Mid-Autumn Festival
The festival is intricately linked to the legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. According to "Li-Ji", an ancient Chinese book recording customs and ceremonies, the Chinese Emperor should offer sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the day called "Mid-Autumn". The night on the 15th of the 8th lunar month is also called "Night of the Moon". Under the Song Dynasty (420), the day was officially declared the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, they form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.
中秋节
一脉相连的传说中的不朽神话中的月亮女神嫦娥，这个节日。根据“吉”，中国古代的书记录的习俗和仪式，中国皇帝献祭太阳在春天和月亮在秋天。阴历8月的第15天是一天称为“中秋”。阴历8月15日晚上也被称为“夜的月亮”。在宋代（420），这一天被正式宣布中秋节。
由于其核心作用，中秋节，月饼一直很受欢迎，即使是在最近几年。对于许多人来说，他们形成的一个重要部分，它是现在俗称的“月饼节”的中秋节经验。
[edit]Ming revolution
There is a folk tale about the overthrow of Mongol rule facilitated by messages smuggled in moon cakes.
Mooncakes were used as a medium by the Ming revolutionaries in their espionage effort to secretly distribute letters to overthrow the Mongolian rulers of China in the Y uan dynasty. The idea is said to have been conceived by Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) and his advisor Liu Bowen (劉伯溫), who circulated a rumor that a deadly plague was spreading, and the only way to prevent it was to eat special mooncakes. This prompted the quick distribution of mooncakes, which were used to hide a secret message coordinating the Han Chinese revolt on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.[3]
Another method of hiding the message was printed in the surface of mooncakes as a simple puzzle or mosaic. To read the encrypted message, each of the four mooncakes packaged together must be cut into four parts each. The 16 pieces of mooncake, must then be pieced together in such a fashion that the secret messages can be read. The pieces of mooncake are then eaten to destroy the message.[4]
明革命
有一个民间故事，关于推翻蒙古人统治促进月饼走私的消息的。
月饼被用来作为一种媒介的明革命家在他们的间谍工作，偷偷分发信件，中国元朝的蒙古统治者推翻。这个想法是说已经构思是由朱元璋（朱元璋）和他的顾问的刘伯温（刘伯温），流传一个谣言，一个致命的瘟疫蔓延，只有这样，才能防止它是吃特别的月饼。这促使快速分发的月饼，它们被用来隐藏一个秘密的消息，在15日的农历八月协调中国汉族反抗。[ 3 ] 作为一个简单的难题或马赛克隐藏信息的另一种方法是印在表面的月饼。读取加密的消息，每个必须被切成4个部分，每个部分打包在一起的四块月饼。月饼的16个，然后必须被拼凑起来以这样的方式，可以读取秘密信息。件月饼然后吃过破坏讯息。
Mooncakes symbolize the gathering of friends and family and are an indispensable part of the offerings made to the Earth God, Tu Ti Kung. According to popular belief, the custom of eating mooncakes began in the late Yuan dynasty. As the story goes, the Han people of that time resented the Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty and revolutionaries, led by Chu Yuan-chang, plotted to usurp the throne. Chu needed to find a way of uniting the people to revolt on the same day without letting the Mongol rulers learn of the plan. Chu's close advisor, Liu Po-wen, finally came up with a brilliant idea. A rumor was spread that a plague was ravaging the land and that only by eating a special mooncake distributed by the revolutionaries could the disaster be prevented. The mooncakes were then distributed only to the Han people, who found, upon cutting the cakes open, the message "Revolt on the fifteenth of the eighth month." Thus informed, the people rose together on the designated day to overthrow the Y uan, and since that time mooncakes have become an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
月饼不仅象征着家人、朋友的团聚，也是献给土地神的一种祭品。民间认为，吃月饼的习俗始于元朝末期。据说当时的汉人对蒙古人的统治恨之入骨，于是由朱元璋统帅的革命军企图篡权。朱元璋需要找到一种秘密的将所有革命军在同一天纠集起来的方法。他的贴身智囊刘伯温最终想出了一个绝妙的点子。一条“瘟疫即将来袭，只有吃革命军分发的特殊月饼才能够抵御”的谣言散播开来。而这种月饼只分发给了汉人，他们在切开月饼的时候发现了一条“于八月初十五起义”的信息。后来，人们在八月十五那天集合起来推翻了元朝统治。从那以后，月饼成为中秋节不可或缺的元素。
中秋传说
The August Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese characters above) is one of the
traditional Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day. Based on the Gregorian calendar, this year's August Moon Festival will be held on September 12.
中秋节是中国人的传统节日之一，每年农历8月15日庆祝。传说月亮在这一天最大最圆。根据推算，今年公历9月12日为中秋节。
The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival. The moon (Chinese character on right) symbolizes elegance and beauty. While Westerners worship the sun (yang or male) for its power, people in the Far East admire the moon. The moon is the 'yin' or female principle and it is a trusted friend. Chinese parents often name their daughters after the moon, in hope that they will be as lovely as the moon.
中秋节也被称为女人的节日，月（汉字部首）象征着优雅与美丽。而西方人则崇尚太阳（阳刚或男性）的力量，东亚地区的人们则崇尚月亮。月亮代表“阴”或女性，并且被看做是可靠的朋友。中国的父母总喜欢以“月”为女儿取名，为的是希望她们像月亮一样可爱。 The Moon FairyLady - 'Chang Er'
月亮仙子——嫦娥
In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth can see a lady on the moon.
实际上，古代很多关于八月月圆的故事都跟一位月亮仙子有关。在阴历8月15的晚上，小孩子都能看到月亮上有一位女子。
The story about the lady takes place around 2170 B.C. At that time, the earth had ten suns circling it, each taking its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer named Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However, his beautiful wife Chang E drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew all they way to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he refused to shoot down the moon.
这个故事发生在公元前2170年左右，那个时候，天上有十个太阳，它们轮流照亮地上。但有一天，十个太阳一同出现，他们发出的热量烧焦了地上的作物。一位身强体壮、性格暴虐名叫后羿的弓箭手拯救了人间。他成功接连射落九个太阳。有一天，后羿偷了一位神仙的长生不老药。而他美丽的妻子嫦娥为了帮助人们脱离他暴虐的统治偷偷喝下了长生不老药。喝下药之后他发现自己飘浮起来并非像了月亮。后裔十分爱他美若天仙的妻子，他不忍心将她从月亮上射落。
People believed that the lady was a god who lived in the moon that made the moon shine. Girls who wanted to be a beauty and have a handsome husband should worship the moon. And on this magical occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady on the Moon will find their dreams come true.
人们认为嫦娥是住在月亮上的仙子，所以月亮才会发光。女孩子如果想要变得漂亮并且有一位如意郎君都要供奉月亮。而中秋之时，孩子们都会向月亮仙子许愿祈求他们能够梦想成真。 The wood cutter - Wu Kang
伐木人——吴刚
Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be an immortal, so he went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and Wu Kang asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal to taught him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.
吴刚是个懒惰而又不学无数的学徒。有一天他想学道成仙，于是他住到深山里强求以为仙人教他法术。起初，仙人教他治病的草药，但三天之后吴刚不安定的本性就暴露出来了。他又求仙人教他其他的东西，于是仙人教他下棋，但不久之后吴刚又失去了兴趣。于是仙人给了他研习仙术的书籍。当然没几天吴刚又觉得无聊了，并问仙人能否远行到一些新鲜有趣的地方。气恼于吴刚毫无耐心的本性，仙人罚他去月宫，并告诉他除非他能砍倒一棵巨大的桂树，否则他就不能回到人间。虽然吴刚日夜砍伐，但这棵神奇的树每次被砍倒创伤又会自己愈合，于是吴刚只有夜以继日地砍伐。
Mid-Autumn Festival
The festival is intricately linked to the legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. According to "Li-Ji", an ancient Chinese book recording customs and ceremonies, the Chinese Emperor should offer sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the day called "Mid-Autumn". The night on the 15th of the 8th lunar month is also called "Night of the Moon". Under the Song Dynasty (420), the day was officially declared the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, they form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.
中秋节
一脉相连的传说中的不朽神话中的月亮女神嫦娥，这个节日。根据“吉”，中国古代的书记录的习俗和仪式，中国皇帝献祭太阳在春天和月亮在秋天。阴历8月的第15天是一天称为“中秋”。阴历8月15日晚上也被称为“夜的月亮”。在宋代（420），这一天被正式宣布中秋节。
由于其核心作用，中秋节，月饼一直很受欢迎，即使是在最近几年。对于许多人来说，他们形成的一个重要部分，它是现在俗称的“月饼节”的中秋节经验。
[edit]Ming revolution
There is a folk tale about the overthrow of Mongol rule facilitated by messages smuggled in moon cakes.
Mooncakes were used as a medium by the Ming revolutionaries in their espionage effort to secretly distribute letters to overthrow the Mongolian rulers of China in the Y uan dynasty. The idea is said to have been conceived by Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) and his advisor Liu Bowen (劉伯溫), who circulated a rumor that a deadly plague was spreading, and the only way to prevent it was to eat special mooncakes. This prompted the quick distribution of mooncakes, which were used to hide a secret message coordinating the Han Chinese revolt on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.[3]
Another method of hiding the message was printed in the surface of mooncakes as a simple puzzle or mosaic. To read the encrypted message, each of the four mooncakes packaged together must be cut into four parts each. The 16 pieces of mooncake, must then be pieced together in such a fashion that the secret messages can be read. The pieces of mooncake are then eaten to destroy the message.[4]
明革命
有一个民间故事，关于推翻蒙古人统治促进月饼走私的消息的。
月饼被用来作为一种媒介的明革命家在他们的间谍工作，偷偷分发信件，中国元朝的蒙古统治者推翻。这个想法是说已经构思是由朱元璋（朱元璋）和他的顾问的刘伯温（刘伯温），流传一个谣言，一个致命的瘟疫蔓延，只有这样，才能防止它是吃特别的月饼。这促使快速分发的月饼，它们被用来隐藏一个秘密的消息，在15日的农历八月协调中国汉族反抗。[ 3 ] 作为一个简单的难题或马赛克隐藏信息的另一种方法是印在表面的月饼。读取加密的消息，每个必须被切成4个部分，每个部分打包在一起的四块月饼。月饼的16个，然后必须被拼凑起来以这样的方式，可以读取秘密信息。件月饼然后吃过破坏讯息。
Mooncakes symbolize the gathering of friends and family and are an indispensable part of the offerings made to the Earth God, Tu Ti Kung. According to popular belief, the custom of eating mooncakes began in the late Yuan dynasty. As the story goes, the Han people of that time resented the Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty and revolutionaries, led by Chu Yuan-chang, plotted to usurp the throne. Chu needed to find a way of uniting the people to revolt on the same day without letting the Mongol rulers learn of the plan. Chu's close advisor, Liu Po-wen, finally came up with a brilliant idea. A rumor was spread that a plague was ravaging the land and that only by eating a special mooncake distributed by the revolutionaries could the disaster be prevented. The mooncakes were then distributed only to the Han people, who found, upon cutting the cakes open, the message "Revolt on the fifteenth of the eighth month." Thus informed, the people rose together on the designated day to overthrow the Y uan, and since that time mooncakes have become an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
月饼不仅象征着家人、朋友的团聚，也是献给土地神的一种祭品。民间认为，吃月饼的习俗始于元朝末期。据说当时的汉人对蒙古人的统治恨之入骨，于是由朱元璋统帅的革命军企图篡权。朱元璋需要找到一种秘密的将所有革命军在同一天纠集起来的方法。他的贴身智囊刘伯温最终想出了一个绝妙的点子。一条“瘟疫即将来袭，只有吃革命军分发的特殊月饼才能够抵御”的谣言散播开来。而这种月饼只分发给了汉人，他们在切开月饼的时候发现了一条“于八月初十五起义”的信息。后来，人们在八月十五那天集合起来推翻了元朝统治。从那以后，月饼成为中秋节不可或缺的元素。
中秋传说
The August Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese characters above) is one of the
traditional Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day. Based on the Gregorian calendar, this year's August Moon Festival will be held on September 12.
中秋节是中国人的传统节日之一，每年农历8月15日庆祝。传说月亮在这一天最大最圆。根据推算，今年公历9月12日为中秋节。
The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival. The moon (Chinese character on right) symbolizes elegance and beauty. While Westerners worship the sun (yang or male) for its power, people in the Far East admire the moon. The moon is the 'yin' or female principle and it is a trusted friend. Chinese parents often name their daughters after the moon, in hope that they will be as lovely as the moon.
中秋节也被称为女人的节日，月（汉字部首）象征着优雅与美丽。而西方人则崇尚太阳（阳刚或男性）的力量，东亚地区的人们则崇尚月亮。月亮代表“阴”或女性，并且被看做是可靠的朋友。中国的父母总喜欢以“月”为女儿取名，为的是希望她们像月亮一样可爱。 The Moon FairyLady - 'Chang Er'
月亮仙子——嫦娥
In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth can see a lady on the moon.
实际上，古代很多关于八月月圆的故事都跟一位月亮仙子有关。在阴历8月15的晚上，小孩子都能看到月亮上有一位女子。
The story about the lady takes place around 2170 B.C. At that time, the earth had ten suns circling it, each taking its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer named Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However, his beautiful wife Chang E drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew all they way to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he refused to shoot down the moon.
这个故事发生在公元前2170年左右，那个时候，天上有十个太阳，它们轮流照亮地上。但有一天，十个太阳一同出现，他们发出的热量烧焦了地上的作物。一位身强体壮、性格暴虐名叫后羿的弓箭手拯救了人间。他成功接连射落九个太阳。有一天，后羿偷了一位神仙的长生不老药。而他美丽的妻子嫦娥为了帮助人们脱离他暴虐的统治偷偷喝下了长生不老药。喝下药之后他发现自己飘浮起来并非像了月亮。后裔十分爱他美若天仙的妻子，他不忍心将她从月亮上射落。
People believed that the lady was a god who lived in the moon that made the moon shine. Girls who wanted to be a beauty and have a handsome husband should worship the moon. And on this magical occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady on the Moon will find their dreams come true.
人们认为嫦娥是住在月亮上的仙子，所以月亮才会发光。女孩子如果想要变得漂亮并且有一位如意郎君都要供奉月亮。而中秋之时，孩子们都会向月亮仙子许愿祈求他们能够梦想成真。 The wood cutter - Wu Kang
伐木人——吴刚
Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be an immortal, so he went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and Wu Kang asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal to taught him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.
吴刚是个懒惰而又不学无数的学徒。有一天他想学道成仙，于是他住到深山里强求以为仙人教他法术。起初，仙人教他治病的草药，但三天之后吴刚不安定的本性就暴露出来了。他又求仙人教他其他的东西，于是仙人教他下棋，但不久之后吴刚又失去了兴趣。于是仙人给了他研习仙术的书籍。当然没几天吴刚又觉得无聊了，并问仙人能否远行到一些新鲜有趣的地方。气恼于吴刚毫无耐心的本性，仙人罚他去月宫，并告诉他除非他能砍倒一棵巨大的桂树，否则他就不能回到人间。虽然吴刚日夜砍伐，但这棵神奇的树每次被砍倒创伤又会自己愈合，于是吴刚只有夜以继日地砍伐。