團聚 congregate

　　豐裕 abundance

　　和諧 harmony

　　盡情吃著 indulge in

　　月餅 mooncake

　　嫦娥 Chang-E

　　賦予 endow...with...

　　神話色彩 mythological flavour

　　圍繞…旋轉 circle(over)

　　長生不老藥 the elixir of life

　　產生 come into being

　　【精彩譯文】The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar month. It is a time for family members to congregate and enjoy the full moon, which is a symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of various kinds with a good cup of hot Chinese tea, while the children run around with their brightly-lit rabbit lanterns. The festival was endowed a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon. According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. Hou Yi, shot down 9 of the suns to save all the lives on carth. He stole the elixir of life, which can make people immortal. However, his wife, Chang-E drank it. Thus the legend of Chang-E flying into the moon came into being.

　　“七夕節”， 農歷七月七日，是一個充滿浪漫色彩的傳統節日，是慶祝牛郎和織女一年一度相會的日子。他們的愛情不被允許，因此他們被驅逐而分隔于銀河兩岸。每年的農歷七月七日，喜鵲會來搭橋使這對情侶來相會。如今，一些傳統的中國風俗仍在農村奉行，在城市卻已經削弱。然而，牛郎和織女的傳說已經深入人心。近些年來，尤其是城市的年輕人把它當作中國的情人節來慶祝。因此，花店、酒吧和商店的老板非常高興，因為他們可以賣出更多的商品。

　　七夕節 The Double Seventh Festival

　　浪漫色彩 romance

　　牛郎 Niu Lang (Cowherd)

　　織女 Zhi nü (Weaver Maid)

　　一年一度 annual

　　驅逐 banish

　　銀河 the Milky Way

　　喜鵲 magpie

　　使相會 reunite

　　奉行 observe

　　削弱 weaken

　　情人節 Valentine’s Day

　　商品 commodity

　　【精彩譯文】

　　The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It celebrates the annual meeting of Niu Lang (Cowherd) and Zhi nü (Weaver Maid). Their love was not allowed, and thus they were banished to opposite sides of the Milky Way. Once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day. Today some traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China, but have been weakened in urban cities. However, the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of people. In recent years, in particular, urban youths have celebrated it as Valentine’s Day in China. As a result, owners of flower shops, bars and stores are full of joy as they can sell more commodities.

　　端午節可以追溯到公元前227年的戰國時代。這個節日是為了紀念楚國的大夫屈原，他因為對朝廷的貪污****感到絕望而投河自盡。鎮上的人紛紛沖上船去救他，卻沒有成功。后來大家把米撒到水里，希望把饑餓的魚群從他的軀體邊引開。多年以后，屈原逝世的故事逐漸演變成賽龍舟和吃粽子(一種包在竹葉中的米食)的傳統。2009年，端午節被聯合國教科文組織宣布為非物質文化遺產。

　　端午節 the Dragon Boat Festival

　　追溯到 date back to

　　戰國時代 the Warring States Period

　　紀念 commemorate

　　大夫minister

　　因…感到絕望 despair over

　　沒有成功 in vain

　　撒 scatter

　　引開 distract

　　演變成 transform into

　　賽龍舟 race dragon boats

　　吃粽子 zongzi—a kind of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves

　　聯合國教科文組織 United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

　　宣布 proclaim

　　非物質文化遺產 intangible cultural heritage

　　【精彩譯文】The Dragon Boat Festival can date back to the Warring States Period in 227 B.C. The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a minister in the service of the Chu Emperor. Despairing over corruption at court, Qu threw himself into a river. Townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. Then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice into the water. Over the years, the story of Qu’s death transformed into the traditions of racing dragon boats and eating zongzi—a kind of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival was proclaimed an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009.