The 2024 International Dragon Boat Federation World Cup officially started in Miluo, Hunan province on Saturday, with 11 of the best dragon boat teams competing in the two-day event.

10月26日，2024第四届国际龙舟联合会世界杯在湖南汨罗举办，本次比赛为期两天，共有11支世界顶尖龙舟队参赛。

Two of the teams are from China while the remaining teams include competitors from Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

中国派出了两支代表队参赛，其余队伍包括来自澳大利亚、加拿大和英国的参赛者。

The teams compete in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 500-meter race with 22 members and a helmsman, as well as the 400-meter relay and 1,000-meter relay with 12 members and a helmsman.

参赛各队在22人龙舟100米、200米、500米直道竞速赛及12人龙舟400米接力赛、1000米追逐赛等赛程中进行角逐，总成绩最好的队伍捧杯。

The World Cup is held every two years with eligible teams that qualify with the best results. The competition is broadcasted live on China Central Television.

国际龙舟联合会世界杯龙舟赛每两年举办一届，只有拥有优异成绩的队伍才可参赛。比赛由中央电视台进行现场直播放送。

Meanwhile, 12 local teams from Miluo will also participate in a separate competition.

与此同时，汨罗本地的12支龙舟队伍也将参加另一场竞赛项目。

Dragon boat racing dates back thousands of years in Miluo, which is the origin of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May in the lunar calendar.

汨罗江畔的龙舟竞渡可追溯至数千年前，而汨罗江正是农历五月初五传统端午节的发源地。

One of the most popular stories of the festival's origins is that of Qu Yuan, an exiled poet and politician during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Upon hearing that his state, Chu, had been defeated, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.

追溯端午节起源，其中最广为人知的就是战国时期的政治家、流放诗人屈原的故事。当他听说母国楚国在战争中被打败后，便投江自尽，以身殉国。

Villagers paddled out in boats to save him, however upon realizing it was too late they threw zongzi, known as glutinous rice dumplings, into the river to prevent fish from eating his body. The villagers also thrashed their paddles and beat their drums to scare the fish away.

于是村民们纷纷驾舟前往捞救，但为时已晚，只好往江河中投掷粽子（又称糯米粽子）以防止鱼吃掉他的遗体。村民们还挥舞船桨，敲打着鼓用以吓跑鱼群。

Therefore, boat racing and eating sticky rice dumplings have become two of the most popularized traditions for people to commemorate the festival and Qu Yuan.

因此，赛龙舟和吃粽子已经成为人们纪念这个节日和屈原的两种最普及的传统习俗。

Nowadays, boat racing is included in school physical education courses and Miluo city has included the race as one of the elected sports programs in high school entrance exams since 2022.

如今，龙舟竞赛已成为学校体育课程的一部分，汨罗市自2022年起已将这项比赛列为高中入学考试的选考体育项目之一。