重阳节美食：重阳糕！

 　　On the day of Chongyang Festival, one traditional activity is to climb mountains. However, mountains are not everywhere for people to climb. Therefore, for those people who live in flat regions far from any mountain, the problem is solved by going for a picnic and eating cakes. The Chinese word for cake is Gao, a homonym¹ of the Chinese word for high. Mountains are high, so eating cake can, by a stretch of the imagination, take the place of going for a climb.

　　在重阳节我们有登高的习俗。但并不是每个地方的人都有山可以爬。所以住在平原地带的人就用野餐和吃糕的办法替代。中文中的“糕”和“高”同音，所以吃糕也就代表了登高的意义。

　　The tradition of eating cakes in September is originated from the ancient times. Though the name of "Gao" started from the Six Dynasties, the cakes had already existed in Han Dynasty, which was called "Er" in Chinese at that time. It is made of rice flour, which is classified into two types: paddyrice flour and milletrice flour. They are streamed together, which is named "Er". In September, the millet² is ripe. It is regarded as the food just in season, which is offered to ancestors as sacrifices. Chongyang Cake comes from the food just in season in September. That is why Chongyang Cake is recommended for offering sacrifices to ancestors on the day of Chongyang Festival.

　　九月吃糕的习俗自古有之。尽管“糕”这个名称是起源自六朝，但糕这种东西实则在汉代就有。那时人们称之为“饵”。饵用米粉做成，一般有两种：谷米粉和栗米粉。把它们混在一起则称为“饵”。在九月，栗米成熟，是当季的食物，通常会献给祖先作为祭品。重阳糕就是九月的当季食物，也是它作为祭品在重阳节献给祖先的原因。

　　In the Six Dynasties, cakes become the food for the season as the tradition Chongyang Festival is formed with the promotion³ of mountain-climbing activity. As the cakes appear in different forms, Chongyang Cake was also called Hua (Colorful) Cake after the Ming &Qing Dynasty and became the food for the season in urban and rural areas. Hua Cake is divided into Unpolished Hua Cake, Refined Hua Cake and Gold Coin Hua Cake. Unpolished Hua Cake is marked with carawayleaves, sandwiched with date, peach kerneland other unpolished dry fruits. Refined Hua Cake is made in either two or three layers, with each sandwiched with refined glazed⁴ fruits, such as preserved apple, peach and apricot.

　　在六朝时期，人们在重阳节登高时就习惯带上重阳糕。在不同的地区重阳糕的做法各有不同，不过在明清时代人们也把重阳糕称为“花糕”，在城市和乡村都很流行。刚蒸好的花糕还会撒上香菜叶、夹上杏仁和其他干果。最终完成的花糕会有两到三层，夹层中一般有类似苹果、桃子和杏等干果。

 

1 homonym   

n.同音异义词

参考例句：

• Confusion of homonym is a long-term disturbing problem in current Chinese Braille.同音词混淆是长期困扰现行盲文的问题。
• The nickname comes from the Chinese word for returnees,haiguipai,a homonym for sea turtles.在中文里，这类人被称为“海归派”。

2 millet   

n.小米，谷子

参考例句：

• Millet is cultivated in the middle or lower reaches of the Yellow River.在黄河中下游地区，人们种植谷子。
• The high quality millet flour was obtained through wet milling.采用湿磨法获得了高品质的小米粉。

3 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

4 glazed   

adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛
• His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》