Discover the myths and legends behind the Lantern Festival
探索元宵节背后的神话传说#双语阅读#
The Lantern Festival arrives on the 15th day of Zhengyue, the first month of the Chinese lunar year, which is February 26 this year.
中国农历正月初十五是元宵节，今年是在2月26日那天。
Lighting lanterns, solving riddles, setting off fireworks, eating Tangyuan and enjoying family time are all traditional Lantern Festival activities. But do you know how they began?
点灯笼、猜灯谜、放焰火、吃汤圆、享受家庭时光都是传统的元宵节活动。但是你知道他们是怎么开始的吗？
Emperor Ming and the Buddhist monks
明帝与佛教僧侣
Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty heard that on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year, monks would look at sarira and light lanterns to show respect for Buddha.
东汉明帝听说，农历正月十五，僧侣们要看舍利，点上灯笼，以示对佛祖的尊敬。
The emperor then ordered that people of all social classes should hang lanterns that evening.
明帝便下令社会各阶层人们当晚都要挂灯笼。
The activity gradually turned into grand festival event, and spread from the Central Plain where the capital was located to all areas in China.
这项活动逐渐演变成盛大的节日活动，并从首都所在的中原地区传播到全国各地。
The Jade Emperor and a fairy Crane
玉皇大帝与仙鹤
The stories say that a long time ago, fairy crane got lost on Earth and was killed by a hunter who was ignorant of the birth’s origin. In the agrarian age, it was normal for villagers to kill wild beasts to protect humans and their property.
传说很久以前，仙鹤在地球上迷路了，被一个不知道仙鹤来源的猎人杀死了。在农耕时代，村民为了保护人和财产而捕杀野兽是很正常的。
However, the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven and the owner of the crane, became angry and decided to punish the mans world by setting it on fire. But the emperor’s daughter felt sympathetic and informed the villagers of the looming disasters.
然而，玉皇大帝—天界的统治者，也是仙鹤的主人，勃然大怒，并决定通过放火来惩罚人类世界。但玉皇大帝的女儿同情人界，通知村民们迫在眉睫的灾难。
The villagers lit lanterns and set off fireworks and firecrackers from the 14th to the 16th of the first lunar month. Looking from afar, the Jade Emperor thought the village was already burning and the village was spared.
农历正月十四至十六，村民们点燃灯笼，燃放烟花爆竹。玉皇大帝远远望去，以为村子已经烧光了。就这样，村子幸免于难。
The tradition has lived on ever since.
这些传统一直延续至今。
Scholar-official Dongfang Shuo and maid Yuan Xiao.
士大夫东方朔和侍女元宵
Dongfang Shuo was a scholar-official and court jester during the Han Dynasty. Once in a royal palace, he encountered a maid who was about to commit suicide because of homesickness. He saved her and promised to help her reunite with her family.
东方朔是汉代的士大夫和宫廷弄臣。有一次他在皇宫里遇到了一个因思乡欲自杀的女佣。他救了她，并答应帮助她与家人团聚。
One day, Dongfang set up a fortune-teller stall on the street, and people crowded in, begging to heal their fortune. Surprisingly, everyone got the same prediction - a disastrous fire would burn down the city. People panicked and asked Dongfang for help. He replied that they could consult a fairy in red who was sent to burn the city on the 13th of the month.
有一天，东方朔在街上摆了一个算命的摊位。人们围了上来，乞求为他们改运。令人惊讶的是，每个人都得到了同样的预测——一场灾难性的火灾将烧毁这座城市。人们惊慌失措，向东方朔求助。他回答说，他们可以咨询一位红衣仙女，她本月13日会被派去烧毁这座城市。
When a fairy, who was actually Yuan Xiao, arrived, people begged her for mercy. She left a decree from the God of Fire and directed the people to ask the emperor for help.
当一个仙女（实际上是元宵）来到时，人们乞求她的怜悯。她留下火神的命令，并引导人民向皇帝求助。
The people brought the decree to the emperor. Accepting the advice of Dongfang, the emperor gave an order: In the palace, Yuan Xiao should make Tangyuan, a sweet ball-shaped dumpling made with glutinous rice, to worship the God of Fire, since the dessert was the God’s favorite, and each household should do the same.
人们把火神之令带给了皇帝。皇帝接受了东方的劝告，下令：在皇宫里，侍女元宵必须用糯米做成甜圆球形的汤圆来祭拜火神，因为甜点是天神最爱的美食，每家每户都必须这样做。
Also, lanterns should be lit everywhere and fireworks should be set off across the city. Residents living outside the capital should come in for a gathering. The fireworks, lanterns and firecrackers were supposed to convince the God of Fire that the city was already burning, thus saving the residence from doom.
此外，各地都应点灯笼，并在全市燃放烟花爆竹。住在首都以外的居民要来参加聚会。燃放烟花、灯笼和鞭炮是为了让火神相信这座城市已经在燃烧，从而使这座城市免遭厄运。
On the 15th, Yuan Xiao reunited with her family in the city. The city was spared from any disaster and traditions have continued. Because Yuan Xiao is known as a skilled Tangyuan maker, the Lantern Festival is also called Yuan Xiao festival.
15日，侍女元宵在城里与家人团聚。这座城市没有遭受任何灾难，传统仍在延续。由于人们认为元宵擅长做汤圆，灯笼节也被称为元宵节。
