Origin of the Double Ninth Festival 重阳节的起源 The "Double Ninth Festival", also known as the "Chong-yang Festival", is a traditional Chinese festival which falls on the 9th day of the 9th month of the lunar calendar(阴历). 重阳节是中国的传统节日，时间为农历九月初九。 In an ancient book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes(《易经》), number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine(阴性) or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine(阳性) or positive. The number nine in both month and day creates the Double Ninth Festival, or Chong Yang Festival, where “Chong” means double in Chinese.在《易经》一书中，数字6被认为是代表着“阴”，而数字9则代表着“阳”。农历九月九日就产生了重阳节，“重”在汉语中意味着“双”。 The double ninth festival formed as early as in the Warring States time(战国时期), and in the Tang Dynasty(朝代), it was decided as officially a folk(民间的) holiday. Hereafter(从此以后) the Double Ninth Festival has continued until now. 重阳节早在战国时期就已形成，在唐朝，被正式确立为民间节日。从此以后，重阳节一直流传至今。
Legend of the Double Ninth Festival 重阳节的传说 In the Eastern Han Dynasty, River Monster spread plague(瘟疫) overwhelmed(淹没) farmland at both sides, and destroyed the villages on September 9th Chongyang every year. HuanJing(桓景) made up his mind to kill the horrible monster and save the people living in Runan County. 东汉时期，每年九月九重阳之时，河妖就出来肆意传播瘟疫，淹没两岸农田，毁掉村庄。青年桓景下决心要杀死河妖拯救汝南百姓。 HuanJing set out to the Laole Mountain(老乐山) in search of the master who was skilled at beating monsters. The other day, the monster scrambled the river violently and blew the terrible plague into the village, causing the people to become seriously ill. HuanJing told the villagers to cover their mouths and noses with cornel sachets(茱萸做的香囊) and run up to the hills. He bravely struggled against the violent monster, and finally, with the help of his master, he killed it with the sword dipped with mum wine(菊花酒).桓景出发去老乐山寻找降妖大师学艺。有一天，河妖疯狂搅动河水并且把瘟疫吹进村落，村民们受苦不已。桓景告诉村民们用茱萸香囊堵住口鼻，并且往山上跑。他勇敢地与狂魔河妖做斗争，最终，在他师父的帮助下，桓景用喷了菊花酒的剑刺死了河妖。 Ever since then, on September 9th in Chinese lunar calendar every year, the people in Runan and Shangcai climb up to the Laole Mountain. They pray for blessings for their family and for themselves.自从那时起，每年农历九月初九，汝南和上蔡地区的老百姓都去爬老乐山。他们以此方式为家人祈福。
Customs of the Double Ninth Festival重阳节的习俗 The Double Ninth Festival falls in the golden season of autumn. The comfortable weather and the joy of harvest, usually perfect for outdoor activities. Many people go hiking and climbing mountains in the countryside. Certainly, people can enjoy red leaves, wild flowers and have a picnic.重阳节是在秋日金黄时节到来。宜人的天气和丰收的喜悦，特别适合户外活动。许多人到郊外进行徒步和爬山活动。人们在野外赏红叶，赏花，进行野餐。
The Double Ninth Festival is also a time when chrysanthemum(菊花) blooms. China boasts(已有...而自豪) diversified species of chrysanthemum and people have loved them since ancient times. So enjoying the flourishing(繁茂的) chrysanthemum and drinking chrysanthemum wine has also become a key activity on this festival.重阳节也是一个赏菊的好时节。中国拥有种类繁多的菊花，从古至今，人们都引以为傲并且非常喜欢菊花。所以，赏菊和饮菊花酒也成为重阳节的重要活动。 Carrying Cornel(茱萸) branches to avoid misfortune was a belief in ancient China. The Cornel is one of the festival's important symbols.遍插茱萸辟邪是中国古代的一个信仰。茱萸是重阳节的重要标志之一。 The Double Ninth Festival's most famous diet is the Chongyang cake in the north.在北方，重阳节最著名的食物是重阳糕。
Seniors' Day In China重阳节又称“老人节” The traditional Double Ninth Festival has been assigned new meanings nowadays. In 1989, the Double Ninth Festival was declared Seniors' Day in China.现在，传统节日重阳节被赋予了新的意义。在1989年，中国正式确立重阳节为老人节。 Since nine is the highest odd digit(奇数) , people take two of them together to signify longevity(长寿) . Hence(从此) the ninth day of the ninth month has become a special day for people to pay their respects to the elderly and a day for the elderly to enjoy themselves.因为九是最大的奇数，人们把两个九放在一起视为长寿，从此，重阳节成为一个特别的日子，在这一天人们向老年人表达尊敬，这一天也成为老人们特别开心快乐的一天。
重阳节诗词赏（双语）
九月九日忆山东兄弟
Thinking of my Brothers
on Mountain Climbing Day
王维
Wang Wei
(许渊冲译)
独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲
Alone, a lonely stranger in a foreign land
I doubly pine for kinsfolk on a holiday
Every holiday the homesickness amplifies
遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人
I know my brothers would
with dogwood spray in hand
Climb up mountain and miss me so far away
登高
Ascend
杜甫
Du fu
(许渊冲译)
风急天高猿啸哀，渚清沙白鸟飞回
The wind so swift, the sky so wide
apes wail and cry
Water so clear and beach so white
birds wheel and fly
无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来
The boundless forest sheds its leaves
shower by shower
The endless river rolls its waves
hour after hour
万里悲秋常作客，百年多病独登台
A thousand miles from home
I'm grieved at autumn's plight
Ill now and then for years
alone I'm on this height
艰难苦恨繁霜鬓，潦倒新停浊酒怀
Living in times so hard, at frosted hair I pine
Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine
醉花阴
To the Tune of
Intoxicated Under the Shadow of Flowers
李清照
Li Qingzhao
(许渊冲译)
薄雾浓云愁永昼，瑞脑销金兽
Light mists and heavy clouds
melancholy the long dreary day
In the golden censer
the burning incense is dying away
佳节又重阳，玉枕纱橱，半夜凉初透
It is again time
for the lovely Double-Ninth Festival
The coolness of midnight
penetrates my screen of sheer silk
and chills my pillow of jade
东篱把酒黄昏后，有暗香盈袖
After drinking wine at twilight
under the chrysanthemum hedge
My sleeves are perfumed
by the fragrance of the plants
莫道不销魂，帘卷西风，人比黄花瘦！
Oh, I cannot say it is not endearing
Only, when the west wind stir the curtain
I see that I am more gracile
than the yellow flowers
采桑子
Tune: "PICKING MULBERRIES"
毛泽东
Mao Zedong
(许渊冲译)
人生易老天难老，岁岁重阳
Nature does not grow old as fast as man
Each year the Double Ninth comes round
今又重阳，战地黄花分外香
And now the Double Ninth comes round How sweet are yellow flowers