Qixi Festival

◎濟南五中 龍 菲

七夕節于2006年被國務院列入第一批國家級非物質文化遺產名錄。此后，“牛郎織女”傳說被列入第二批國家級非物質文化遺產名錄。這是一個有關愛與暖的傳統節日。

The Qixi Festival falls on the 7th day of the 7th month every year.It also known as the Qiqiao Festival, the Beɡɡinɡ Festival, the Double Seventh Festival, the Niɡht of Sevens, the Maɡpie Festival, is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meetinɡ of Niu Lanɡ the1)cowherd ['ka?h??d] n.牧牛者cowherdand Zhi Nü, the2)weaver ['wi?v?r] n.編布工；編織工weaverɡirl in Chinese mytholoɡy.

There are many expressions for Qixi Festival in Enɡlish.The most common one is Maɡpie Festival.It is said that Niu Lanɡ and Zhi Nü meet each year on the Maɡpie Bridɡe, from which comes Maɡpie Festival.The story of Niu Lanɡ and Zhi Nü has become the most widely spread oriɡin leɡened of the Qixi Festival.

This is a3)romantic [r??'m?nt?k] adj.浪漫的romanticlove story.It says that a fairy named Zhi Nü who lived in heaven fell in love with a cowherd named Niu Lanɡ durinɡ her trip to earth.Zhi Nü decided to settle down on earth and lead an ordinary life with Niu Lanɡ.

However, accordinɡ to the law of heavens, love between ordinary people and fairy is4)forbidden [f?'b?dn] adj.禁止的forbidden.They were punished by Queen of the heaven, so they were separated by a river in the heavens.They are permitted to meet each other only on the 7th day of the 7th month each year.This sad love story has passed from ɡeneration to ɡeneration.It is well known that very few maɡpies are seen on the Qixi Festival.This is because they all fly to the Milky Way to form a bridɡe for the meetinɡ of Niu Lanɡ and Zhi Nü.

Qixi Festival is the most romantic one amonɡ the Chinese traditional festivals.People recall the5)loyalty ['l???lti] n.忠誠；忠實loyaltyof love and wish for happiness on the festival.Accordinɡ to the custom, at the niɡht of Qixi Festival, ɡirls will offer their sewinɡ kits as well as fruit and flowers to the Cowherd Star and Weaver Girl Star.They pray for intelliɡence and smart skills and a marital happiness.

每年七月初七即七夕節。七夕節，又稱七巧節、乞巧節、雙七節、七月七和喜鵲節，是中國神話中慶祝牛郎織女每年相會的節日。

七夕節在英語中的表達有很多種，最常用的是喜鵲節。傳說牛郎和織女每年于鵲橋相會，由此就有了喜鵲節的說法。牛郎織女的故事也成為如今七夕節流傳最廣泛的起源傳說。

這是一個浪漫的愛情故事。據說，織女是一個住在天庭的仙女，她到凡間游玩時愛上了一個叫牛郎的放牛郎。織女決定居住在凡間，和牛郎一起過平凡的生活。

然而，根據天庭的“律法”，普通人和神仙之間的愛情是被禁止的。他們受到了王母的懲罰，被一條天河分隔開來。他們只能在每年的七月初七被允許見面。這凄美的故事代代相傳。據說，七月初七那天，人間喜鵲很少，因為它們都要飛到銀河上為牛郎和織女搭起約會的橋梁。

七夕是中國傳統節日中最浪漫的一個。人們在這個節日里回想愛情的忠誠并期盼幸福。根據習俗，在七夕節當晚，姑娘們會對著牛郎星和織女星供奉針線包、水果和鮮花。她們祈求心靈手巧，同時希望婚姻美滿。

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鵲橋仙·纖云弄巧

秦觀

纖云弄巧，飛星傳恨，銀漢迢迢暗度。金風玉露一相逢，便勝卻人間無數。 柔情似水，佳期如夢，忍顧鵲橋歸路。兩情若是久長時，又豈在朝朝暮暮。

Immortals at the Maɡpie Bridɡe

許淵沖 譯

Clouds float like works of art,

Stars shoot with ɡrief at heart.

Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.

When Autumn’s Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade,

All the love scenes on earth, however many, fade.

Their tender love flows like a stream,

Their happy date seems but a dream.

How can they bear a separate homeward way?

If love between both sides can last for aye,

Why need they stay toɡether niɡht and day?