“中元节”用英语怎么说？说错吓坏歪果仁！

英语·干货

今日是农历七月十四，亦是南方人的中元节（“鬼节”）。

农历七月十四/十五祭祖是一个传统文化，南方人一般过七月十四，而北方人则过七月十五。

此时处暑已过，由夏入秋，由热渐冷，是天地阴阳之气交接轮转之时，这一天是天地间阴气最活跃的时候，所以民间称今天为“鬼节”。

“中元节”是民间信仰的“鬼节”。

你知道为什么吗？

Eastern cultures celebrate a Fall festival called ’Zhongyuan festival’ where they believethe gates of hellare thrown open, releasing hungry ghosts towander the earthin search of food and taking revenge upon those who wronged them in life.

东方文化会在秋季庆祝一个叫“中元节”的节日。该节日源于人们相信这些天地狱之门将大敞，于是那些饿鬼会在人世间行走。它们会觅食，也会向在世时误会过它们的人复仇。

“中元节”用英文怎么说?

Today is the fourteenth day of the 7th lunar month, a traditional Chinese festival.

那你知道“中元节”用英文怎么说吗？

A: Zhongyuan Festival.

B: Hungry Ghost Festival.

C: Ulambana Festival.

D: Chinese Halloween.

A?

恭喜你，答对了。

The name “Zhongyuan Festival” comes from Taoism:

传说一位叫陈子祷的人与龙王三公主结为夫妇，分别于正月十五、七月十五和十月十五日生下了天官、地官、水官三兄弟，分掌赐福、赦罪、解厄。中元节是地官赦罪之日。

This day, the gates of hell are thrown open, releasing hungry ghosts back to earth. Those who have families will go home, whereas others will wander in search of food or take revenge upon those who wronged them in life.

这一天，地宫打开地狱之门，众鬼被放回人间，有家人的鬼回家去，其他的就游荡人间，徘徊在各处找东西吃，或向在世时误会过它们的人复仇。

People will also put paper-made lanterns（usually lotus-shaped） into rivers to guide the ghosts. Floating River Lanterns is a visually spectacular tradition conducted for mourning the deceased and blessing their relatives.

家家户户还会点荷灯为亡魂照亮回家的路。放河灯是一项壮观的习俗，人们因此来追悼那些已故之人和为亲人祈福。

B?

恭喜你，你也答对啦。

Hungry Ghost Festival？Why is the name so strange?

这个名字太不友好了吧。中元节为什么变成了“饿鬼节”呢？

Well, it originates from Buddhism:

中元节始于唐朝初年，盛行于宋朝，至明清时，已成为与春节齐名的中国传统节日之一。受中华文化的影响，中元节也是东亚和东南亚一些国家尤其是当地的华人华侨的传统节日。秋节被列为国家法定节假日。2006年5月20日，国务院列入首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

People will burn joss money or things like paper houses, cars and televisions to please the ghosts.

在中元节里，人们会烧纸钱，或纸房、纸车、纸电视来宽慰这些逝者。

Families will also pay tribute to other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls do not intrude on their lives or bring misfortune and bad luck.

人们也会顺道祭祀一下那些不知名的孤魂野鬼，这样，那些游魂就不会打扰他们的生活，给他们带来不幸和噩运。

C?

好吧，还是对的。

“Ulambana Festival” stems from India:

Ulambana是梵文，中文音译为“盂兰盆”，原意为“救倒悬”，即解救在地狱受苦的鬼魂。倒悬形容苦厄之状，盆是指盛供品的器皿。据说目犍连在七月十五就是用盂兰盆给僧侣斋食，让他们给人祈福的。因此，“盂兰盆节”也有祭祀祖宗的习俗。

D?

当然，这也是对的。

This day is like a Chinese version of Halloween：

西方的万圣节是每年11月1日。万圣节前夕，即10月31日，孩子们就会打扮成各种妖魔鬼怪，提着南瓜灯，挨家挨户讨糖吃，说着“trick or treat（不给糖，就倒霉）”的威胁。

（中元节与节气：白露）

中元节

Just as Halloween is for Americans, the “Hungry Ghost Festival” is for Chinese. Ghost Festival is one of Chinese traditional occasions, which is taken very seriously by the Chinese. This festival usually falls on the15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. The Ghost Festival, some places say the Hungry Ghost Festival, is also called Half July (Lunar), Ullambana, which is closely related to Buddhism, and zhongyuan jie which is the Taoism saying and Folk Belief.

就像万圣节对于美国人一样，中国也有鬼节。鬼节是中国传统节日之一，并且被中国人认真看待。这个节日通常是阴历七月十五。鬼节（有些地方翻译为饿鬼节），又叫七月半，佛教称之为盂兰盆节，中元节是道教的称法，同时也是一种民间说法。

The origin of the Hungry Ghost Festival and the Ghost Month in China is uncertain. Cultures in Asia from India to Cambodia to Japan share similar beliefs about the month, and these traditions seem to date from before Buddha.

中元节是否起源于中国并不确定。关于该节日的文化在一些亚洲国家诸如印度、柬埔寨、日本都信奉着相似的信仰，似乎这些传统都起源于佛教。

According to Taoism, the gates of hell are opened on the first day of the seventh month, and hungry ghosts are released to find food or to take revenge on those who have behaved badly according to Taoist records.

根据道教说法，农历七月的第一天地狱之门将打开，饥饿的鬼魂得以释放去寻找食物或报复那些道家记载的作恶多端的人。

讲解

文中的’Hungry Ghost Festival’就是“中元节”的意思。中元节，类似于西方的万圣节（All Saints’ Day）和万圣夜（Halloween）。西方的传统节日在国内越来越盛行，但国人也不要忘记自己的传统节日哦。

中元节和清明节的区别

Difference between Ghost Festival and Qingming Festival

In China, people also have the custom of offering sacrifices to the deceased on the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and the Double Ninth Festival. But different from these festivals, the Ghost Festival is the day that all ghosts will come out to visit the livings. Also, people only offer sacrifices to their ancestors and relatives on the above festivals, while during the Ghost Festival, besides ancestors and relatives, people will offer sacrifices to all the ghosts or spirits. So, it’s also called the Hungry Ghost Festival. The Hungry Ghost Festival is regarded as the most important one among all the festivals that offering sacrifices the deceased.

在中国，人们也有在春节、清明节和重阳节向死者献祭的习俗。但与这些节日不同的是，鬼节是所有的鬼魂都会出来拜访活人的日子。此外，人们只在上述节日祭祀祖先和亲戚，而在鬼节期间，除了祖先和亲戚，人们会祭祀所有的鬼魂或幽灵。所以，它也被称为“饿鬼节”。在所有祭奠死者的节日中，中元节被认为是最重要的节日之一。

祈丰收

It is believed by the Chinese that the dead become ghosts roaming between Heaven and Earth unless they have descendants to care for them during the Ghost Festival. During this month, the gates of hell are thrown open to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth.

中国人认为除非一个人有子孙后代能够在他死后在鬼节这天悼念他们，否则人死后会变成鬼魂在天地之间游荡。在七月，地狱的大门会打开放出灵魂，这些灵魂会在凡间寻找食物。

尽孝意

Some even think that the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives.

However,more people remember their ancestors on this day. The Ghost Festival becomes a time for remembering the importance of filial piety. The reason why the Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them.

一些人更认为他们会向那些害死他们的人复仇。但是，更多的人在这一天祭奠他们的先人。鬼节成为一个子女对先人尽孝的节日。中国人庆祝这个节日的原因是纪念他们家中死去的成员并且悼念死者。

祭祖先

They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck. People now release river lights as an important activity during this time, since it is said that river light can comfort and warm the homeless ghosts. In some areas, visitors may also see small roadside fires, where believes burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits who have temporarily been released from Hades.

他们相信祭品能安抚死者，消除厄运。放河灯是人们纪念鬼节的重要活动，因为据说河灯能给无家可归的孤魂野鬼以慰藉和温暖。在一些地区，外来者会看见路边一小堆一小堆的火，因为人们相信烧纸钱或其它东西能安抚刚从地狱出来的痛苦幽魂。

老外亲历中元节节

ghost

鬼节欣赏“ghost”诗词

这个毛骨悚然的词，

在西方文学作品里，

却有着唯美的意象，

一起来把耳朵唤醒，

听男神抖森读诗

From the princess

(by Alfred Lord Tennyson）

Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;

深红的花瓣睡着了，然后是白色的；

Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;

柏树也不再舞摆于宫苑小径；

Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:

金鱼也不再睒眼于斑岩圣钵

The firefly wakens: waken thou with me.

萤火虫醒来：唤醒了你和我。

Now droops the milkwhite peacock like a ghost,

乳白色的孔雀幽灵般消沉，

And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.

她又幽灵般地向我闪着微光。

Now lies the Earth all Danae to the stars,

缀满星辰的苍穹笼罩着如达娜厄般憩息着的大地

And all thy heart lies open unto me.

而你的心儿整个的向我开启。

Now slides the silent meteor on, and leaves

流星悄然掠过，留下一道

A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me.

光亮辙印，犹似你留予我的思虑。

Now folds the lily all her sweetness up,

百合敛起它的全部芳馨，

And slips into the bosom of the lake:

潜入湖泊的中心

So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip

我的爱，你也这样敛起自己吧，潜入

Into my bosom and be lost in me.

听抖森演绎“ghost”