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端午节为每年中国的农历五月初五，本来是夏季的一个驱除瘟疫的节日。后来诗人屈原于端午节投江自尽，就变成纪念屈原的节日，与春节、中秋节同属中华文化圈重要的传统节日。
在现代中国，步履匆匆的城市居民除了上商场买几个粽子，早已遗忘了这个节日的传统内涵。反而是小镇和乡村的居民在闲适中承袭粽叶飘香时的传统。他们采来艾草挂在门前，制作驱病辟邪的香囊和七彩带，包出不同风味的粽子；而生龙活虎的青壮年则跑到江头，热火朝天地来一场声势浩大的划龙舟比赛。
从2008年开始，中国政府将端午节、清明节等传统节日定为公共假日，人们可以在这个传统节日走亲访友，吃粽子、观赛舟、摘艾草、挂香囊，使得端午节的传统习俗在中国的各个地区得以复兴。
端午节期间，人们也会喝一些雄黄酒。说到雄黄酒，就不能不提在中国流传广泛的一个传说故事。从前，有两只修行千年的蛇精用法力把自己变成美丽的女子，她们在西湖边偶遇一位叫许仙的男子，其中的白蛇娘娘与许仙相恋并且结婚。当时一位名叫法海的和尚反复警告许仙注意他妻子惑人的外表，并建议他一个知道真相的计划。端午节到了，老百姓都喝雄黄酒辟邪，许仙按照法海和尚的办法，让白娘子喝下雄黄酒，白娘子喝了酒后现出蛇的原形，许仙见此惊吓而亡。白娘子后来历尽艰辛采来灵芝草，使许仙起死回生。
端午节最重要的两项活动是竞渡和吃粽子，这些活动都和龙有关。龙自古在中国就是吉祥的象征，人们对龙的崇拜源于对风调雨顺、五谷丰登的祈盼。相传古代中国南方吴越人（今江浙一带）认为自己是龙的传人，每年五月初举行祭图腾仪式。他们把食物裹在树叶里或装在竹子里，投到江里面去。后来他们还在这天划独木舟拜访亲朋好友，高兴时就即兴举行独木舟赛，后来则演变成划龙舟比赛。
随着时间的发展和社会的演变，尤其是近年来城市化进程的加速，现在的端午节，对大多数民众而言，只是成了一个吃粽子美食的节日。而传统意义的端午节，是有着丰富的文化内涵和人文意义的，有其特定的历史起源，蕴含着丰富的历史故事。端午习俗大多有防疾除疫、卫生保健之效，故有人将端午节称为“卫生节”。而其纪念屈原爱国主义精神的内容，使之成为中国人传递爱国主义情感和精神的重要仪式。此外，和其他中国民俗节日一样，端午节具有增进亲情友情、密切人际关系的功能。
With Rice Dumpling and Dragon Boat Racing, Festival Comes
The Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, is originally observed by the ancient people to ward off plagues in summer. However, when the patriotic poet and scholar Qu Yuan (340 B.C. - 278 B.C.) killed himself by jumping into a river on that day, people began commemorating the poet on this festival as well. Along with the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival is an important day to the Chinese people.
In the present-day China, urban residents seem to have forgotten the true meaning of this festival in their bustling city life. They just buy some rice dumplings in supermarkets and consider that an observance of the festival. In contrast, rural dwellers observe the festival in a more traditional way. They pick wormwood leaves in the morning and hung them up on doors. They make incense pouches and weave colored silk threads in the hope of warding off plagues and evils. They also make glutinous rice dumplings with various fillings, while enthusiastic young people gather on river banks to take active part in the exciting dragon boat race.
In 2008, the Chinese government designated the Dragon Boat Festival and the Qingming Festival (also known as the Tomb Sweeping Day) as public holidays. People are able to visit family and friends, pick wormwood leaves, watch dragon boat races, make rice dumplings and incense bags on this special day, which helps to revive the festival’s traditional customs across China.
People drink some realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival. Speaking of realgar wine, a well-known legend can not be left out. Once upon a time, there were two snakes, one white and the other black, who turned themselves into dazzling beauties after thousands of years of practicing magic. They came across a young man called Xu Xian on the bank of the West Lake in Hangzhou. The white snake fell in love with Xu and they got married soon. A monk, called Fahai, saw through the alluring woman and warned Xu. Under Fahai’s instruction, Xu plied his wife with realgar wine on the Dragon Boat Festival and the woman transformed into a giant white snake, which scared Xu to death. The white snake went through many hardships and finally brought her husband back to life with a felicitous plant.
The two most important events of the festival are boat racing and eating rice dumplings, both of which involve dragon. Dragon has been an auspice symbol since the ancient times. The worship of dragon originates from people’s desire for a great harvest. A legend had it that the people at ancient times believed they were descendants of dragon so they offered sacrifices to dragon at the beginning of every fifth lunar month. They packed food with reed leaves or filled bamboos with food and then tossed them into river. They also went to visit relatives and friends in canoes. If they were in the mood, they would compete with each other in canoeing. This practice was the prototype of dragon boat racing.
With the vicissitude of society, especially the accelerating urbanization in recent years, the Dragon Boat Festival, to most Chinese, has been reduced to a dumplingeating festival. The festival, in the traditional sense, does not only have a particular origin, it is also the sediment of historical culture. The customs of the festival are mostly concerned with disease prevention and health care so it is known as “hygiene festival.” The part about commemorating the patriotic poet also renders the festival a patriotism ritual that passes from generation to generation. Like other traditional festivals, the Dragon Boat Festival also provides an opportunity for people to strengthen their relations with relatives and friends.
中英对照版 2009年第3期
Chinese-English No.3 2009 2016-06-03