端午节即将到来，除了可以看龙舟比赛、大啖美味的粽子之外，你还记得端午节的由来吗？又要怎么跟外国朋友介绍它的典故呢？我们就来看看下面凯莉和她的外国朋友马克之间的对话，以及认识相关的单字吧！
Mark: What are you having for lunch?
马克：你午餐吃什么？
Kelly: Zongzi.
凯莉：粽子。
Mark: Zongzi?
马克：粽子？
Kelly: They are made with sticky rice and wrapped in bamboo leaves, also known as the Chinese version of tamales. They are one of the highlights of the Dragon Boat Festival.
凯莉：它们是用糯米做的，再用竹叶包起来，也被称为中式的玉米粽。它们是端午节的亮点之一。
Mark: I’ve heard about it, but I’m not quite familiar with the details. What’s it all about?
马克：我听过端午节，但不太清楚细节，是怎么一回事啊？
Kelly: It’s a traditional Chinese festival celebrated to honor the poet Qu Yuan. Legend has it that Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet, who drowned himself in the river as a form of protest against corruption and political turmoil when his state was conquered by a rival kingdom. The villagers, upon hearing the news, raced to save him in their boats, beating drums and splashing their paddles in the water to scare away evil spirits. That’s why the dragon boat races are such a big part of the festival.
凯莉：这是中国的传统节日，为了纪念诗人屈原。相传屈原是一位爱国诗人，当他的国家被敌国征服时，为了抗议腐败和政治动荡，他投河自尽。村民听到消息后，争先恐后乘船救他，他们击鼓拍水，想驱赶恶鬼。这就是为什么龙舟比赛是这个节日很重要的一部分。
Mark: That’s a sad story. The dragon boat races sound interesting, though. But why having zongzi?
马克：这是一个悲伤的故事。不过，龙舟比赛听起来蛮有趣的，但是为什么要吃粽子呢？
Kelly: Well, After Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river, the villagers threw rice dumplings into the water to prevent fish from eating his body. Over time, this act of making and throwing zongzi became a way to remember and honor him. Actually you can find zongzi all year around and they come in various flavors, like savory ones with meats or sweet ones with red bean paste.
凯莉：屈原投河自尽后，村民把粽子丢到河里，防止鱼去吃他的尸体。随着时间过去，这种包粽子和扔粽子的行为成了人们纪念他的方式。其实一年四季都可以吃到粽子，而且有各种口味的，像是包肉的咸口味，也有包豆沙的甜口味。
Mark: I’d love to try one!
马克：我会想要试试看！
单字：
highlight (n.) 最精采(重要)的部分、挑染的头发
patriotic (adj.) 爱国的；patriot (n.) 爱国者；patriotism (n.) 爱国主义
corruption (n.) 腐化、贪污；corrupt (v.) 使腐败、使堕落
turmoil (n.) 骚动、动乱
conquer (v.) 占领、征服、克服恐惧；conqueror (n.) 征服者、胜利者
savory (adj.) 咸的、美味可口的、名声好的(常用在否定句中)
