賞月話中秋:中秋節的由來(中英對照)
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in October in Gregorian calendar.
每年農曆八月十五日，是傳統的中秋佳節。這時是一年秋季的中期，所以被稱爲中秋。
The festival has a long history. In ancient China, emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full, bright moon on that day, worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed, which became even grander in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, it grew to be a major festival of China.
中秋節有悠久的歷史，和其它傳統節日一樣，也是慢慢發展形成的，古代帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的禮制，早在《周禮》一書中，已有“中秋”一詞的記載。後來貴族和文人學士也仿效起來，在中秋時節，對着天上又亮又圓一輪皓月，觀賞祭拜，寄託情懷，這種習俗就這樣傳到民間，形成一個傳統的活動，一直到了唐代，這種祭月的風俗更爲人們重視，中秋節才成爲固定的節日，《唐書·太宗記》記載有“八月十五中秋節”，這個節日盛行於宋朝，至明清時，已與元旦齊名，成爲我國的主要節日之一。
Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this: In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this, he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and, directing his superhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.
相傳，遠古時候天上有十日同時出現，曬得莊稼枯死，民不聊生，一個名叫后羿的英雄，力大無窮，他同情受苦的百姓，登上崑崙山頂，運足神力，拉開神弓，一氣射下九個多太陽，並嚴令最後一個太陽按時起落，爲民造福。后羿因此受到百姓的尊敬和愛戴，不少志士慕名前來投師學藝，心術不正的蓬蒙也混了進來。
Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends, he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir, by taking which, it was said, one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being. Hou Yi, however, hated to part with his wife. So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E hid the parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when, unexpectedly, it was seen by Peng Meng.
后羿有一個美麗的妻子叫“嫦娥”。一天，后羿到崑崙山訪友求道，巧遇由此經過的王母娘娘，便向王母求得一包不死藥。據說，服下此藥，能即刻昇天成仙。然而，后羿捨不得撇下妻子，只好暫時把不死藥交給嫦娥珍藏。嫦娥將藥藏進梳妝檯的百寶匣裏，不料被小人蓬蒙看見了。
One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting, Peng Meng, sword in hand, rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng, Chang E made a prompt decision at that critical moment. She turned round to open her treasure box, took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground, dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped.
一天，率衆徒外出狩獵，蓬蒙手持寶劍闖入內宅後院，威逼嫦娥交出不死藥。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙的對手，危急之時她當機立斷，轉身打開百寶匣，拿出不死藥一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下藥，身子立時飄離地面、衝出窗口，向天上飛去。蓬蒙便藉機逃走了。
When Hou Yi returned home at dark, he knew from the maidservants what had happened. Overcome with grief, Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when, to his surprise, he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and on it there was a swaying shadow that was exactly like his wife. He tried his best to chase after the moon. But as he ran, the moon retreated; as he withdrew, the moon came back. He could not get to the moon at all.
傍晚，后羿回到家，侍女們哭訴了白天發生的事。后羿氣得捶胸頓足，悲痛欲絕，仰望着夜空呼喚愛妻的名字，這時他驚奇地發現，今天的月亮格外皎潔明亮，而且有個晃動的身影酷似嫦娥。他拼命朝月亮追去，可是他追三步，月亮退三步，他退三步，月亮進三步，無論怎樣也追不到跟前。
Thinking of his wife day and night, Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most, Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally attached to him in the palace of the moon.
后羿無可奈何，又日夜思念妻子，只好派人到嫦娥喜愛的後花園裏，擺上香案，放上她平時最愛吃的蜜食鮮果，遙祭在月宮裏眷戀着自己的嫦娥。
When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being, they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.
百姓們聞知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息後，紛紛在月下襬設香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。從那時起，敬拜月亮的風俗就在民間流傳開來。
People in different places follow various customs, but all show their love and longing for a better life. Today people will enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day.
不同地方有不同的風俗，但是都表達出人們對美好生活的愛和期望。如今人們在中秋節那天都會賞月並吃月餅。
The moon looks extremely round, big and bright on the 15th day of each lunar month. People selected the August 15 to celebrate because it is a season when crops and fruits are all ripe and weather pleasant. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, all family members or friends meet outside, putting food on tables and looking up at the sky while talking about life. How splendid a moment it is!
在每個農曆十五那天月亮看上去特別地圓，大，而且明亮。人們選擇8月15來歡慶是因爲那時莊稼和果實成熟的季節，而且天氣舒適。在中秋節，家人或好友們相聚在一起，在室外擺上月餅，邊賞月邊談論生活。那是多麼美妙的時刻。
