端午节里用英语聊聊端午节的人们熟知的习俗
在端午节，吃粽子、戴香包之类的传统活动少不了。今天我们就来用英语聊聊端午节的各项大家所熟知的传统习俗。
The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.
端午节（农历五月初五）是中国古老的传统节日，始于春秋战国时期，至今已有2000多年历史，通常在阳历的六月份。
端午节来源：
Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)（战国时期）. He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin.
The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile（爬行动物）in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river.
端午节吃什么？
“粽包分两髻，艾束著危冠。旧俗方储药，羸躯亦点丹。”
端午节不可不吃的美味食物就是粽子（tsung-tse/glutinous rice dumpling），这种传统源于汨罗江边的渔夫，将米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙，希望它们不要伤害屈原。
粽子tsung-tse：Glutinous rice（糯米） filled with meat, nuts or bean paste（豆酱） and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is associated with Dragon Boat Festival with historical meaning.The custom of eating tsung-tse is also popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
因为南北方的饮食文化差异，粽子里面的馅儿也有所不同，北方多为甜味粽子，以豆沙（bean paste）、红枣（date）等做馅儿，而南方则多为咸味粽子，以肉（meat）、坚果（nut）等做馅儿。在朝鲜、韩国和日本等亚洲国家，也有吃粽子的习俗。
端午节喝什么？
“樱桃桑椹与菖蒲，更买雄黄酒一壶。”
端午节尝试一下雄黄酒吧。端午节这天，人们把雄黄倒入酒中饮用，并把雄黄酒(realgar wine)涂在小孩儿的耳、鼻、额头、手、足等处，希望这样可以使孩子们不受蛇虫的伤害，同时也能驱赶恶灵（fend off evil spirits）。
Adults drink realgar wine, which can fend off evil spirits.
端午节玩什么？
“鼓声三下红旗开，两龙跃出浮水来。棹影斡波飞万剑，鼓声劈浪鸣千雷。”
端午节最应景的节目就是赛龙舟（dragon boat racing ）。端午节也叫龙舟节，可见赛龙舟是端午节必不可少的一项活动。
Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination.
A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern（船尾）. A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong（铜锣）beaters and cymbal（铙钹）players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.
端午节戴什么？
端午节最有特色的饰物就是香包（sachet）。小孩佩戴香包，传说有避邪驱瘟之意。用含有多种香味的药用植物（ herbal medicines）做成的香包也可以预防疾病。
端午节挂什么？
“不效艾符趋习俗，但祈蒲酒话升平。”
许多人相信五月是一年中容易引发疾病的危险时节，因此必须有许多防备家人生病的措施。端午节时，人们会将一种特别的植物——艾草挂在门口，作为保护之用。
在门上挂艾叶和菖蒲（branches of moxa and calamus around the doors of their homes）和悬钟馗像(display portraits of evil's nemesis, Chung Kuei)都是为了驱疾避凶，讨个吉利。
编辑：马文英
来源：中国日报网英语点津