The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year is an important day for the Chinese people. The day is called Duan Wu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated everywhere in China. This festival dates back to about 2,000 years ago with a number of legends explaining its origin. The best-known story centers on a great patriotic poet named Qu Yuan.
农历五月初五是中国人民的一个重要节日。这一天叫做端午节或龙舟节，全国各地都会庆祝这一节日。这个节日大约可以追溯到两千年前，有很多传说解释它的起源，其中最著名的故事是关于一位伟大的爱国诗人屈原。
Customs of the festival
节日习俗
The customs vary a lot in different areas of the country, but most of the families would hang the picture of Zhong Kui (a ghost that can exorcise), calamus and moxa in their houses. People have Dragon Boat Races, eat zongzi (dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) and carry a spice bag around with them.
不同地区的习俗有所不同，但大多数家庭都会在房屋内悬挂钟馗(驱魔真君)的画像、菖蒲和艾草。端午节，人们会赛龙舟、吃粽子(用糯米包裹肉、花生、蛋黄等馅料的粽子)、佩香囊。
Dragon boat racing
赛龙舟
At the center of the festival are the dragon boat races. Competing teams drive their colorful dragon boats forward to the rhythm of the beating drums. These exciting races were inspired by the villagers' valiant attempts to rescue Qu Yuan from the Miluo River. This tradition has remained unbroken for centuries.
端午节的核心是龙舟比赛。参赛队伍随着鼓声的节奏，驾着五颜六色的龙舟前进。屈原投江后，村民曾果敢营救，而赛龙舟就是起源于此。这个传统已经延续了几个世纪。
Eating zongzi
吃粽子
Most Chinese festivals are tied to a particular food, and the Dragon Boat Festival is no exception.
大多数中国节日都与某种特定的食物有关，端午节也不例外。
A very popular dish during the Dragon Boat Festival is zongzi. This tasty dish consists of rice dumplings with meat, peanuts, egg yolks or other fillings wrapped in reed leaves. The tradition of zongzi is meant to remind us of village fishermen scattering rice across the water of the Miluo River in order to appease the river dragons and fish so that they would not devour Qu Yuan.
端午节期间，非常流行的食物就是粽子。这种美味的食品是用粽叶包着糯米、肉、花生、蛋黄或其它馅料制成的。吃粽子的传统是为了提醒我们，村里的渔民曾在汨罗江上撒米，以安抚江龙和鱼，使它们不会吞食屈原。
Hanging auspicious leaves
悬艾叶菖蒲
The fifth lunar month is marked as a "poisonous" month in the Chinese farmer's calendar. This is because insects and pests are active during this summer month and people are more prone to catch infectious diseases.
在农历中，农历五月被标记为“毒”月。”这是因为在这个夏季月份里，昆虫和害虫非常活跃，人们更容易感染传染病。
During the Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese put mugwort leaves and calamus on the doors or windows to repel insects, flies, fleas and moths from the house. Those leaves have curative properties and can prevent an epidemic.
在端午节期间，中国人会在门窗上悬挂艾草和菖蒲，以驱赶房屋里的昆虫、苍蝇、跳蚤和蛾子。这些叶子具有治疗作用，可以预防疾病的发生。
Wearing scented sachets
佩香囊
On the Dragon Boat Festival, children normally wear scented sachets threaded with five-color silk string to ward off evil. A scented sachet is an ornament worn on the front of the dress. The sweet-smelling sachet contains cinnabar, realgar and aromatic herbs.
端午节的时候，孩子们通常会佩戴五色丝线串成的香囊来辟邪。香囊是佩戴在衣服正面的装饰品，里面装有朱砂、雄黄和芳香草药。
It is usually wrapped in a silk cloth and sometimes embroidered with exquisite patterns. Multicolor silk threads are attached to the sachet as decorative tassels. In some areas of China, a scented sachet is also used as a token between young lovers.
它通常用丝绸布料包裹，有时还会绣上精美的图案。多彩色丝线作为装饰流苏附在小袋上。在中国的某些地区，香囊还被用作年轻恋人之间的信物。
