中秋节的传说

中秋节的传说：“Mid-autumn Festival”, which is also known a Chinese traditional festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to gather together (集合) and enjoy the full moon which is an symbol of abundance(充盈), harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around happily with their rabbit lanterns (灯笼).

 
　　阴历八月十五日是我国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都聚会在一起，一家人一起欣赏标志充盈、和和谐走运的圆月。此刻，大人们吃着甘旨的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯纵情游玩。

　　“Mid-autumn Festival” probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological(神话的) flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon.

　　中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰盈的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话颜色。

　　According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling (盘绕) over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, scorching (烤焦) the earth with their heat. The earth was saved after a strong archer, Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir(长生不老药), but his wife, Chang-E, drank it slinkingly. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-autumn Festival.

　　传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳一起呈现，炽热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其间9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥悄悄喝下。尔后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。

 
　　In the 14th century, the eating of mooncakes at “Mid-autumn Festival” was given a new meaning. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting(密议) to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians(蒙古人), the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-autumn mooncakes. Mid-autumn Festival is hence also a commemoration(留念) of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.

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