The festival originates in the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, Duke Wen of the State of Jin (晋文公) was forced to live in exile for 19 years, but later he became king of the state with the help of Duke Mu of the State of Qin (秦穆公). Duke Wen rewarded those who followed him in his exile according to their merits. One of these, Jie Zitui (介子推), decided not to accept wealth and a high position. He preferred to live a secluded life with his mother on Mountain Mianshan (绵山). The duke personally went to look for Jie Zitui there, but even after several days, he couldn’t find him. He knew that Jie Zitui loved his mother deeply and would come out with his mother if he set the mountain on fire. This he did, and for three days and nights, the fire kept burning, until it finally reduced the whole area to ashes. Unfortunately, however, Jie and his mother were found burnt to death. It turned out that he would rather die than accept a reward. The duke was very sad. He had Jie and his mother buried on the mountain, and he gave an order that every year on the anniversary of Jie’s death, all the citizens of his state should put out their kitchen fire and eat cold food prepared beforehand. Later, this became a day on which people customarily swept and cleaned the tombs of their ancestors and mourned the dead. This custom continues until today.
Notes：1）forbear忍耐；2）renew使更新；3）outings远足；4）exile流放
8.端午节是怎样产生的？
What is the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival?
The Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwu Festival(端午节) commemorates Qu Yuan (屈原), a patriotic poet from the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. There Qu Yuan proposed a series of progressive reforms, including domestic political reforms and a legal system set-up, but forces of corruption, represented by Jin Shang (靳尚) who opposed Qu Yuan, led the king not to trust him. Qu Yuan had to leave the capital and began a wandering life. With patriotic fervor, Qu Yuan produced many odes to display his concern for the fate of his state and people. In 278 B. C., when the Qin troops stormed the capital, and the downfall of Chu was expected at any moment, he took a rock in his arms and drowned himself in the Miluo River (汩罗江) near the present-day Changsha. He chose not to live and see that his state to be vanquished by the enemy. When the news of his death came, the local people rushed to the scene and rowed boats along the river in an attempt to find his remains, but they were never recovered. The people of Chu mourned his death, and every year afterwards they threw bamboo tubes filled with rice into the river as a sacrifice to him. This is supposed to be the origin of the custom of rowing dragon boats and eating zong-zi (粽子) on the Dragon Boat Festival.
Notes：1）commemorate纪念；2）progressive进步的；3）co-rruption堕落；4）wandering徘徊的；5）patriotic爱国的；6）fervor热情；7）vanquish征服
9.粽子是怎样产生的？
What is the origin of zong-zi?
