The Duanwu Festival (also known as “Dragon Boat Festival”) is one of the most conventional festivals in China and has been celebrated for thous and s of years. But what lies behind the festival’s long history?
端午节是中国最传统的节日之一，它已经有上千年的历史了。那么，在端午节漫长的历史中，蕴藏着什么样的故事呢？
Having been celebrated for thous and s of years, the traditional Chinese festival comes with numerous tales and legends attached to it. The most famous and widely accepted story of Duanwn’s origin comes with the story of the 3rd century BC poet, Qu Yuan.
中国的最悠久的传统节日一般都与传说故事有关，端午节也不例外。最广为人知也被普遍接受的传说版本，莫过于公元前3世纪的诗人——屈原了。
Qu’s life is documented in Shiji, or Records of the Gr and Historian, which was written from 109 to 91 BC. According to Shiji, Qu was a highly intellectual and respected royal servant who was also a loyal confidante of the King of Chu State (one of the main states in the Warring States Period of China).
屈原的生平在公元前109年到公元前91年间写就的史记中有记载。根据史记，屈原是一位高级知识分子和一位忠于战国时楚国王室的大臣。
However, he was continually sl and ered by politicians hoping to blacken his name in the court and ultimately he was exiled by the king. Without Qu’s guidance however the state was soon invaded by a neighboring dynasty. Upon hearing this news, Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River.
但是，他不断受到反对派政客的排挤并最终遭到楚王放逐。没有了屈原的辅佐，出国最终遭到邻国（秦国）的侵略。当听到这个消息后，屈原自沉于汨罗江。
Legend has it that people living near the river used dragon boats to try to search for and rescue his body, albeit unsuccessfully. They also threw rice balls into the water to ensure the fish didn’t eat him. Eating wrapped up pieces of sticky rice is a tradition that has been kept alive today in the form of Zongzi. Coupled with the dragon boat races around the country the day of Qu Yuan’s suicide has become the Duanwu Festival.
传说当时附近的居民乘着龙舟去寻找屈原的尸体，但是失败了。他们也尝试扔米团到江里以防鱼吃掉了他的尸体，这也成为了粽子的起源并传承至今。与划龙舟一道，举国纪念屈原自尽便逐渐演变成了今天的端午节。
However, it might not be completely accurate to attribute the origin of the festival to solely to Qu Yuan’s suicide. Records show that even before this people marked the day.
但是，把端午节的起源完全归因于屈原也许并不准确。根据历史记载，在屈原之前，人们已经在过端午了。
The name Duanwu literally means the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar. According to Chinese myths, this is an ominous day in the ominous month when pestilence and poisonous creatures outbreak actively. It could decide people’s life and death. The myth may also explain why people assumed that distinguished people had died on that day.
“端午”一词字面上的意义是农历的五月初五。根据中国的神话故事，这是恶月中的恶日，瘟疫和五毒都会集中在这一天爆发。这一天可能会决定人们的生死。这一传说也许能解释为什么人们认为在这一天死亡的人是特殊的。
In order to protect people from the problems that may arise on this unwelcome day, people traditionally cut branches of wormwood plants, boil them, or hang them above their doors, to repel pests and evil spirits. Some people even bathe in wormwood water, believing it to be a good way to ensure a safe summer free from mosquitoes.
为了让人们能平安度过这一“恶日”，人们通常将烹熟的艾叶悬挂于门上，以抵御瘟疫和邪气。一些人甚至会用艾叶水沐浴，以确保自己能在夏日抵御蚊虫的侵袭。
Whether as a day to commemorate the great, or a day to ward off evil spirits, Duanwu has combined many unique traditions and customs over the years, which now give people another good excuse to celebrate. Nowadays, people across China usually eat Zongzi, hold dragon boat racing and drink realgar wine to celebrate the festival.
无论是为了纪念伟人，还是驱邪，端午在漫长的演进历程中融合了非常多独特的传统与习俗，这也成为了人们庆祝它的最佳理由。现在，中国人通常用吃粽子，赛龙舟和喝雄黄酒的方式庆祝端午。
