散文佳作108篇 第35期:苗族龍船節(jié) The Miao Dragon-Boat Festival

The Miao Dragon-Boat Festival

龍船節(jié)，是黔東南清水江上苗族人民最盛大的節(jié)日。節(jié)日里，聚會的苗族同胞，每年有三四萬人。

The Dragon-Boat Festival is the most important celebration of the Miao people, who live alongthe Qingshui Rwerin southeastem Guizhou Province. Every year between 30,000 and 40,000Miaos participate in the festivities.

龍，在苗族人心目中是吉祥如意的象征。苗家姑娘最愛將龍的變形圖案打制成銀飾裝點在頭上，或刺繡在衣裙中，編織于圍腰上。

In the eyes of the Miaos, the dragon is a symbol of good luck. Girls like to adorn their hair withsilver omaments shaped like dragons and wear clothes embroidered or woven with dragonpatterns.

苗族人民制作的龍船，十分精巧、美觀。龍身由一只母船和兩只子船捆扎而成，叫做“子母船”。無論子船還是母船，皆為獨木鏤空。兩米多長的龍頭，用水柳木雕刻，裝有一對一米多長的龍角。龍頭以主色不同，分為赤龍、青龍、黃龍。從施秉縣的平兆到臺江縣的六河，每個苗族寨子都建有“龍篷”，用來保護龍船。因龍船身長25米，“龍篷”建成七格，每格將近四米長，當?shù)赜址Q之為“七間房”。

The Miaos build exquisite"dragon boats," which are in reality a body formed from three canoes-one large and two small-that are strung together. A carved head, painted red, blue, or yellow, ismade from the trunk of a weeping willow tree. It is 2 meters long and sports a pair of horns. Aspecial shelter in seven parts, extending 28 meters, to house dragon boatshas been built inevery Miao village along the Qingshui River from Pingzhao in Shibing county to Liuhe in Taijiangcounty.

每年農歷5月24日至27日，幾十個村寨相繼舉行龍船節(jié)。當?shù)亓晳T，從16日開始，只要全寨薅完秧，本寨的龍船便可下水。因此，從龍船下水的早晚，可以看出各寨的農事生產(chǎn)進度，在勤勞的苗家人民心中，龍船節(jié)到了，地里的秧還未薅完，這是莫大的恥辱。

The Miao Dragon-Boat Festivalis celebrated from the 24th to the 27th ofthe fifth lunar month.But according to local custom, people are allowed to send their dragon boats down the riverafter the 16th, provided that they have finished weeding their fields. The earlier appearance ofthe boats onthe river tesifies to the villagers' efficiency, and conscientious peasants con-siderit a shame not to finish weeding before the festivities begin.

節(jié)日期間，家家戶戶釀米酒，包粽粑，走親訪友，宴請賓朋。出嫁的姑娘必須攜帶粽粑、鵝鴨等禮物回娘家，同父母兄妹團聚。龍船出發(fā)之前，一位歌師唱首吉祥歌，祝愿船只平安。

During the festival, each family makes r:ice wine and zongba (a kind of dump-ling made ofglutinous rice) and calls on friends and relatives. Married womenvisit their parents' homesbearing gifts-zongba, geese, and ducks.

每只龍船都有一位鼓頭。他是一切活動的主持者，由全寨推選出來的德高望重的老人擔任。鼓頭身著長袍馬褂，坐在龍頸上擊鼓發(fā)令，男扮女裝的鼓鑼手，由十歲左右的孩童充任。40位水手，身著青布上衣、士林藍褲子，腰系銀飾花帶，手握五尺木槳，整齊劃一，甚是威武。水手頭上的那特制的馬尾斗笠，原是清水江上游苗族姑娘出嫁時的陪嫁品，卻成了龍船節(jié)水手們必備的一件裝飾物。

In each boat, an old man rides straddling the dragon's neck. He is the mostrespected man inthe village, chosen by the villagers to be the coxswain. Wearing a gown and a mandarinjacket,the old man beats a drum to set the pace for the oarsmen, and severalboys about 10 years ofage, wearmg dresses,beat drums and gongs. The oarsmen, 40 in all, wield 5-foot-longwooden oars. These powerful-looking men wear horsetail-shaped hats, blue jacketsandtrousers, and embroidered waistbands pinned with silver ornaments. The hats, traditionallydowry gifts for girls from the upper reaches of theQingshui River, have become an essentialfeature of the costumes worn bythe dragon-boat oarsmen.

苗族龍船節(jié)，與漢族的端午節(jié)不同。除時間不同外，一般不舉行競賽，主要活動是串寨子，走親訪友。清晨，龍船開始在江水中游動，所到之處，親尤們紛紛到岸邊“接龍”。龍船過寨，鳴放鐵炮傳告親友，岸上以鞭炮聲相呼應。親友們上前，向船上的人各敬兩杯米酒，并將禮品--鵝鴨、彩綢掛于龍頭。如系女婿、姑舅等至親，送上的禮物則是豬羊。

The Miao Dragon-Boat Festival differs from the Han celebration. They are not celebrated on thesame date (the Hans' takes place on the fifth day of thefifth lunar month), and they followdifferent traditions. While the Hans only hold dragon-boat races during the festival, theMiaostake the opportunity to visit friends and relatives. Before a dragon-boat setsout,somebody sings an auspicious song to the boatmen, wishing them agood voyage. Young menset out in boats early in the morning. When they approach a village, they fire guns toannounce their arrival. The villagers setoff firecrackers in response and then go to meet them.The hosts present twocups of rice wine to each oarsman and then tie gifts for their relatives-ducks, geese, and colored silks-onto the heads of the dragons. The tradi-tional gifts for sons-in.law, uncles, and nephews are pigs or sheep.

下午四時左右，龍船靠岸休息，水手們將糯米飯團和肉類放置船幫上就餐。不用碗筷，雙手捏出的糯米飯團格外清香可口。岸上的婦女和小孩紛紛前來“討路邊飯”。傳說，吃了龍船上的食品，能消災免難，百事如愿。后來，這就成為傳統(tǒng)的風俗習慣。

At 4 p.m. the boats stop alongside the riverbank. The drummers and oars~men on the boatseat glutinous rice balls and meat with their fingers. Womenand children on the shore ask theboatmen to share their food. It is said thateating food from a dragon-boat protects one fromdisaster and gives goodluck.

岸上，還有苗家傳統(tǒng)的賽馬、斗牛、踩鼓等活動。姑娘們身著節(jié)日盛裝，應著木鼓鼓點翩翩起舞。飛歌往來，晝夜不絕，青年男女通過對歌，互相了解，建立感情，增進團結和友誼，以致結成幸福家庭。

Horse races and bullfights are held during the festival. Girls in holiday dress dance to theaccompaniment of drums. It is not unusual for young people to meet their future spouses atthe songfests held on festival nights.