| The day of the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon Festival, falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, and usually in late September or in early October according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, the festival falls on October 3. |
每年陰歷八月十五日是中國的傳統節日中秋節，通常是在公歷九月末或十月初，今年的中秋節是公歷十月三日。 |
| As the day draws near, mooncakes become the most popular food and a gift given to mark the occasion. With the range of mooncakes changing constantly, a new variety, packaged in wooden, bamboo, and silk boxes, has been prevailing on the market. These luxuriantly packaged mooncakes are selling well both in supermarkets and hotels around the country. |
隨著中秋節一天天的臨近，月餅成為這一時期的搶手貨和禮品。隨著月餅種類的不斷變化，一種新型的木制、竹制和絲制包裝盒的月餅在市場上開始流行。這種豪華包裝的月餅在國內的各大超市和酒店十分走俏。 |
| Some producers obviously believe that people will be more likely to purchase their mooncakes if the packaging is extremely attractive, and they even add “gifts” inside such as bottles of wine or a small golden figure of Buddha. |
一些廠商顯然相信如果月餅的包裝極度引人注目，人們就一定會購買，有些廠商甚至將瓶裝酒或金制佛像這類“禮品”裝在月餅盒中。 |
| Most of the luxury boxes are thrown away after the mooncakes have been eaten. I remember during my childhood, mooncakes came only in paper cartons with beautiful designs printed on them. It seems that Chinese people now have a tendency to pursue luxury after the “problem of adequate food and clothing” has been settled. What a waste! |
人們通常在吃完月餅后就將這些豪華月餅盒扔掉了。我記得我小時候月餅是被包在印有漂亮圖案的紙盒里。中國人現在好像在“溫飽問題得以解決之后”有一種追求豪華的趨勢。 |
| It is a Chinese tradition to visit others with presents, usually food, during festivals. People usually choose those with good-looking packages for the sake of “face”, no matter the true value of the food itself. However, tradition should not become an excuse for waste in a timber-deficient nation like China. |
節日期間帶禮品走親訪友是中國人的傳統，這些禮品通常是食品。人們為了“面子”上過得去通常選擇那些包裝好看的食品，很少考慮食品本身的價值。然而，傳統不應該被當成浪費的借口，尤其是在中國這樣一個木材缺少的國家。 |
| Some Chinese experts estimate that 10 million wooden mooncake boxes require the felling of over 100 trees, each with a diameter of at least 10 centimeters. In a sense, Chinese consumers are not only eating mooncakes; they are devouring a lot of trees, too! |
據中國專家統計，每一千萬盒月餅需要砍伐一百棵直徑至少十厘米的樹木。在某種意義上說，中國消費者消費的不僅僅是月餅，也在消費著許許多多的樹木。 |
| China is not particularly rich in woodland resources. Only 16.55 percent of its territory is covered by forests, ranking 111th in the world. This cannot possibly satisfy the needs of 1.3 billion people accounting for more than 20 percent of the world’s total population. |
中國的林木資源很不豐富。中國國土的森林覆蓋率只有16.55%，位于世界第111位。這遠遠不能滿足占世界人口20%的13億中國人的需要。 |
| Currently a “green packaging” drive has been prevailing around the world. Germany has introduced a “Law of Recycling Economy”. Denmark has been the lead in implementing the system of “green tax”. Over-packaging is illegal in South Korea. Many countries demand manufacturers, importers and retailers to take the responsibilities for recycling and remanufacturing of package materials. These practices deserve some consideration in China. |
目前一場“綠色包裝”運動正在全世界展開。德國引進了“循環經濟法”。丹麥引帶頭實施“環保稅”。過度包裝在韓國屬于違法行為。許多國家要求生產廠家、進口商和批發商對包裝材料的循環使用和再生產負責。這些經驗值得中國借鑒。 |
| Every year before the Mid-Autumn Festival, I receive a few boxes of mooncakes as presents from my friends and relatives and most of these gifts are in the most luxuriant packaging. However, I seldom eat these mooncakes, but, instead, give them to other friends and relatives. To treat myself and my daughter, I buy non-packaged cakes, which are much cheaper than their luxury equivalents. They also taste very delicious. Sometimes I buy mooncakes after the festival because they are then more than 50 percent cheaper! |
每年中秋節前我都收到親朋好友贈送的一些月餅，這些月餅大多都包裝十分豪華。但是我很少吃這些月餅，事實上，我把它們又轉送給別的親朋好友。我通常買些簡易包裝的月餅來給我自己和我女兒吃，這些月餅比那些豪華包裝的月餅便宜得多，但味道也很好。有時候，我甚至在中秋節后買些月餅，因為那時候的價格往往比節前便宜一半還多。
(China.org.cn 李京榮 譯) |
