The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance, which is now referred to as the Chinese Valentine's Day. At night when the sky is dotted with stars, people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank of it is a bright star, which sees each other from afar. They are the Altair and Vega. In the distant past, girls would take this occasion to pray to heaven for skillful hands and a happy marriage, which is why Qixi is also called Qiqiao (day of begging) or Girls' Day.
【讲解】 文中的Double Seventh Festival就是“七夕节”的意思,也可以表达为Qixi festival。七夕节源于牛郎织女的传说,相传每年在这一天,织女(Weaving Maid)与牛郎(Cowherd)会在鹊桥(Magpie Bridge)上相会,相关的词汇还有:the Milky Way(银河)、Altair(牛郎星)、Vega(织女星)、magpie(喜鹊)等。 文中的afar是副词,意为“在远处;从远处”,如:They came from afar to see the exhibition.(他们从远处赶来,参观这个展览会。)