七夕節的由來英文版
七夕節的由來英文版
The Double Seventh Festival refers to the seventh night of the seventh lunar month. It is a traditional folk festival of the Han people. This night is not only the time when the legendary Cowherd and the Girl Weaver are supposed to have their annual meeting, but also a good opportunity for women to pray for the Girl Weaver for the purpose of seeking dexterity. Therefore, this festival is also named " Maiden's Day", " Daughter's Day". The day is not as well-known as many other Chinese festivals. But almost everyone in China, young or old, is very familiar with the story behind it.
Once upon a time, there lived a poor cowherd, Niulang, whose parents had died long before. He had to live together with his elder brother. Unfortunately, his brother and his sister-in -law were very mean and often treated Niulang very badly. They would not give him enough food to eat, and made him work so hard that he hardly had time to sleep. Finally, they kicked him of their home. All he had in the world were the clothes on his back and an old ox.
Niulang built a small thatched cottage on the side of a mountain. He cut and dug and sweat until he had made a vegetable garden out of the rocky soil. He was often tired and hungry, but always found time to take good care of his old ox. One day, the old ox suddenly began to speak to him. It said that it used to be Taurus, the Golden-Ox Star, in the sky and had been banished by the Lord of Heaven to this world as punishment for its violation of heavenly rule by spreading grain seeds to this world. The old ox told Niulang that the goddesses of Heaven would take a bath in a sacred pond not far from his cottage a few days later. Among them was a beautiful, virtuous and industrious girl whose name is Zhinu, the Girl Weaver. Zhinu was a granddaughter of the King of the Heavenly Kingdom. If the Cowherd took the advantage of their bath in the pond to take away her clothes, she would stay and become his wife.
七夕情人節指的是農曆七月的第七個夜晚，這個節日是漢代傳統的民間節日。七夕的晚上不僅僅是傳說中的"牛郎"和"織女"一年一度相會的夜晚，同時也是為編製姑娘們祈求心靈手巧的好機會。因此，七夕節又叫"乞巧節"，"女兒節"。儘管七夕節不如其它節日那般流行，但是在中國，男女老少都對節日背後的故事相當熟悉。
很久以前，有一個放牛娃名叫牛郎，父母早亡，只好跟著哥哥嫂嫂度日。然而，哥哥嫂子為人狠毒，經常虐待他。他們逼牛郎干苦活，不讓他吃飽睡好，最後又把他趕出了家門，牛郎除了身上的衣服和一頭老水牛外，一無所有。
牛郎在山邊搭了間茅草屋，辛勤開墾，在岩石地上挖出了一片菜園，他常常飢腸轆轆，勞累不堪，但把老水牛照顧得好好的。一日，牛突然說話了，它告訴牛郎說自己前身是天上的金牛星，由於違反了天條把糧食種子撒到了人間，天帝將它貶到人間以示懲罰。老牛說，過幾天，天上的仙女會下凡到離茅草屋不遠的聖池裡游泳，其中有一個勤勞善良、美麗賢惠的姑娘，名叫織女。織女是天宮中王母娘娘的外孫女，如果牛郎能趁仙女洗澡的時候把織女的衣服拿走，她就會留下來作他的妻子。
到了那天，牛郎藏在高大的蘆葦叢裡等著。老牛說的話顯靈了，仙女們很快就到了，她們脫掉絲袍跳進水裡。牛郎偷偷地爬出來，拿起織女的衣服跑開了。仙女們嚇著了，趕快上岸，穿起衣服跑開了，把織女一個人留在後頭。牛郎跑回來，把衣服還給了織女，他對織女一見鍾情。兩人相對而視，織女對牛郎說要做他的妻子。
兩人結婚後，牛郎耕田種地，織女紡線織衣，恩恩愛愛。織女成了遠近的名人，她心靈手巧，養蠶紡紗，編錦織緞，樣樣精通。三年後，侄女生了對龍鳳胎，男孩兒叫"金哥"，女孩兒叫"玉妹"。小兩口日子過得幸福美滿，牛郎織女滿以為能夠終身相守，白頭到老。
一天，牛快死了，臨死前說對小兩口說，將它的皮剝下來放好，有朝一日，披上它，就可飛上天去。牛死後，牛郎心疼地剝下牛皮，小心翼翼地收藏起來。
這時候，玉皇大帝和王母娘娘聽說孫女到了人間，還結婚生子，非常生氣，遂下令天神盡快把織女捉回來。
一日，牛郎從地裡回來看見孩子們坐在地上哭，忙到織布機前看，沒人。孩子說，有個老太太把媽媽抓走了。牛郎記起了老牛對他說的話，他把孩子放到兩個籮筐裡，披上牛皮，挑起籮筐，突然，他輕如浮雲，飛向天空。眼看快追上了，王母娘娘聽到了小孩的哭聲，她朝後一望，從頭上取下金簪，在身後劃了一道，天空中立馬出現一條奔騰的河，這條河就叫天河。天河太寬，河水湍急，牛郎飛不過去，只能看著織女飛走，父子三人哭得揪心裂膽，天帝見此情景，大為感動，遂允許牛郎織女每年農曆七月初七在天河上鵲橋相會。
這對可憐的夫妻變成了星星，牛郎變成了牽牛星，織女成了織女星，把他們分開的河就是銀河。
這個悲楚動人的故事一代代相傳。據說，七月初七那天，喜鵲很少，因為他們都要飛到銀河上為牛郎織女搭起約會的橋。由於牛郎和織女在上面站的時間太長了，次日，這些忠實的喜鵲頭都變禿了。
在中國，許多人把"七夕節"當成本族的情人節。
七夕時常見的傳統習俗
祭月之儀
夏人的文化裡上古遺傳的祭祀月神，多在朔日，即一七、二七，有認為盛於漢代的十五祭月，也是對二七日的小小修正。古時女子多有祭拜月亮的習俗，在傳統文化裡，月亮始終是女子的祥瑞。她們常常對月祈願或傾訴心事。古來自有女子拜月的傳統，尤其是七夕、中秋。貂蟬祭月的傳說大約是最動人的畫面了。
穿針乞巧
這是最早的乞巧方式，始於漢，流於後世。《西京雜記》說：「漢綵女常以七月七日穿七孔針於開襟樓，人具習之。」南朝梁宗謀《荊楚歲時記》說：「七月七日，是夕人家婦女結綵樓穿七孔外，或以金銀愉石為針。」《輿地誌》說：「齊武帝起層城觀，七月七日，宮人多登之穿針。世謂之穿針樓。」五代王仁裕《開元天寶遺事》說：「七夕，宮中以錦結成樓殿，高百尺，上可以勝數十人，陳以瓜果酒炙，設坐具，以祀牛女二星，妃嬪各以九孔針五色線向月穿之，過者為得巧之侯。動清商之曲，宴樂達旦。土民之家皆效之。」元陶宗儀《元氏掖庭錄》說：「九引台，七夕乞巧之所。至夕，宮女登台以五彩絲穿九尾針，先完者為得巧，遲完者謂之輸巧，各出資以贈得巧者焉。」
投針驗巧
這是七夕穿針乞巧風俗的變體，源於穿針，又不同於穿針，是明清兩代的盛行的七夕節俗。明劉侗、於奕正的《帝京景物略》說：「」七月七日之午丟巧針。婦女曝盎水日中，頃之，水膜生面，繡針投之則浮，看水底針影。有成雲物花頭鳥獸影者，有成鞋及剪刀水茄影者，謂乞得巧;其影粗如錘、細如絲、直如軸蠟，此拙征矣。」《直隸志書》也說，良鄉縣(今北京西南)「七月七日，婦女乞巧，投針於水，借日影以驗工拙，至夜仍乞巧於織女」請於敏中《日下舊聞考》引《宛署雜記》說：「燕都女子七月七日以碗水暴日下，各自投小針浮之水面，徐視水底日影。或散如花，動如雲，細如線，粗租如錐，因以卜女之巧。」