中秋佳节马上到了，想好怎么庆祝节日了吗？

中秋节最早出现于《礼记》，在唐朝成为中国官方节日，如何用英语介绍中秋的来源和传统习俗？

中秋佳节

Mid-Autumn Festival



又到了赏月、挂灯笼、吃月饼的时候了——中秋节来了。每年的农历八月十五是中秋节，之所以叫中秋节，是因为十五是一个月的中间，而农历八月是秋天的中间。人们认为这天的月亮最亮最圆。



中秋节是在唐代成为中国的官方节日的，但对于中秋节是何时开始的，以及如何开始的并没有一个确切的答案。许多人认为，这个节日最早是在2400多年前写的《礼记》中提到的。书中描述说，在这一天皇帝通过向月亮献祭贡品和大设宴席来庆祝一年的丰收。

rite [raɪt] n [C] 礼仪；典礼

emperor ['empərə(r)] n [C] 皇帝

offering ['ɒfərɪŋ] n [C] 供品；祭品

feast [fiːst] n [C] 盛会；宴会

Today, the Mid-autumn Festival is a very important family gathering — it's when "people and the moon reunite to form a full circle," as an old saying goes.

如今，中秋节是一个极其重要的家庭聚会——正如一句老话所说，这是一个“月圆人团圆”的日子。

reunite [ˌriːjuː'naɪt] vi & vt（使）重聚

There are many legends about the Mid-autumn Festival. The most popular one is about Chang'e and the jade rabbit.

关于中秋节有很多传说，最广为流传的是关于嫦娥和玉兔的。

legend ['ledʒənd] n [C] & [U] 传说；传奇



传说嫦娥的丈夫后羿射下了十个太阳中的九个，把人们从炎热中拯救了出来，因此王母娘娘赏赐了他长生不老药。他没有马上吞下药，因为他不想抛下妻子独自永生。于是，他让嫦娥替他保管这药。

elixir [ɪ'lɪksə(r)] n [C] 灵丹妙药；不老药

immortality [ˌɪmɔː'tæləti] n [U] 永生；永恒

swallow ['swɒləʊ] vi & vt 吞；咽



令人没想到的是，在某个中秋时节的一天，后羿外出狩猎时，一个坏人想要逼迫嫦娥交出长生不老药。嫦娥吞下了药，越飞越高。随后她选择月亮作为她的住所，这样就可以离她深爱的丈夫近一些。后羿非常伤心，每到中秋时节便用香、糕点和水果向嫦娥献祭。中秋节拜月的习俗便随着这一传说代代相传下来。

unexpectedly [ˌʌnɪk'spektɪdli] adv 出乎意料地

evil ['iːvl] adj 邪恶的

hand over 交出

beloved [bɪ'lʌvd] adj 挚爱的

sacrifice ['sækrɪfaɪs] n [C] & [U] 献祭

incense ['ɪnsens] n [U]（燃烧时发出怡人香味的）香

worship ['wɜːʃɪp] vt & vi 敬奉

pass down 使世代相传；流传



月亮上还有一只兔子，洁白如玉，被称为“玉兔”。据说玉兔与嫦娥为伴，它在月亮上不停地捣长生不老药。随着时间的推移，玉兔也成为了月亮的代名词。

jade [dʒeɪd] n [U] 玉

companion [kəm'pæniən] n [C] 伴侣；同伴

pound [paʊnd] vt & vi 连续重击；猛打

synonymous [sɪ'nɒnɪməs] adj 同义的 be synonymous with 等同于……的

The Mid-autumn Festival is celebrated in many traditional ways. Here are some of the most popular traditional celebrations.

中秋节有许多传统的庆祝方式，以下是一些最广为流传的传统庆祝活动。

Enjoying a Dinner with Family

与家人共进晚餐



圆圆的月亮在中国人的心目中代表着阖家团圆。中秋节的晚上，家人们会一起吃晚饭。这个法定假日主要是为了让在各地工作的人有足够的时间团聚。

Eating Mooncakes

吃月饼



月饼是中秋节最具代表性的食品。作为节日中最耀眼的明星之一，月饼对中秋节的重要性不亚于火鸡对感恩节的重要性。最常见的月饼是由五仁、豆沙、莲蓉和蛋黄制成的。它们那圆圆的形状和甜甜的味道象征着圆满和甜美。在中秋节，人们与家人一同吃月饼，或向亲朋好友赠送月饼，以表达他们的爱和最美好的祝愿。

representative [ˌreprɪ'zentətɪv] adj 有代表性的；典型的

paste [peɪst] n [C] & [U] 糊状物

lotus ['ləʊtəs] n [C] 莲花

yolk [jəʊk] n [C] & [U] 蛋黄

symbolize ['sɪmbəlaɪz] vt 象征；代表

Appreciating and Worshiping the Moon

赏月、拜月



在中秋节的夜晚，人们常在屋外摆一张桌子，放上月饼、零食、水果和一对点燃的蜡烛。人们坐在一起，边欣赏满月，边品尝美味的月饼。孩子的父母常给孩子讲嫦娥奔月的传说。还有些人认为，通过拜月，嫦娥可以帮他们实现愿望。

fulfill [fʊl'fɪl] vt 实现

写作佳句




检测题

一、阅读理解

根据短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

1. What is the text mainly talking about?

A. The brief introduction of the Mid-autumn Festival.

B. The story of Chang'e and the jade rabbit.

C. The traditional celebrations of the Mid-autumn Festival.

D. The origin of the Mid-autumn Festival.

2. Why didn't Hou Yi swallow the elixir right away?

A. He didn't want to live forever.

B. He didn't want to gain immortality alone.

C. He wanted his wife to swallow it.

D. He wanted to swallow it some other day.

3. Why does the text mention the turkey of Thanksgiving?

A. To compare it with the mooncakes.

B. To prove that mooncakes are delicious.

C. To stress the importance of mooncakes for the Mid-autumn Festival.

D. To show the similarity between Thanksgiving and the Mid-autumn Festival.

二、语法填空

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。



三、英译汉

写出下列句中画线词的汉语释义。

1. The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. _______

2. The survey covers a representative sample of schools. _______

3. He was once worshipped like a god but is now a fallen idol. _______

4. They drew the material of their plays chiefly from myths and legends. _______

5. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil. (2005 江西) _______

6. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. _______

7. They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars. (2015 浙江) _______

8. A friend of his, Wu Fan, volunteered to be his companion during the trip. (2022 全国甲) _______

9. Small bones should be avoided as the dog may swallow them whole and risk internal injury. _______

10. Lamb and mother reunited, I turned back to the tractor only to see it move suddenly away from me. (2020 浙江) _______

11. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. (2013 湖北) _______

12. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she’s learned to other kids when she grows up. (2013 北京) _______

四、汉译英

将下列句子翻译成英文。

1. 又到了赏月、挂灯笼、吃月饼的时候了——中秋节来了。

_____________________________________

2. 正如一句老话所说，这是一个“月圆人团圆”的日子。

____________________________________

3. 中秋节最广为流传的传统庆祝活动包括与家人共进晚餐，吃月饼，赏月和拜月。

____________________________________

4. 圆圆的月亮在中国人的心目中代表着阖家团圆。

____________________________________

5. 月饼是中秋节最具代表性的食品。

____________________________________

点击下方空白区域查看答案

▼

一、1. A 2. B 3. C

二、1. is called 2. It 3. became 4. to 5. written 6. as 7. hosting 8. saying 9. most 10. traditional

三、1. 象征 2. 有代表性的 3. 敬奉 4. 传说 5. 恶行 6. 交上 7. 心爱的 8. 同伴 9. 吞下10. 重聚 11. 没想到的是 12. 传给

四、1. It's time to admire the full moon, hang a lantern and eat a mooncake — the Mid-autumn Festival is here.

2. It's when "people and the moon reunite to form a full circle," as an old saying goes.

3. The most popular traditional celebrations of the Mid-autumn Festival include enjoying a dinner with family, eating mooncakes, appreciating and worshiping the moon.

4. The roundness of the moon represents the reunion of the family in Chinese minds.

5. Mooncakes are the most representative food for the Mid-autumn Festival.