七夕的英文介绍

　　DoubleSeventhFestival

　　TheDoubleSeventhFestival,onthe7thdayofthe7thlunarmonth,isatraditionalfestivalfullofromance.ItoftengoesintoAugustintheGregoriancalendar

　　Thisfestivalisinmid-summerwhentheweatheriswarmandthegrassandtreesrevealtheirluxuriousgreens.Atnightwhentheskyisdottedwithstars,andpeoplecanseetheMilkyWayspanningfromthenorthtothesouth.Oneachbankofitisabrightstar,whichseeeachotherfromafar.TheyaretheCowherdandWeaverMaid,andaboutthemthereisabeautifullovestorypasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.

　　Long,longago,therewasanhonestandkind-heartedfellownamedNiuLang(Cowhand).Hisparentsdiedwhenhewasachild.Laterhewasdrivenoutofhishomebyhissister-in-law.Sohelivedbyhimselfherdingcattleandfarming.Oneday,afairyfromheavenZhiNu(WeaverMaid)fellinlovewithhimandcamedownsecretlytoearthandmarriedhim.ThecowhandfarmedinthefieldandtheWeaverMaidwoveathome.Theylivedahappylifeandgavebirthtoaboyandagirl.Unfortunately,theGodofHeavensoonfoundoutthefactandorderedtheQueenMotheroftheWesternHeavenstobringtheWeaverMaidback.

　　Withthehelpofcelestialcattle,theCowhandflewtoheavenwithhissonanddaughter.Atthetimewhenhewasabouttocatchupwithhiswife,theQueenMothertookoffoneofhergoldhairpinsandmadeastroke.OnebillowyriverappearedinfrontoftheCowhand.TheCowhandandWeaverMaidwereseparatedonthetwobanksforeverandcouldonlyfeeltheirtears.Theirloyaltytolovetouchedmagpies,sotensofthousandsofmagpiescametobuildabridgefortheCowhandandWeaverMaidtomeeteachother.TheQueenMotherwaseventuallymovedandallowedthemtomeeteachyearonthe7thofthe7thlunarmonth.Hencetheirmeetingdatehasbeencalled"QiXi"(DoubleSeventh).

　　ScholarshaveshowntheDoubleSeventhFestivaloriginatedfromtheHanDynasty(206BC-AD220).HistoricaldocumentsfromtheEasternJinDynasty(AD371-420)mentionthefestival,whilerecordsfromtheTangDynasty(618-907)depictthegrandeveningbanquetofEmperorTaizongandhisconcubines.BytheSong(960-1279)andYuan(1279-1368)dynasties,specialarticlesforthe"QiXi"wereseenbeingsoldonmarketsinthecapital.Thebustlingmarketsdemonstratedthesignificanceofthefestival.

　　TodaysometraditionalcustomsarestillobservedinruralareasofChina,buthavebeenweakenedordilutedinurbancities.However,thelegendoftheCowhandandWeaverMaidhastakenrootintheheartsofthepeople.Inrecentyears,inparticular,urbanyouthshavecelebrateditasValentine'sDayinChina.Asaresult,ownersofflowershops,barsandstoresarefullofjoyastheysellmorecommoditiesforlove.