Chinese Valentine’s Day

王玉峰

Helper

Vega织女星，织女

the Milky Way银河

herd兽群，牧群，放牧人

miraculously奇迹般地

magpie喜鹊，饶舌者，爱说话的人

Altair牵牛星

legend传说，传奇人物

sister-in-law夫或妻的姐妹，嫂，弟媳

fairy仙女，小仙子，小精灵

princess公主；王妃escort护送者

Brief introduction in Chinese：

中国情人节就是七夕节，又名乞巧节、七巧节，发源于中国，是华人地区以及东亚各国的传统节日，在农历七月初七庆祝。 相传牛郎父母早逝，又常受哥嫂的虐待，只有一头老牛相伴。有一天老牛给他出了计谋，教他怎样娶织女做妻子。在牛郎的恳求下，织女答应做他的妻子。织女和牛郎成亲的事被天庭的玉帝和王母娘娘知道后，命天神下界抓回织女。从此，牛郎织女只能泪眼盈盈，隔河相望，天长地久，玉皇大帝和王母娘娘也拗不过他们之间的真挚情感，准许他们每年七月七日相会一次。相传，每逢七月初七，人间的喜鹊就要飞上天去，在银河为牛郎织女搭鹊桥相会。

Exercise：

Ⅰ.Questions：

1. What do you think of the way of Niu Lang finding a wife？

2. Why didn't Niu Lang ask his brother or sister-in-law to find a wife for him？

3. Why did the Queen Mother insist that Zhi Nu should come back to heaven？

4. What did the magpies do in the story？ Why？

Ⅱ. Written work

Read the following text and fill in the blanks with a proper word or proper forms of the words given in the blanks（less than 2 words）.

The Double Seventh Festival

It was said that the Emperor of Heaven had seven daughters. And the

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（young） one， Weaving Maid， or Zhi Nu in Chinese， 2 （fall） in love with a young man on the earth

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（name） Niu Lang. Zhi Nu got married

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him secretly and had two children.

They lived

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（happy） together for several years

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everything became known to the Empress of Heaven. She was very angry with

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Weaving Maid had done： marrying a human without her 8 （permit）. So， she came down to the earth and took Zhi Nu back to heaven. Niu Lang and his wife were 9 （separate） by a broad river in the sky， the Milk Way. They were only allowed

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（see） each other once a year on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar month.

You won't see many magpie birds on this day. 11 （move） by the couple's true love， these birds gather on this evening to form 12 bridge for them to meet upon.

The Double Seventh Festival， 13 is similar to Valentine's Day in the West， has long

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celebrated in China 15 honor of the love story of Niu Lang and his Weaving Maid.

1. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the center one， so that when we finally meet the person， we will know how to be grateful.

在遇到夢中人之前，上天也许会安排我们先遇到别的人；在我们终于遇见心仪的人时，便应当心存感激。

2.I love you not because of who you are， but because of who I am when l am with you.

我爱你，不是因为你是一个怎样的人，而是因为我喜欢与你在一起时的感觉。

3. No man or woman is worth your tears， and the one who lsl won't make you cry.

没有人值得你流泪，值得让你这么做的人不会让你哭泣。

4. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside him knowing you can't have him.

失去某人，最糟糕的莫過于，他近在身旁，却犹如远在天边。

5. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.

爱和被爱是人生最大的幸福。

6. Never stop smiling， not even when you're sad， for some man may fall in love with your smile.

永远都不要停止微笑，即使在你难过的时候，说不定有人会因为你的微笑而爱上你。

7. To the world you may be one person， but to one person you may be the world.

对于世界而言，你是一个人；但是对于某个人，你是他的整个世界。

8. Don't waste your time on a man/woman， who isn't willing to waste their time on you.

不要为那些不愿在你身上花费时间的人而浪费你的时间。

Suggested answers：

Ⅰ.Questions：

1. Various answers from different students but the answers should be reasonable and logical.

2. Because his parents were dead. He had to live with his brother and sister-in-law and she never treated him well， always made him feel like he was not welcome in their house. It was unlikely for them to find a wife for him.

3. Because the gods were not allowed to love and marry a human. Zhi Nu was against the laws of God in heaven，

4. Hundreds of magpies flew and formed a magpie bridge for these two lovers to be able to get together. Because they were moved by the love of the two lovers for each other.

Ⅱ.Written work

1. youngest 2. fell 3. named 4. to 5. happily 6. until/before 7. what 8. permission 9. separated10. to see 11. Moved 12. a 13. which 14. been 15. in