The August Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese characters above) is one of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day. Based on the Gregorian calendar, this year's August Moon Festival will be held on September 8.
中秋節(jié)是中國人的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日之一，每年農(nóng)歷8月15日慶祝。傳說月亮在這一天最大最圓。根據(jù)推算，今年公歷9月8日為中秋節(jié)。

The August Moon Festival is often called the Women's Festival. The moon (Chinese character on right) symbolizes elegance and beauty. While Westerners worship the sun (yang or male) for its power, people in the Far East admire the moon. The moon is the 'yin' or female principle and it is a trusted friend. Chinese parents often name their daughters after the moon, in hope that they will be as lovely as the moon.
中秋節(jié)也被稱為女人的節(jié)日，月（漢字部首）象征著優(yōu)雅與美麗。而西方人則崇尚太陽（陽剛或男性）的力量，東亞地區(qū)的人們則崇尚月亮。月亮代表“陰”或女性，并且被看做是可靠的朋友。中國的父母總喜歡以“月”為女兒取名，為的是希望她們像月亮一樣可愛。

The Moon FairyLady - 'Chang Er'
月亮仙子——嫦娥

In fact, many ancient August Moon folktales are about a moon maiden. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar moon, little children on earth can see a lady on the moon.
實際上，古代很多關于八月月圓的故事都跟一位月亮仙子有關。在陰歷8月15的晚上，小孩子都能看到月亮上有一位女子。

The story about the lady took place around 2170 B.C. At that time, the earth had ten suns circling it, each taking its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer named Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However, his beautiful wife Chang E drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew all the way to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he refused to shoot down the moon.
這個故事發(fā)生在公元前2170年左右，那個時候，天上有十個太陽，它們輪流照亮地上。但有一天，十個太陽一同出現(xiàn)，他們發(fā)出的熱量燒焦了地上的作物。一位身強體壯、性格暴虐名叫后羿的弓箭手拯救了人間。他成功接連射落九個太陽。有一天，后羿偷了一位神仙的長生不老藥。而他美麗的妻子嫦娥為了幫助人們脫離他暴虐的統(tǒng)治偷偷喝下了長生不老藥。喝下藥之后他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己飄浮起來并飛向了月亮。后羿十分愛他美若天仙的妻子，他不忍心將她從月亮上射落。

People believed that the lady was a god who lived in the moon that made the moon shine. Girls who wanted to be a beauty and have a handsome husband should worship the moon. And on this magical occasion, children who make wishes to the Lady on the Moon will find their dreams come true.
人們認為嫦娥是住在月亮上的仙子，所以月亮才會發(fā)光。女孩子如果想要變得漂亮并且有一位如意郎君都要供奉月亮。而中秋之時，孩子們都會向月亮仙子許愿祈求他們能夠夢想成真。

The wood cutter - Wu Kang
伐木人——吳剛

Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be an immortal, so he went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and Wu Kang asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal taught him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.
吳剛是個懶惰而又不學無數(shù)的學徒。有一天他想學道成仙，于是他住到深山里強求以為仙人教他法術。起初，仙人教他治病的草藥，但三天之后吳剛不安定的本性就暴露出來了。他又求仙人教他其他的東西，于是仙人教他下棋，但不久之后吳剛又失去了興趣。于是仙人給了他研習仙術的書籍。當然沒幾天吳剛又覺得無聊了，并問仙人能否遠行到一些新鮮有趣的地方。氣惱于吳剛毫無耐心的本性，仙人罰他去月宮，并告訴他除非他能砍倒一棵巨大的桂樹，否則他就不能回到人間。雖然吳剛日夜砍伐，但這棵神奇的樹每次被砍倒創(chuàng)傷又會自己愈合，于是吳剛只有夜以繼日地砍伐。