和月亮一样圆

再过两个星期就是中秋节了，可是我今年不能回家，心里有点难过。

Mid-Autumn Festival is in two more weeks, but I can't go home this year. I feel a bit down about it.

中秋节对你来说，是不是特别重要的一个节日？

Is Mid-Autumn Festival an especially important holiday for you?

对。我们家每年这一天都要一起吃饭，一起吃月饼，一起看月亮。今年我一个人在这里，可能只能自己吃月饼了。

Yes. Every year on that day my family eats together, eats mooncakes together, looks at the moon together. This year I'm here alone, I'll probably just have to eat mooncake by myself.

你知道为什么中秋节要吃月饼，还要看月亮吗？

Do you know why Mid-Autumn Festival involves eating mooncakes and looking at the moon?

好像跟团圆有关系吧，但是我说不清楚为什么。

It seems related to reunion, but I can't quite explain why.

月饼是圆的，那天的月亮也是最圆的时候，圆代表着一家人聚在一起，没有人少，跟月饼的样子一样，中间没有缺一块。

Mooncakes are round, and the moon that night is also at its roundest. Round represents a family gathered together, nobody missing, just like the shape of a mooncake, nothing missing from the middle.

原来是这样。那月亮上住着一个人的那个故事，也是中秋节的故事吗？

Ah, so that's why. Is the story about someone living on the moon also a Mid-Autumn story?

是的，那是嫦娥的故事。她的丈夫叫后羿，因为吃了一种药，嫦娥一个人飞到了月亮上，从这以后，她就一直一个人住在月亮上，再也回不到丈夫身边了。

Yes, that's the story of Chang'e. Her husband was named Houyi. After taking a certain medicine, Chang'e flew to the moon alone. From then on, she lived on the moon by herself, never able to return to her husband's side again.

这个故事有点难过，她跟丈夫从此就分开了。

That story is a bit sad, she and her husband were separated forever after that.

对，所以每年中秋节，大家一边吃着圆圆的月饼，一边看着圆圆的月亮，其实也是在想念嫦娥，想念那些不能跟家人在一起的人。

Right, so every year at Mid-Autumn, while everyone eats round mooncakes and looks at the round moon, they're actually also thinking of Chang'e, thinking of the people who can't be with their families.

那你的意思是，我今年一个人过中秋节，其实也没有那么孤单，因为我跟嫦娥一样，也在看着同一个月亮？

So you mean, spending Mid-Autumn alone this year isn't actually so lonely for me, because like Chang'e, I'm also looking at the very same moon?

可以这么想。你的家人，这一天晚上，应该也会看着同一个月亮，虽然你们不在同一个地方，但是你们看到的月亮是一样圆的。

You could think of it that way. Your family, that same night, will probably also be looking at the same moon. Even though you're not in the same place, the moon you each see is equally round.

这样想，好像真的没有那么难过了。那我今年一个人，是不是也应该买一块月饼吃？

Thinking of it that way, it really doesn't feel so sad anymore. So should I still buy a mooncake to eat by myself this year?

当然应该，你可以一边吃，一边给家人打个电话，让他们知道，你也在看同一个月亮。

Of course you should. You could eat it while calling your family, letting them know that you're looking at the same moon too.