传说古代天帝的孙女织女擅长织布，每天给天空织彩霞。她讨厌这枯燥的生活，就偷偷下到凡间，私自嫁给河西的牛郎，过上男耕女织的生活。此事惹怒了天帝，把织女捉回天宫，责令他们分离，只允许他们每年的农历七月七在鹊桥上相会一次。他们坚贞的爱情感动了喜鹊，无数喜鹊飞来，用身体搭成一道跨越天河的喜鹊桥，让牛郎织女在天河上相会。

Tips：《牛郎和织女》为中国古代著名的汉族民间爱情故事，也是我国四大民间传说之一。其余三个为《梁山伯与祝英台》《孟姜女哭长城》《白蛇传》。从牵牛星、织女星的星名衍化而来。

The Qixi Festival has its roots in ancient Chinese folklore. The legend goes that Zhinü, a weaving girl from Heaven, descended on Earth and fell in love with a mortal named Niulang. They married each other without the knowledge of Zhinü’s mother, the Goddess of Heaven. Zhinü bore Niulang two beautiful children and lived happily until her mother learned of her transgressions, went into a rage, and sent soldiers to retrieve her. Zhinü went back to Heaven.

Sometime later, Niulang tried to rescue his wife, but the Goddess of Heaven took out her hairpin and created a massive river, thinking she had separated the lovers forever. However, Niulang and Zhinü’s love was stronger than she thought. It moved the magpies so much that they flew up to Heaven to form a bridge over the river.

Seeing the love between her child and a mortal man, the Goddess of Heaven allowed the lovers to meet on the magpie bridge on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year — and that’s how the Qixi Festival came into being.

According to several Chinese beliefs, the river represents the Milky Way, while Zhinü and Niulang represent the constellations of Vega and Altair. The festival was first recognized as a formal occasion during the Han Dynasty, over 2,600 years ago. Although it sounds romantic, the festival was not initially intended for lovers but for young girls to worship the weaving fairy and hone their skills at handcraft.

相关英语表达

牛郎：Niu Lang；Cowherd

织女：Zhi Nü；Weaving Maiden

苦命恋人：star-crossed couple

天河：River of Heaven；Milky Way,

喜鹊：magpie

鹊桥：Magpie Bridge