The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated around the world, but did you know of it's dark and tragic origins?
全世界範圍內都有人慶祝端午節，但你是否知道端午節源於一個抑鬱悲傷的故事？
It connects the downfall of a kingdom and a poet's tragic suicide to sticky rice dumplings and, of course, dragon-boats.
端午節和一個國家的衰落，詩人鬱鬱而終的殉國，粽子，以及龍舟有關。
The Dragon Boat Festival Explained
端午節起源
Greetings Mythstorians.
和神話故事家們打個招呼。
The Dragon Boat Festival.
端午節。
A traditional Chinese holiday with a marvelous name.
一項傳統中國佳節，一個不可思議的名字。
It's celebrated across Asia: from China, to Indonesia.
整個亞洲都會慶祝，從中國到印度尼西亞。
In Mandarin Chinese it is most commonly called "端午節".
普通話常稱之為「端午節」。
That's Duān wǔ jié.
發音為Duān wǔ jié。
This literally means "opening the fifth" in reference to the festival's position on the Chinese lunisolar calendar: the fifth day of the fifth month.
字面意思開啟第五個，表示在陰曆中，端午節是五月的第五天。
And while its English name rightly conjures awesome imagery of oars and dragons, the heartbreaking legend behind it dates back more than 2000 years.
英文名稱讓人想到炫酷的龍和划槳，這背後讓人黯然神傷的傳奇故事要追溯到2000多年前。
The Tragedy of Qu Yuan
屈原的悲劇
Qu Yuan was a senior minister in service to Chu Huai Wang, King Huai of Chu.
楚懷王時期，屈原曾任職高官。
Legend has it, the King allied with the state of Qin against Qu's advice.
據傳說，楚懷王不顧屈原的建議和秦國結盟。
He labeled Qu as a traitor for his opposition and banished him from the kingdom.
楚懷王認定屈原是反對黨的叛徒，並將他驅逐出楚國。
Qu was an exile.
屈原成了流亡者。
He travelled across ancient China, compiling myths and legends, and wrote some wonderful poetry.
屈原流放時一邊遊歷了古代中國，一邊編撰神話和傳說，還有很多動人的詩篇。
However, he still missed his homeland and suffered from severe bouts of depression and anxiety.
然而，他依舊思念故土，也飽受著一輪又一輪抑鬱和焦慮的折磨。
Whenever this happened, it is said that Qu would walk near a well and peer inside at his reflection on the water's surface.
據說，每次飽受心理折磨的時候，屈原就會走到一口水井旁邊，井水裡會映射著他的倒影。
That same well is still said to be around in what is now Hubei, China.
這口井據傳現在位於中國湖北省境內。
Although we can't confirm that.
不過尚未證實。
Years later, news would reach Qu that his King had been overthrown by the state of Qin.
數年後，屈原聽到了消息，他的國家已經被秦國攻陷。
Not long after, Qu made his way into the Miluo river and gave himself to the water, never to return.
不久之後，屈原投水汨羅江，溺亡水中，永不復還。
Some, however, reckon he became a water god.
但有人說屈原成了河神。
It is said that people rushed after him in dragon boats, banging drums and throwing rice dumplings into the river so fish would eat them and not Qu's body.
人們在屈原死後，爭相劃著龍舟，敲著鼓，把粽子扔進河裡餵魚，這樣魚吃飽了就不會啃食屈原的身體。
Sticky Rice Dumplings
糯米粽子
The making of Zongzi is a family past time that requires all hands on deck.
粽子的製作過程，是一家人一起打發時間的機會，需要共同參與。
This food and the boat are staples of Dragon Boat Festival.
端午節的主要特色就是吃食和龍舟。
In Mandarin, these rice dumplings are called Zongzi.
在普通話裡，這叫粽子。
They're wrapped with bamboo leaves and contain sticky rice and a filling.
食材用竹葉包裹，裡面是糯米，還有其他填充食材。
They're typically filled with pork but other fillings include various beans, mushrooms, eggs, nuts, chicken, scallops, red meat and vegetables.
粽子裡面通常有豬肉，或者其他食材，包括各種豆類，菌菇，蛋類，堅果，雞肉，扇貝，紅肉還有蔬菜。
Wrapping the rice and filling in bamboo leaves is a skill unto itself that is passed from one generation to the next.
包好米，並給粽葉裡面放上其他食材是個技術活，這項技能代代相傳。
The time needed to boil or steam them depends on how much rice and filling is involved.
需要蒸還是煮，要根據糯米及其他食材的多少來確定。
Racing Dragon Boats
賽龍舟
To honor the memory of Qu Yuan, people also race dragon boats every year worldwide on the date of his demise.
為了紀念屈原，世界很多地方的人們都在他逝世的這一天舉辦賽龍舟活動。
The practise itself is thousands of years old and is thought to have spread from ancient China all the way to Greece.
這項活動有了數千年歷史，據說從古代中國傳至了希臘。
The first boats were made of wood, but their modern counterparts usually comprise lightweight materials such as carbon fiber.
第一隻船是木製船，但現代的船通常是由比較輕的材料構成，比如碳纖維。
Today, teams usually consist of around 20 paddlers, a drummer and steersperson.
當今，龍舟隊通常由20名劃手，一名鼓手，一名舵手組成。
Following the drummers' beat -- the heart of the dragon -- paddlers race against other teams down a waterway.
跟隨鼓點——龍的心跳——各隊伍劃手在水上相互比拼。
The beat determines the speed, rate and cadence of the paddlers' stroke.
鼓點決定行船速度，划槳速度和節奏。
The steerer stands at the back of the boat and uses a 9 ft long oar to direct the dragon boat.
舵手站在船尾，撐一個約9英尺長的划槳來調整龍舟方向。
Most races involve a sprint over 500 meters, but there are longer ones of 1000 and 2000 meters.
多數比賽都是500米衝刺，但也有更長的1000米和2000米比賽。