【英语趣味课堂】节日-The Holiday

Daniel: Hi Olga, how are you?

Olga: Fine, Daniel, how are you?

 

Daniel: Good, thanks. I wanted to ask you something. I'm really interested about Mexican holidays.

 

Olga: What?

 

Daniel: Can you tell me something about it?

 

Olga: Sure but what do you want to know? I mean why are you interested in Mexican holidays?

 

Daniel: What kind of holidays you have, what do you do in those holidays?

 

Olga: Well my favorite holiday is the DÌa de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.

 

Daniel: What is it?

 

Olga: What do you think about when you hear Day of the Dead?

 

Daniel: I don't know. It's a bit scary, isn't it?

 

Olga: Yeah, kind of but actually for us Mexicans it's not really scary. We're so used to it. Actually that day we celebrate the, not celebrate but remember the people who are already dead especially in our close family.

 

Daniel: OK.

 

Olga: We put an altar for them which is like a big table decorated with flowers, bread, coffee or whatever the person that is dead used to like and we think that on that day that person is going to come back from the dead.

 

Daniel: Really?

 

Olga: Yeah and visit us and maybe eat the food.

 

Daniel: OK.

 

Olga: It's on November first, the second too. The second, the altar is still there and after that we just take everything off and go on with our lives.

 

Daniel: You keep the altar only on the first and the second?

 

Olga: Yeah.

 

Daniel: OK and do you do it just for your family or do you go and visit friends or other relatives?

 

Olga: No, we only keep it within the family actually.

 

Daniel: OK.

 

Olga: Well sometimes we do it at school but still it's just like you know to keep the tradition but usually in the family.

 

Daniel: OK.

 

Olga: Well another holiday I can think about is Easter. You have Easter too in Chile?

 

Daniel: Yes, we do have Easter.

 

Olga: Easter we actually don't keep it traditional any more.

 

Daniel: What do you mean?

 

Olga: You know traditionally we make plays where we represent Jesus and the moment when he died and everything right? But you know we don't reflect about it any more. We just go on vacations to the beach and celebrate and you know go to concerts and stuff¹.

 

Daniel: Just as Chilean people do.

 

Olga: I guess it's kind of a trend now right?

 

Daniel: Yeah. We don't really think a lot about Easter.

 

Olga: Yeah.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

altar

 

 

We put up an altar for them, which is like a big table decorated with flowers, bread, and coffee.

 

An 'altar' is a small table where items are placed for religious reasons. Notice the following:

 

There is a picture of the father at the altar.

They put food on the altar as a gift once a year.

come back from the dead

 

 

On that day, we think that person is going to come back from the dead.

 

When a person or thing 'comes back from the dead,' that means it becomes alive again. Notice the following:

 

Zombies are creatures that come back from the dead.

Horror² films often have characters that come back from the dead

keep the tradition

 

 

Well, sometimes we do it at school to keep the tradition.

 

When people 'keep a tradition,' that means they continue to practice it year after year. Notice the following:

 

Our family keeps the tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.

In keeping with tradition, our company has one day a year when everyone wears Hawaiian shirts.

represent

 

 

Traditionally, we make plays where we represent Jesus and the moment that he died.

 

When you 'represent' someone or something, you express its meaning using symbols, images or actions. Notice the following:

 

The colors on the flag represent love and loyalty³.

A dove⁴ is usually used to represent peace.

reflect

 

 

But, you know, we don't reflect about it anymore.

 

When you 'reflect' on something, you think deeply about past actions regarding⁵ it. Notice the following:

 

In prison, he reflected on his crimes and how he wasted his life.

It is important for students to reflect on the mistakes they make and learn from them.

 

1 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

2 horror   

n.惊骇，恐怖，惨事，极端厌恶

参考例句：

• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation.公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。
• The thought of working nights fills me with abject horror.一想到要夜间工作我就觉得惨兮兮的。

3 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

4 dove   

n.鸽，温和派人物，“鸽派”人物

参考例句：

• A dove is often used as a symbol of peace.鸽常作为和平的象征。
• Paul seemed more impressed by the dove.保尔似乎对鸽子更感兴趣。

5 regarding   

prep.关于，至于；就…而论，在…方面

参考例句：

• Regarding John,I will write to him at once.至于约翰，我将立即给他写信。
• Regarding these facts,a special committee is to be appointed.鉴于这些事实，必须成立一个专门委员会。