The Dragon Boat Festival
端午节
The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day called“Duan Wu”(meaning Day of Right Mid-Day)is observed everywhere in China. This unique Chinese celebration dates back to earliest times and a number of legends explain its origins. The best known story centers on a patriotic court official named Qu Yuan，of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period more than 2，000 years ago. Qu tried to warn the emper-or of an increasingly corrupt government，but failed. In a last desperate protest，he threw himself into the river and drowned. The State of Chu was soon annexed by the State of Qin.
每年农历的五月初五，是中国传统的端午节，又称端阳节、重午节、天中节等，是汉民族四大传统节日之一，夏节。因为端午节的许多风俗都来源于纪念大诗人屈原，所以又称“诗人节”。
Later Qu Yuan's sympathizers jumped into boats，beat the water with theioars and made rice dumplings wrapped in reed-leaves(zongzi)and scattere them into the Miluo River in the hope that fish in the river would eat the rice dump-lings instead of the body of the deceased poet.
过端午的习俗由来已久，大约开始于春秋战国之际。但是关于端午节的始源，却有不同的说法。而其中流传最广、影响最大的是纪念屈原一说。
The custom of making rice dumplings spread to the whole country. Today，people eat glutinous rice cakes to mark the occasion.
端午之际，主要有吃粽子、带荷包、插艾、缠五色丝等习俗，南方还在这一天举行龙舟竞赛等活动。
At the news of the poet's death，the local people raced out in boats in an ef-forts of searching his body. Later the activity became。boat race and the boats gradually developed into dragon-boats. In many places along rivers and on the coast today，the holiday also features dragon-boat races. In these high-spirited competitions，teams of rowers stroke their oars in unison to propel sleek, long ves-sels through the water
吃粽子和赛龙舟的习俗与纪念屈原有关。屈原(约前340一前2}s )，名平.字灵均，是历史上最伟大的浪漫主义诗人，曾任楚国左徒兼三间大夫:后因楚怀王听信谗言，将屈原流放于汉水以北。顷襄王继位后，又将屈原放逐江南。屈原自感无力挽救楚国的衰亡，于五月五日自沉泪罗江而死。老百姓很同情屈原的遭遇，为了避免屈原的尸体被鱼鳖吞食，便于五月五日这一天划着龙舟在江中驱赶鱼鳖，并将包好的粽子投放江中来喂鱼鳖，以保护屈原的尸体。2008年，端午节被确立为法定节假日。
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