HSK 3 · Article · 407 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-are-mooncakes

月饼里面有什么?

What are mooncakes?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

九月jiǔyuè的de一天yìtiān,一个yígè中国zhōngguó同事tóngshì送sòng了le我wǒ一yí个gè礼物lǐwù。我wǒ打开dǎkāi一yí看kàn,是shì四sì个gè圆圆yuányuán的de东西dōngxī,上边shàngbian有yǒu好看hǎokàn的de花huā,还有háiyǒu字zì。同事tóngshì笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“中秋节zhōngqiūjié快kuài到dào了le,这zhè是shì给gěi你nǐ的de月饼yuèbǐng。”

中秋节zhōngqiūjié在zài农历nónglì八月bāyuè十五shíwǔ。这zhè天tiān晚上wǎnshang的de月亮yuèliang又yòu大dà又yòu圆yuán。中国zhōngguó人rén觉得juéde,这样zhèyàng的de月亮yuèliang就jiù像xiàng家里人jiālǐrén都dōu在zài一起yìqǐ。所以suóyǐ,这zhè天tiān晚上wǎnshang很hěn多duō人rén都dōu会huì回家huíjiā,和hé家里人jiālǐrén一起yìqǐ吃chī晚饭wǎnfàn、看kàn月亮yuèliang,还hái要yào吃chī月饼yuèbǐng。

月饼yuèbǐng和hé月亮yuèliang一样yíyàng,也yě是shì圆yuán的de。很hěn多duō月饼yuèbǐng里边lǐbian是shì甜tián的de。有的yǒude中间zhōngjiān还有háiyǒu一个yígè黄色huángsè的de东西dōngxī,就jiù像xiàng天上tiānshàng的de月亮yuèliang。第一次dìyīcì吃chī的de外国人wàiguórén常常chángcháng会huì问wèn:“里边lǐbian怎么zěnme会huì有yǒu鸡蛋jīdàn?”不过búguò,那nà不是búshì鸡蛋jīdàn,是shì鸭子yāzi的de蛋黄dànhuáng,有点儿yóudiǎnr咸xián。

月饼yuèbǐng有yǒu很hěn多种duōzhǒng味道wèidao。有yǒu甜tián的de,也yě有yǒu咸xián的de,有yǒu的de里边lǐbian还有háiyǒu肉ròu。不同bùtóng的de地方dìfang,样子yàngzi和hé味道wèidao都dōu不bù一样yíyàng。

月饼yuèbǐng还有háiyǒu一个yígè有意思yǒuyìsi的de故事gùshi。听说tīngshuō六百多liùbǎiduō年nián前qián,有人yǒurén想xiǎng和hé很hěn多duō人rén一起yìqǐ做zuò一yí件jiàn大事dàshì,可是kěshì不能bùnéng让ràng别人biéren知道zhīdào。他们tāmen就jiù在zài小xiǎo纸条zhǐtiáo上shàng写xiě了le一yí个gè日子rìzi,放进fàngjìn月饼yuèbǐng里,送给sònggěi大家dàjiā。大家dàjiā一yì吃chī月饼yuèbǐng,就jiù都dōu知道zhīdào是shì哪nǎ一天yìtiān了le。这zhè个gè故事gùshi是不是shìbúshì真的zhēnde,现在xiànzài已经yǐjīng没有méiyǒu人rén知道zhīdào了le。

月饼yuèbǐng很hěn好吃hǎochī,可是kěshì一yí个gè人rén吃chī一个yígè,有点儿yóudiǎnr多duō。所以suóyǐ,中国zhōngguó人rén常常chángcháng把bǎ它tā分成fēnchéng几jǐ小xiǎo块kuài,家里jiālǐ人rén一起yìqǐ吃chī。如果rúguǒ你nǐ也yě收到shōudào了le月饼yuèbǐng,那nà就jiù这样zhèyàng吃chī吧ba:请qǐng几jǐ个gè朋友péngyǒu来lái,一边yìbiān看kàn月亮yuèliang,一边yìbiān吃chī。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
送sòngto give (as a present)
打开dǎkāito open
花huāflower; blossom
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
这样zhèyànglike this; this way
一起yìqǐtogether
肉ròumeat; flesh
有意思yǒuyìsiinteresting; fun
同事tóngshìcolleague; coworker
礼物lǐwùgift; present
月亮yuèliangthe moon
甜tiánsweet

English (for the teacher)

One day in September, a Chinese colleague gave me a present. I opened it: four round things, with pretty flowers and characters on top. My colleague smiled and said: “The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here, these are mooncakes for you.”

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. That night the moon is big and round. To Chinese people, a moon like that is like the whole family being together. So that night many people go home to have dinner with their family, look at the moon, and eat mooncakes too.

Like the moon, mooncakes are round. Many mooncakes are sweet inside. Some also have a yellow thing in the middle, just like the moon in the sky. Foreigners eating one for the first time often ask: “Why is there an egg in here?” But it isn’t a hen’s egg: it’s a duck egg yolk, and a little salty.

Mooncakes come in many flavours. There are sweet ones and salty ones, and some even have meat inside. In different places, they look and taste different.

Mooncakes also have an interesting story. It is said that more than six hundred years ago, some people wanted to rise up together, but no one else could know. So they wrote a date on little slips of paper, put them inside mooncakes and handed them out. As soon as people ate their mooncakes, they all knew which day it was. Whether the story is true, nobody knows anymore.

Mooncakes are delicious, but a whole one is a bit much for one person. So Chinese people often cut it into a few small pieces and the family eats it together. If you get mooncakes too, eat them like this: invite a few friends over, look at the moon, and eat.