中秋節的英文介紹
中秋節的英文介紹
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in October in Gregorian calendar.
每年農曆八月十五日，是傳統的中秋佳節。這時是一年秋季的中期，所以被稱為中秋。
The festival has a long history. In ancient China, emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full, bright moon on that day, worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed, which became even grander in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, it grew to be a major festival of China.
中秋節有悠久的歷史，和其它傳統節日一樣，也是慢慢發展形成的，古代帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的禮制，早在《周禮》一書中，已有「中秋」一詞的記載。後來貴族和文人學士也倣傚起來，在中秋時節，對著天上又亮又圓一輪皓月，觀賞祭拜，寄托情懷，這種習俗就這樣傳到民間，形成一個傳統的活動，一直到了唐代，這種祭月的風俗更為人們重視，中秋節才成為固定的節日，《唐書·太宗記》記載有「八月十五中秋節」，這個節日盛行於宋朝，至明清時，已與元旦齊名，成為我國的主要節日之一。
Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this: In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this, he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and, directing his superhuman strength to full extent, drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.
相傳，遠古時候天上有十日同時出現，曬得莊稼枯死，民不聊生，一個名叫后羿的英雄，力大無窮，他同情受苦的百姓，登上崑崙山頂，運足神力，拉開神弓，一氣射下九個多太陽，並嚴令最後一個太陽按時起落，為民造福。后羿因此受到百姓的尊敬和愛戴，不少志士慕名前來投師學藝，心術不正的蓬蒙也混了進來。
有關中秋節的故事
遠古的時候，天上曾有十個太陽，曬得大地冒煙，海水乾枯，老百姓苦得活不下去。
有個叫羿的英雄力大無比，他用寶弓神箭，一口氣射下九個太陽。最後那個太陽一看大勢不妙，連忙認罪求饒，羿才息怒收弓，命令這個太陽今後按時起落，好好兒為老百姓造福。
羿的妻子名叫嫦娥，美麗賢慧，心地善良，大家都非常喜歡她。
一個老道人十分欽佩羿的神力和為人，贈他一包長生不老藥，吃了可以升天，長生不老。羿捨不得心愛的妻子和鄉親，不願自己一人升天，就把長生不老藥交給嫦娥收藏起來。
羿有個徒弟叫蓬蒙，是個奸詐小人，一心想偷吃羿的長生不老藥，好自己升天成仙。
這一年的八月十五，羿帶著徒弟們出門打獵去了。天近傍晚，找借口未去打獵的蓬蒙闖進嫦娥的住所，威逼嫦娥交出可以升天的長生不老藥。
嫦娥迫不得已，倉促間把藥全部吞下肚裡。馬上，她便身輕如燕，飄出窗口，直上雲霄。由於嫦娥深愛自己的丈夫，最後她就在離地球最近的月亮上停了下來。
聽到消息，羿心如刀絞，拚命朝月亮追去。可是，他進月亮也進，他退月亮也退，永遠也追不上。羿思念嫦娥，只能望著月亮出神。此時月亮也格外圓格外亮，就像心愛的妻子在望著自己。
第二年八月十五晚上，嫦娥走出月宮，默默地遙望下界，思念丈夫和鄉親們。她那美麗的面孔，使得月亮也變得格外圓格外亮。
羿和鄉親們都在月光下祭月，寄托對嫦娥的思念。從此年年如此，代代相傳。由於八月十五正值中秋，就定為中秋節。
中秋節別稱
「中秋」一詞，最早見於《周禮》。
據史籍記載，古代帝王祭月的節期為農曆八月十五，時日恰逢三秋之半，故名「中秋節」;又因為這個節日在秋季八月，故又稱「秋節」、「八月節」、「八月會」、「中秋節」;又有祈求團圓的信仰和相關習俗活動，故亦稱「團圓節」、「女兒節」。