This is a famous love story among the Han Chinese folklore in ancient China, and it’s also one of the four super well-known Chinese folk legends. The other three are “Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai,” “Meng Jiang Nu Cries at the Great Wall,” and “The Legend of the White Snake.”
这个故事是从牵牛星和织女星的名字变来的 。 说的是古代天上有个天帝 , 他的孙女叫织女 , 特别会织布 , 每天都给天上织彩霞 。 但她觉得这种日子太无聊了 , 就偷偷跑到人间 , 和河西的一个叫牛郎的小伙子结了婚 , 两个人一起种地织布 , 过得挺开心的 。
This story evolved from the names of the Cowherd Star and the Weaver Star. It goes like this: In ancient times, there was a Tian Di in the sky, and his granddaughter, the Zhi Nu, was particularly skilled at weaving. She would weave colorful clouds for the sky every day. However, she found this life too boring, so she secretly descended to the mortal world and married a young man named the Niu Lang who lived on the west bank of the river. Together, they farmed and wove, living a happy life.
可是这事儿被天帝知道了 , 他非常生气 , 就把织女抓回了天上 , 还让他们俩分开 , 只让他们每年农历七月七在鹊桥上见一次面 。 他们之间的感情太真挚了 , 连喜鹊都被感动了 , 于是好多喜鹊都飞过来 , 用自己的身体搭成了一座桥 , 横跨在天河上 , 让他们俩能在天河上见面 。
But when the Tian Di found out about this, he was extremely angry. He captured the Zhi Nu and took her back to heaven, separating her from the Niu Lang. He only allowed them to meet once a year on the Double Seventh Festival (the 7th day of the 7th lunar month) on the Magpie Bridge. Their love was so sincere that it even moved the magpies. Many magpies flew over and used their bodies to form a bridge across the Milky Way, allowing the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl to meet on the river.