士林英文补习班｜端午节、粽子、划龙舟，如何用英文向外国朋友介绍？

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is a significant holiday celebrated in China, and the one with the longest history. It is one of the most important Chinese festivals, the other two being the Autumn Moon Festival and Chinese New Year.

在中国，端午节是一个值得庆祝的重大节日，有著悠久的历史典故，端午节也是三大重要节庆之一，其他分别为中秋节和农历新年。

The origin of this summer festival centers around a scholarly government official named Chu Yuan. He was a good and respected man, but because of the misdeeds of jealous rivals he eventually fell into disfavor in the emperor's court. Unable to regain the respect of the emperor, in his sorrow Chu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Lo River.

而端午节的由来是古代有一位博学多闻的官吏屈原，他是一位爱民而且又受到尊崇的官吏，但是由于受到一充满嫉妒的官吏所陷害，从此屈原在朝廷中被皇帝所冷落。而由于无法获得重视，屈原在忧郁的情况下投汨罗江自尽。

Because of their admiration for Chu Yuan, the local people living adjacent to the Mi Lo River rushed into their boats to search for him while throwing rice into the waters to appease the river dragons. Although they were unable to find Chu Yuan, their efforts are still commemorated today during the Dragon Boat Festival.

由于屈原受到居民的爱戴，大家纷纷的划船在江内寻找屈原，并且将米丢入汨罗江中，以平息汨罗江中的龙。虽然他们当时并没有找到屈原，但是他们的行为，直到今天在端午节的时候，仍然被人们传颂纪念著。

(资料来源http://goo.gl/WORT2l)

端午节的习俗

The celebration is a time for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year. It is done so by different practices such as hanging healthy herbs on the front door, drinking nutritious concoctions, and displaying portraits of evil's nemesis, Chung Kuei. If one manages to stand an egg on its end at exactly 12:00 noon, the following year will be a lucky one.

在端午节举行庆祝活动是为了趋吉避凶，祈求整年避免疾病以及邪恶的入侵。与众不同的做法，每户人家将草药挂在门前，并且喝营养的雄黄酒，还有著名的锺馗画像，甚至还有一个传闻，若能在当天中午12点将蛋立起，那么隔一年他将会是个幸运的人。

你要如何用英语表达「粽子」？

「粽子」的英语说法，可用「rice dumpling」两字带过。在西方世界里，dumpling原是指包有水果馅的一种点心，后来因为中式食物里很多都是面糊里包有内馅，所以只要是有含馅的中式食物，都可以用「dumpling」一以概之，例如水饺、芝麻汤圆、粽子、馅饼、包子、小笼包、锅贴、烧卖、水晶饺等诸般种种。

粽子因为是用糯米所包，所以亦可用「rice dumpling」加以小小区别。至于糯米、紫米、在来米、蓬莱米、知本米要用何种学名的「rice」，这大概对外国人没有那么重要，所以不妨用「rice」表示就可以了！

如果你想要表达的更清楚一点，可以这么说：

steamed sticky rice dumpling(s) wrapped in / with bamboo leaves

(用竹叶包的，糯米做的，蒸的包馅食物)

(资料参考http://www.ettoday.net/)