April Fool's Day is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others, send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting. No one knows how this holiday began but it was thought to have originated in France.
傳統(tǒng)上來講,愚人節(jié)這一天,人們可以相互搞惡作劇,騙人跑腿,欺騙不知情的人。沒人知道這個(gè)節(jié)日是怎么來的,但人們普遍認(rèn)為它源自法國(guó)。
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. New Year's was celebrated on March 25 and celebrations lasted until April 1st. When New Year's Day as changed from March 25 to January 1st in the mid-1560's by King Charles IX, there were some people who still celebrated it on April 1st and those people were called April Fools.
慶祝愚人節(jié)最早是在1582年,在法國(guó)。那時(shí),當(dāng)時(shí)法國(guó)新年是在3月25日,一直持續(xù)到4月1日。16世紀(jì)60年代中期,國(guó)王查理九世把新年從3月25日變?yōu)?月1日,而還有一些人在4月1日過新年,這些人就被稱作四月傻瓜了。
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
愚人節(jié)那天的惡作劇有的很簡(jiǎn)單(比如,說句“你鞋帶開了!”),有的卻是精心設(shè)計(jì)的。把室友的鬧鐘往后調(diào)一小時(shí)是常見的。甚至新聞媒體都來湊熱鬧。比如,在愚人節(jié)那天,曾經(jīng)有一部英國(guó)短片較為詳細(xì)地記錄了“種意大利面的農(nóng)民”,以及他們?nèi)绾螐囊獯罄鏄渖鲜斋@意大利面。不管是什么惡作劇,搞惡作劇的人通常在最后會(huì)對(duì)被搞的人喊一句:"四月傻瓜!"
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
愚人節(jié)是一個(gè)“僅為娛樂”的節(jié)日。誰也不用買禮物,也不用帶著男/女朋友出去到一家豪華餐廳去吃飯。人們也不會(huì)放假。它僅僅是個(gè)搞笑的小節(jié)日,但是在這一天,每個(gè)人都要保持警醒,不然就要被人耍啦。
Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.
April fool:愚人節(jié)時(shí)受愚弄的人,中文多譯作“四月傻瓜”。沒有人能夠在日歷上準(zhǔn)確地標(biāo)出第一個(gè)愚人節(jié)的位置,即“沒有人知道第一個(gè)愚人節(jié)是什么時(shí)候開始的。”pinpoint:精確地確定......的位置(性質(zhì)、原因等),確認(rèn)。有些人認(rèn)為它可能是同時(shí)從幾種文化演變而來的,源自與春季第一天有關(guān)的慶祝活動(dòng)。sort of:(口)近似,有那么點(diǎn)兒。
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to (4)that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1(5).
查理九世在位期間進(jìn)行了歷法改革,引進(jìn)了陽歷,并且把新年第一天移至1月1日。Charlex IX:查理九世,法蘭西國(guó)王[1560-1574];Gregorian Calendar:格列高利歷,即目前全世界通用的陽歷。
However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years(6). Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1(7). These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes(8).
然而,在那個(gè)消息還有靠徒步旅行傳播的年代里,有許多人過了好幾年后才得到這個(gè)消息。一幫冥頑不化的家伙卻拒絕接受新歷法,依舊在4月1日那天慶祝新年。他們受到嘲笑,并且經(jīng)常被派去做只有笨蛋才做的差事,或者成為惡作劇的對(duì)象。butt:(嘲弄等的)對(duì)象,笑柄;practical joke:惡作劇。
This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April(9). The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun feast(10), so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
這種折磨人的行為隨著時(shí)間慢慢演變成在4月的第一天搞惡作劇的傳統(tǒng)。
In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day(11). The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance(12).
例如在蘇格蘭,愚人節(jié)實(shí)際上要過兩天。第二天專門對(duì)人身后部位(謔指屁股)胡鬧。這一天被稱作Taily節(jié),這一天專門玩跟臀部有關(guān)的惡作劇,通常做法是悄悄地在別人的臀部貼上寫著“踢我”的標(biāo)簽,顯得十分滑稽。
Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery(13).
最初這一天是用來紀(jì)念被希律王屠殺的那些無辜的孩童,結(jié)果卻演變成了一個(gè)充滿惡作劇和詭計(jì)的較為輕松的紀(jì)念日。King Herod:希律王(希律大帝),羅馬統(tǒng)治時(shí)期的猶太國(guó)王,統(tǒng)治后期兇惡殘暴,曾下令屠戮伯利恒城男嬰;commemoration:慶祝會(huì),紀(jì)念儀式;trickery:詭計(jì),耍花招。
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate(14). Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag(15). Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!" (16)
無論哪種惡作劇,都會(huì)以其始作俑者朝受害者大喊:“四月傻瓜!”而宣告結(jié)束。
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees. (17)
例如,曾在愚人節(jié)放映過一部英國(guó)短片,那是一部相當(dāng)詳盡的紀(jì)錄片,講述了“種面條的人”以及他們是如何從面條樹上收割面條的。spaghetti:意大利式細(xì)面條。
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other(18)" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant(19), for he may be the next April Fool!
還沒有人評(píng)論哦,趕緊搶一個(gè)沙發(fā)吧!