近几年,西方的节日在国内越来越流行,圣诞节、情人节、万圣节等西方节日大受年轻人欢迎,甚至中老年也开始加入这一行列。在节日期间,人们给孩子、朋友、亲戚买礼物或去参加派对。但大家是否都真正了解这些西方节日的真正内涵呢?
1.Merry Christmas!
圣诞快乐!
2.Best wishes for a happy New Year!
祝新年快乐!
3.May you have the best Christmas ever.
祝愿你度过最美好的圣诞节!
4.Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year bright with joy and success.
祝圣诞快乐,新年充满幸福和成功。
5.Did the Easter bunny bring you any Easter eggs?
复活节兔子给你带彩蛋了吗?
6.Thank you for making my haunted house full of fun!Happy Halloween!
谢谢你让我的鬼屋带来好多乐趣!万圣节快乐!
7.Easter used to be a religious festival but now it's just a chance to eat chocolate and candy.
复活节以前是个宗教节日,但是现在只不过是吃巧克力和糖果的一个机会。
8.They will have parties for showing their amazing weird costumes.
他们将举行一些派对展示他们的奇装异服。
9.I'll just forward him an e-card and he can get it from the e-mail.
我将转寄一个电子贺卡给他,他可以通过电子邮件收到。
10.More and more Chinese young people are ignoring traditional festivals while showing more interest in western holidays.
越来越多的中国年轻人开始忽视中国的传统节日而更注重西方节日。
Ross:The exciting Halloween is coming next week. Usually people get dressed up in different costumes.
罗斯:下周就是万圣节了。人们通常会穿上不同的服装打扮。
Dannie:It sounds cool. How do we celebrate Halloween?
丹尼:真有意思。我们怎么庆祝万圣节呢?
Ross:Usually it's fun that some kids going around playing pranks, like punching the pumpkins left outside people's doors, or hanging a roll of toilet paper in someone's tree. They usually do it late at night.
罗斯:通常是一些比较大的孩子们到处走动来搞一些恶作剧,比如说把邻居门口的南瓜灯上戳几个洞,或者给别人家的树上挂上一卷卫生纸。他们经常深夜了出来干这种事。
Dannie:Is there anything more interesting?
丹尼:还有别的好玩的吗?
Ross:The kids are supposed to say"Trick or Treat". Then their neighbor is supposed to hand out some candies.
罗斯:他们会说“不给糖就捣蛋”。然后,这些小孩的邻居就会拿出一些糖果。
Dannie:There must be a lot of fun. Can adults get together with friends that night?
丹尼:一定很有意思的。那天晚上大人们能和朋友们聚在一起吗?
Ross:Yes. They will have parties for showing their amazing weird costumes.And people might trick on each other do something funny.
罗斯:是的,他们将举行一些派对展示他们的奇装异服,还有对彼此耍些恶作剧,做些好玩的事情。
Dannie:It is great, I can't wait for that day.
丹尼:真棒,我很期待那天的到来!
Ross:It will be Halloween tomorrow. I already have all my things be ready.I bought two pumpkins and a big bag of candy.Do you want to help me make a jack-o'-lantern?
罗斯:明天就是万圣节前夕了,我都准备好了,我买了两个南瓜和一大袋糖果,你愿意帮我做个杰克灯吗?
Dannie:Yes. I love to.
丹尼:是的,我很愿意。
Christmas Day圣诞节
New Year's Day新年
Easter Day复活节
Thanksgiving Day感恩节
April Fool's Day愚人节
Saint Valentine's Day/
Valentine's Day情人节
Halloween/All Saints'Day万圣节
Mother's Day母亲节
Father's Day父亲节
Labor Day劳动节
Christmas Eve圣诞前夕
New Year's Eve新年前夕
Happy New Year!新年快乐!
Merry Christmas!圣诞快乐!
Easter eggs复活节彩蛋
Christmas tree圣诞树
Trick-or-treat!不给糖就捣蛋!
Santa Claus圣诞老人
turkey火鸡
pudding布丁
Most young Chinese, rushing to buy flowers and chocolates in a craze, don't know the historical origin of Valentine's Day!Then what's the real cause of this phenomenon?
每当情人节,许多中国年轻人只知道抢购花和巧克力,却不知其真正的历史渊源。是什么导致这种现象呢?
First, commercial benefts are the best impetus!Why do more and more people come to know about western festivals?Because it is too hard to deny those advertisements all around you!Regardless of whether Chinese are importing the essence of Western festivals, business owners must seize the opportunity to fill their cash registers. Maybe the businessmen, rather than the young people, are the happiest on such occasions.
首先,是商业利益助长了这种势头。为什么越来越多的人开始知道西方节日?因为他们难以抵挡周围的广告宣传。不管人们有没有理解这些节日的内涵,商人们只管狠抓机会填鼓腰包。也许节日期间,相比年轻人,商人才是最快乐的。
Second, western festivals pay much attention to sentiment. For example, people take Valentines'Day as an opportunity to express love to their lovers.It is the emotional appeal that attracts us.On the other hand, Chinese traditional Valentines'Day has never been a big event in China.Young women, demonstrating their domestic skills, such as sewing and weaving, and praying to marry a good husband seems to be far out of date.
其次,西方节日更注重情感。例如人们把情人节当作是向爱人表达爱意的机会。正是这种情感表达方式吸引着我们。而七夕节在中国从来不是什么重要的节日。年轻的女人们在七夕节当天展示缝纫、织衣等手艺,并祈祷嫁个好丈夫的习俗,在今天看来都已经过时了。
With social development, festivals are going through change. Some are weakened;some are strengthened;while others are endowed with new meanings or connotations.This is the natural process of cultural selection.Therefore, it is unnecessary to feel embarrassed about the invasion of foreign festivals.This is only an aspect of world cultural integration.
随着社会发展,节日也开始改变。有些节日渐渐退出人们视野,有些节日越来越受到人们的重视,也有些节日被赋予了新的意义或内涵。这是文化选择的自然过程。因此,没必要对外来节日的入侵感到困窘。这仅仅是世界文化一体化的一个方面。