A dragon boat or dragonboat is nothing but a human-powered watercraft. It is made out of teak wood in the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. It is made of various designs and sizes。

　　龙舟其实就是一艘人力的船只。龙舟是用中国广东珠三角地区生产的柚木制造的。它有许多不同的设计和尺寸。

　　Dragon boats form the base of the team paddling sport called dragon boat racing, an amateur water sport having its roots in an ancient folk lore of competing villagers. It has been held over the past 2000 years all over southern China。

　　龙舟是一项团队划船运动，即赛龙舟的基础。赛龙舟是一项业余水上运动，起源于关于村民竞争的一个古老的民间传说。赛龙舟在中国南方已经举办了超过2000年。

　　Dragon boat racing has surfaced in modern times as an international sport, starting in 1976 in Hong Kong. However, the history of dragon boats in competition goes as far back as the same age as the aboriginal games of Olympia taking place in ancient Greece。

　　赛龙舟在近代已经成为一项国际运动，在1976年开始于香港。然而，赛龙舟的历史可以追溯到与古希腊原住民举办的奥林匹克竞赛同龄。

　　The usual crew of a contemporary dragon boat typically consists of 22 people, comprising majorly of 20 paddler-pairs facing the bow of the boat. Then there is 1 drummer or caller at the bow end, facing the paddlers and finally 1 sweep or the one who steers at the rear end of the boat。

　　当代的龙舟上一般有22个参赛队员，包括20个向着船头的划手，还有1个面对着划手，站在船尾的鼓手或锣手。最后，还有一个舵手或者说站在船尾掌控方向的人。

　　Dragon boats do vary in length however, naturally altering the crew size accordingly, from 10 paddlers in small dragon boats up to 50 paddlers in the traditional boats。

　　龙舟的长短不一，参赛队员的人数也相应有所变化，从只有10个划手的小龙舟到有50个划手的传统龙舟不等。

　　The international dragon boat festival in the western hemisphere was first organized in June 1983 in San Diego, California。

　　1983年6月，加州圣地亚哥首次举办西方国家的国际龙舟节。

国际龙舟节

　　1.Boston, Massachusetts (June 12) - What better way to enjoy New England’s summer weather than to observe over 50 teams canoeing down Charles River? The Boston Dragon Boat Festival is a total playground for lovers of crafts. There are many participatory workshops like making zhong zi, folding and shaping Chinese origami paper into butterflies and boats and also decorating opera masks。

　　马萨诸塞州波士顿市(6月12日)——有什么比观看50多支船队从查尔斯河划桨而下更适合享受新英格兰的夏日天气呢？波士顿端午节是一个工艺品爱好者的玩乐圣地。这里有许多参与性工作坊，比如包粽子、把中国折纸折叠成蝴蝶和船只还有画戏剧脸谱。

　　2.Denver, Colorado (July 30 & 31) - It is no argument that Denver takes its racing quite seriously. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival starts off with a 75-foot dragon dance and a team parade in traditional costume. Following the launch, the festival features both flag-catching races on Taiwanese boats and lightning-speed races on Hong Kong boats. The competition is sure to get your pulse racing。

　　科罗拉多州丹佛市(7月30日及31日)——毫无疑问，丹佛市相当看重它的比赛。科罗拉多端午节以75英尺的舞龙和穿着传统服装的游行开场。随后，这个节日有台湾船队的捡旗比赛和香港船队的闪电速度比赛。这个比赛绝对会让你心跳加快。

3.Queens, New York (August 13 & 14) - The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York boasted over 170 teams last year. Located in Flushing, which is a neighborhood known for its Asian cuisine, the festival has served many a traditional fare like bubble tea, dumplings and shaved ice。

　　纽约皇后区(8月13日及14日)——纽约的香港龙舟节去年有超过170支的队伍。这个节日位于法拉盛，著名的亚洲美食街区，所以这里会有许多传统美食，比如茶叶、饺子和刨冰。

　　4.San Francisco, California (Sept. 17 & 18) - The San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival almost looks like a full-blown carnival. The best part? It’s free. Keep the kids and also your wallet happy while making chopstick dragons or trying a hand at rock climbing. Make sure you catch acts like the ribbon and fan dance, the acrobat show and the wu shu performance。

　　加利福尼亚州旧金山市(9月17日及18日)—— 旧金山国际龙舟节看上去就像一个热烈的狂欢节。最好的一点就是它是免费的。你不用花一分钱，就能用筷子制作龙或者试试攀岩。记得去观看彩带扇子舞、杂技表演和武术表演。

【信息来源于新浪教育】