世界节假日博览 第33期:端午节(5)

 　　So，People across China are preparing to celebrate the annual Dragon Boat Festival,

　　全中国正在准备迎接端午节的到来，

　　which includes many traditions and customs that date back more than two thousand years ago.

　　端午节的习俗和传统能够追溯到2000多年以前。

　　Today they are still vibrantly¹ alive.

　　如今，这些传统活动依然非常盛行。

　　Zongzi, or sticky rice, a traditional food people eat during the festival, has a history dating back to around 300 BC.

　　粽子，又叫黏米，是一种人们在端午节食用的传统食品，它的历史能够回到公元前300年左右。

　　It commemorates² the death of a national hero, Qu Yuan from the ancient state of Chu at that time.

　　当时人们用端午节来纪念民族英雄屈原的去世，他来自古代的楚国。

　　He committed suicide in a river because of the downfall of his nation.

　　国破家亡，屈原选择投江自尽。

　　To keep his body from being eaten by fish, locals wrapped rice in bamboo leaves and threw them into the river to feed the fish.

　　为了防止他的尸首被鱼所食，当地人用粽子叶来包米饭，并投进江中喂鱼。

　　"Zongzi is made to have very clear edges and angles, which is meant to resemble the unyielding character of Qu Yuan.

　　粽子的形状有棱有角，其目的是为了显示出屈原刚正不阿的品格。

　　And people often put a red date inside, to symbolize³ Qu's utter devotion and loyalty⁴ to his state,"

　　人们还经常在粽子中放进红枣，象征屈原对国家的无限忠诚和热枕。

　　After Qu Yuan’s death, people rowed boats to look for his body.

　　屈原死后，人们乘船寻找他的尸体。

　　In his home town Zigui in central China’s Hubei province, the Dragon Boat Festival is regarded a bigger event than the Chinese New Year.

　　在屈原的老家，位于中国中部的河北省秭归县，那里的端午节比过春节还要隆重。

　　Some historical evidence suggests that Chinese people began celebrating the festival even before Qu Yuan’s suicide.

　　许多历史资料证明中国庆端午的时间甚至要早于屈原自杀的时间。

　　On the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, with the change of seasons, insects begin to breed and diseases spread.

　　中国农历的五月初五，季节更迭，这时正是蛇虫繁殖，瘟疫流行的时节。

　　People would hang mugwart and calamus, drink wealgar wine, and hang up icons⁵ of a mythical⁶ guardian⁷.

　　人们会挂起艾蒿和菖蒲，饮雄黄酒，带护身符。

　　All of these were believed by the ancients to promote health and well-being⁸.

　　古人认为这些都是促进身心健康的方法。

　　The Festival has long been celebrated⁹ in Singapore, Malaysia and many other Southeast Asian countries.

　　一些如新加坡、马来西亚等东亚国家也早已拥有过端午的习俗。

　　This traditional Chinese festival is now on the United Nation’s list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage.

　　中国的传统佳节端午节已经被纳入了联合国人类口述和非物质遗产之中。

1 vibrantly   

参考例句：

• Notice that each center is vibrantly multi-colored with no shade predominating. 注意每个中心是多颜色振动毫无遮蔽控制。
• There are so many reptiles to discover in this vibrantly colored nature book of hide-and-seek. 这本书主要介绍了爬虫类动物如何利用保护色来保护自己。

2 commemorates   

n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A tombstone is erected in memory of whoever it commemorates. 墓碑是为纪念它所纪念的人而建的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A tablet commemorates his patriotic activities. 碑文铭记他的爱国行动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 mythical   

adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的

参考例句：

• Undeniably,he is a man of mythical status.不可否认，他是一个神话般的人物。
• Their wealth is merely mythical.他们的财富完全是虚构的。

7 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

8 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

9 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。