考研英语翻译素材：欢庆六一儿童节
各科全方位深度指导内容请参考专题【2015考研复习计划】，总有一种适合你的学习方法。考研英语翻译素材：欢庆六一儿童节
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on
the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For
thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous
rice(糯米)wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon
boats.
The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the
southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. This
regatta(赛舟会)commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said
to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.
Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and
Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)(战国时期). He was
upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and
prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified
Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was
now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and
leapt into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen
rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body.
Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of
Qin.
The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to
feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the
spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile(爬行动物)in the
river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk
and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the
river.
During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is
eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds(莲子), chestnuts(栗子),
pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the
glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a
kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.
The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover
Qu's body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam
of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.
A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the
stern(船尾). A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull
is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the
boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong(铜锣)beaters and
cymbal(铙钹)players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also
men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and
pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an
atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike.
The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the
winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.
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