The Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, is one of the oldest and most popular traditional Chinese festivals. This year, 2018, it falls on June 18.
端午节是中国传统节日中最古老、最受欢迎的节日之一。2018年的端午节是6月18日。
Tian Wen or The Heavenly Questions is a piece contained in the classical Chinese poetry collection of Chu Ci, which is an anthology of Chinese poetry from the Warring States period. Tian Wen was the most beloved poem and was written by Qu Yuan. The poem posts 172 questions to Heaven about Chinese mythology and religious beliefs, but the poet does not include the answers.
《天问》是战国时期中国诗歌选集《楚辞》中的一篇。《天问》由屈原所写，广受世人推崇。这首诗向天提出了172个关于中国神话和宗教信仰的问题，但诗人没有给出答案。
While Qu Yuan was in exile in 278 B.C., the state of Qin was conquered by the state of Chu. Seeing his beloved country ruined, he was left heartbroken and soon died.
公元前278年，屈原被流放，后来楚国被秦国所灭。看到他心爱的国家被毁，他伤心欲绝，没多久就去世了。
After news of Qu Yuan’s death spread, the people of Chu, who admired Qu Yuan greatly, paddled their boats out and raced to save his body. They raced from Miluo River all the way to Dongting Lake.
由于楚国人民非常敬仰屈原，屈原之死的消息传开后，他们就划着小船从汨罗江一路到洞庭湖去搜救屈原的遗体。
The people wished to stop the fish from eating Qu Yuan’s body by disturbing the waters with their passage. This is said to be the origin of the yearly dragon boat race.
为了防止屈原的身体被鱼吃掉，人们试图利用水道扰乱水域，而据说这就是一年一度的龙舟竞赛的起源。
It is said that the people of Chu started throwing zongzi (glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo) into the water in order to attract the fish so that they would not eat the poet’s body. They also poured a big jar of strong liquor into the water in order to calm the water dragon so that it would not eat his body.
据说，楚国人开始把粽子(带有不同馅料的糯米包在竹筒里)扔进水里以吸引鱼儿，这样他们就不会吃屈原的身体了。他们还往水里倒了一大罐烈性酒，使水里的龙平静下来继而使他们不会吃屈原的身体。
The tradition of making zongzi lasts up to today and has developed into many varieties. Along with rice and eggs, ingredients may include red bean paste, meat, and dates. Nowadays, people in Korea, Japan, and throughout southeastern Asia also enjoy making zongzi.
粽子的传统一直延续到今天，并发展成多种多样的粽子。除了米饭和鸡蛋，原料还包括红豆酱、肉和红枣。现在，韩国、日本和东南亚的人们也很喜欢吃粽子。
Traditional Chinese culture puts much emphasis on maintaining the integrity of the body when a person dies. This is vividly depicted in this legend that surrounds the Dragon Boat Festival.
传统的中国文化强调在人死后保持身体的完整性。在这个围绕端午节的传说中，这一点被生动地描绘出来。
