七夕节特供 | 英语读诗“天阶夜色凉如水，坐看牛郎织女星”，很美

Autumn has chilled the painted screen in candlelight;

银烛秋光冷画屏

A palace maid uses a fan to catch fireflies.

轻罗小扇扑流萤

The steps seem steeped in water when cold grows the night;

天阶夜色凉如水

She sits to watch two stars in love meet in the skies.

坐看牛郎织女星

This is an ancient Chinese poem called “An Autumn Night”,

这首中国古诗题为 《秋夕》

written by Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu.

作者是唐代诗人杜牧

It depicts the loneliness of a palace maid on the night of the Qixi Festival,

它刻画了一个宫女在七夕之夜的孤独

also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.

七夕也称为中国情人节

The festival falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

每年中国阴历的七月初七即是七夕节

This year it falls on Aug. 7th.

今年的七夕在阳历8月7号这天

As one of the most romantic festivals in China,

作为中国最浪漫的节日之一

Qixi celebrates the mythological couple, Niulang –cowherd and Zhinyu – the weaver girl,

七夕是为了纪念传说中的夫妻 –牛郎和织女

who can only meet once a year on that day.

他们每年只能在七夕这天相会

In the fourth line of Du Mu’s poem reads, “two stars in love meet in the skies”,

杜牧诗中的尾联“坐看牛郎织女星”中的两颗星星

the two stars refer to Altair and Vega.

分别指的是牵牛星和织女星

Legend has it that Alatir represents the cowherd,

相传牵牛星是牛郎的化身

and Vega represents the Weaver Girl.

而织女星则是由织女化作的

Watching the shining stars on the romantic day,

诗中的宫女在浪漫之夜遥望天空中的明亮的牛郎织女星

the palace maid in the poem may have been touched by their love.

或许是被牛郎织女的爱情打动了吧

According to one legend, Nulang and Zhinyu,

相传，牛郎和织女

an ordinary cowherd and the other a beautiful and elegant fairy,

一个是平凡的牛倌儿，而另一个则是美丽优雅的仙女

fell in love with each other.

两人坠入爱河

But their passion was not allowed by Zhinyu’s mother, the Queen of Heaven,

但是他们的爱情却不被织女的母亲王母娘娘允许

so they were banished to opposite sides of the Milky Way.

所以他们被放逐到浩浩银河的两端，（不得相见）

The couple was extremely sad and could not stop weeping.

夫妇两人极度悲伤，痛哭不已

The Queen of Heaven was finally moved

王母娘娘终被打动

and allowed to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar every year.

允许他们每年农历七月初七这天相会

Today is the Qixi( Double Seventh) Festival.

今天是七夕节

Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day to you all!

祝大家中国情人节快乐！/ 祝大家有情人终成眷属！

And, hmmmm, here is something for the singles:

嗯，有句话想对单身的人说：

Stop watching. Go out and find your love!

快别看啦！出门去寻找你的真爱吧！

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