Mid-Autumn Festival中秋節

Mid-Autumn Festival中秋節

“Zhong Qiu Jie", which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant moon cakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns. 

　　 農曆八月十五日是中國的傳統節日—中秋節。 在這天，每個家庭都團聚在一起， 一家人共同賞月。此時，大人們吃著美味的月餅，品著熱騰騰的香茗，而孩子們則在一旁玩燈籠。 

　　 “Zhong Qiu Jie" probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon.

　　 中秋節最早可能是一個慶祝豐收的節日。後來，月宮裡美麗的仙女嫦娥的神話 故事賦予了它神話色彩。 

　　 According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer, Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule, but his wife, Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

　　 傳說古時候，天空曾有10個太陽。一天，這10個太陽同時出現，酷熱難擋。弓 箭手后翌射下了其中9個太陽，拯救了地球上的生靈。他偷了長生不死藥，卻被 妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此後，每年中秋月圓之時，少女們都要向月宮仙女嫦娥祈福的傳說便流傳開來。 

　　In the 14th century, the eating of moon cakes at “Zhong Qiu Jie"was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn moon cakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.

　　 在14世紀，中秋節吃月餅又被賦予了一層特殊的含義。傳說在朱元璋帶兵起義 推翻元朝時，將士們曾把聯絡信藏在月餅裡。因此，中秋節後來也成為漢人推 翻蒙古人統治的紀念日。 

　　During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event. 

　　 在元朝，蒙古人統治中國。前朝統治者們不甘心政權落入外族之手，於是密謀 策劃聯合起義。正值中秋節將近，起義首領就命令部下製作一種特別的月餅，把 起義計畫藏在每個月餅裡。到中秋節那天，起義軍獲取勝利，推翻了元朝，建立 明朝。今天，人們吃月餅紀念此事。