英汉互译散文---苗族龙船节
2013-12-08 23:06阅读：
苗族龙船节
The Miao
Dragon-Boat
Festival
龙船节，是黔东南清水江上苗族人民最盛大的节日。节日里，聚会的苗族同胞，每年有三四万人。
The Dragon-Boat
Festival is the
most important celebration
of the Miao
people, who live
along the Qingshui
Rwerin southeastem Guizhou
Province. Every year
between 30,000 and 40,000
Miaos participate in
the festivities.
龙，在苗族人心目中是吉祥如意的象征。苗家姑娘最爱将龙的变形图案打制成银饰装点在头上，或刺绣在衣裙中，编织于围腰上。
In the
eyes of the
Miaos
, the dragon is
a symbol of
good luck. Girls
like to adorn their hair
with silver omaments
shaped like
dragons and wear
clothes embroidered or
woven with dragon
patterns.
苗族人民制作的龙船，十分精巧、美观。龙身由一只母船和两只子船捆扎而成，叫做“子母船”。无论子船还是母船，皆为独木镂空。两米多长的龙头，用水柳木雕刻，装有一对一米多长的龙角。龙头以主色不同，分为赤龙、青龙、黄龙。从施秉县的平兆到台江县的六河，每个苗族寨子都建有“龙篷”，用来保护龙船。因龙船身长25米，“龙篷”建成七格，每格将近四米长，当地又称之为“七间房”。
The Miaos build
exquisite'dragon boats,'
which are in
reality a body
formed from three
canoes-one
large and two
small-that are
strung
together. A
carved head, painted
red, blue, or
yellow, is made
from the trunk
of a weeping
willow tree. It
is 2 meters long
and sports a
pair of horns.
A special shelter
in seven parts,
extending 28 meters, to
house dragon boatshas
been built in
every Miao village
along the Qingshui
River from Pingzhao
in Shibing county
to Liuhe in
Taijiang county.
每年农历5月24日至27日，几十个村寨相继举行龙船节。当地习惯，从16日开始，只要全寨薅完秧，本寨的龙船便可下水。因此，从龙船下水的早晚，可以看出各寨的农事生产进度，在勤劳的苗家人民心中，龙船节到了，地里的秧还未薅完，这是莫大的耻辱。
The Miao
Dragon-Boat Festivalis
celebrated from the
24th to the
27th ofthe fifth
lunar month. But
according to local
custom, people are
allowed to send
their dragon boats
down the river
after the 16th,
provided that they
have finished weeding
their fields. The
earlier appearance of
the boats onthe
river tesifies to
the villagers' efficiency,
and conscientious peasants
con-sider it a
shame not to
finish weeding before
the festivities begin.
节日期间，家家户户酿米酒，包粽粑，走亲访友，宴请宾朋。出嫁的姑娘必须携带粽粑、鹅鸭等礼物回娘家，同父母兄妹团聚。龙船出发之前，一位歌师唱首吉祥歌，祝愿船只平安。
During the festival,
each family makes
r:ice wine and
zongba (a kind
of dump-ling
made of glutinous rice)
and calls
on friends and
relatives. Married women
visit their parents'
homes bearing
gifts-zongba, geese,
and ducks.
每只龙船都有一位鼓头。他是一切活动的主持者，由全寨推选出来的德高望重的老人担任。鼓头身着长袍马褂，坐在龙颈上击鼓发令，男扮女装的鼓锣手，由十岁左右的孩童充任。40位水手，身着青布上衣、士林蓝裤子，腰系银饰花带，手握五尺木桨，整齐划一，甚是威武。水手头上的那特制的马尾斗笠，原是清水江上游苗族姑娘出嫁时的陪嫁品，却成了龙船节水手们必备的一件装饰物。
In each boat,
an old man
rides straddling the
dragon's neck. He
is the most respected
man in the
village, chosen by
the villagers to
be the coxswain. Wearing
a gown
and a mandarinjacket,
the old man
beats a drum to set the
pace for the
oarsmen, and
severalboys about 10 years
of age, wearmg
dresses,beat drums
and gongs. The
oarsmen, 40 in all,
wield 5-foot-long
wooden oars. These
powerful-looking
men wear horsetail-shaped
hats, blue jacketsand
trousers, and embroidered waistbands
pinned with silver
ornaments. The hats,
traditionally dowry
gifts for girls
from the upper
reaches of theQingshui
River, have become
an essential feature
of the costumes
worn bythe
dragon-boat oarsmen.
苗族龙船节，与汉族的端午节不同。除时间不同外，一般不举行竞赛，主要活动是串寨子，走亲访友。清晨，龙船开始在江水中游动，所到之处，亲尤们纷纷到岸边“接龙”。龙船过寨，鸣放铁炮传告亲友，岸上以鞭炮声相呼应。亲友们上前，向船上的人各敬两杯米酒，并将礼品--鹅鸭、彩绸挂于龙头。如系女婿、姑舅等至亲，送上的礼物则是猪羊。
The Miao
Dragon-Boat Festival
differs from the
Han celebration. They
are not celebrated
on the same
date (the Hans'
takes place on
the fifth day
of thefifth lunar
month), and they
follow
different traditions. While
the Hans only
hold dragon-boat
races during the
festival, the Miaos take
the opportunity to
visit friends and
relatives. Before a
dragon-boat sets out,
somebody sings an
auspicious
song to the
boatmen, wishing them
a good voyage. Young men
set out in
boats early in
the morning. When
they approach a
village, they fire
guns to announce their
arrival. The villagers
set off
firecrackers in
response and then
go to meet
them. The hosts present two
cups of rice wine
