七夕的由来（The Origin of Qixi Festival）

Once upon a time, there was a kind boy named Niulang. He lived with his mean brother and sister-in-law who didn't like him.

很久很久以前，有一个善良的男孩叫牛郎。他和刻薄的哥哥嫂嫂住在一起，但他们并不喜欢他。

So, Niulang left home with just an old cow as his friend. But this cow was special—it was once a god!

于是，牛郎只带着一头老牛离开了家，但这头牛可不一般——它曾是天上的神仙!

One day, the magical cow led Niulang to a sparkling lake. There, beautiful fairies bathed.

有一天，这头神奇的牛领着牛郎来到一个波光粼粼的湖边。在那里，美丽的仙女们正在沐浴。

Zhinyu, the prettiest fairy, caught Niulang's eye. They fell in love and soon married, having a son and a daughter. They lived happily ever after, until the Jade Emperor heard.

其中，最漂亮的仙女织女吸引了牛郎的目光。两人一见钟情，很快便结为夫妻，并育有一儿一女。他们从此过上了幸福美满的生活，直到玉皇大帝得知此事。

The Jade Emperor, the highest god, didn't allow mortals to marry fairies. He sent his soldiers to take Zhinyu back to heaven. Niulang was heartbroken.

玉皇大帝是天界至高无上的神灵，他不允许凡人与仙女通婚。于是，他派天兵天将将织女带回天庭。

The cow, feeling sorry, said it would give Niulang magic shoes after it died.

牛郎心碎不已。老牛见状心生怜悯，告诉牛郎自己死后会留下一双魔鞋。

With the shoes, Niulang chased Zhinyu through the sky, carrying his kids in baskets.

穿上这双魔鞋，牛郎用篮筐装着孩子，腾云驾雾地追上了织女。

The empress, angry, created the Milky Way to keep them apart. But magpies, inspired by their love, built a bridge across the river, letting them meet.

然而，王母娘娘大怒之下，划出一道银河，将两人分隔两岸。但喜鹊们被他们的爱情所感动，纷纷飞来搭成一座鹊桥，让牛郎和织女得以相会。

Moved by their story, the Jade Emperor let Niulang and Zhinyu see each other once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh month. This is Qixi Festival.

玉皇大帝被他们的故事所打动，特许他们每年农历七月初七相见一次。这就是七夕节的由来。

On this day, people look up at the sky and see two bright stars, Niulang and Zhinyu, shining on opposite sides of the Milky Way.

在这一天，人们会仰望星空，寻找那两颗璀璨的星星——牛郎星和织女星，它们在银河的两端遥相呼应。

They remind us of the love that bridges even the widest gaps.

它们提醒着我们，真爱能够跨越最遥远的距离。

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