明天就是我们的传统节日中秋节了。预祝大家中秋快乐！

下面是本人多年前翻译的一篇中秋节的小短文。

In the Chinese cosmology', the moon-- not the sun-- is the dominant orb, and not only has its radiance inspired countless poets, priests, and peasants alike, but its waxings and wanings have inspired the calendar ac- cording to which most of Asia plots' yearly events. It's only natural that a lunar year should include a holiday set aside for appreciation of the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival, a Chinese staple since the Song dynasty, is just that. The moon is said to be at its loveliest on this night: its roundest, brightest, and most magical.

中国人的宇宙论认为，月亮是宇宙中的主宰星球，而非太阳。月亮的光辉给无数诗人以灵感，给僧侣、农民以启发，它的盈亏还产生了太阴历，大部分亚洲人据此来测算一年间的节气。因此，太阴历中自然应有一个专门赏月的节日。中秋节从宋朝起便成了中国主要节日。据说，八月十五晚上的月亮最可爱：最圆、最亮、也最神奇。

cosmology/kɒzˈmɒlədʒi/宇宙论，宇宙观；orb/ɔːb/星球，天体；/ˈreɪdiəns/光辉，发光；waxing /ˈwæksɪŋ/月盈；waning /ˈweɪnɪŋ/月亏；plot测算，计划；appreciation欣赏；Song dynasty宋朝。

Outside their homes, families erect altars that are stocked with wine, tea, incense sticks and fruits, including the huge grapefruit-like pomelo, whose Chinese name, yow, is a homophone for "to have." Also on the altar is a stack of the holiday's ubiquitous "mooncakes - thick pastries shaped like corrugated" drums. The cakes are filled with sweet bean paste or lotus seed, and at the very heart of each is a boiled egg yolk to symbolize the moon.

这天晚上，家家户户都在庭院中设祭坛，上面摆满酒、茶、香烟和水果。其中葡萄柚样的大柚子的“柚”与“有”谐音寓意吉祥。同时,祭坛上还摆放了很多中秋节到处可见的月饼。月饼是一种形状似鼓边缘波纹状的厚厚馅饼，馅由甜豆沙或莲蓉做成。馅正中夹放了蛋黄来代表月亮。

erect搭起； altar/ˈɔːltə(r)/ 祭坛，圣坛，圣餐台；stack堆；incense stick香；pomelo /ˈpɒmɪləʊ/柚子；homophone /ˈhɒməfəʊn/同音异形异义字；ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/普遍存在的 ；pastry/ˈpeɪstri/酥皮糕点；mooncake月饼；corrugated 有波纹的；yolk/jəʊk/蛋黄。

The Chinese tradition of moon-viewing parties was long ago carried over to Japan, where this holiday is called Tsukimi. Friends gather for the evening beside lakes or in special moon-viewing pavilions, having first enjoyed bowls of “moon-viewing noodles": thick white udon in broth with a perfect egg yolk floating on top.

中国的赏月传统很早就传到了日本，日本人称之为"Tsukimi”（观月）。朋友们在十五的夜晚聚在湖边或专设的赏月阁，先吃上几碗“赏月面”，这是一种又粗又白的肉汤面，汤上漂浮着金黄诱人的蛋黄，再来赏月。

moon-viewing赏月的；Tsukimi观月（日语）；pavilion 亭子；udon /ˈuːdɒn/汤面，乌冬面；broth /brɒθ/肉汤。