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Learn Cantonese with CantoneseClass101!

Don't forget to stop by CantoneseClass101.com for more great Cantonese Language Learning Resources!

get your learning gifts for the month of July 2019

Learn Cantonese with CantoneseClass101!

Don't forget to stop by CantoneseClass101.com for more great Cantonese Language Learning Resources!

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----Traditional ----

端午

每到端午節，對於我來說，首先想到的是龍舟，而不是粽。因為龍舟是我的童年最美的記憶。可惜的是，離開家鄉已經快11個年頭了。所以，每年都特希望能夠在端午節回一次家。工作這麼多年，只有在那一年，有機會藉出差的機會在端午節回去過了一把龍舟癮。

每年的龍舟比賽都是在五月初一開始，到五月初六結束。這一個星期，就是童年的我最期待的一個星期。

比賽就在我家前面的那條小河。小河並不寬，不超過30米，還不直，頂多也就夠3條龍舟並排競技。所以我很奇怪，是什麼人把這樣一項比賽放在了這樣的一條河上。不過我們村的人都很高興，因為周圍臨近的村子的龍舟都要到我們村才能比賽，這樣，我們坐在家門口，甚至陽台上，就可以看比賽了。而不需要像其他村的人，專門要趕過來。

我小學就在河邊，次次龍舟划過，我們只要一擰頭，就可以從教師後面的窗裡看到了。所以，每年划龍舟的時候，學校下午都要停課——不停課也冇辦法，那時候誰還聽得入去呢。這也是我們鍾意龍舟的原因。

賽龍舟其實算不上比賽，因為冇人組織，冇裁判，冇獎金，冇名次。就是每天下午各條村將龍舟划到一齊，看上哪條龍舟，就互相招呼一聲——不如鬥一轉？然後就鳴鼓開鬥了。

----English----

The Dragon Boat Festival

Every time it's the Dragon Boat Festival, my first thought isn't the rice dumplings but rather the dragon boats. This is because my memories of dragon boats are among my most cherished memories from childhood. The sad thing is that ever since I left home eleven years ago, I've always wanted to return home for the Dragon Boat Festival, but have only had the chance to travel back once because of a business trip.

Every year the dragon boat races start on the first of May and continue to the sixth of May, according to the lunar calendar. This week was the one I looked forward to the most when I was a child.

The races would be held on a small river in front of my house. The river wasn't wide - not more than thirty meters. And it also wasn't straight, so there was only room for three dragon boats to compete side-by-side. This makes me wonder why people decided to hold these games on that kind of river. But the people in our village were happy because other boats from different villages would come to our village to race. So we could all just sit at our front door, or maybe on the balcony, and see the competitions. And we didn't need to rush there to watch the games like people from other villages.

My primary school was next to the river too, so every time a dragon boat passed, we'd turn our head and watch it through the windows behind our teacher. That's why schools close in the afternoon when the dragon boat races start. They have to close because otherwise no one would listen to the lessons. And this is the reason we loved dragon boating as kids.

And the dragon boat races aren't really competitions either. There is no one there to organize them. There are no referees, no prizes, and no rankings. All people do is bring the boats together each afternoon, see which ones they want to match up, and then ask, "You want to race?" Then the signal goes and the race is on!

----Jyutping----

dyun1 ng5

mui5 dou3 dyun1 ng5 zit3 ， deoi3 jyu1 ngo5 loi4 syut3 ， sau2 sin1 soeng2 dou3 dik1 si6 lung4 zau1 ， ji4 bat1 si6 zung2 。 jan1 wai6 lung4 zau1 si6 ngo5 dik1 tung4 nin4 zeoi3 mei5 dik1 gei3 jik1 。 ho2 sik1 dik1 si6 ， lei4 hoi1 gaa1 hoeng1 ji5 ging1 faai3 sap6 jat1 go3 nin4 tau4 liu5 。 so2 ji5 ， mui5 nin4 dou1 dak6 hei1 mong6 nang4 gau3 zoi6 dyun1 ng5 zit3 wui4 jat1 ci3 gaa1 。 gung1 zok3 ze2 mo1 do1 nin4 ， zi2 jau5 zoi6 naa5 jat1 nin4 ， jau5 gei1 wui6 zik6 ceot1 cai1 dik1 gei1 wui6 zoi6 dyun1 ng5 zit3 wui4 heoi3 gwo3 liu5 jat1 baa2 lung4 zau1 jan2 。

mui5 nin4 dik1 lung4 zau1 bei2 coi3 dou1 si6 zoi6 ng5 jyut6 co1 jat1 hoi1 ci2 ， dou3 ng5 jyut6 co1 luk6 git3 cuk1 。 ze2 jat1 go3 sing1 kei4 ， zau6 si6 tung4 nin4 dik1 ngo5 zeoi3 kei4 doi6 dik1 jat1 go3 sing1 kei4 。

bei2 coi3 zau6 zoi6 ngo5 gaa1 cin4 min6 dik1 naa5 tiu4 siu2 ho4 。 siu2 ho4 bing3 bat1 fun1 ， bat1 ciu1 gwo1 saam1 sap6 mai5 ， wan6 bat1 zik6 ， ding2 do1 jaa5 zau6 gau [...]