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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
There are a great many of legends about the origin of Dragon Boat Festival. The most popular theory of the origin of the festival is that it was derived1 from the activities commemorating(纪念) Qu Yuan. The story about Qu Yuan has been deeply rooted in Chinese culture and this festival, so it is definitely a very important factor for the origin of the festival.
Qu Yuan was a minister of the State of Chu situated2 in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)(战国时期). He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed3 (德高望重)for his wise counsel(进谏)that brought peace and prosperity to the state.
However, when a dishonest and corrupt4 prince vilified(中伤) Qu Yuan, he was disgraced, dismissed from office, and eventually exiled. During his exile, Qu Yuan did not give up. He traveled extensively, taught and wrote about his ideas. His works, the Lament5, the Nine Chapters, and Wen tian, are masterpieces and invaluable6 for studying ancient Chinese culture.
He saw the gradual decline of his mother country, the Chu State. And when he heard that the Chu State was defeated by the strong Qin State, he was so despaired that he ended his life by flinging himself into the Miluo River.
Legend says after people heard he drowned, they were greatly dismayed. Fishermen raced to the spot in their boats to search for his body. Unable to find his body, people threw zongzi, eggs and other food into the river to feed fish, hoping to secure his corpse7. Since then, people started to commemorate8 Qu Yuan through dragon boat races, eating zongzi and other activities, on the anniversary of his death, the 5th of the fifth month.
This is said to be the origin of the present nation-wide custom, which is the common people’s expression of grief over Qu’s death.
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1 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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2 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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3 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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4 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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5 lament | |
n.悲叹,悔恨,恸哭;v.哀悼,悔恨,悲叹 | |
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6 invaluable | |
adj.无价的,非常宝贵的,极为贵重的 | |
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7 corpse | |
n.尸体,死尸 | |
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8 commemorate | |
vt.纪念,庆祝 | |
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