SLL3a: Into the River 投身汨羅江
The tragedy of Qu Yuan that launched 10 000 dragon boats 屈原的悲劇與萬舟競渡的起源 (Story to be published in the Taipei Times, June 3, 2025 https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2025/06/03/2003837931)
Into the River: The tragedy of Qu Yuan that launched 10 000 dragon boats
I stand by the Miluo River as dusk falls.
The court betrayal is too much. I served Chu with loyalty. I forged alliances and fought corruption.
But the whispers of jealous courtiers, the murmurs of treason, spoke louder. The king cast me out.
The water looks calm. It promises peace. I step in. The river is cold against my legs.
I hear shouts behind me—fishermen calling my name. I keep walking.
The calls grow louder, but I do not turn around.
The water rises to my chest. It pulls at me. I let it.
My feet leave the bottom, and I float for a moment. And then I sink.
The noise from the shore disappears. Only the river's muted hum remains.
Through the water, I see boats thrashing. Oars striking the surface.
Rice dumplings falling in, bobbing like small, white boats. Fish dart around them, curious and quick.
I close my eyes.
The river's embrace is complete.
Chu’s troubles and my sorrows slip away.
The current takes me.
I drift into darkness.
Epilogue
The story is a retelling of the final moments of Qu Yuan, a poet and official of the Chu State more than 2,000 years ago. Betrayed by corruption in his country, he walked into the Miluo River with a heavy heart. He gave his life not out of despair alone, but out of love for his homeland. His brave act went down in history as a symbol of loyalty and moral courage. To this day, he is remembered and respected in Chinese culture. After his death, local people raced out in boats, hoping to find or save him. They beat drums to scare fish away and threw rice dumplings into the river. These early actions were how people paid tribute to Qu Yuan.
These traditions became the roots of the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival. In Taiwan, the festival is more than a day off—it is a time to celebrate teamwork, family, and cultural pride. People gather to watch or join in dragon boat races held in places like Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, and Tainan. Teams paddle in long boats to the beat of drums, racing across rivers or lakes. At home, families make and eat zongzi—sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. These can be filled with pork, mushrooms, peanuts, or sweet red beans. Some people still hang mugwort and calamus on their doors to protect against bad luck or illness. Small herbal pouches and five-colored threads are given to children for health and safety. These items are often sold at local markets and temples during the festival.
Though the customs may change with time, the meaning behind them remains. The Dragon Boat Festival connects the past with the present. It reminds us that even in difficult times, acts of courage and love are never forgotten.
投身汨羅江：屈原的悲劇與萬舟競渡的起源
夕陽低垂，我佇立於汨羅江畔。朝廷的背叛讓人心寒。我為楚國鞠躬盡瘁，忠誠為國，締結同盟、力抗腐敗。但嫉妒朝臣的低語、誣陷叛國的流言，終究淹沒了真相。國君將我驅逐出朝堂。
江水看似平靜，承諾著將給予我渴求的那份安寧。
我一腳踏入水中，冷冽的河水迅速沒過雙腿。
身後傳來了漁夫們焦急的呼喊，他們叫著我的名字。
喊叫聲愈發大聲。可是我沒有回頭，只是一步步走向水心。
江水漫至胸前，那股拉扯的力量開始攫住我。
但我沒有抗拒，就這麼任憑水流把我帶離。
我的腳離開了地面，身軀短暫飄浮著，並隨即沉沒水底。岸上的喧囂消散，只剩江水幽幽的低鳴。
透過水，我看見了船隻在江面翻騰，船槳拍打著水面。
一枚枚粽子投入江中，隨波蕩漾，像小小的白舟。
魚群好奇地穿梭其中，靈巧而快速。
我闔上雙眼，任由江水將我緊緊抱入懷中。
楚國的紛擾與我的哀愁散去。
我隨著水流牽引，
飄向無盡的黑暗。
故事討論
這個故事改編自兩千多年前楚國詩人與官員——屈原的生命終章。因爲被腐敗朝廷背叛，他心懷悲憤，步入汨羅江。他選擇以死明志，不只是出於絕望，而是源自對楚國的熱愛。他的這份舉動，自此成為忠誠與道德勇氣的象徵，永留青史。時至今日，屈原依然在華人文化中備受景仰與懷念。屈原投江後，當地百姓划著小船四處搜尋，希望能救回他。他們擊鼓驅趕魚群，也把粽子丟進河裡（為了讓魚去吃粽子，不咬屈原的身體），當年的人們正是透過這些行動，來表達對屈原的緬懷與敬意。
這些習俗逐漸演變為今天的端午節，亦稱為龍舟節。在臺灣，端午不僅是放假日，更是凝聚家族、展現團隊精神與文化認同的重要時刻。每到端午，台北、高雄、鹿港、台南等地都會舉辦熱鬧的龍舟競賽。選手們在長長的龍舟中隨著鼓聲齊心划槳，在河裡或湖裡奮力競速。家家戶戶則包起粽子，以竹葉包裹糯米，配上豬肉、香菇、花生或紅豆。許多人仍於門上懸掛艾草與菖蒲避邪，並為孩童配戴香包與五色絲線祈求平安，這些物品常見於節慶期間的傳統市場與廟宇。
習俗或許會隨時代更迭，但它的精神永留存。端午連結古今，提醒我們：即便身處逆境，勇氣與摯愛的行動，永不被遺忘。
Vocabulary
Qu Yuan, 屈原 (Qū Yuán)
Miluo River, 汨羅江 (Mìluó Jiāng)
betray, 背叛 (bèipàn)
corruption, 腐敗 (fǔbài)
despair, 絕望 (juéwàng)
zongzi, 粽子 (zòngzi)
dragon boat race, 龍舟競賽 (lóngzhōu jìngsài)
loyalty, 忠誠 (zhōngchéng)
teamwork, 團隊精神/團隊合作 (tuánduì jīngshén / tuánduì hézuò)
celebrate, 展現 (zhǎnxiàn)
with a heavy heart, 懷著沉痛 (huáizhe chéntòng)
go down in history, 永留青史 (yǒng liú qīngshǐ)
pay tribute to, 緬懷 (miǎnhuái)
cast out, 驅逐 (qūzhú)