端午节：一个诗人的故事，和我们吃的粽子

我们说一个，

we'll talk about

中国的节日。

a Chinese festival.

这个节日，

This festival

叫端午节。

is called the Dragon Boat Festival.

你可能，

You may

没听过这个名字。

never have heard this name.

但是，

But

它非常古老。

it is extremely ancient.

古老到什么程度呢？

How ancient?

它已经，

It is already

有两千多年了。

over two thousand years old.

端午节，

The Dragon Boat Festival

是在每年的，

falls each year on

农历五月初五。

the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

今年，

This year,

是在六月。

that was in June.

这一天，

This day

是中国的，

is, in China,

一个公共假期。

a public holiday.

很多人，

Many people

都可以休息。

get to rest.

那么，

So,

人们在这一天，

on this day, what do people

都做什么呢？

do?

最有名的，

The most famous customs —

有三件事。

there are three.

第一件，

The first

是吃粽子。

is eating zongzi.

粽子，

Zongzi

是一种食物。

is a kind of food.

它的外面，

On the outside,

用绿色的叶子，

with green leaves,

包起来。

it is wrapped.

里面，

Inside,

是糯米。

is glutinous rice.

有的粽子是甜的，

Some zongzi are sweet,

有的是咸的。

some are savory.

为了甜的还是咸的，

Over sweet versus savory,

南方人和北方人，

southerners and northerners

每年都要，

every year

"吵"上一次。

have a little 'argument'.

第二件，

The second

是赛龙舟。

is dragon-boat racing.

龙舟，

A dragon boat

是一种很长的船。

is a very long boat.

船上坐着很多人，

Many people sit in it,

大家一起划。

all rowing together.

岸边，

On the bank,

还有人，

there are people

为他们加油。

cheering them on.

非常热闹。

It's very lively.

第三件，

The third

是在门上，

is, on the door,

挂一种叫艾草的，

hanging a plant

植物。

called mugwort.

人们相信，

People believe

它可以，

it can

带来健康。

bring health.

但是，

But

你有没有想过：

have you ever wondered:

为什么，

why

要做这些事？

do people do these things?

这就要说到，

For that, we must speak of

一个人。

one man.

他的名字，

His name

叫屈原。

was Qu Yuan.

屈原，

Qu Yuan

是两千多年前的，

was, over two thousand years ago,

一个大诗人。

a great poet.

他也是个好官。

He was also a good official.

他非常爱自己的国家。

He loved his country deeply.

他一心想，

He wished, with all his heart,

让国家变得更强。

to make the country stronger.

可是，

But

国王不听他的话，

the king wouldn't listen to him,

还把他赶走了。

and even drove him away.

后来，

Later,

他的国家，

his country

被别的国家打败了。

was defeated by another country.

屈原，

Qu Yuan,

听到这个消息，

hearing this news,

心都碎了。

had his heart break.

他实在太难过、太失望了。

He was simply too grief-stricken, too despairing.

最后，

In the end,

他抱着一块大石头，

holding a great stone,

跳进了一条大江，

he jumped into a great river,

结束了自己的生命。

and ended his own life.

那一天，

That day

正是五月初五。

was exactly the fifth of the fifth month.

老百姓们，

The common people

都很爱戴屈原。

all loved and revered Qu Yuan.

他们划着船，

They rowed boats

在江上，

on the river,

到处找他。

searching everywhere for him.

他们还把米饭，

They also took rice

扔进江里。

and threw it into the river.

因为他们想：

Because they thought:

让江里的鱼，

let the fish in the river

去吃米饭，

eat the rice,

就不会，

so they won't

去伤害屈原了。

harm Qu Yuan.

你看，

You see,

划船去找他，

rowing boats to look for him

后来，

later

就成了赛龙舟。

became dragon-boat racing.

往江里扔米饭，

Throwing rice into the river

后来，

later

就成了吃粽子。

became eating zongzi.

就这样，

And so,

一个诗人的故事，

one poet's story

变成了一个，

became

两千多年的节日。

a festival over two thousand years old.

最后，

Finally,

我想和你聊一聊。

I'd like to talk with you.

端午节，

The Dragon Boat Festival

是好吃的，

is delicious,

是热闹的。

is lively.

但它的背后，

But behind it

是中国人，

is the Chinese people's

对一个好人的，

long memory

长长的记忆。

of a good man.

那么，

So,

我想问你：

I want to ask you:

在你的心里，

in your heart,

有没有一个人，

is there a person

是你，

you

很想一直，

wish always

记住的？

to remember?