不知道大家注意到?jīng)]有：其實(shí)中英文對月份的取名方式是不一樣的。英語是采用專有名詞來稱謂每一個月，比如1月是January，2月是February等等，而中文則使用簡單的數(shù)字來標(biāo)記1月、2月、3月等等。要注意的是：這些都是公歷或陽歷或太陽歷，用英語說就是the solar calendar.另外，我們中國還用農(nóng)歷或陰歷或月歷，用英文說是the lunar calendar.
比如：陰歷二月，就不能說February，而是the second month on the lunar calendar或者簡單的說成the second lunar month.
比如中國的七夕情人節(jié)就是在農(nóng)歷七月初七。如果要告訴外國朋友，就不能說the seventh of July,而要說成the seventh of the seventh lunar month.
我們中國的中秋節(jié)是在農(nóng)歷八月十五，用英文表達(dá)應(yīng)該是the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month.同樣，中國的春節(jié)是農(nóng)歷一月初一，正確表達(dá)應(yīng)該是the first of the first lunar month.因此，談到中國的農(nóng)歷傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日，我們都要采用類似的表達(dá)，而不能用專有月份名稱。
七夕節(jié)也稱“乞巧節(jié)”，是閨中女子向織女祈求智慧和巧技的日子。姑娘們祈禱自己能有一雙織女般的巧手，尋得一位如意郎君。
But qixi wasn’t a festival for lovers until recently. It was initially a time for unwed women to beg the weaving goddess for domestic skills. They’d also pray for a good husband.
慢慢地，坊間開始流傳牛郎織女的故事，為七夕節(jié)添上了一抹浪漫色彩。
Falling on the seventh day of seventh lunar month, the Double Seventh Festival in China, also known as Qixi Festival, is what Valentine’s Day to the western countries. As it is a day of great importance to girls, the event is also called Young Girls’ Festival. Because of the beautiful legend about Niu Lang and Zhi Nv, the festival has been endowed with the meaning of great romance.
As one of the Chinese four folk legends concerning love, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv features the Double Seventh Festival.
作為中國四大民間傳說之一，牛郎和織女的傳說是七夕節(jié)的特色。
It is said that Niu Lang was a cowboy who had a kind heart even though he was without living parents. Living with his brother and brother-in-law, he was maltreated. One day, after having been driven out of his home, an old man (in fact a supernatural being), guided him to the sick cattle from heaven. With great care from Niu Lang, the cattle recovered. In order to show gratitude to Niu Lang, the cow helped him get acquainted with Zhi Nu - a fairy from the heaven. They fell in love with each other and married to live a happy life with Niu Lang planting in the field while Zhi Nv did weaving at home. They were also magically given a boy and a girl. However, good times didn’t last long because Zhi Nv’s deeds were known by the king of the heaven who took her back to heaven. With the cow’s help, Niu Lang flew to heaven along with his two children as they chased their wife and mother. It was just at that moment before he could reach Zhi Nv that the queen of the heaven created a huge river between them. Tears from the two flowed continuously so that even the queen was moved. As a result, she allowed them to meet only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year.
Therefore, the day when Niu Lang and Zhi Nv meet is the present Double Seventh Festival.
因此，牛郎和織女見面的日子就是現(xiàn)在的七夕節(jié)。
Customs
習(xí)俗
While the customs of this festival varies according to the different regions, the same hope is cherished by all.
雖然這個節(jié)日的習(xí)俗因不同的地區(qū)而不同，但人們都抱有同樣的期望。
The most prevalent custom is that of girls praying to Zhi Nv for skillful hands for sewing. Because Zhi Nu is regarded as a beautiful woman deft at weaving, in the evening of the festival, girls sew some articles to compete with each other and prepare some delicious fruits to worship Zhi Nu in order to be endowed with the masterly sewing skill. Not only hoping for this skill, they also pray to have a sweet love.
In the rural regions, people usually see the meeting of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv as two stars in the sky. At the same time, the old people tell the young about this old love legend. Unfortunately, this is not popular in cities nowadays.
In the Chinese cities, the Western Valentine’s Day is more favored than the Double Seventh Festival by young people. They spend the latter as the Valentine’s Day. Although some traditional customs have been changed or been lost, the legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nv is still passed down from generation to generation. Like the presents of Valentine’s Day, flowers and chocolates are also the popular ones.