世界节假日博览 第21期:狂欢节

 　　"Mardi Gras" is French for “Fat Tuesday”. It is the name of a celebration that takes place on the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day period of Lent. Mardi Gras is the final day ofa three-day period, which starts on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. In Catholic countries, people fast during lent. People eat well the day before Ash Wednesday and hold celebrations. These can be wonderful, colourful carnivals all over the world. The most famous are those in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans and Venice. The tradition of Mardis Gras goes back hundreds of years in Catholic Europe. Explorers, settlers and missionaries exported the tradition worldwide.

　　"Mardi Gras"的法语意思为“油腻的星期二”。这一天是圣灰星期三之前的一项庆祝节日，也预示着40天大斋活动的开始。Mardi Gras也是三天的最后一天，此项节日开始于圣灰星期三之前的周日。在信奉天主教的国家里，人们要在大斋期间绝食。人们会在圣灰星期三之前吃得饱饱的，并举办庆祝活动。全球都会举办热闹非凡，五彩纷呈的嘉年华活动。其中最著名的要数在里约热内卢、新奥尔良以及威尼斯所举办的活动。在信奉天主教的欧洲，Mardis Gras有着上百年的历史。探险者、移民者以及传教士让这一传统传遍了大江南北。

　　Mardi Gras.jpg

　　Today, Mardi Gras is a riot of colour, street carnivals, marching bands, dancing and all-night partying inthe streets. Many people dress up in spectacular costumes and wear beautiful masks. The biggest Mardis Gras carnivals are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of people from all over the world visit these cities to join in the fun. Venice is home to one of the oldest carnivals in the world,called Carnevale di Venezia. This dates back to 1268. Thousands of mask-wearing revelers fill the Venetian streets and attend special masked balls. In Sydney, Australia, Mardis Gras is celebrated by the city’s gay and lesbian community with street parades and costumes.

　　如今，Mardis Gras节当天会举办嘉年华、行进军乐队演奏、舞蹈以及大街上通宵的派对活动。许多人穿着奇装异服，戴着华丽的面具。举办规模最大的嘉年华要数巴西的里约热内卢、美国的新奥尔良以及路易斯安那。来自全球的上千名民众都前往这些城市来参加狂欢。威尼斯曾经举办过全世界最古老的嘉年华，叫作威尼斯狂欢节。历史能够追溯到1268年。上千名戴着面具的狂欢者涌进了威尼斯大街，参加特殊的假面舞会。在澳大利亚的悉尼，同性恋和女同社区组织将会在大街上穿着奇装异服进行游行，从而来庆祝此项节日。

　　1.masked ball 假面舞会

　　例句：I guess a masked ball is better than a regular party.

　　我想化装舞会是比一般的派对要有意思。

　　2.marching band 军乐队

　　例句：A marching band member entertains the Wisconsin National Guard, who are bound for Iraq.

　　威斯康辛州国民警卫队将赴伊拉克，行军乐队正为他们打气。

　　3.goes back 追溯

　　例句：So, that goes back to this question about freedom.

　　所以，那就回到了关于自由的这个问题。

　　4.be home to 为…的所在地

　　例句：But harvesting costs are high and land sources are geographically scattered and may be home to important biodiversity.

　　不过收割的成本会高些，而且土地资源在地域上比较分散并且可能是重要生物多样性的产地。