Mid-Autumn Day 中秋节

Mid-Autumn Day is a traditional festival in China. Almost everyone likes to eat mooncakes on that day. Most families have a dinner together to celebrate the festival. A saying goes, "The moon in your hometown is almost always the brightest and roundest". Many people who live far away from homes want to go back to have a family reunion. How happy it is to enjoy the moon cakes while watching the full moon with your family members.

"Zhong Qiu Jie", which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.

农历八月十五日是中国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。

"Zhong Qiu Jie" probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavor with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon.

中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。

According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer, Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule, but his wife, Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.

传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳同时出现，酷热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。

In the 14th century, the eating of mooncakes at "Zhong Qiu Jie" was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.

在14世纪，中秋节吃月饼又被赋予了一层特殊的含义。传说在朱元璋带兵起义推翻元朝时，将士们曾把联络信藏在月饼里。因此，中秋节后来也成为汉人推翻蒙古人统治的纪念日。 字串7

During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.

1 Without you, the moon is round though my heart is empty.

没有你在我身边，天上月圆圆，我心却空落落。

2 East or west, home is best.

金窝，银窝不如自己的狗窝.

3 The moon cake is eaten away, but the sweetness remains.

月饼已吃，甜蜜犹存

4 Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

家是我们情之所系的地方，虽只身在外，但心系家园。

5 When we are together, even the moon in the sky will be jealousy.

如果我们在一起，天上的月亮也会嫉妒的。

6 My dear, can you hear my heart beating in the soft moonlight? I miss you so.

在月色廖人的夜里，我是如此的想念你，亲爱的你听到我的心跳了吗？

7 To have a moonlight walk with you tonight is my best dream.

今晚和你在月光中散步是我最大的梦想。

8 Still remember the happy time on Mid-autumn Festival when we were children? Best wishes for you!

还记得儿时我们共度的那个中秋吗？祝你节日快乐。

9 Would you like to go and admire the beauty of the moon with me tonight?

今晚能邀你一同赏月吗/

10 Wish you and yours a happy holiday on this gathering day.

在这团聚的日子里祝你全家节日快乐。

Expressions for Travelling

Sightseeings in xi'an

大雁塔 the Wild Big Pagoda钟楼 the Bell Tower

鼓楼 the Drum Tower碑林 the Forest of Steles

大清真寺 the Great Mosque

兵马俑博物馆 the Museum of terra-cotta warriors and horses

华清池 hua qing pool华山 mountain hua

骊山 mountain li翠华山 mountain cuihua回民街 huimin street 旅游词汇

China's category A/B/C travel agency 一类社/二类社/三类社 guidebook 旅游指南 local guide 地陪,地方导游

low season / off-peak season / off season / season-low / slack season淡季

minimum tour price 最低旅游价格 national guide 全陪,全程导游

on season / peak season / season-high / selling season旺季

shoulder period/season 平季sightseeing 游览tour leader 领队,团长tour route 旅游路线 饭店种类

inn 旅馆,饭店lodge 小旅馆tavern 酒店 hostel 招待所hotel 饭店,酒店 motel(=motor hotel)汽车饭店(旅店) budget hotel 廉价旅馆

economy hotel(one-star hotel)一星级饭店some comfort hotel(two-star hotel)二星级 average hotel(three -star hotel)三星级饭店 high comfort hotel(four -star hotel)四星级饭店deluxe hotel(five-star hotel)五星级饭店

客房种类

(1)single room 单人房(一张单人床double room 双人房(二张单人床))

double double 双人房(二张双人床) big single room大床房(一张双人大床)

tripe room 三人房(三张单人床) (2)economy room(ER) 经济间

standard room(SR) 标准间 superior room(UR) 高级套房

standard suit(s) 套间 presidential suit(PS) 总统套房

(3)studio room 工作室型客房(设沙发床或躺椅)

At a Train Station

How long will this express take to go to Shanghai？这列直达快车开到上海要多久？

This express will go straight from Beijing to Shanghai without a stop.这列快车从北京直达上海，中途不停车。

I'd like to have two soft berth tickets to Shanghai for tomorrow.我想买两张明天的到上海的软卧票。

OK. It comes to 1，200 yuan including service fee.好的，加上手续费一共1，200元。 May I have two lower berths？我可以要两张下铺吗？

Sorry. We usually pair the upper and lower together to sell.对不起，我们通常上下铺搭配在一起卖。

Which car are we in？我们在第几车厢？Here we are，Car 14. 到了，14车厢。

Seats No. 20 and 21. It's nice that we've got a windowseat.20和21座。真好，我们有了靠窗的座位。

Let's put our suitcases on the rack. 我们把手提箱子放到架子上。

But I prefer the aisle seat here.可我想要靠走道的座位。

Situation for you to discuss:

One of your friends who studies in Sichuan University is coming to visit you during the Moon Festival. Imagine that you will show him or her around Xi’an. First you need to book a train ticket for him or her. Then you make a plan for your

travelling, and discuss with your friend which places of interests you might be going to visit. Since you are local you can introduce some famous places to him or her. According to the situation make a conversation with your other two partners. When you make the conversation with your partners try to use the expressions on pages 2-3 in your books:

 

第二篇：中秋节的中英文介绍

中秋节的中英文介绍

Mooncakes are to Mid-Autumn Festival what mince pies are to Christmas. The seasonal round cakes traditionally have a sweet filling of lotus seed paste or red bean paste and often have one or more salted duck eggs in the center to represent the moon. And the moon is what this celebration is all about. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month, it is the time when the moon is said to be at its brightest and fullest. This year the festival falls on October 1.

There are two legends which claim to explain the tradition of eating mooncakes. One Tang Dynasty myth holds that the Earth once had 10 suns circling it. One day all 10 suns appeared at once, scorching the planet with their heat. It was thanks to a skillful archer named Hou Yi that the Earth was saved. He shot down all but one of the suns. As his reward, the Heavenly Queen Mother gave Hou Yi the Elixir of Immortality, but she warned him that he must use it wisely. Hou Yi ignored her advice and, corrupted by fame and fortune, became a tyrannical leader. Chang-Er, his beautiful wife, could no longer stand by and watch him

abuse his power so she stole his Elixir and fled to the moon to escape his angry wrath. And thus began the legend of the beautiful woman in the moon, the Moon Fairy.

The second legend has it that during the Yuan Dynasty, an underground group led by Zhu Yuan Zang was determined to rid the country of Mongolian dominance. The moon cake was created to carry a secret message. When the cake was opened and the message read, an uprising was unleashed which successfully routed the Mongolians. It happened at the time of the full moon, which, some say, explains why mooncakes are eaten at this time.

Mooncakes are usually stamped with Chinese characters indicating the name of the bakery and the type of filling used. Some bakeries will even stamp them with your family name so that you can give personalised ones to friends and family. They are usually presented in boxes of four which indicate the four phases of the moon. Traditional mooncakes are made with melted lard, but today vegetable oil is more often used in the interests of health.

Mooncakes are not for the diet-conscious as they are loaded with calories. The best way to wash down one of these sticky cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea, especially

Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea, which aids the digestion. 中秋节吃月饼就像西方人圣诞节吃百果馅饼一样，是必不可少的。圆圆的月饼中通常包有香甜的莲子馅或是红豆馅，馅的中央还会加上一个金黄的咸鸭蛋黄来代表月亮。而月亮正是中秋节庆祝的主题。每年农历8月15日人们一起庆祝中秋，据说这一天的月亮是一年中最亮最圆的。今年的中秋节恰好是阳历的10月1日（中国的国庆日）。

关于吃月饼这个传统的来历有两个传说。一个是唐朝的神话故事，说的是当时地球被10个太阳包围着。有一天10个太阳同时出现在天空中，巨大的热量几乎把地球烤焦了。多亏一位名叫后羿的神箭手射下了9个太阳，地球才被保住。为了奖励后羿，王母娘娘赐给后羿一种长生不老药，但是王母警告他必须正当使用。然而后羿没有理会王母娘娘的警告，他被名利冲昏了头脑，变成了一个暴君。后羿美丽的妻子嫦娥对他的暴行再也不能袖手旁观，于是她偷走了后羿的长生不老药，飞到月亮上逃避后羿的狂怒。从此就有了关于月宫仙子嫦娥，这个月亮上的美丽女人的传说。

第二个传说讲的是在元朝，朱元璋领导的起义军计划起义来摆脱蒙古族的统治。他们用月饼来传递密信。掰开月饼就可以找到里面的密信，起义军通过这种方式成功的发动了起义，赶走了元朝的统治者。这场起义发生在八月十五之时，于是中秋节吃月饼的习俗便在民间传开来。

这是我找到的有关中秋节的内容，不知道能不能用在英语角里。

The Chinese Moon Festival, or sometimes called the Mid-Autumn Festival, takes place on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The festival dates back to the Tang dynasty 618 A.D. and celebrates the biggest and brightest full moon of the year, the harvest moon.

As with many Chinese celebrations, there are ancient legends to explain the holiday. The Chinese were, and still are, an agricultural society. In ancient times, they planted and harvested by the lunar calendar, using the moon as an important time reference and guide.

One of the legends about the Moon Festival is about a builder or architect named Hou Yih. Hou Yih built a beautiful jade palace for the Goddess of the Western Heaven or sometimes called the Royal Mother. The Goddess was so happy that she gave Hou Yih a special pill that contained the magic elixir of immortality. But with it came the condition and warning that he may not use the pill until he had accomplished certain things.

Hou Yih had a beautiful wife named Chang-O. Chang-O was as curious as she was beautiful. One day she found the pill and without telling her husband, she swallowed it.

The Goddess of the Western Heaven was very angry and as a punishment, Chang-O was banished to the moon where, according to the legend, Chang-O can be seen at her most beautiful on the night of the bright harvest moon.

The Moon Festival is a big holiday with family reunions, moon gazing activities, and feasting on "moon cakes" which are round pastries filled with red bean paste, fruit or jam. Dragon and lion dances, whose origins also date back to ancient China, are wonderful dances done during festivals, especially exciting are the dragon and lion dances. Legend says the dragon dance was invented to stop the spread of epidemics, sickness and disease. Over the years it evolved into a folk activity. The lion dance was originally used for worship and to pray for rain, but now the dance is used for entertainment. The lion chases a scampering clown, who dodges from left to right, jumping to and fro to make fun of the lion.