Qixi Festival 七夕节

龙菲

七夕節于2006年被国务院列入第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。此后，“牛郎织女”传说被列入第二批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。这是一个有关爱与暖的传统节日。

The Qixi Festival falls on the 7th day of the 7th month everyyear. It also known as the Qiqiao Festival， the Begging Festival， theDouble Seventh Festival， the Night of Sevens， the Magpie Festival，is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meeting of Niu Langthe 1）cowherd and Zhi Nü， the 2）weaver girl in Chinese mythology.

There are many expressions for Qixi Festival in English . Themost common one is Magpie Festival. It is said that Niu Lang and ZhiNü meet each year on the Magpie Bridge， from which comes MagpieFestival . The story of NiuLangand Zhi Nü has become the mostwidely spread origin legened of theQixi Festival.

This is a 3）romantic love story. It says that a fairy named Zhi Nü who lived in heaven fell in love with a cowherd named Niu Lang during her trip to earth. Zhi Nü decided to settle down on earth and lead anordinary life with Niu Lang.

However， according to the law of heavens， love between ordinarypeople and fairy is 4）forbidden . They were punished by Queen ofthe heaven， so they were separated by a river in the heavens. Theyare permitted to meet each other only on the 7th day of the 7^thmonth each year. This sad love story has passed from generation to generation. It is well known that very few magpies are seen on the Qixi Festival. This is because they all fly to the Milky Way to form a bridgefor the meeting of Niu Lang and ZhiNü .

QixiFestivalis themostromantic one among the Chinesetraditional festivals . People recall the 5） loyalty of love and wish forhappiness on the festival. According to the custom， at the night of QixiFestival， girls will offer their sewingkits as well as fruit and flowers to theCowherd Star and Weaver Girl Star.They pray for intelligence and smartskills and a marital happiness.

每年七月初七即七夕节。七夕节，又称七巧节、乞巧节、双七节、七月七和喜鹊节，是中国神话中庆祝牛郎织女每年相会的节日。

七夕节在英语中的表达有很多种，最常用的是喜鹊节。传说牛郎和织女每年于鹊桥相会，由此就有了喜鹊节的说法。牛郎织女的故事也成为如今七夕节流传最广泛的起源传说。

这是一个浪漫的爱情故事。据说，织女是一个住在天庭的仙女，她到凡间游玩时爱上了一个叫牛郎的放牛郎。织女决定居住在凡间，和牛郎一起过平凡的生活。

然而，根据天庭的“律法”，普通人和神仙之间的爱情是被禁止的。他们受到了王母的惩罚，被一条天河分隔开来。他们只能在每年的七月初七被允许见面。这凄美的故事代代相传。据说，七月初七那天，人间喜鹊很少，因为它们都要飞到银河上为牛郎和织女搭起约会的桥梁。

七夕是中国传统节日中最浪漫的一个。人们在这个节日里回想爱情的忠诚并期盼幸福。根据习俗，在七夕节当晚，姑娘们会对着牛郎星和织女星供奉针线包、水果和鲜花。她们祈求心灵手巧，同时希望婚姻美满。

鹊桥仙·纤云弄巧

秦观

纤云弄巧，飞星传恨，银汉迢迢暗度。金风玉露一相逢，便胜却人间无数。柔情似水，佳期如梦，忍顾鹊桥归路。两情若是久长时，又岂在朝朝暮暮。

Immortals at the Magpie Bridge

许渊冲译

Clouds float like works of art，

Stars shoot with grief at heart.

Across the Milky Way the Cowherd meets the Maid.

When Autumn's Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade，

All the love scenes on earth， however many， fade.

Their tender love flows like a stream，

Their happy date seems but a dream.

How can they bear a separate homeward way？

If love between both sides can last for aye，

Why need they stay together night and day？