端午节,又称为五五节,因为端午节是在农历的五月五日,它是中国重要的节庆之一。这个节日是为了纪念楚国 (the Chu Emperor) 的大夫屈原,他因为对朝廷 (court) 的贪污腐败感到绝望而投河自尽。镇上的人纷纷冲上船去救他,却没有成功。后来大家把米撒到水里,希望把饥饿的鱼群从他的躯体边引开。多年以后,屈原逝世的故事逐渐演变成赛龙舟和吃粽子(一种包在竹叶中的米食)的传统。
参考译文:
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Double Fifth Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. It is one of the most important Chinese festivals. The festival commemorates Qu Yuan, a minister in the service of the Chu Emperor. Despairing over corruption at court, Qu threw himself into a river. Townspeople jumped into their boats and tried in vain to save him. Then, hoping to distract hungry fish from his body, the people scattered rice on the water. Over the years, the story of Qu’s demise transformed into the traditions of racing dragon boats and eating zongzi – a kind of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.