農(nóng)歷七月半是傳說(shuō)中的鬼節(jié)，也叫中元節(jié)或盂盆蘭節(jié)，人們會(huì)在這一天祭祀。西方有萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，中國(guó)有中元節(jié)和清明節(jié)，中元節(jié)是我們國(guó)家的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日之一 。相信大家從學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)以來(lái)就有介紹中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日文化的經(jīng)歷，可介紹了那么多次，你有介紹過(guò)中元節(jié)嗎？下面是整理發(fā)布的“有關(guān)中元節(jié)的詳細(xì)英文介紹”，歡迎閱讀參考！更多相關(guān)訊息請(qǐng)關(guān)注！
中元節(jié)英語(yǔ)介紹
Just as Halloween is for Americans, the “Hungry Ghost Festival” is for Chinese. Ghost Festival is one of Chinese traditional occasions, which is taken very seriously by the Chinese. This festival usually falls on the15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. The Ghost Festival, some places say the Hungry Ghost Festival, is also called Half July (Lunar), Ullambana, which is closely related to Buddhism, and zhongyuan jie which is the Taoism saying and Folk Belief.
就像萬(wàn)圣節(jié)對(duì)于美國(guó)人一樣，中國(guó)也有鬼節(jié)。鬼節(jié)是中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日之一，并且被中國(guó)人認(rèn)真看待。這個(gè)節(jié)日通常是陰歷七月十五。鬼節(jié)（有些地方翻譯為餓鬼節(jié)），又叫七月半，佛教稱(chēng)之為盂蘭盆節(jié)，中元節(jié)是道教的稱(chēng)法，同時(shí)也是一種民間說(shuō)法。
It is believed by the Chinese that the dead become ghosts roaming between Heaven and Earth unless they have descendants to care for them during the Ghost Festival. During this month, the gates of hell are thrown open to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. Some even think that the ghosts would seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives. However, more people remember their ancestors on this day. The Ghost Festival becomes a time for remembering the importance of filial piety. The reason why the Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck. People now release river lights as an important activity during this time, since it is said that river light can comfort and warm the homeless ghosts. In some areas, visitors may also see small roadside fires, where believes burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits who have temporarily been released from Hades.
中國(guó)人認(rèn)為除非一個(gè)人有子孫后代能夠在他死后在鬼節(jié)這天悼念他們，否則人死后會(huì)變成鬼魂在天地之間游蕩。在七月，地獄的大門(mén)會(huì)打開(kāi)放出餓鬼，這些餓鬼會(huì)在凡間尋找食物。一些人更認(rèn)為他們會(huì)向那些害死他們的人復(fù)仇。但是，更多的人在這一天祭奠他們的先人。鬼節(jié)成為一個(gè)子女對(duì)先人盡孝的節(jié)日。中國(guó)人慶祝這個(gè)節(jié)日的原因是紀(jì)念他們家中死去的成員并且悼念死者。他們相信祭品能安撫死者，消除厄運(yùn)。放河燈是人們紀(jì)念鬼節(jié)的重要活動(dòng)，因?yàn)閾?jù)說(shuō)河燈能給無(wú)家可歸的孤魂野鬼以慰藉和溫暖。在一些地區(qū)，外來(lái)者會(huì)看見(jiàn)路邊一小堆一小堆的火，因?yàn)槿藗兿嘈艧堝X(qián)或其它東西能安撫剛從地獄出來(lái)的痛苦幽魂。
中元節(jié)的來(lái)源
The Ghost Festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It also falls at the same time as a full moon, the new season, the fall harvest, the peak of Buddhist monastic asceticism, the rebirth of ancestors, and the assembly of the local community.
人們?cè)陉帤v七月慶祝鬼節(jié)，同時(shí)也是月滿之夜，新季節(jié)新豐收的日子。這時(shí)候正值佛教寺院苦行主義高峰，是先人輪回，家人團(tuán)聚的日子。
Unlike other celebrations of the dead in Eastern cultures, the Hungry Ghost Festival seeks to pacify the hungry ghosts. These are the ghosts of those who died by their own hands, by accidents, by drowning or hanging who have been denied entry into heaven and they are forced to dwell in hell without food or comfort, when released, they search for souls to take their place in misery. To Taoists and Buddhists, these evil spirits are not to be taken to sun. They are most active at night and can take many forms including: snakes, moths, birds, foxes, wolves, and tigers. They can even appear as beautiful men or women to seduce the living. When they possess an individual by entering the body they cause illness and mental disorders.
與其它東方文化紀(jì)念死者方式不同，中國(guó)鬼節(jié)是為了安撫餓鬼。那些自 殺后變成的鬼、由于意外事故變成的鬼、溺死的或自縊的鬼，他們不允許進(jìn)入天堂而被 迫進(jìn)入地獄，并且不給他們食物和慰藉。一當(dāng)他們被釋放，他們就尋找別人的靈魂來(lái)代替他們受苦難。對(duì)于道教和佛教來(lái)說(shuō)，這些惡鬼不能出現(xiàn)在陽(yáng)光下。他們多在夜晚活動(dòng)并且有很多變化形式包括：蛇、蛾、狐貍、狼、老虎等等。他們甚至能變成美男或美女去勾引活人。當(dāng)他們進(jìn)入一個(gè)人的身體變成獨(dú)立的個(gè)人，他們給這個(gè)人帶來(lái)疾病或者神智混亂。
中元節(jié)有哪些習(xí)俗？
The Ghost Festival is celebrated during the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. It also falls at the same time as a full moon, the new season, the fall harvest, the peak of Buddhist monastic asceticism, the rebirth of ancestors, and the assembly of the local community.
人們?cè)陉帤v七月慶祝鬼節(jié)，同時(shí)也是月滿之夜，新季節(jié)新豐收的日子。這時(shí)候正值佛教寺院苦行主義高峰，是先人輪回，家人團(tuán)聚的日子。
Family members offer prayers to their deceased relatives, offer food and drink and burn joss paper. Such paper items are only valid in the underworld, which is why they burn it as an offering to the ghosts that have come from the gates of hell. The afterlife is very similar in some aspects to the material world, and the paper effigies of material goods would provide comfort to in the afterlife. People would also burn other things such as paper houses, cars, servants and televisions to please the ghosts. Families also pay tribute to other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls do not intrude on their lives and bring misfortune and bad luck. A large feast is held for the ghosts on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, where everyone brings samplings of food and places them on the offering table to please the ghosts and ward off bad luck.
家庭成員為死去的親屬祈禱，用燒紙的方式為他們提供飲食。這種紙只在地下有效，這正是為什么只為從地獄出來(lái)的鬼魂燒紙。他們的死后生活與生前的物質(zhì)生活相似，燒的紙模型在地下會(huì)給他們提供舒適的生活。人們也會(huì)燒其他的東西，比如紙房子紙汽車(chē)假傭人，紙電視等來(lái)供他們娛樂(lè)。人們也會(huì)悼念其他不知名的孤魂野鬼以至于不會(huì)侵入他們的家，帶來(lái)不幸。在七月十四為鬼魂舉行一頓盛宴，每個(gè)人帶來(lái)食物放在桌上供給鬼從而避免厄運(yùn)。
中元節(jié)祭祀方式
In some East Asian countries today, live performances are held and everyone is invited to attend. The first row of seats are always empty as these are where the ghosts sit. The shows are always put on at night and at high volumes as the sound attract and please the ghosts. Some shows include Chinese opera, dramas, and in some areas, even burlesque shows.
現(xiàn)今在一些東亞地區(qū)，人們會(huì)舉行現(xiàn)場(chǎng)表演，所有人都會(huì)參加。通常第一排的座位是空的，是為鬼準(zhǔn)備的。表演通常會(huì)搭高臺(tái)在晚上舉行。一些表演包括中國(guó)戲劇，話劇，在一些地方會(huì)有滑稽表演。
For rituals, Buddhist and Taoists hold ceremonies to relieve ghosts from suffering, many of them holding ceremonies in the afternoon or at night as it is believed that the ghosts are released from hell when the sun sets. Altars are built for the deceased and priests and monks alike perform rituals for the benefit of ghosts. Monks and priests often throw rice or other small foods into the air in all directions to distribute them to the ghosts.
在慶祝儀式上，佛教和道教都會(huì)舉行一些慶典來(lái)減輕苦難。他們大多在下午或者晚上舉行儀式，因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為鬼魂在日落后才會(huì)從地獄中被釋放。他們?yōu)樗勒呓ㄔ旒缐畟H和道士舉行宗教儀式為鬼魂祈福。僧侶和道士通常會(huì)為鬼魂向各個(gè)方向?yàn)⒚住?BR> During the evening, incense is burnt in front of the doors of each household. Incense stands for prosperity in Chinese culture, so families believe that there is more prosperity in burning more incense. During the festival, some shops are closed as they wanted to leave the streets open for the ghosts. In the middle of each street stood an altar of incense with fresh fruit and sacrifices displayed on it.
在夜間，人們?cè)诟骷议T(mén)后燒香。在中國(guó)文化中，香代表繁榮興旺，所以人們認(rèn)為燒的香越多，就會(huì)越興旺。在節(jié)日中，一些商店會(huì)關(guān)門(mén)從而讓鬼魂經(jīng)過(guò)街道。在每條街道的中間會(huì)建有祭壇，上面燒著香放著新鮮水果和祭品。
Some superstitions have been presenting until now. One of the superstitions that the Chinese have about the festival is that it is bad to go swimming during the 7th month. They think that an evil spirit might cause you to drown in the water. In addition to this, children are also advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night. This belief is due to the reason that the wandering ghosts might possess children. Usually in the hungry ghost month, no one will get married.
一些迷信直到現(xiàn)在還存在。其中一個(gè)中國(guó)人關(guān)于節(jié)日的迷信就是不能在七月游泳。他們認(rèn)為惡鬼會(huì)使人溺死水中。除此之外，孩子們必須早回家，晚上不能再外面玩很久。有這種觀點(diǎn)的原因就是在外游蕩的鬼魂可能回吃小孩。通常來(lái)說(shuō)，沒(méi)有人會(huì)在七月結(jié)婚。
你知道“中元節(jié)”用英文怎么說(shuō)嗎？
A: Zhongyuan Festival.
B: Hungry Ghost Festival.
C: Ulambana Festival.
D: Chinese Halloween.
看都不看，你就選A？恭喜你，答對(duì)了。
中元節(jié)（Zhongyuan Festival）是道家的說(shuō)法，傳說(shuō)一位叫陳子禱的人與龍王三公主結(jié)為夫婦，分別于正月十五、七月十五和十月十五日生下了天官、地官、水官三兄弟，分掌賜福、赦罪、解厄。中元節(jié)是地官赦罪之日，道士在這一天誦經(jīng)作法事，以三牲五果普度十方孤魂野鬼。
如果你選B，恭喜你，你也答對(duì)啦。
Hungry Ghost Festival？這個(gè)名字太不友好了吧。中元節(jié)為什么變成了“餓鬼節(jié)”呢？
佛經(jīng)中有一個(gè)的典故，佛祖座下神通的弟子叫目犍連。他的母親因生前作惡太多，死后墮入阿鼻無(wú)間地獄變成惡鬼。惡鬼的喉嚨如針管般細(xì)，無(wú)論目犍連給母親帶來(lái)多少食物，她都無(wú)法吃到，只能挨餓，因此也叫“餓鬼”。目犍連為給母親贖罪，根據(jù)佛祖指示，在七月十五這一天宴請(qǐng)十方僧侶齋食，而“餓鬼”在這一天也能吃飽。
所以，中元節(jié)被叫做Hungry Ghost Festival也是有來(lái)由的。
那么你選了C，你……還是對(duì)的！
Ulambana Festival可直譯為“盂蘭盆節(jié)”，源自公元前五世紀(jì)的印度。
Ulambana是梵文，中文音譯為“盂蘭盆”，原意為“救倒懸”，即解救在地獄受苦的鬼魂。倒懸形容苦厄之狀，盆是指盛供品的器皿。佛教認(rèn)為供此具可解救已逝去父母、亡親的倒懸之苦。因此，“盂蘭盆節(jié)”也有祭祀祖宗的習(xí)俗。
如果有童鞋選了D……
那你一定知道享譽(yù)盛名的西方鬼節(jié)“萬(wàn)圣節(jié)”（All Saints' Day）啦。
西方的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)是每年11月1日。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夕（Halloween），即10月31日，孩子們就會(huì)打扮成各種妖魔鬼怪，提著南瓜燈籠（Pumpkin- Lantern或Jack-O'-Lantern），挨家挨戶討糖吃，說(shuō)著“trick or treat（不給糖，就倒霉）”的威脅。一些大人會(huì)乖乖給孩子塞一大堆糖，有的大人則會(huì)故意不給。當(dāng)然，那他一定是想和孩子玩惡作劇了！
為什么“中元節(jié)”是民間信仰的“鬼節(jié)”？
Eastern cultures celebrate a Fall festival called "Zhongyuan festival" where they believe the gates of hellare thrown open, releasing hungry ghosts to wander the earthin search of food and taking revenge upon those who wronged them in life.
東方文化會(huì)在秋季慶祝一個(gè)叫“中元節(jié)”的節(jié)日。該節(jié)日源于人們相信這些天地獄之門(mén)將大敞，于是那些餓鬼會(huì)在人世間行走。它們會(huì)覓食，也會(huì)向在世時(shí)誤會(huì)過(guò)它們的人復(fù)仇。
People would burn things such as paper houses, cars, servants and televisions to please the ghosts.
在中元節(jié)里，人們會(huì)燒些紙房、紙車(chē)、紙俑人和紙電視來(lái)寬慰這些作古之人。
Families also pay tributeto other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls do not intrude on their lives and bring misfortune and bad luck.
人們也會(huì)順道祭祀一下那些不知名的孤魂野鬼，這樣，那些游魂就不會(huì)打擾他們的生活，給他們帶來(lái)不幸和噩運(yùn)。
Floating River Lanternsis a visually spectacular tradition conducted for mourning the deceased and blessing their relatives.
放河燈是一項(xiàng)壯觀的習(xí)俗，人們因此來(lái)追悼那些已故之人和為親人祈福。