The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month， usually in early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with full moon at night. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance，harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea， while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.
每年農(nóng)歷八月十五日，是傳統(tǒng)的中秋佳節(jié)。這時是一年秋季的中期，所以被稱為中秋。在這天，每個家庭都團(tuán)聚在一起，一家人共同觀賞象征豐裕、和諧和幸運的圓月。此時，大人們吃著美味的月餅，品著熱騰騰的香茗，而孩子們則在一旁拉著兔子燈盡情玩耍。
The festival has a long history. In ancient China， emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word "Mid-Autumn". Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full， bright moon on that day， worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907)， the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed， which became even grander in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties， it grew to be a major festival of China.
中秋節(jié)有悠久的歷史，和其它傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日一樣，也是慢慢發(fā)展形成的，古代帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的禮制，早在《周禮》一書中，已有“中秋”一詞的記載。后來貴族和文人學(xué)士也仿效起來，在中秋時節(jié)，對著天上又亮又圓一輪皓月，觀賞祭拜，寄托情懷，這種習(xí)俗就這樣傳到民間，形成一個傳統(tǒng)的活動，一直到了唐代，這種祭月的風(fēng)俗更為人們重視，中秋節(jié)才成為固定的節(jié)日，《唐書·太宗記》記載有“八月十五中秋節(jié)”，這個節(jié)日盛行于宋朝，至明清時，已與元旦齊名，成為我國的主要節(jié)日之一。
The Mid-Autumn Festival probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E， the beautiful lady in the moon.
中秋節(jié)最早可能是一個慶祝豐收的節(jié)日。后來，月宮里美麗的仙女嫦娥的神話故事賦予了它神話色彩。
According to Chinese mythology， the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day， all 10 suns appeared together， scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer， Hou Yi， succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule， but his wife， Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
傳說古時候，天空曾有10個太陽。一天，這10個太陽同時出現(xiàn)，酷熱難擋。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9個太陽，拯救了地球上的生靈。他偷了長生不死藥，卻被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圓之時，少女們都要向月宮仙女嫦娥祈福的傳說便流傳開來。
In the 14th century， the eating of mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians， the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.
在14世紀(jì)，中秋節(jié)吃月餅又被賦予了一層特殊的含義。傳說在朱元璋帶兵起義推翻元朝時，將士們曾把聯(lián)絡(luò)信藏在月餅里。因此，中秋節(jié)后來也成為漢人推翻蒙古人統(tǒng)治的紀(jì)念日。
During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule， and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion， knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near， ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival， the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today， moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.
在元朝，蒙古人統(tǒng)治中國。前朝統(tǒng)治者們不甘心政權(quán)落入外族之手，于是密謀策劃聯(lián)合起義。正值中秋將近，起義首領(lǐng)就命令部下制作一種特別的月餅，把起義計劃藏在每個月餅里。到中秋那天，起義軍獲取勝利，推翻了元朝，建立明朝。今天，人們吃月餅紀(jì)念此事。
【各種常見月餅的英文】
中秋節(jié) Mid-autumn day、Moon Festival、Mooncake Festival、Zhongqiu Festival
月餅mooncake
冰皮月餅snow skin mooncake
豆沙月餅 red bean paste mooncake
五仁月餅five-nuts mooncakes
蛋黃月餅 egg yolk mooncake
蓮蓉月餅 lotus seed paste mooncake
鮮肉月餅 pork mooncake
【中秋節(jié)英文祝?！?/span>
Happy Moon Festival！
中秋快樂！
May the Mid-Autumn Festival bring along with good fortune and a harvest of smiles for you and family.
祝中秋佳節(jié)快樂，祝您合家歡樂，好事連連。
Wish you a perfect life just like the roundest moon in Mid-Autumn Day.
愿您的生活就象這十五的月亮一樣，圓圓滿滿。
Though far apart， we all share the beautiful moment when the bright moon rises above the sea.
海上生明月，天涯共此時。
