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The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in the Chinese calendar, after Chinese New Year.
中秋节是中国农历中仅次于春节的第二重要的节日。
It is a time for family reunions, gatherings with friends, admiring the moon, which is said to be at its brightest and roundest, and eating delectable moon cakes.
这是家人团聚、朋友相会、赏月(据说此时月亮最亮最圆)、吃美味月饼的日子。
Moon cakes are the must-eat food in China during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
月饼是中国在中秋节期间必吃的食物。
A traditional Chinese pastry, their circular shape symbolizes the moon as well as reunion and happiness.
作为一种传统的中国糕点，月饼的圆形象征着月亮，也象征着团圆和幸福。
Moon cakes are said to have originated between 1271 and 1368 AD as a clever means to pass hidden messages between revolutionaries in an attempt to overthrow the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty.
据说月饼起源于公元1271年至1368年，是一种在革命者之间传递隐藏信息的巧妙办法，目的是推翻蒙古族统治下的元朝。
The surfaces of the mooncakes were printed with a simple puzzle, and when each of the four cakes was cut into quarters, the resulting 16 pieces could be pieced together to reveal the mystery.
月饼的表面印有一个简单的字谜，把四块月饼都切成四份，16块月饼拼在一起就可以揭开谜底。
Afterwards the mooncakes were eaten to destroy the evidence.
之后，这些月饼会被吃掉以销毁证据。
There are various legends attached to the Chinese moon festival, and the most popular one is surprisingly apt in our current times when the natural resources of the earth are becoming in ever greater need of protection.
中国的中秋节有各种各样的传说，其中流传最广的一个传说在如今这个地球自然资源越来越需要保护的时代显得出人意料地恰合时宜。
The story tells of a skilled and heroic archer Hou Yi and his beautiful wife Chung'e.
故事关于一位技艺高超、英勇无畏的射手后羿和他美丽的妻子嫦娥。
Long ago the earth was circled by ten suns, each taking its turn to shine upon the world.
很久以前，地球被十个太阳环绕着，每个太阳轮流照耀着大地。
One disastrous day all ten suns appeared in the sky.
有一天，十个太阳全部出现在天空中。
With a catastrophic effect the earth became scorched.
大地被烤焦，一场浩劫出现了。
The water in the lakes and rice paddies dried up, and people and animals were dying.
湖泊和稻田干涸，人和动物死去。
Sensing impending doom for the world, the Emperor sent for Hou Yi and ordered him to shoot down nine of the ten suns.
皇帝感觉到世界末日即将来临，就派人去召来后羿，命令他射下九个太阳。
Hou Yi climbed up the Kunlun mountains in the scorching heat and raised his bow and arrow to the sky.
后羿顶着酷暑爬上昆仑山，举起弓箭对准天空。
With great skill he drew back his bow and out flew nine arrows striking nine suns and leaving just one.
他用高超的技艺拉满了弓，射出了九支箭，射中了九个太阳，只留下一个。
All the people, wildlife, and crops on earth were saved.
大地上的所有人、野生动物和庄稼都得救了。
And as a gesture of gratitude Hou Yi was given an elixir of immortality by the Goddess of Heaven so that he might continue to protect the Emperor and the earth forever more.
为了表示感谢，天神给了后羿一剂长生不老药，以便他能够永远保护皇帝和大地。
But there was only enough elixir for one person and Hou Yi did not wish to gain immortality without his beloved wife.
但长生不老药只够一个人吃，后羿不想抛弃他心爱的妻子，独自获得永生。
So he kept the potion to be drunk at future time and asked Chung'e to keep it safe for him.
所以他把灵药留着以后喝，并请嫦娥为他保管好。
Hou Yi became more and more famous after his heroic deed, and many people came to him hoping to learn how to be a skilled archer.
后羿因其英雄事迹而声名日盛，许多人来找他，希望学习如何成为一名优秀的射手。
He had a great many students.
后羿收了很多学生。
However, one pupil Peng Meng was a bad character and wanted to steal the elixir for himself.
然而，有一位学生逢蒙是个卑鄙小人，他想把灵药偷走。
One day when Hou Yi went hunting with his students, Peng Meng stayed at home pretending to be unwell.
有一天，当后羿和他的学生去打猎时，逢蒙待在家里，假装身体不舒服。
After ensuring that Hou Yi had left home, Peng Meng went to his house and tried to force Chang'e to give him the elixir.
确定后羿离开后，逢蒙来到后羿家中，逼迫嫦娥给他长生不老药。
Chang'e knew she stood no chance of protecting the potion from Peng Meng, so she drank the elixir immediately.
嫦娥知道自己无力抵抗逢蒙，所以她立即把药喝了下去。
The potion made her fly higher and higher until she reached the moon, where she became immortalized as the moon goddess.
然后她就开始越飞越高，一直飞到了月亮上，变成了长生不老的月亮女神。
Hou Yi was heartbroken when he returned home.
当后羿回到家时，他伤心欲绝。
And while wailing in desperation at the sky, he noticed that the moon was extremely bright that evening.
他绝望地对着天空哭泣，这时他注意到那天晚上的月亮非常明亮。
He caught sight of a swaying figure that exactly resembled that of his beloved wife,
他看到月亮上有一个飘摇的身影，和他心爱的妻子一模一样，
and decided to prepare some fruits and cakes that he knew she loved on a table under the moon,
于是决定在月光下放一张桌子，上面摆满嫦娥喜欢的水果和糕点，
in the hope that Chang'e would see how much he missed her and could return to him.
希望嫦娥能看到他有多么想念她，可以回到他身边。
Moved by their true love, the Mother of the Moon allowed Chang'e to reunite with Hou Yi every year on the full moon of the eighth lunar month.
月亮王母被他们的真爱所感动，于是允许嫦娥在每年农历八月的满月之时与后羿团聚。
And since then during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people have offered food to worship the moon.
从那时起，人们在中秋节会供奉食物，祭拜月亮。
During the Mid-Autumn Festival people set a table under the moon with moon cakes, snacks, fruits, and candles.
在中秋节期间，人们在月亮下摆上一张桌子，上面放着月饼、点心、水果和蜡烛。
Some people believe that by worshiping the moon Chang'e may fulfill their wishes.
一些人认为，祭拜月亮可以让嫦娥实现他们的愿望。
Today most moon cakes are in the same design with a thin flaky crust encasing a filling.
如今，大多数月饼大体都是一样的，薄而脆的外壳包裹着内馅。
The classic moon cake holds lotus seed paste and a single egg yolk symbolizing the moon.
传统的月饼里有莲蓉和一个象征月亮的蛋黄。
And when bisected, the golden yellow against a dark paste is visually dramatic, reminiscent of the full moon juxtaposed against the deep night sky.
把月饼切开时，金黄色的蛋黄与深色莲蓉的对比非常醒目，让人想起深蓝夜空中挂着一轮满月的景象。
But whilst the outside has remained almost the same, the fillings have become increasingly varied, ranging from the traditional lotus or red bean paste to some surprising centers.
虽然月饼的外皮几乎没有变化，但馅料的种类越来越多，包括传统的莲蓉或红豆沙，以及一些令人意想不到的馅料。
Nowadays many restaurants and tea houses create their own unique moon cakes.
如今，许多餐馆和茶馆都会制作自己的特色月饼。
And it's not unusual to find ingredients such as mango and coconut, durian mousse, matcha and yuzu,
芒果椰子、榴莲慕斯、抹茶和香橙馅都很常见，
lapsang shouchong lotus seed paste, peanut butter, and dark chocolate, as well as baileys and marshmallow.
正山小种莲蓉馅、花生酱、黑巧克力以及百利甜酒和棉花糖等也屡见不鲜。
One esteemed restaurant in Hong Kong this year has partnered up with a gin distillery for a special gin moon cake gift box set.
今年，香港的一家著名餐厅与金酒酿造厂合作，推出了一套金酒月饼特色礼盒。
And another restaurant takes innovation to a whole new level with a Beef Wellington moon cake and a salmon Wellington moon cake.
而另一家餐厅将月饼创新提升到了一个全新的水平，推出了惠灵顿牛肉月饼和惠灵顿三文鱼月饼。
Also in Hong Kong, a famous Michelin-starred restaurant has created a special limited edition LED lantern gift box,
同样在香港，一家著名的米其林星级餐厅推出了特别限量版LED灯笼礼盒，
in which the delicacies are placed, reflecting another part of the seasonal traditions since the Tang dynasty: the lighting and releasing of lanterns, symbolizing luck, light, and familial togetherness.
里面摆放着月饼，反映了自唐代以来的另一个季节性传统：点灯笼和放灯笼，象征着吉祥、光明和家庭团聚。
Mid-Autumn Festival is a time of goodwill.
中秋节是一个充满美好希冀的时刻。
Many Chinese people send cards or short messages during the festival to express their best wishes to family and friends.
许多中国人在中秋节期间互赠卡片或发短信，以表达他们对家人和朋友的良好祝愿。
I would like to send the following message to you, the China Current audience, wishing you all a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
我想向观看视频的你传达以下祝福，祝大家中秋节快乐。
May the round moon bring you and all who you hold dear good health, success, and happiness.
愿满月为你和你所爱的人带来健康、成功和幸福。
