傳統節日:花好月圓,話中秋

Autumn. The air is light and summer's humid heat is fading. Pomegranates in the courtyards are bursting their vermillion skins to show off their jeweled kernels. In the parks and gardens, chrysanthemums are on stand-by for their seasonal display.

秋天，空氣使人神清氣爽，夏季的溼熱正漸漸退去。院子裏，飽滿的石榴撐破了硃紅色的外衣，展示着寶石般的果粒。公園裏、花圃中，迎來花期的菊花正含苞待放。

Stars are finally struggling through the cool dusk, and the moon will shine its brightest with Mid-Autumn around the corner. This is a time to celebrate both revolution and romance.

在涼爽的傍晚，星星終於探出夜幕，時值中秋來臨，月亮也散發出前所未有的光華。這是一個慶賀歷史革新以及浪漫傳說的時刻。

There are many legends linked to Zhongqiujie or Mid-Autumn Festival, but the most commonly quoted are about secret messages that galvanized a change of government, and a romantic, if convoluted, story of the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang'e, the lady in the moon.

關於中秋節的由來，存在着許多傳說，其中流傳最廣的，一段是朱元璋通過“月餅”來祕密傳遞信息，最終得以起義成功，改朝換代的故事；另外一段浪漫一點的，也要複雜一點，就是射手后羿與他那生活在月亮上的妻子嫦娥的故事。

Let's talk about revolution first. Although the festival is long established in Chinese folklore, the eating of the mandatory moon cakes did not start until late, relative to culinary chronology. In 1368, chaffing under the Mongolian yoke after 88 years, an adviser to rebel chief Zhu Yuanzhang came up with a plot to send out rallying messages hidden in sweet pastries - much like fortune cookies.

讓我們先來說說關於中秋節的革新吧。儘管這個節日在中國民間由來已久，但回顧飲食發展史，中秋吃月餅的習俗到很晚才形成。公元1368年，在蒙古人殘暴執政88年後，義軍首領朱元璋的軍師想出了一個計策：將號召起義的信息藏入一種甜餡餅中——就像西餐裏的占卜餅乾一樣。

Although there are no documented records to show how the rebels actually gathered, we can safely say the way to a revolutionary heart, must have been through the stomach since Zhu Yuanzhang successfully overthrew the Yuan emperors and founded the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

儘管召集起義的真實過程並無文獻記錄可查，但我們可以確定的是——想要抓住革命者的心，就要先抓住他們的胃（在革命起義中要想取得成功，就要審時度勢，順應民心），朱元璋由此成功地推翻了元朝統治，建立了大明王朝（1368年—1644年）。

Moon cakes are now sold in elaborate packaging that jack up the prices of the pastries to hundreds of yuan. All sorts of pastries and fillings imaginable are available, even moon cakes made from icecream and chocolate. In the south, the favorite traditional filling is lotus seed paste, while northerners like everything from red bean and date paste to ham and nuts.

今天，市面上在賣的月餅都包裝精美，售價動輒數百元人民幣。所有人們能夠想到的口味，甚至夾着巧克力的冰激凌月餅，都應有盡有。在南方，人們喜歡蓮蓉這種傳統餡料；而在北方，各種餡料——從豆沙、棗泥到火腿、果仁，無不受到人們的喜愛。

A much earlier myth associated with the festival is the rather melancholic romance between the archer Hou Yi and his wife, Chang'e. There many versions but here are the most common threads.

關於中秋節，還有另一個更爲遠久的的傳說，那就是是發生在射手后羿和妻子嫦娥之間的悽美愛情故事。這個傳說有許多版本，但我們這裏提到的是其中最流傳最廣的一些。

In those times when gods and men had a less remote relationship, 10 blazing suns shone relentlessly, scorching the earth. Hou Yi was a fine marksman, so he took his bow and arrows and shot down nine, wisely leaving one to bless the day.

在那個人神尚可相通的時代，10個炙熱的太陽無情地灼燒着大地，后羿是一位神箭手，於是他用弓箭射下了9個太陽，明智地留下一個，讓它在白天爲人類造福。

For his great common sense, he was rewarded with an elixir for immortality enough for him and his wife, whom he loved dearly. He kept the elixir in a box while he went hunting and told his wife not to open it. That was the last thing he should have said.

由於他的英明神武，后羿得到了長生不老的丹藥，這些丹藥足夠他和他深愛的妻子嫦娥兩個人服用。當他外出狩獵的時候，他把仙丹放在一個盒子裏並且叮囑嫦娥不要打開它。這也是他最不應該說的話。

Just like Pandora, Chang'e was into the box as soon as hubby was out of the door. Unfortunately, he came back unexpectedly and surprised her holding the elixir. In her panic, Chang'e drank it all up.

就像潘多拉一樣，丈夫剛離開，嫦娥就迫不及待地打開了盒子。不巧地是，后羿突然返回家中，意外撞見妻子手拿仙丹的情景。嫦娥慌亂中服下了所有的仙丹。

The potion was so strong she started floating and didn't stop till she reached the moon. And there she has remained since, looking down in eternal regret, accompanied only by a little rabbit she managed to grab on the way up.

丹藥的藥性如此強烈，她開始飄離地面，最後飛落在月亮上面。嫦娥俯瞰人間，心中懊悔不已。自此她就留在了那裏，只有一隻飛天時捉到的小兔子陪伴着她。

Both stories are often retold as people gather under the autumn moon, feasting on moon cakes and sipping fine tea. This is an occasion for the family to get together, second only to the Lunar New Year reunion dinner that every Chinese rushes home for.

每當中秋之夜，人們相聚一堂，共食月餅、品茶啜茗之時，這兩個故事還是會被一再講起。這是一個舉家團圓的時刻，若要再次團聚，只有等到農曆春節，大家奔波返家吃年夜飯的時候了。

The food on the table is seasonal, and often the main attraction is hairy crabs, which are at their largest and richest with roe during autumn. In Shanghai, only the best crabs from Yangcheng Lake are eaten and gourmets and ostentatious gourmands alike willingly fork out more than 1,000 yuan ($146) per kg each year for the authentic stuff.

中秋節日餐桌上的食物都是應季的，最受人們喜愛的當屬大閘蟹，在秋季時大閘蟹個頭最大，蟹黃最爲肥美。在上海，人們只食用上等的陽澄湖大閘蟹，每年，美食家及闊綽的食客們爲品嚐最正宗的食材，不惜支付每千克1000多元的費用。

Moon cakes and crabs are not the only treats on the Mid-Autumn dining table. You also have the sweet pomelos.

中秋節的餐桌上不單單隻有月餅和螃蟹。你還可以吃到蜜柚。

These huge citrus fruits are like gigantic grapefruits, but unlike pamplemousse, they are very sweet and the fruit sacs separate easily. They ripen about now and because they have beautifully golden skin and a round rump, they are enjoyed for both their likeness to the lunar orb and their juicy sweetness.

這種巨大的柑橘類水果很像大個頭的西柚，但與其他柚子不同的是，它們的味道十分甜美，果肉粒粒分明。現在它們到了成熟的季節。金黃漂亮的果皮以及飽滿圓潤的曲線，蜜柚的外觀像極了滿月，果實又甜美多汁，這些都使它們頗受歡迎。

In the south, the taro harvest is ready. These are little yams, unlike the larger varieties and they are simply boiled, peeled at table and dipped in caster sugar as a snack.

在南方，正值芋頭豐收之際。芋頭是一種小型薯類。不同於那些體形稍大的薯類，人們只是簡單地將他們放在鍋裏煮熟，上桌後去皮，然後蘸着砂糖作爲零食食用。

Another uniquely southern addition to the Mid-Autumn Festival is the strangely shaped water fruit of an aquatic plant, they look like a black bull's head with impressive horns. The nut inside is snow-white and when steamed and cracked is subtly sweet and quite delicious.

另一種南方獨有的中秋美食就是形狀古怪的菱角。一種水生植物的果實，看起來像一隻長着駭人犄角的黑公牛的頭部。裏面的果仁呈雪白色，一旦蒸熟後，打開果殼，裏面的果肉吃起來微甜，相當美味。