中英雙語話中國民風民俗 第63期:與寒食節起源相關的一個故事
A Legend Related to the Origin of the Cold Food Day
與“寒食節”起源相關的一個故事According to the legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period, a person named Jie Zhitui followed his master Chong'er，the prince of Jin, and stayed with him during all the 19 years when the prince was in exile. Jie Zhitui was so loyal to his master that once when the prince was starved to death,Jie cut one piece of flesh from his leg to feed his master so as to save his life.
據傳說，在春秋時，一個叫介之推的人跟着他的師傅重耳，金的王子，並一直陪伴着他19年，直到王子流放。介之推是如此忠誠於他的主人，一次當王子快要被活活餓死時，介之推從他的腿上切一塊肉喂他的師傅，以挽救他的生命。However, when the prince ascended the throne and became king of the Jin state, he forgot about Jie Zhitui completely. He awarded all his other followers except Jie. Jie, on his part, left his master with his old mother without even one word of complaint. The local people were very indignant about this and they compiled a rhyme to satirize the king. The king learned about this and in order not to ruin his reputation, he ordered his men to go to Jie's home to bring him back,yet they failed to find Jie. The king then learned that Jie had hidden in the Mian Mountain,so he ordered his men to search the mountain, again,they failed to find Jie. The king knew that Jie was a filial son,so he thought if he set the mountain on fire,Jie,for his mothers sake,would definitely come out.
然而，當王子登基，成爲金王時，他完全忘了介之推。他嘉獎所有其他的追隨者，除了介之推。介之推離開了他的主人和他的老母親一起生活毫無怨言。當地的人都很氣憤這一點，他們編制押韻詩來諷刺國王。國王得知這個情況後，爲了不破壞他的聲譽，他命令手下去介之推的家中把他帶回來，但他們沒能找到介之推。國王隨後瞭解到，介之推藏於綿山，所以他命令手下搜山，再次，他們沒有找他。國王知道介之推是個孝順的兒子，所以他認爲，如果他放火燒山，爲了他的母親他肯定會出來。
Based on this thought,he ordered his men to set the mountain on fire. The fire lasted three whole days and nights,yet to the king's disappointment,Jie never came out. In the end, Jie and his mother's burned bodies were found beside a tree. That was the 103th day after the Winter Solstice. The local people admired Jie Zhitui for his moral integrity. To commemorate him,they ate cold food and restrained from making fire on that day and the following two days. This is how han- shi，the Cold Food Day,came into being.
基於這個想法，他命令手下放火燒山。大火持續了整整三天兩夜，但國王很失望，介之推沒有出來。最後，介之推和他的母親的燒焦的屍體被發現在一顆樹旁。這就是冬至後的103th天。當地人崇拜介之推的道德操守。爲了紀念他，在那一天他們吃冰冷的食物和禁止生火，並持續兩天。這是寒食節產生的原因。
