Dì jiŭ kè duān wŭ jié
Lesson 09 The Dragon Boat Festival
A:你知道两天后是什么日子吗?
nĭ zhī dào liăng tiān hòu shì shén me rì zi ma?
Do you know what the day after tomorrow is?
B:五月二十八呀,怎么了?
wŭ yuè èr shí bā ya, zĕn me le?
It is May 28th, 2009, and?
A:不,我不是这个意思,我是指农历。
bù,wŏ bú shì zhè ge yì si, wŏ shì zhĭ nóng lì.
No, I don’t mean this; I mean the date of the lunar calendar.
B:等等,让我看看日历。哦,是农历五月初五。
dĕng dĕng, ràng wŏ kàn kan rì lì. ò, shì nóng lì wŭ yuè chū wŭ.
Wait; let me take a look at the calendar. It is May 5th.
A:嗯,不错,然后呢?
èn, bú cuò, rán hòu ne?
Yes, that’s it. So?
B:然后?哦,我知道了,你想说"端午节"。我怎么把这事儿给忘了!
rán hòu? ò, wŏ zhī dào le, nĭ xiăng shuō "duān wŭ jié. "wŏ zĕn me bă zhè shì ér gĕi wàng le!
Oh, I see, you mean it is "The Dragon Boat Festival". How could I forget about this?
A:不错,再过两天端午节就到了。那么你知道端午节的主角是谁吗?
bú cuò, zài guò liăng tiān duān wŭ jié jiù dào le. nà me nĭ zhī dào duān wŭ jié de zhŭ jué shì shuí ma?
Exactly, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming in two days. And do you know who the leading role is?
B:当然知道,粽子呀!
dāng rán zhī dào, zòng zi ya!
Of course,it’s rice dumpling wrapped in lotus leaves.
A:你只说对了一部分。
nĭ zhĭ shuō duì le yī bù fen.
You just mentioned part of the answer.
B:那还有什么?
nà hái yŏu shén me?
Then what else?
A:这个节日是纪念中国古代爱国诗人屈原,他为了保存气节而投江自尽,后来该节日成为龙舟竞渡和吃粽子的欢乐日子。所以呀,
还有龙舟。
zhè ge jié rì shì jì niàn zhōng guó gŭ dài ài guó shī rén qū yuán, tā wèi le băo cún qì jié ér tóu jiāng zì jìn, hòu lái gāi jié rì chéng
wéi lóng zhōu jìng dù hé chī zòng zi de huān lè rì zi. suŏ yĭ ya, hái yŏu lóng zhōu.
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to memorize an ancient Chinese poet who committed suicide by jumping into a river
instead of compromising his honor. The festival has developed into a joyful event characterized by dragon boat races and rice
dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves. So, there is also dragon boat component.
B:嗯,有道理,你这么一说,我就明白了。
èn, yŏu dào lĭ, nĭ zhè me yī shuō, wŏ jiù míng bai le.
Well, that makes sense. I get it after your explanation.
生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:
端午节(duān wŭ jié): n Dragon Boat Festival
农历(nóng lì): n lunar calendar
粽子(zòng zi): n rice dumpling wrapped in reed/bamboo/lotus leaves
龙舟(lóng zhōu): n dragon boat
气节(qì jié): n moral integrity