不知道大家注意到没有:其实中英文对月份的取名方式是不一样的。英语是采用专有名词来称谓每一个月,比如1月是January,2月是February等等,而中文则使用简单的数字来标记1月、2月、3月等等。要注意的是:这些都是公历或阳历或太阳历,用英语说就是the solar calendar.另外,我们中国还用农历或阴历或月历,用英文说是the lunar calendar.
比如:阴历二月,就不能说February,而是the second month on the lunar calendar或者简单的说成the second lunar month.
比如中国的七夕情人节就是在农历七月初七。如果要告诉外国朋友,就不能说the seventh of July,而要说成the seventh of the seventh lunar month.
我们中国的中秋节是在农历八月十五,用英文表达应该是the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month.同样,中国的春节是农历一月初一,正确表达应该是the first of the first lunar month.因此,谈到中国的农历传统节日,我们都要采用类似的表达,而不能用专有月份名称。
不知不觉中奇速君就给大家普及了一下阳历和阴历表达节日,我们再说说七夕故事的?
如今七夕节的标配是烛光玫瑰巧克力,但最开始这个节日却不是情人节哦。
七夕节也称“乞巧节”,是闺中女子向织女祈求智慧和巧技的日子。姑娘们祈祷自己能有一双织女般的巧手,寻得一位如意郎君。
But qixi wasn’t a festival for lovers until recently. It was initially a time for unwed women to beg the weaving goddess for domestic skills. They’d also pray for a good husband.
慢慢地,坊间开始流传牛郎织女的故事,为七夕节添上了一抹浪漫色彩。
Falling on the seventh day of seventh lunar month, the Double Seventh Festival in China, also known as Qixi Festival, is what Valentine’s Day to the western countries. As it is a day of great importance to girls, the event is also called Young Girls’ Festival. Because of the beautiful legend about Niu Lang and Zhi Nv, the festival has been endowed with the meaning of great romance.
As one of the Chinese four folk legends concerning love, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv features the Double Seventh Festival.
作为中国四大民间传说之一,牛郎和织女的传说是七夕节的特色。
It is said that Niu Lang was a cowboy who had a kind heart even though he was without living parents. Living with his brother and brother-in-law, he was maltreated. One day, after having been driven out of his home, an old man (in fact a supernatural being), guided him to the sick cattle from heaven. With great care from Niu Lang, the cattle recovered. In order to show gratitude to Niu Lang, the cow helped him get acquainted with Zhi Nu - a fairy from the heaven. They fell in love with each other and married to live a happy life with Niu Lang planting in the field while Zhi Nv did weaving at home. They were also magically given a boy and a girl. However, good times didn’t last long because Zhi Nv’s deeds were known by the king of the heaven who took her back to heaven. With the cow’s help, Niu Lang flew to heaven along with his two children as they chased their wife and mother. It was just at that moment before he could reach Zhi Nv that the queen of the heaven created a huge river between them. Tears from the two flowed continuously so that even the queen was moved. As a result, she allowed them to meet only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year.
Therefore, the day when Niu Lang and Zhi Nv meet is the present Double Seventh Festival.
因此,牛郎和织女见面的日子就是现在的七夕节。
Customs
习俗
While the customs of this festival varies according to the different regions, the same hope is cherished by all.
虽然这个节日的习俗因不同的地区而不同,但人们都抱有同样的期望。
The most prevalent custom is that of girls praying to Zhi Nv for skillful hands for sewing. Because Zhi Nu is regarded as a beautiful woman deft at weaving, in the evening of the festival, girls sew some articles to compete with each other and prepare some delicious fruits to worship Zhi Nu in order to be endowed with the masterly sewing skill. Not only hoping for this skill, they also pray to have a sweet love.
In the rural regions, people usually see the meeting of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv as two stars in the sky. At the same time, the old people tell the young about this old love legend. Unfortunately, this is not popular in cities nowadays.
In the Chinese cities, the Western Valentine’s Day is more favored than the Double Seventh Festival by young people. They spend the latter as the Valentine’s Day. Although some traditional customs have been changed or been lost, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv is still passed down from generation to generation. Like the presents of Valentine’s Day, flowers and chocolates are also the popular ones.