一个两千多年的节日：我们为什么吃粽子？

我们说，

we'll talk about

一个中国的节日。

a Chinese festival.

这个节日，

This festival

很老很老。

is very, very old.

有多老呢？

How old?

它很老，很老很老。

It's old — very, very old.

它有，

It is

两千多岁了。

over two thousand years old.

两千多岁，

Over two thousand years —

是很老很老了。

that is very, very old.

这么老的一个节日，

A festival this old —

为什么，

why,

到了今天，

even today,

大家都还在过？

does everyone still celebrate it?

我想，

I think

因为这一天，

it's because on this day,

有好吃的。

there is good food.

是的，

Yes,

有很好吃的东西。

there is very tasty food.

大人喜欢，

Adults love it,

小孩也喜欢。

and children love it too.

那，

So,

大家吃的，

the thing everyone eats —

是什么东西呢？

what is it?

这个节日，

And this festival —

又叫什么呢？

what is it called?

我们，

Let's,

一个一个，

one by one,

慢慢说。

take it slowly.

先说，

First,

这是哪个节日。

which festival this is.

它的名字，

Its name

叫端午节。

is the Dragon Boat Festival.

端午节，

On the Dragon Boat Festival,

大家吃的，

the thing everyone eats,

那种东西，

that food,

叫粽子。

is called zongzi.

粽子，

Zongzi

是用米做的。

is made of rice.

外面，

On the outside,

包着绿色的叶子。

it's wrapped in green leaves.

里面，

Inside,

有的是甜的，

some are sweet,

有的是咸的。

some are savory.

在端午节，

On the Dragon Boat Festival,

还有的地方，

in some places,

很多人，

many people

会一起，

will, together,

划一条船。

row a boat.

那种船，

That kind of boat

又长，又漂亮。

is long and beautiful.

我们叫它，

We call it

龙舟。

a dragon boat.

那么，

So,

人们为什么，

why do people

要吃粽子，

eat zongzi

要划龙舟呢？

and race dragon boats?

这里面，

Behind this

有一个，

there is

很老的故事。

a very old story.

很久以前，

Long ago,

有一个人，

there was a man,

他叫屈原。

his name was Qu Yuan.

屈原，

Qu Yuan

是一个好人。

was a good man.

他很爱，

He loved

他的国家。

his country very much.

他很想，

He wanted, badly,

把国家，

to make his country

变得更好。

better.

但是，

But

别人不听他的。

others wouldn't listen to him.

后来，

Later,

他的国家，

his country

出了大事。

met with disaster.

屈原，

Qu Yuan

非常非常难过。

was terribly, terribly sad.

最后，

In the end,

他走到，

he walked to

一条大河边，

the bank of a great river,

跳了下去。

and jumped in.

他就这样，

And just like that,

走了。

he was gone.

河边的人，

The people by the river

都很喜欢屈原。

all loved Qu Yuan.

听到这件事，

Hearing of this,

大家都很着急。

everyone was frantic.

他们赶快，

They quickly

划着船，

rowed their boats

到河上，

out onto the river

去找他。

to look for him.

大家还想：

They also thought:

河里有鱼。

there are fish in the river.

鱼会不会，

Would the fish

去咬屈原？

bite Qu Yuan?

于是，

So,

大家把米，

everyone took rice,

包起来，

wrapped it up,

扔到河里。

and threw it into the river.

他们想：

They thought:

鱼吃饱了米，

once the fish are full of rice,

就不会，

they won't

去咬屈原了。

bite Qu Yuan.

你看，

You see,

划着船去找他，

rowing boats to look for him,

慢慢地，

slowly,

就变成了，

became

今天的龙舟。

today's dragon-boat racing.

把米扔到河里，

Throwing rice into the river,

慢慢地，

slowly,

就变成了，

became

今天的粽子。

today's zongzi.

两千多年了，

For over two thousand years,

中国人，

Chinese people

还记着屈原，

still remember Qu Yuan,

这个好人。

this good man.

最后，

Finally,

我想问你：

I want to ask you:

在你的国家，

in your country,

有没有一个节日，

is there a festival

是为了，

that exists to

记住一个人？

remember one person?

那个人，

That person —

是谁呢？

who is it?