HSK 5 · Advanced stories

端午节的来历 · The Origin of Dragon Boat Festival

Duānwǔjié de Láilì — Why people race dragon boats and eat zongzi every fifth lunar month.

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Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.

端午节Duānwǔjiézài农历nónglì五月wǔyuè初五。chūwǔ

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

传说chuánshuō这个zhège节日jiérìshì为了wèile纪念jìniàn古代gǔdài爱国àiguó诗人shīrén屈原。Qū Yuán

It is said this holiday is to commemorate Qu Yuan, an ancient patriotic poet.

屈原Qū Yuánzài国家guójiā灭亡mièwáng时,shí悲愤bēifènde投入tóurù汨罗江。Mìluó Jiāng

When his country fell, Qu Yuan jumped into the Miluo River out of grief.

当地dāngdì百姓bǎixìng听说tīngshuō后,hòuhuázhechuán寻找xúnzhǎo他。

When the local people heard, they paddled boats to look for him.

为了wèileràng伤害shānghàide身体,shēntǐ人们rénmentóu江中。jiāng zhōng

To prevent fish from harming his body, they threw rice into the river.

zhèliǎngjiànshì后来hòulái演变成yǎnbiàn chéng赛龙舟sài lóngzhōuchī粽子zòngzide风俗。fēngsú

These two acts later evolved into dragon boat racing and eating zongzi.

今天,jīntiān端午节Duānwǔjiézǎo不仅bùjǐnshì纪念,jìniàngèngchéngle文化wénhuà认同rèntóngde象征。xiàngzhēng

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is no longer just memorial — it has become a symbol of cultural identity.

屈原Qū Yuánshì战国时期Zhànguó shíqī楚国Chǔ guóde大臣。dàchén

Qu Yuan was a minister of the state of Chu in the Warring States period.

主张zhǔzhāng联合liánhé抗秦,kàng Qínquèbèi小人xiǎorén陷害,xiànhài遭到zāodào流放。liúfàng

He argued for an alliance against Qin, but was framed by petty men and exiled.

流放期间,liúfàng qījiān写下xiě xiàle《离骚》Lí Sāoděng不朽bùxiǔde诗篇。shīpiān

During his exile he wrote Li Sao and other imperishable poems.

那些nàxiēshī至今zhìjīnréngshì中国Zhōngguó文学wénxuéde高峰。gāofēng

Those poems remain a summit of Chinese literature to this day.

秦军Qín jūn攻破gōngpò楚国Chǔ guó都城dūchéng那年,nà nián终于zhōngyú绝望juéwàng了。le

The year the Qin army broke the Chu capital, he despaired at last.

五月初五wǔ yuè chū wǔ那天,nà tiānbàozhe石头shítou走进zǒu jìnle江水。jiāngshuǐ

On the fifth day of the fifth month, he walked into the river holding a stone.

今天jīntiānde赛龙舟sài lóngzhōu已经yǐjīngchéngle一项yí xiàng国际guójì比赛。bǐsài

Dragon boat racing today has become an international sport.

鼓声gǔ shēng一响,yì xiǎng几十个人jǐshí ge réndejiǎng同时tóngshí落水。luò shuǐ

The drum sounds, and dozens of oars strike the water at once.

粽子zòngzide口味kǒuwèi南北nán běi不同,bùtóng北方běifāng多甜,duō tián南方nánfāng多咸。duō xián

Zongzi taste different north and south — the north mostly sweet, the south mostly salty.

为了wèile甜粽tián zòng还是háishi咸粽,xián zòng人们rénmen每年měi nián都要dōu yào争论zhēnglùn一次。yí cì

Sweet zongzi or salty — people have the same argument once a year.

一个yí ge两千多年前liǎng qiān duō nián qiánde故事,gùshi就这样jiù zhèyànghuódàole今天。jīntiān

A story from over two thousand years ago has lived on to today just like that.

Vocabulary in this story (132 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
端午节DuānwǔjiéDragon Boat Festival
zàion
农历nónglìlunar calendar
五月wǔyuèfifth month
初五chūwǔfifth day
传说chuánshuōlegend says
这个zhègethis
节日jiérìholiday
shìis
为了wèilein order to
纪念jìniàncommemorate
古代gǔdàiancient
爱国àiguópatriotic
诗人shīrénpoet
屈原Qū YuánQu Yuan
国家guójiānation
灭亡mièwángperished
shíat the time
悲愤bēifènin grief and rage
de(adverbial)
投入tóurùjumped into
汨罗江Mìluó JiāngMiluo River
当地dāngdìlocal
百姓bǎixìngpeople
听说tīngshuōhearing
hòuafter
huápaddled
zhe(continuous)
chuánboats
to
寻找xúnzhǎosearch for
him
not
rànglet
fish
伤害shānghàiharm
de(of)
身体shēntǐbody
人们rénmenpeople
(disposal)
rice
tóuthrew
into
江中jiāng zhōngthe river
zhèthese
liǎngtwo
jiàn(measure)
shìthings
后来hòuláilater
演变成yǎnbiàn chéngevolved into
赛龙舟sài lóngzhōudragon boat racing
and
chīeating
粽子zòngzizongzi
风俗fēngsúcustoms
今天jīntiāntoday
zǎoalready
long since
不仅bùjǐnnot only
gèngmore
chéngbecame
le(past)
文化wénhuàcultural
认同rèntóngidentity
象征xiàngzhēngsymbol
战国时期Zhànguó shíqīthe Warring States period
楚国Chǔ guóthe state of Chu's
大臣dàchéna minister
主张zhǔzhāngargued for
联合liánhéallying
抗秦kàng Qínagainst Qin
quèyet
bèiwas
小人xiǎorénpetty men
陷害xiànhàiframed by
遭到zāodàoand suffered
流放liúfàngexile
流放期间liúfàng qījiānduring his exile
写下xiě xiàwrote
离骚Lí SāoLi Sao
děngand others
不朽bùxiǔimperishable
诗篇shīpiānpoems
那些nàxiēthose
shīpoems
至今zhìjīnto this day
réngstill
中国ZhōngguóChinese
文学wénxuéliterature's
高峰gāofēnga summit
秦军Qín jūnthe Qin army
攻破gōngpòbroke
都城dūchéngcapital
那年nà niánthe year
终于zhōngyúat last
绝望juéwàngdespaired
五月初五wǔ yuè chū wǔthe fifth of the fifth month
那天nà tiānon that day
bàoholding
石头shítoua stone
走进zǒu jìnwalked into
江水jiāngshuǐthe river
已经yǐjīnghas already
一项yí xiàngan
国际guójìinternational
比赛bǐsàicompetition
鼓声gǔ shēngthe drum sound
一响yì xiǎngonce it sounds
几十个人jǐshí ge réndozens of people's
jiǎngoars
同时tóngshíat once
落水luò shuǐstrike the water
口味kǒuwèiflavor
南北nán běinorth and south
不同bùtóngdiffers
北方běifāngthe north
多甜duō tiánmostly sweet
南方nánfāngthe south
多咸duō xiánmostly salty
甜粽tián zòngsweet zongzi
还是háishior
咸粽xián zòngsalty zongzi
每年měi niánevery year
都要dōu yàomust
争论zhēnglùnargue
一次yí cìonce
一个yí gea
两千多年前liǎng qiān duō nián qiánfrom over two thousand years ago
故事gùshistory
就这样jiù zhèyàngjust like that
huóhas lived
dàountil

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