中元节的来历及风俗中英文介绍
中元节的来历及风俗中英文介绍
    Just as Halloween is for Americans, the “Hungry Ghost Festival” is for Chinese. Ghost Festival is one of Chinese traditional occasions, which is taken very seriously by the Chinese. This festival usually falls on the15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. The Ghost Festival, some places say the Hungry Ghost Festival, is also called Half July (Lunar), Ullambana, which is closely related to Buddhism, and zhongyuan jie which is the Taoism saying and Folk Belief.
    就像万圣节对于美国人一样，中国也有鬼节。鬼节是中国传统节日之一，并且被中国人认真看待。这个节日通常是阴历七月十五。鬼节(有些地方翻译为饿鬼节)，又叫七月半，佛教称之为盂兰盆节，中元节是道教的称法，同时也是一种民间说法。
    It is believed by the Chinese that the dead become ghosts roaming between Heaven and Earth unless they have descendants to care for them during the Ghost Festival. During this
month, the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. Some even think that the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives. However, more people remember their ancestors on this day. The Ghost Festival becomes a time for remembering the importance of filial piety. The reason why the Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck. People now release river lights as an important activity during this time, since it is said that river light can comfort and warm the homeless ghosts. In some areas, visitors may also see small roadside fires, where believes burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits who have temporarily been released from Hades.
    中国人认为除非一个人有子孙后代能够在他死后在鬼节这天悼念他们，否则人死后会变成鬼魂在天地之间游荡。在七月，地狱的大门会打开放出饿鬼，这些饿鬼会在凡间寻食物。一些人更认为他们会向那些害死他们的人复仇。但是，更多的人在这一天祭奠他们的先人。鬼节成为一个子女对先人尽孝的节日。中国人庆祝这个节日的原因是纪念他们家中
死去的成员并且悼念死者。他们相信祭品能安抚死者，消除厄运。放河灯是人们纪念鬼节的重要活动，因为据说河灯能给无家可归的孤魂野鬼以慰藉和温暖。在一些地区，外来者会看见路边一小堆一小堆的火，因为人们相信烧纸钱或其它东西能安抚刚从地狱出来的痛苦幽魂。
    How we Chinese people celebrate it?中国人怎样庆祝鬼节呢?
    The Ghost Festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It also falls at the same time as a full moon, the new season, the fall harvest, the peak of Buddhist monastic asceticism, the rebirth of ancestors, and the assembly of the local community.
    人们在阴历七月庆祝鬼节，同时也是月满之夜，新季节新丰收的日子。这时候正值佛教寺院苦行主义高峰，是先人轮回，家人团聚的日子。
    Unlike other celebrations of the dead in Eastern cultures, the Hungry Ghost Festival seeks to pacify the hungry ghosts. These are the ghosts of those who died by their own h
ands, by accidents, by drowning or hanging who have been denied entry into heaven and they are forced to dwell in hell without food or comfort, when released, they search for souls to take their place in misery. To Taoists and Buddhists, these evil spirits are not to be taken to sun. They are most active at night and can take many forms including: snakes, moths, birds, foxes, wolves, and tigers. They can even appear as beautiful men or women to seduce the living. When they possess an individual by entering the body they cause illness and mental disorders.
    与其它东方文化纪念死者方式不同，中国鬼节是为了安抚饿鬼。那些自杀后变成的鬼、由于意外事故变成的鬼、溺死的或自缢的鬼，他们不允许进入天堂而被迫进入地狱，并且不给他们食物和慰藉。一当他们被释放，他们就寻别人的灵魂来代替他们受苦难。对于道教和佛教来说，这些恶鬼不能出现在阳光下。他们多在夜晚活动并且有很多变化形式包括：蛇、蛾、狐狸、狼、老虎等等。他们甚至能变成美男或美女去勾引活人。当他们进入一个人的身体变成独立的个人，他们给这个人带来疾病或者神智混乱。
    During this month, the gates of hell are opened up and ghosts are free to roam the eart
h where they seek food and entertainment. These ghosts are believed to be ancestors of those who have forgotten to pay tribute to them after they had died, or those who have suffered deaths and were never given a proper ritual for a send-off. They have long needle-thin necks because they have not been fed by their family, or it is a sign of punishment so they are unable to swallow.
    在这个月，地狱之门打开，鬼魂可以在凡间自由游荡，寻食物或者寻娱乐。这些鬼魂被认为是他们的子孙后代在他们死后忘记祭奠他们，或者经历死亡后没有得到合适的送别仪式。他们有针尖细的喉咙的原因是他们的家人没有给他们食物或者作为一种惩罚从而无法咽食。
    Family members offer prayers to their deceased relatives, offer food and drink and burn joss paper. Such paper items are only valid in the underworld, which is why they burn it as an offering to the ghosts that have come from the gates of hell. The afterlife is very similar in some aspects to the material world, and the paper effigies of material goods would provide comfort to in the afterlife. People would also burn other things such as pap
er houses, cars, servants and televisions to please the ghosts. Families also pay tribute to other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls do not intrude on their lives and bring misfortune and bad luck. A large feast is held for the ghosts on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, where everyone brings samplings of food and places them on the offering table to please the ghosts and ward off bad luck.

版权声明：本站内容均来自互联网，仅供演示用，请勿用于商业和其他非法用途。如果侵犯了您的权益请与我们联系QQ:729038198，我们将在24小时内删除。