)法走遠，卻已是很滿(mǎn)足了，加上中秋難得與國慶長(cháng)假重疊，才得以能與年邁的父母一同過(guò)上一個(gè)團圓的中秋，回想起來(lái)已經(jīng)記不清有多少年沒(méi)有這樣的機會(huì )了。

 

雖說(shuō)中秋只有一天，也沒(méi)有特別的講究，可中秋對中國人來(lái)說(shuō)確有說(shuō)不僅的淵源，若要對中國的傳統節日拍個(gè)序的話(huà)，春節是*，這第二就應該是中秋了，只可惜中秋往往是很難與家人在一起過(guò)得，對有過(guò)異地求學(xué)經(jīng)歷的人來(lái)說(shuō)，大多是在學(xué)?；蛘吖ぷ鞯囟冗^(guò)的。

 

近來(lái)隨著(zhù)國人對中國傳統文化的日益重視，民間對包括中國傳統文化的呼聲也越來(lái)越高，已不時(shí)聽(tīng)到有人在呼吁應重視中國的傳統節日，希望能將某些重要的節日定為法定節假日，對此本人覺(jué)得非常有道理。重視中國傳統文化，倡導愛(ài)國主義，不能只是停留在喊喊口號上，在實(shí)際行動(dòng)上是可以做些事的，而政府更應該在這方面有所作為，希望盡早能看到政府的積極響應。

 

讀到一段關(guān)于中秋的英語(yǔ)文字，改編整理后摘錄下來(lái)與大家一同分享。

 

The Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival is one rich in poetic significance. Ancient legends that became interwoven with this festival’s celebration further contribute to the warm regard in which it has always been held by the Chinese people. According to the lunar calendar, the seventh, eighth, and ninth months constitute the autumn season. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, precisely in the middle of this season, when the heat of the summer has given way to cool autumn weather, marked by blue skies and gentle breezes. On this day the moon is at its greatest distance from the earth; at no other time is it so luminous. Then, as the Chinese say, “The moon is perfectly round.” In the villages the heavy work involved in the summer harvest has already been completed but the autumn harvest has not yet arrived.

 

The actual origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival are still very unclear. The earliest records are from the time of the great Han dynasty emperor Wu Di (156-87 B.C.), who initiated celebrations lasting three days, including banquets and “Viewing the Moon” evenings on the Toad Terrace. We know that people during the Jin dynasty (265-420 A.D.) continued the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and similar accounts have come down to us from the time of the Tang dynasty. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) houses and gardens were decorated with numerous lanterns and the sound of gongs and drums filled the air.

 

Moon cakes came on sale shortly before festival time. In the past, one could get some cakes shaped like pagodas, others like a horse and rider, fish or animals. Still others were decorated with the images of rabbits, flowers, or goddesses. There were a myriad of different fillings available: sugar, melon seeds, almonds, orange peel, sweetened cassia blossom, or bits of ham and preserved beef. The cakes are of the northern and southern styles, but the latter (also called Guangdong-style) are the most popular and are available throughout the country.

 

The round shape of cakes just symbolizes not only the moon but also the unity of the family. Therefore the Mid-Autumn Festival is actually a day for family reunion.