里论外几-
七夕情人节的由来
Qixi Festival falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
农历七月初七是七夕节。
As the story goes, once there was a cowherd, Niulang, who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. The cow, however, was a former god who had violated imperial rules and was sent to earth.
以前有一个牛郎，和他的哥哥和嫂子住在一起。他放的一头牛曾经是天庭的一个神仙，但他违反天庭的戒律，变成牛放到了人间。
One day the cow led Niulang to a lake where fairies took a bath on earth. Among them was Zhinu, the most beautiful fairy and a skilled. The two fell in love at first sight and were soon married. They had a son and daughter。
一天，这个神牛把牛郎带到了湖边，在那里，天上的仙女们正在洗澡，其中的一个是织女，她是最漂亮的仙女，多才多艺。他们一见钟情，很快就结了婚。他们有一个儿子和女儿。
Yet in the eyes of the Jade Emperor, marriage between a mortal and fairy was strictly forbidden. He sent the empress to fetch Zhinu.
然而，在玉皇大帝眼中，凡人与仙女之间的婚姻是不允许的。他派王母娘娘去把织女接回来。
Niulang grew desperate when he discovered Zhinu had been taken back to heaven. Driven by Niulang"s misery, the cow told him to turn its hide into a pair of shoes after it died.
当牛郎发现织女被带回到天庭时，他变得非常绝望。看到牛郎的遭遇，这只神牛告诉牛郎在他死后可以把它的牛皮变成鞋。
The magic shoes sent Niulang, who carried his two children in baskets strung from a shoulder pole, off on a chase after the empress.
这双神奇的鞋子带着牛郎和他身后扁担里背着的两个孩子去追王母娘娘。
The pursuit enraged the empress, who took her hairpin and slashed it across the sky creating the Milky Way which separated husband from wife.
这激怒了王母娘娘，她拿起她的发夹，在空中划了一下，形成了一道银河，这道银河把这对夫妻给分开了。
A bridge was formed by magpies across the Milky Way to reunite the family.
后来在银河中出现了一座鹊桥，让这一家人团聚。
Even the Jade Emperor was touched, and allowed Niulang and Zhinu to meet once a year on the seventh night of the seventh month.
就连玉皇大帝也被感动了，并允许牛郎和织女在第7个月的第7个晚上相会一次。
This is how Qixi came to be. The festival can be traced back to/dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).
这就是七夕的由来。这个节日可以追溯到汉代。
七夕的习俗
While the customs of this festival varies according to the different regions, the same hope is cherished by all.
虽然这个节日的习俗因不同的地区而不同，但人们都抱有同样的期望。
The most prevalent custom is that of girls praying to Zhi Nv for skillful hands for sewing. Because Zhi Nu is regarded as a beautiful woman deft at weaving, in the evening of the festival, girls sew some articles to compete with each other and prepare some delicious fruits to worship Zhi Nu in order to be endowed with the masterly sewing skill. Not only hoping for this skill, they also pray to have a sweet love.
最流行的习俗是女孩们向织女祈祷获得一双巧手。因为织女被认为是一个美丽的女人，在这个节日的晚上，女孩们会缝纫一些物品来互相比赛，并准备一些美味的水果来祭拜织女，以获得精湛的缝纫技巧。她们不仅希望能够拥有一手好缝纫，还祈祷自己能够有一份甜蜜的爱情。
In the rural regions, people usually see the meeting of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv as two stars in the sky. At the same time, the old people tell the young about this old love legend. Unfortunately, this is not popular in cities nowadays.
在农村地区，人们通常把牛郎和织女的会面看成是天上的两颗星星。与此同时，老人告诉年轻人这个古老的爱情传说。不幸的是，这在现代城市已经不太流行了。
In the Chinese cities, the Western Valentine"s Day is more favored than the Double Seventh Festival by young people. They spend the latter as the Valentine"s Day. Although some traditional customs have been changed or been lost, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv is still passed down from generation to generation. Like the presents of Valentine"s Day, flowers and chocolates are also the popular ones.
在中国城市里，西方的情人节在年轻人眼中比七夕节更受欢迎。他们把七夕作为情人节。虽然一些传统习俗已经被改变或消失了，但牛郎和芝女的传说仍然代代相传。就像情人节的礼物一样，鲜花和巧克力在七夕也是欢迎的。
Whatever way the festival is spent, great love is expressed between the young.
不管节日是怎么度过的，都体现出年轻人之间的美好爱情。
英文版绝美七夕诗句
秋夕（杜牧）
银烛秋光冷画屏，
轻罗小扇扑流萤。
天阶夜色凉如水 ，
坐看牵牛织女星。
Autumn has chilled
the painted screen in candlelight;
A palace maid uses
a fan to catch fireflies.
The steps seem steeped in water
when cold grows the night;
She sits to watch two stars
in love meet in the skies.
鹊桥仙（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！
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 Jades,
All the love scenes on earth,
however many, fade
Their tender love flows
like a stream;
This happy date seems
but a dream.
Can they bear
a separate homeward way?
If love between both sides
can last for aye,
Why need they
stay together night and day?
迢迢牵牛星（佚名）
迢迢牵牛星，
皎皎河汉女。
纤纤擢素手，
札札弄机杼。
终日不成章，
泣涕零如雨。
河汉清且浅，
相去复几许？
盈盈一水间，
脉脉不得语。
Far, far away, the Cowherd,
Fair, fair, the Weaving Maid;
Nimbly move her slender white fingers,
Click-clack goes her weaving-loom.
All day she weaves,
yet her web is still not done.
And her tears fall like rain.
Clear and shallow the Milky Way,
They are not far apart!
But the stream brims always between.
And, gazing at each other,
they cannot speak.
与七夕节有关的词汇
Double Seventh Festival/Chinese Valentine"s Day 七夕节
The Begging Festival 乞巧节
The Daughter"s Festival 女儿节
lunar month 农历月
Lunar calendar 阴历
matchmaker temples 月老庙
a bridge of magpies 鹊桥
the Milky Way 银河
Vega 织女星
Altair 牛郎星/牵牛
constellation of Aquila 天鹰座
Niu Lang and Zhi Nu/Cowherd and the Weaver Maid 牛郎和织女
the Queen of Heaven 王母娘娘
the Emperor of Heaven 玉皇大帝
Chinese folktales 民间故事
seven celestial princesses 七仙女
heavenly palace 天宫
mundane life 凡间生活
shoulder pole 扁担
finger food 巧食
square table 八仙桌
needlework 刺绣/女红
flower arranging 插花
flower arranging 插花
fruit plate 果盘
flower clogs 花木屐
offering/sacrifice 供品
festive lantern/a decorative lantern 花灯
palace lamp/light 宫灯
candlestick/a candleholder 烛台
incense burner 香炉
cheongsam 旗袍
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