中秋节是什么？

What is Mid-Autumn Festival?

To the Chinese, Mid-Autumn Festival means family reunion and peace. The festival is celebrated when the moon is believed to be the biggest and fullest. To the Chinese, a full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and family reunion.

对中国人来说，中秋节意味着团聚、平安。人们觉得，中秋节的月亮最大、最圆。满月象征着繁荣、幸福和团圆。

中国人怎么过中秋？

How the Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn？

Many traditional and meaningful celebrations are held in most households in China, and China's neighboring countries. The main traditions and celebrations include eating mooncakes, having dinner with family, gazing at and worshipping the moon, and lighting lanterns.

大部分中国家庭以及中国的邻国都会举行许多传统的庆祝活动，主要庆祝方式包括吃月饼，吃团圆饭，赏月和点灯笼。

中秋节起源版本一

中秋节起源

Why Mid-Autumn Festival is Celebrated and How it Started？

Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years, dating back to moon worship in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It’s such an important festival that many poems were written about it, stories and legends about the festival are widespread, and its origins have been guessed at and explained by generations of Chinese.

中秋节有三千多年历史，可以追溯到商代时对月亮的崇拜。因为中秋节的重要地位，历代诗人都会为中秋节写诗，关于中秋节的故事、传奇在民间广为流传，中秋节的起源也被历代中国人探究。

The term "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the book Rites of Zhou (周礼), written in the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). But the term only related to the time and season; the festival didn't exist at that point.

“中秋”一词最早出现在战国时期《周礼》一书中，但是该词只和时间和季节有关，当时还没有中秋节。

In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), it was popular to appreciate the moon. Many poets liked to create poems related to the moon when appreciating it. There is a legend that Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty visited the Moon Palace in his dream and heard a wonderful song.

唐代时赏月风靡，诗人在赏月之时佳作连连。据传，唐玄宗曾在梦中去往月宫并听到优美的歌声。

In the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD), the 15th day of the 8th lunar month was established as the "Mid-Autumn Festival". From then on, sacrificing to the moon was very popular, and has become a custom ever since.

北宋时期，农历八月十五才被正式确立为中秋节，从那以后，为月亮献祭盛行，从那以后便成为风俗。

中秋节起源版本二

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month， usually in early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with full moon at night. 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.

每年农历八月十五日，是传统的中秋佳节。这时是一年秋季的中期，所以被称为中秋。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。

The festival has a long history. In ancient China， emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full， bright moon on that day， worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907)， the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed， which became even grander in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties， it grew to be a major festival of China.

中秋节有悠久的历史，和其它传统节日一样，也是慢慢发展形成的，古代帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的礼制，早在《周礼》一书中，已有“中秋”一词的记载。后来贵族和文人学士也仿效起来，在中秋时节，对着天上又亮又圆一轮皓月，观赏祭拜，寄托情怀，这种习俗就这样传到民间，形成一个传统的活动，一直到了唐代，这种祭月的风俗更为人们重视，中秋节才成为固定的节日，《唐书·太宗记》记载有“八月十五中秋节”，这个节日盛行于宋朝，至明清时，已与元旦齐名，成为我国的主要节日之一。

The Mid-Autumn Festival probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour 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。

中秋节

还有哪些习俗呢？

赏月

admire the full moon /

watch the full moon to celebrate the festival

碧空如洗，圆月如盘。人们在尽情赏月之际，会情不自禁地想念远游在外、客居异乡的亲人。中国人历来把家人团圆、亲友团聚，共享天伦之乐看得极其珍贵，历来有“花好月圆人团聚”之谓。

点灯笼

light lanterns

中秋之夜，天清如水，月明如镜，可谓良辰之美景，然而对此人们并未满足，于是便有燃灯以助月色的风俗。

玩花灯

play with lanterns / scaldfish

中秋玩花灯主要只是在家庭、儿童之间进行的，多集中在南方。

祭月

offering sacrifice to the moon

中秋祭月仪式是一种古老的祭祀礼仪，表达人们祈求月神降福人间的一种美好心愿。

望月怀远

Looking at the Moon and Longing for One Far Away

张九龄

(许渊冲 译)

海上生明月，

天涯共此时。

Over the sea grows the moon bright;

We gaze on it far, far apart.

情人怨遥夜，

竟夕起相思。

Lovers complain of long, long night;

They rise and long for the dear heart.

灭烛怜光满，

披衣觉露滋。

Candle blown out, fuller is light;

My coat put on, I'm moist with dew.

不堪盈手赠，

还寝梦佳期。

As I can't hand you moonbeams white,

I go to bed to dream of you.

此篇为望月怀思的名篇，写景抒情并举，情景交融。诗的意境幽静秀丽，情感真挚，层层深入不紊，语言明快铿锵，悠悠托出不尽的情思，令人回味不已。

水调歌头

Watery Prelude Melody

苏轼

(林语堂 译)

明月几时有？

把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，

今夕是何年？

How rare the moon, so round and clear!

With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,

"I do not know in the celestial sphere

What name this festive night goes by?"

我欲乘风归去，

又恐琼楼玉宇，

高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，

何似在人间。

I want to fly home, riding the air,

But fear the ethereal cold up there,

The jade and crystal mansions are so high!

Dancing to my shadow,

I feel no longer the mortal tie.

转朱阁，

低绮户，

照无眠。

不应有恨，

何事长向别时圆？

She rounds the vermilion tower,

Stoops to silk-pad doors,

Shines on those who sleepless lie.

Why does she, bearing us no grudge,

Shine upon our parting, reunion deny?

人有悲欢离合，

月有阴晴圆缺，

此事古难全。

但愿人长久，

千里共婵娟。

But rare is perfect happiness—

The moon does wax, the moon does wane,

And so men meet and say goodbye.

I only pray our life be long,

And our souls together heavenward fly!

皓月当空，清辉遍地，面对一轮明月，作者乘兴挥笔写下这阙流芳千古的名篇。虽然身处密州，怀才不遇，但作者不怨天尤人、消极避世，而是一如既往地热爱生活、积极向上。字里行间，可见一代文豪旷达的心胸、高远的志向和磊落的人格。

月下独酌

Drinking Alone under the Moon

李白

(许渊冲 译)

花间一壶酒，

独酌无相亲；

举杯邀明月，

对影成三人。

Amid the flowers, from a pot of wine

I drink alone beneath the bright moonshine,

I raise my cup to invite the Moon who blends

Her light with my Shadow and we’re three friends.

月既不解饮，

影徒随我身；

暂伴月将影，

行乐须及春。

The Moon does not know how to drink her share;

In vain my Shadow follows me here and there.

Together with them for the time I stay

And make merry before spring’s spent away.

我歌月徘徊，

我舞影零乱；

醒时同交欢，

醉后各分散。

永结无情游，

相期邈云汉。

I sing and the Moon lingers to hear my song;

My Shadow’s a mess while I dance along.

Sober, we three remain cheerful and gay;

Drunken, we part and each may go his way.

Our friendship will outshine all earthly love,

Next time we’ll meet beyond the stars above.

月夜花下独酌，无人亲近，诗人心中愁闷，遂以月为友，对酒当歌，及时行乐。诗人执意与月光和身影永结无情之游，并相约在邈远的天上仙境重见。

静夜思

A Tranquil Night

李白

(许渊冲 译)

床前明月光，疑是地上霜。

举头望明月，低头思故乡。

A bed, I see a silver light,

I wonder if it’s frost around.

Looking up, I find the moon bright,

Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.

在一个月明星稀的夜晚，诗人抬望天空一轮皓月，思乡之情油然而生，写下了这首传诵千古、中外皆知的名诗。诗句的语言清新朴素而含蓄无穷，用叙述的语气，表达客居乡思之情，虽用词简洁易理解，却又是体味不尽的。

月夜忆舍弟

Thinking of My Brothers on a Moonlit Night

杜甫

(许渊冲 译)

戍鼓断人行，秋边一雁声。

露从今夜白，月是故乡明。

有弟皆分散，无家问死生。

寄书长不达，况乃未休兵。

War drums break people's journey drear;

A swan honks on autumn frontier.

Dew turns into frost since tonight;

The moon viewed at home is more bright.

I've brothers scattered here and there;

For our life or death none would care.

Letters can't reach where I intend;

Alas! The war's not come to an end.

本诗是怀亲诗中的经典名篇，诗句的表达匠心独运，一切景语皆情语。诗由望月转入抒情，在月中融入了自己的感情，寄托了诗人怀乡思亲之情。