In Chinese dichotomy, the sun is yang (positive, active, or male) and the moon is yin (negative, passive, or female). According to the book Chou Li, the Chou emperors (1122-249 B.C.) had the custom of praying to the moon on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month. In the Ching dynasty, there were a sun altar in eastern Peking and a moon altar in western Peking; at the time of every autumnal equinox, the emperor offered sacrifices and prayed to the moon at the moon altar.
Before switching to the Gregorian calendar officially in 1911, the Chinese had used a lunar calendar since time immemorial; and even today, the Chinese still celebrate their traditional festivals by the lunar calendar. In each lunar month, the first day (the new moon) and the 15th day (the full moon) are major events; and the 15th day of the first month (the Lantern Festival) and the 15th day of the eighth month (Mid-Autumn Festival, September 9th this year on the Gregorian calendar) are the largest celebrations besides the Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Chinese Cupid is called "the old man under the moon" ( る�ρ� ) and uses a red thread to tie a man's and woman's feet together to make them man and wife--be they from hostile families or widely separated places.
The most lunatic mortal in Chinese history could have been the great poet Li Po (A.D. 701-762), who once invited the moon to have a drink with him and his shadow to form a band of three. Li finally drowned in a lake in an effort to catch the moon when he was drunk one night. Other Chinese legends about the moon abound.
Legends of the Moon
Moon cakes go best with oolong or jasmine tea.
Hou Yi ( �� ) was a great archer and architect, who shot down nine extra suns that had suddenly appeared in the sky and thus kept the earth from being scorched. He also built a palace of jade for the Goddess of the Western Heaven. For this, he was rewarded with a pill containing the elixir of immortality, but with strings attached--he must fast and pray for a year before taking it. His wife, Chang O ( 惯甖 ), whose beauty was surpassed only by her curiosity, discovered and swallowed the pill and in no time soared to the moon and became a permanent resident there. Upon reaching the moon, Chang O, in dismay, coughed up the pill, which turned into a jade rabbit that, day and night, pounds out a celestial elixir for the immortals.
Another permanent lunar resident of Chinese origin is Wu Kang ( �� ), a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time before disappointing his last master, who was an immortal. From him Wu learned to be immortal himself, but he was punished by being required to chop down a cassia tree in the moon, an impossible mission. The cut in the tree heals completely the same day, so Wu Kang is still chopping away for eternity. Some Chinese crave to drink his cassia blossom wine.
The Chinese believe that the moon is at its largest and brightest, and Chang O at her most beautiful, on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month. They are at least half-right, for at that time most of China is in the dry season and the moon looms brightest. It's also cool then, a perfect time to celebrate the harvest which has just concluded; hence, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Harvest Festival. The festival is a time for family reunions to appreciate the moon ( 洁る , shangyue) and eat moon cakes together. Bathed in bright moonshine and with the company of chrysanthemum and cassia blossoms, poets eat crab meat and moon cake, drink tea and wine, and versify the night away.
Moon Cakes
Moon gazing
The Chinese custom of eating moon cake was first recorded in the reign of the emperor Hsi Tzung (A.D. 874-889) of the Tang dynasty and became popular in the Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) The moon cake is traditionally made in the shape of a full moon, symbolizing union and perfection, is usually about the size of a doughnut, and is stuffed with a variety of fillings such as bean paste, egg yolk, lotus seeds, dates, pineapple, walnuts, almonds, and sesame. The crafty Chu Yuan-chang, founder of the Ming dynasty, instigated a rebellion against the Mongol rulers by concealing a call to revolt in moon cakes, leading to the downfall of the Yuan dynasty.
There are many styles of moon cake in China; the most popular in Taiwan are the Cantonese, Soochow, and Taiwanese styles. The Cantonese moon cake is thicker and heavier, while the Soochow and Taiwanese ones have a crispy skin. In the last couple of years a new breed of refrigerated, unbaked moon cake has been gaining popularity, especially among youngster; and durian, coconut meat, vanilla, tea, and coffer have added as ingredients.
Most Chinese consume moon cakes given to them by relatives, friend, employers, or public relations people.Hence, brands matter. Among the most famous are Kee Wah, Maria's and shin Tung Yang. Moon cakes go best with oolong or jasmine tea.
It takes the moon about 29 1/2 days to revolve around the earth, and the Chinese lunar month is either 29 or 30 days. An extra month(called a leap month) is necessary about every three years. There will be a second eight lunar month in 1995. The 15th of the first eight lunar month is celebrated as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which has been designed a public holiday by the Republic of China government. Have a nice holiday, and remember moon calkes taste best when shared by family members or lovers, or both.
楼主：你好，
我今天才过来，看到大家回答的都很踊跃呀，我也来加桶油。奉献一篇我自己改写的中秋节传说的对话，英文当然要在活的语言中学习了，大家切磋！
●Place: Air’s villa.
地点: 空气的别墅.
Time: on the Mid – Autumn Festival.
时间: 中秋节
People: Air and Rich
人物: Air 和Rich
Rich is from American. He is an exchange student. Now he is studying at Beijing University. He majored in culture of China. His best friend, Air, a designer, works for a photo workshop. Today is Mid – Autumn Festival. So Air invited him to dinner at home.
Rich是个美国人.他是个留学生.现在他在北京大学学习.他主修中国文化专业.他最好的朋友, Air ,一个设计师, 在一个摄影工作室工作. 今天是中秋节. 因此Air 邀请他去家做客.
(Air listens to the music when she hears the doorbell.)
(Air正听着音乐,这时候她听到门铃响了.)
A: That must be Rich. (She goes to open the door.)
那一定是Rich. (她去开门.)
B: Hi, Air.
你好啊, Air.
A: Welcome. It’s so nice of you to come.
欢迎啊,你能来真是太好了.
B: Air, thanks for inviting me to the dinner. Today is Mid – Autumn Festival. I bought a bunch of roses for you. Beautiful flowers for beautiful girl.
Air, 谢谢你邀请我来做客的. 今天是中秋节了. 我买了一束玫瑰花送给你,美丽的花给美丽的女孩.
A: It’s nothing. Thank you for your roses.(she hands him a present.) A little present for you.
不客气.谢谢你的玫瑰花 .(她递给他一个礼物) 给你准备的一个小礼物.
B: (he unwraps the present to find four mooncakes in boxes.)
Oh, it’s wonderful. Thanks. You shouldn’t have bought this.
(他打开礼物发现在盒子里面有四块月饼) 噢,太棒了.谢谢啦! 你不该这样破费了.
A: oh, my pleasure. It’s just a little present for you.
哦,不客气啦. 仅仅是给你准备的小礼物而已.
(They sit in the living room.)
(他们坐在客厅里.)
Can I get you some coffee or tea or a cold drink?
你要点咖啡或茶水或冷饮吗?
B: Thanks. Coffee is ok.
谢谢,咖啡就可以了.
A: Black coffee or white coffee?
不加牛奶的咖啡还是加牛奶的咖啡？
B: white coffee, please. Thank you.
加牛奶的咖啡,谢谢.
A: Ok 好的.
(She goes to the kitchen to make coffee. A few minutes later, it’s done. She comes back.)
(她去厨房做咖啡. 几分钟后,咖啡好了.她回来了.)
Rich, here you are.
Rich, 给你咖啡.
B: Thank you, Air.
谢谢你，Air.。
A: You are welcome. Take your time. Maybe it is hot.
不客气啊。慢慢来，或许咖啡有些烫。
B: No problem. Air, you know, I’m interested in different culture. Chinese festival is very interesting, too. Would you mind telling me about the Mid – Autumn Festival?
没关系的。Air.，你知道，我对不同的文化很感兴趣的。中国的节日也是非常有趣的。你能给我讲讲有关中秋节的东西吗？
A: Ok, speaking of eating mooncakes, we have to talk about the story between Chang-Er and Hou Yi.
好啊，谈到吃月饼，我们要谈到有关嫦娥和后羿的故事。
B: Is that true?
那故事是真实的吗？
A: No. It’s not true. It’s only legend.
不.不是真实的.它仅仅是个传说.
B: Oh, I see. What is it?
哦,我明白了，是什么呢?
A: Long, long ago, the Earth once had 10 suns circling it.
很久以前,地球曾经有10个太阳围绕她运转的.
B: What? 10 suns circling it?
什么? 10个太阳围绕她运转?
A: Yes. But I told you it was only a legend. One day all 10 suns came out at once. The temperature of the earth went up quickly.
是的.但是我告诉你了,它仅仅是个传说.一天所有的10个 太阳一次出现了. 地球的温度很快升高了.
B: Wow. I guess many people 、plants and animals died. The high temperature must kill them.
噢! 我想许多人,植物和动物都死掉了. 这种高温一定杀死他们了.
A: Yes. It was a skillful archer who saved the earth.
是的. 是一个熟练的弓箭手拯救了地球.
B: Who is he?
他是谁?
A: Hou Yi.
后羿.
B: How did he save the earth? Is he a sprint?
他如何拯救的地球的?他是一个神仙吗?
A: No. He only shot down nine suns. Everything will be ok.
不是,他仅仅射掉了九个太阳. 一切就平安了。
B: He did a good job.
他做的很好.
A: Yes. As his reward, the Heavenly Queen Mother gave him a bottle of magic liquid.
是的. 为了奖励他,王母娘娘给了他一瓶神奇的药水.
B: What? What’s for?
什么?它作什么的?
A: If you had it, you would cure illnesses or make you live forever.
假如你喝了神药,你可以治疗疾病或者可以使你永远活着,长生不老.
B: oh, my god. Are you kidding?
噢,我的天啊. 你在开玩笑吧?
A: I’m serious. In many Chinese stories, people want to live longer. So they want to get something magic.
我使认真的. 在中国的许多故事中, 人们都想活的长些,因此他们都想得到这样神奇的东西.
B: I see. What did he do then?
我明白了,那后羿接着做什么了呢?
A: It’s pity that he paid no attention to her advice.
很遗憾的是后羿没有听从王母娘娘的建议.
B: You mean that he drank that all.
你的意思他喝光了所有的药水.
A: No. I mean, in front of the fame and fortune, he became a bad-tempered、selfish man.
不是.我是说,在荣誉和财富面前,他变成一个坏脾气,自私的人了.
B: Oh, I see. As the saying goes: Money is the root of all evil.
哦.知道了，有句谚语说的好:钱是万恶之根.
A: I couldn’t agree more. So his wife, Chang-Er could not bear to live with her husband. Then she stole his liquid, drank them and fled to the moon. This is the beautiful woman in the moon, the Moon Fairy.
我太同意了. 因此他的妻子,嫦娥不能在忍受和他生活了.然后她偷了药水, 喝掉了，逃离到月球上去了. 这就是月亮上美丽女人的传说了.
B: Interesting!
有趣!
A: Ok, this is the legend that I know. Maybe you will find another story like this. But I’m not for sure.
是啊,这是我所知道的传说而已.或许你还能发现其他象这样的故事,但是我就不确定了.
B: Thanks. 谢谢
A: Oh, Rich. Would you like more coffee?
哦, Rich. 你想添点咖啡吗?
B: No. Thanks. Air, why not tell me the mooncakes itself? (He points to the cakes in the box.)
不了,谢谢. Air,你为什么不给我讲讲月饼本身的东西的?(他指了下盒子里的月饼).
A: It’s a neat idea. In China, it is important for us to have dinner together on Mid-Autumn Festival.
好主意. 在中国,在中秋节这天,对于我们能在一起吃顿团圆饭是很重要的.
B: Really? I find that many Chinese are busy with their work. When their parents ask them to have dinner, they always have many excuses. I mean they don’t want to come back.
真的吗? 我发现许多中国人都忙于他们的工作.当他们叫他们去吃团圆饭的时候,他们总找借口. 我的意思是他们并不想回来.
A: Yes. You are right. But many people think today is the time of reunion. It is said that the moon is at its brightest and fullest. It’s very interesting. This year the festival falls on 18 th September.
是的,你是对的,但是许多人认为今天是团圆的时候. 据说今天的月亮是最亮最圆的. 非常有意思吧. 今年的中秋节在9月18日.
B: Yes. Air. I hear that the seasonal round cakes have many different fillings. Is that true?
是的. Air,我听说这种季节性的糕点有很多种馅的.是真的吗?
A: Yes. It is true. Lotus seed paste, red bean paste and so on. Are you hungry? In fact, I’m hungry.
是的,是真的.莲子馅或是红豆馅等等. 你饿了吗?实际上,我饿了.
B: I’m hungry, too. I can’t wait to have them right now. Air, what is this? (He points to the cakes.) Ah,
我也很饿了.我恨不得立刻就吃了.空气,这是什么?(他指了指糕点)
A: Ah! It’s a surprise. I asked the bakery to stamp them with your name so that I’ll give you a big surprise.
啊!那是个惊喜.我让糕点店在月饼上打上了你的名字,就想给你大惊喜的.
B: Thanks
谢谢.
A: But I have to make some tea.
但是我要先沏些茶水来.
B: Why?
为什么?
A: Some doctors tell us that the mooncakes are loaded with calories, so it’s not for the fat people who are on a diet.
一些医生告诉我们说,月饼所含的热量较大,因此不适合那些在减肥的肥胖人士的.
B: Oh, what’s the best way to have them?
哦,那最好的食用它们的方法是什么?
A: Ok, the best way to wash down one of these cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea, especially Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea. Tea aids the digestion.
好的,吃这种糕点最好的是就着一杯中国茶,特别是茉莉花茶或是菊花茶,茶水可以帮助消化.
B: Thank you very much. 非常感谢.
A: Just for a few minutes. I make tea. 稍等片刻,我去泡茶了.
B: Go ahead. 去吧
(Air goes to the kitchen.) (Air去了厨房.)
●对话精彩点评:
在一个月饼节的对话中，提到了个说法—长生不老，但好多朋友不知道如何表达了，或许头脑中只有西游记的概念，比如什么仙丹之类的东西，却没有想长生不老的本意是什么，所以表达出现瞬间的停顿，很正常了。
A:The Heavenly Queen Mother gave him a bottle of magic liquid.
B: What? What’s for?
A: If you had it, you would cure
illnesses or make you live forever.
B: oh, my god. Are you kidding?
A: I’m serious. In many Chinese stories,people want to live longer.
So they want to get this magic something.
B: I see.
这段对话很好的将仙丹，比做成一种神奇的药，化解了必须去想仙丹的单词，
也增加了谈话的神秘性，接着呢，将长生不老，比喻成假如吃掉这神奇的药，就会治疗好疾病，可以使自己永远生存在世间的，这不是很好的表达方式吗，
而且整个句子运用了虚拟语气，加大了表达的难度，给人感觉语法很好，对吧！
●附：中秋节的传说：
Mooncakes are to Mid-Autumn Festival what mince pies are to Christmas. The seasonal round cakes traditionally have a sweet filling of lotus seed paste or red bean paste and often have one or more salted duck eggs in the center to represent the moon. And the moon is what this celebration is all about. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month, it is the time when the moon is said to be at its brightest and fullest. This year the festival falls on October 1.
There are two legends which claim to explain the tradition of eating mooncakes. One Tang Dynasty myth holds that the Earth once had 10 suns circling it. One day all 10 suns appeared at once, scorching the planet with their heat. It was thanks to a skillful archer named Hou Yi that the Earth was saved. He shot down all but one of the suns. As his reward, the Heavenly Queen Mother gave Hou Yi the Elixir of Immortality, but she warned him that he must use it wisely. Hou Yi ignored her advice and, corrupted by fame and fortune, became a tyrannical leader. Chang-Er, his beautiful wife, could no longer stand by and watch him abuse his power so she stole his Elixir and fled to the moon to escape his angry wrath. And thus began the legend of the beautiful woman in the moon, the Moon Fairy.
The second legend has it that during the Yuan Dynasty, an underground group led by Zhu Yuan Zang was determined to rid the country of Mongolian dominance. The moon cake was created to carry a secret message. When the cake was opened and the message read, an uprising was unleashed which successfully routed the Mongolians. It happened at the time of the full moon, which, some say, explains why mooncakes are eaten at this time.
Mooncakes are usually stamped with Chinese characters indicating the name of the bakery and the type of filling used. Some bakeries will even stamp them with your family name so that you can give personalised ones to friends and family. They are usually presented in boxes of four which indicate the four phases of the moon. Traditional mooncakes are made with melted lard, but today vegetable oil is more often used in the interests of health.
Mooncakes are not for the diet-conscious as they are loaded with calories. The best way to wash down one of these sticky cakes is with a cup of Chinese tea, especially Jasmine or Chrysanthemum tea, which aids the digestion.
中秋节吃月饼就像西方人圣诞节吃百果馅饼一样，是必不可少的。圆圆的月饼中通常包有香甜的莲子馅或是红豆馅，馅的中央还会加上一个金黄的咸鸭蛋黄来代表月亮。而月亮正是中秋节庆祝的主题。每年农历8月15日人们一起庆祝中秋，据说这一天的月亮是一年中最亮最圆的。今年的中秋节恰好是阳历的10月1日（中国的国庆日）。
关于吃月饼这个传统的来历有两个传说。一个是唐朝的神话故事，说的是当时地球被10个太阳包围着。有一天10个太阳同时出现在天空中，巨大的热量几乎把地球烤焦了。多亏一位名叫后羿的神箭手射下了9个太阳，地球才被保住。为了奖励后羿，王母娘娘赐给后羿一种长生不老药，但是王母警告他必须正当使用。然而后羿没有理会王母娘娘的警告，他被名利冲昏了头脑，变成了一个暴君。后羿美丽的妻子嫦娥对他的暴行再也不能袖手旁观，于是她偷走了后羿的长生不老药，飞到月亮上逃避后羿的狂怒。从此就有了关于月宫仙子嫦娥，这个月亮上的美丽女人的传说。
第二个传说讲的是在元朝，朱元璋领导的起义军计划起义来摆脱蒙古族的统治。他们用月饼来传递密信。掰开月饼就可以找到里面的密信，起义军通过这种方式成功的发动了起义，赶走了元朝的统治者。这场起义发生在八月十五之时，于是中秋节吃月饼的习俗便在民间传开来。
Mid-Autumn Day
In the lunar calendar the fifteenth day of the eighth month each year, the Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Day (Full Moon Festival). It is a very fun and meaningful holiday. In the evening of Mid-Autumn Day, people played in the park or sidewalk. They sat in the park, ate moon cake, fruits, and enjoyed the full moon. Children carried their lanterns and walk around the park. Some people made paper boats and put candles in the paper boats, then made their wishes before letting the boats float in the pond.
I really like Mid-Autumn Day celebration. When I watched the beautiful moon, I ate moon cake, which tasted very sweet. It has eggs in the center also. The moon cake's shape is a circle, square, or cartoon. Then I sipped tea. It was strong and has a great scent of jasmine in the tea. It reminds me of a Chinese legend: Long time ago, there was a girl who is an angel. One day, she came down to earth. By a mistake, she fell in lover with a cow herder. But angel should not fall in love with a human. When the King of Heaven found out, he was very angry and he separated them. Then the angel was very upset and cried everyday. After one week, the King was touched by the love of the angel for the cow herder. He made new rule: Allowing the angel and cow herder to meet once a year -on the Mid-Autumn Day. Lovers in China consider this evening as a special night for them.
Last year on Mid-Autumn Day in Seattle, I sat in the yard and watched many stars in the sky. Then I thought of a poem. "As by my bed, the mood did beam, it seemed as if with frost the earth were spread. But soft I raise my head, to gaze at the fair moon. And now, with head bent low, of home I dream." I missed my homeland and now I really understand the meaning of this poem. And I will always remember this lonely Mid-Autumn Day!
http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/hamilton/Events/jackstraw/midaut.htm
Kaiyuan li lung-chi lee, according to the specified 17 years, prime minister source dry obsidian and zhang said joint on the throne "as lucky day of August 5, please transfer", in August the fifth birthday of tang dynasty, kaiyuan prosperity, the height of the tang dynasty period, hope the emperor could one day as a holiday.
To celebrate her birthday, and because of this gorgeous ass is deep the emperor's intention, after that, art is the birthday of the tang dynasty became whole country celebrating this day, the amnesty, a great feast, symbol of the century ten thousand generation of tang dynasty.
Gold ingot 7 years, tang xuanzong thinks this name is bad, change thousand autumn festival to day day festival, at that time Japan comes tang dynasty pay tribute, think this festival is good, also bring this festival to Japan, the name of day day of the emperor USES day day. Yuan bao 15 years, tang xuanzong abdicated.
Acceded to the throne after the change of name of the song, although at that time, the tang dynasty have been found, but still had a long day, August 15 this day people before it is this for song taizu emperor's holiday, how can I in here, but popular feeling, can't break it, so he will be last day is named after the Mid-Autumn festival.
Mid Autumn Festival is a traditional festival of China. It used to be as important as Spring Festival is usually celebrated in September or October. This festival is to celebrate the harvest and to enjoy the beautiful moon light. To some extent， it is like Thanks Giving day in western countries.
On this day， people usually get together with their families and have a nice meal. After that， people always eat delicious moon cakes， and watch the moon. The moon is always very round on that day， and makes people think of their relatives and friends. It is a day of pleasure and happiness. Hope you have a wonderful Mid Autumn festival！
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