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The Dragon Boat Festival
端午节
端午节的起源 The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Double Fifth Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most important Chinese festivals, the other two being the Autumn Moon Festival and Chinese New Year.
The origin of this summer festival centers around a scholarly government official named Chu Yuan. He was a good and respected man, but because of the misdeeds of jealous rivals he eventually fell into disfavor in the emperor's court.
Unable to regain the respect of the emperor, in his sorrow Chu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Low River. Because of their admiration for Chu Yuan, the local people living adjacent to the Mi Low River rushed into their boats to search for him while throwing rice into the waters to appease the river dragons.
Although they were unable to find Chu Yuan, their efforts are still commemorated today during the Dragon Boat Festival.
端午节，又称为五五节，因为端午节是在农历的五月五日，是三个重要的中国节庆之一，其他两个分别是中秋节和农历新年。
这个节日的由来是古代中国有一位博学多闻的官吏屈原，他是一位爱民而且又受到尊崇的官吏，但是由於一位充满嫉妒的官吏陷害，从此在朝廷中被皇帝所冷落。由於无法获得皇帝的重视，屈原在忧郁的情况下投汨罗江自尽。
由于对屈原的爱戴，汨罗江畔的居民匆忙的划船在江内寻找屈原，并且将米丢入汨罗江中，以平息汨罗江中的蛟龙。即使他们当时并没有找到屈原，但是他们的行为，直到今天在端午节的时候，仍然被人们传颂纪念着。
A: Have you heard about the Dragon Boat Races to be held this afternoon? 你知道今天下午有龙舟比赛吗？
B: Yes, it is part of a holiday, right? 知道啊，是为了庆祝什么节日对吧？
A: Yup, Duan Wu Festival, but it’s also just simply called the Dragon Boat Festival. It’s among the three major traditional holidays celebrated by Chinese. 是的，是端午节，不过它也被叫做龙舟节。它是中国三大传统节日之一。
B: Other than the Dragon Boat Races, what’s special about this day? 除了龙舟赛，这一天还有什么特别的活动吗？
A: Traditionally, it was thought to be a time for warding off evil spirits, but now it’s just thought of a time to remind family members to take care of their health. 在传统上，这一天一直被视为是驱凶避邪的日子，不过现在它的意义已经只是提醒家人注意身体健康了。
B: Sounds great! I think I’ll join in on the boat competitions. 听起来不赖！我想我会去参加龙舟比赛。
A: After you’ve worked up an appetite, you can eat Zongzi. Everyone eats them during the Dragon Boat Festival. 等你划船累到肚子饿的时候，就可以吃粽子。端午节的时候大家都会吃粽子。
B: Eating is a really important part of Chinese culture, huh? 吃真是中国文化中很重要的一部分，对吧？
A: Yes, perhaps one of the most important aspect. Don’t worry though; there are no surprises in Zongzi. They are just rice with either meat or sweet red bean paste wrapped inside. They are quiteyummy! 没错，或许是最重要的之一。不过别担心，粽子里面没什么特别的东西，只是米饭包着肉或豆沙而已。好吃极了！
听上面的A和B两人说的那么热闹，我们来了解一下端午节的起源吧！
端午节的庆祝方式
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5月5日）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。
Glutinous rice filled with meat, nuts or bean paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is associated with Dragon Boat Festival with historical meaning.The custom of eating zongzi is now popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.端午节吃什么？ 端午节不可不吃的美味食物就是粽子（tsung-tse)。Adults drink Xiong Huang Wine, which can fend off evil spirits.“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.On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with aperfume pouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume pouch will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.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。挂艾叶菖蒲hang branches of moxa and calamus around the doors of their homes 悬钟馗像display portraits of evil's nemesis, Chung Kuei
1. zongzi （汉语拼音音译） 2. rice dumpling 3. traditional Chinese rice-pudding
1. 南方人还喜欢包肉馅儿的粽子。 People in southern china like the zongzi with meat in it.
2. 吃粽子，赛龙舟。 Eat zongzi and hold dragon-boat races.
3. 那天我们赛龙舟，也吃粽子。 We hold dragon boat races and eat zongzi on that day.
4. 人们通常在这一天吃粽子。 People usually have zongzi today.
5. 端午节我们通常吃粽子。 We usually eat zongzi on the dragon boat festival.
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