端午節是華人的四大傳統節慶之一，在每年的農曆五月初五慶祝。最初是夏季驅離瘟神跟祭龍的日子，後來加入紀念多位中國歷史人物的故事。這個夏天，一起將端午節英文傳統文化介紹給外國友人吧！

▲端午節除了吃粽子、划龍舟，也要學會端午節英文由來！

一、端午節英文由來 Brief History

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the biggest, most observed festivals in Chinese culture. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar. Although there are many stories of the origin, the holiday is mainly to commemorate poet, Qu Yuan, who was also a very famous patriot. Qu Yuan was a minister of Emperor Zhou during the Zhou Dynasty, which was a time of desperation and declination for China.

端午節是中國最盛大的、被眾人所紀念的節日之一。它在每年的農曆的五月五號慶祝。雖然有很多不同的起源故事，但這個節日主要是紀念詩人屈原，他同時也是有名的愛國者。屈原是周朝的周國大臣，這個時期正是中國絕望衰弱的時候。

Qu Yuan was very well-loved by the people and he was known for his wisdom, which made many other officials green with envy. These officials went around spreading rumors about Qu Yuan, which made its way to the emperor. The emperor believed the rumors and did not trust Qu Yuan anymore and eventually had Qu Yuan exiled. When the Zhou Dynasty was overthrown by the Qing Dynasty, Qu Yuan took his own life and jumped into the Milou River.

屈原受國民的愛戴且很有智慧，這使他受到其他官員的忌妒。這些官員散布有關屈原的謠言，這些謠言也傳到了皇上那裡。皇上相信那些謠言且再也不相信屈原，最後屈原被驅逐出境。當周朝被秦朝推翻時，屈原跳進汨羅江自殺。

二、端午節英文：傳統及習俗 Customs and Activities

While there are many traditions and customs for the Dragon Boat Festival, we'll focus on ones that are most popular and practiced today.

自古以來端午節有著許多的傳統及習俗，而今天我們會著重於那些流傳至今且熱門的相關習俗。　

1. Dragon Boat Racing 划龍舟

▲划龍舟，除了是一項知名國際賽事之外，平時也是許多人的運動嗜好之一。

This activity is to symbolize the people trying to disperse fish away from Qu Yuan's body so that it would not be eaten. Dragon Boat racing has evolved into not only a widely celebrated activity, but also an international sport.

這個活動是在象徵人們試圖驅趕海裡的魚，避免他們吞食屈原的身體。現今划龍舟不僅演繹成一個眾人都歡慶的活動，同時也是一項國際運動項目。　

2. Eating Zongzi 吃粽子

▲南、北粽內餡有所不同，你是哪一派呢？

Zongzi, or glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, is symbolized in a way similar to that of Dragon Boat racing. To protect Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by fish, people would feed the fish Zongzi instead. Of course, in modern times, rather than throw the delicacy into the water, people eat it in celebration of the festival. Zongzi from different regions also differ in taste and texture!

粽子，是一種將糯米飯包在竹葉裡食物，和划龍舟有著異曲同工之妙的寓意。為了保護屈原的身體不被魚吃掉，人們會用粽子餵魚。當然，與其將美味的粽子投入河中，現今的我們選擇在端午節時享用粽子。在不同的地區，粽子的風味及口感也有差異。　

3. Carrying Sachets 戴香包

▲每到端午佳節，學校或是社區活動都會舉辦香包手做活動，有興趣的人可以參考看看！

It is a custom to carry colorful silk sachets filled with herbs and other aromatics during the festival. This is said to ward off and protect people (typically children) from evil and bad spirits.

這項習俗是人們會在端午節配戴著五彩繽紛、內含藥草香料的香包。傳說中是為了要保護人們（尤其是孩童們）能不受到惡靈攻擊。

Sometimes it may be difficult for visitors and foreigners to understand some of the local culture and customs, and even more difficult trying to explain the origins and reasons behind such traditions. However, it's always a good thing to remind friends (and yourself, too) to try and embrace, experience different local traditions and explore the different cultural landscapes around the world.

有時對於外國人來說會很難理解台灣的文化背景及習俗，向他們解釋這些傳統背後的起源也更加困難。即便如此，總是可以提醒你身旁的朋友（和你自己），不妨去嘗試及接受、體驗不同的文化及傳統，發掘世界各地的異國風情。

問問大家：關於南北粽的分類你了解多少呢？ 不妨透過這個影片一起學習關於台灣南北地區不同的粽子特色吧！想了解更多的讀者也可以閱讀我們之前寫過的南北粽文章去了解喔！

除了培養閱讀能力之外，英文能力要實際提升也是需要靠線上真人顧問與你一同做實戰練習，才能越來越進步！
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