农历五月初五，是中国民间传统的端午节，也叫“五月节”。端午节的时候，人们有吃粽子，赛龙舟的习俗。据说，这是为了纪念中国古代伟大的爱国诗人屈原。

屈原是战国时期①楚国的大夫②，很有才能。但是由于他人陷害，被楚国的国王流放。屈原离开楚国后，仍然关心自己国家的命运。后来，他听说楚国被秦国打败，非常悲痛，就跳进汨罗江③自杀了。这一天正好是公元前278年，农历五月初五。

人们听到屈原跳江的消息后，都划船打捞他的尸体，但是没有找到。为了不让鱼虾吃掉屈原的身体，百姓们就把食物扔进江中喂鱼。以后，每年五月初五人们都要这样做。后来，人们又改为用芦苇叶子把糯米包成粽子扔进江里。于是，就形成了端午节吃粽子，赛龙舟的习俗。

时至今日，赛龙舟已经成为一种表现团队精神的最佳活动。每年中国的许多地方都会举办划龙舟比赛。甚至，在中国民间有：“宁愿荒废一年田，不愿输掉一年船④”的说法。

注释zhùshì Note：

①战国时期：the warring states period( 475BC-221BC).and Seven warring States: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin.

②大夫: An ancient official title

③汨罗江:in Northeast of Hunan province

④宁愿荒废一年田，不愿输掉一年船:

we would waste one year’s farming rather than lose one year’s dragon boat race.

译文 Yìwén  English translation

The dragon boat festival

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is a traditional Chinese folk festival- the dragon boat festival, also known as the “Festival of the fifth month”. On that day, people eat zongzi (pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice leaves) and hold dragon-boat races. It is said, these activities commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan in ancient China.

Qu Yuan was a Dafu in the State of Chu in the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC). However, he was framed by other officials and was drived by the king of Chu from the capital. Despite being exiled, Qu Yuan was still concerned about the fate of the state. Later when he heard the news that Qin had defeated the State of Chu, he was full of grief and drowned himself in the Miluo River. It was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 278BC.

When people heard the news, they rowed their boats to try to find his corpse, but failed. In order to keep the fish and shrimps from eating his corpse, people threw food into the river to feed them. Therefore, on each fifth day of the fifth lunar month, people would throw food into the river. Later, people used reed leaves to wrap zongzi for this purpose. Thus the custom of eating zongzi and staging the dragon boat race was formed.

Up to the present, the dragon boat race has already become into a best team sport. Each year, many place in China hold the dragon boat race. And in the rural area, people even say:  we would waste one year’s farming rather than lose one year’s dragon boat race.

词语 cíyǔ words and phrases：

农历     nónglì        n.        lunar calendar

民间     mínjiān       n.        folk

传统     chuántǒng     n./adj.     tradition/ traditional：

粽子     zòngzi        n.   amid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice leaves

比赛     bǐsài         n.        match

赛         sài           n./v.      match/to match

龙舟     lóngzhōu      n.       dragon boat

习俗     xísú：        n.       custom

据说     jùshuō        v.        it is said  

纪念     jìniàn:        n.        memento

v.         to commemorate

古代     gǔdài：       n.        ancient

爱国     àiguó         adj.      be patriotic,patriotic

诗人     shīrén         n.       poet

才能     cáinéng        n.       ability/talent

陷害     xiànhài         v.         to frame

流放     liúfàng          v.        to exile

命运     mìngyùn        n.        fate

打败     dǎbài           v.        to defeat

自杀     zìshā           v.        to commit suicide

公元前  gōngyuánqián      n.       B.C.

跳      tiào              v.        to jump

划       huá             v.        to row

芦苇    lúwěi             n..       reed

糯米    nuòmǐ            n..       glutinous rice

形成    xíngchéng        v.         to form

表现    biǎoxiàn          v.         to show

团队    tuánduì           n.        team/group

精神    jīngshén          n.        spirit

练习  liànxí  exercise

用直线把A, B 两组相关的词语搭配起来。

A                  B

赛                粽子

跳                龙舟

吃                船

划                江 

二，根据课文回答问题

   1,中国的端午节是什么时候？

   2，端午节的时候，中国有什么习俗？

   3, 屈原是什么人？

   4，什么是粽子？

   5，人们为什么把食物扔到江中？

   6，什么是赛龙舟？

三，讨论

关于中国的端午节，你都知道些什么？

在你的国家，有这样的节日吗？

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