【英语学习】怎么和老外侃端午节,湖南澳新海外微信公众号文章

据史书记载，顺阳在上，五月是仲夏，它的第一个午日正是登高顺阳好天气之日，故五月初五亦称为“端阳节”。

端午节是我国汉族人民的传统节日，这一天必不可少的活动逐渐演变为吃粽子，赛龙舟，挂菖蒲`蒿草、艾叶，薰苍术、白芷，喝雄黄酒。据说，吃粽子和赛龙舟，是为了纪念屈原，所以后来有人曾把端午节定名为“诗人节”，以纪念屈原。至于挂菖蒲、艾叶，薰苍术、白芷，喝雄黄酒，则据说是为了避邪。“中国端午节”为国家法定节假日之一，并列入世界非物质文化遗产名录。

端午节就要来了，小伙伴们，如何和国际友人们畅聊这一富有中国文化特色的节日呢？

The Story 渊源故事

The story best known in modern China holds that the festival commemorates the death of the poet Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty. A cabinet member of the Chu royal house, Qu Yuan served in high offices.

commemorate：庆祝，纪念
Dynasty 朝代, 周朝就可以说Zhou Dynasty, 唐朝可以说Tang Dynasty
Warring States period 战国时期, 春秋时期可以说Spring and Autumn period
However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance and even accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry. Twenty-eight years later, Qin captured Ying, the Chu capital. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.
ally 结盟
banish 驱逐
treason 叛国
exile 流放
suicide 自杀, 描述自杀这个动作可以说commit suicide.

It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him or at least retrieve his body. This is said to have been the origin of dragon boat races. When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body. This is said to be the origin of zongzi.
It is said... 据说
retrieve 取回
origin 起源，渊源