Lenny下班等公车遇到同事Susan , 问Susan明天要装扮成什么，问得Susan一头雾水。
Lenny: Hey Susan, what are you coming as this year?
Susan: Coming as?
L: Yeah...for Halloween! We have a big office party tomorrow evening. There's a prize for best costume!
S: Um...I have to confess, I haven't given it much thought. I'm from China and Halloween really isn't celebrated there.
原来是公司明天晚上要开万圣节派对，万圣节是Halloween 又称鬼节，是美国最热闹的节日之一。Susan 说，I have to confess. confess 是主动交代的意思，Susan 说自己没怎么好好想。I haven't given it much thought. to give some thought to something 指对某事认真考虑，Susan说，中国不过万圣节，这里用的 celebrate 是庆祝的意思，可以说 Halloween is not celebrated in China; 也可以说 We don't celebrate Halloween in China. 主动，被动都可以。
L: Really! You don't have some kind of Chinese ghost festival?
S: Oh...Sure. We have an entire month! In traditional Chinese culture, "Ghost Month" is a period when the door between this world and beyond opens up and ghosts come back to earth for a visit.
L: Cool! A whole month! What do you do during that month?
S: Well, people sometimes set off firecrackers, some people burn paper money as an offering and many people go to a temple to burn incense.
Mainly though, you need to feed the ghosts because they're hungry.
Susan说，中国虽然不过万圣节，但是农历里却有整整一个月来祭奠阴间来访的鬼，称为鬼月。祭奠的方式包括放鞭炮 set off firecrackers，烧纸钱burn paper money，到寺庙里去烧香等，但是最重要的是要把饿鬼喂饱。
L: Feed them?
S: Yeah...we set up tables with food, fruit and drinks and offer that to the hungry ghosts.
L: And then later everyone eats the food?
S: Yes! How did you guess that?
L: It makes sense, right? Who else is going to eat it?
S: Good Point!
L: But no dressing up like ghosts, right?
S: No! (chuckle) So...is Halloween essentially the same thing as "ghost month?"
Susan说，鬼月的时候，大家会在桌子上摆放食物，水果，饮料等等，进奉给饿鬼。不过，在中国过鬼月，不用装扮成鬼的样子，people don't dress up like ghosts. dress up 可以指穿成某种样子，也可以指穿得很正式，比如, I dressed up for a job interview today. 意思是我今天有个工作面试，所以穿正装。那中国的鬼月跟西方的鬼节一样吗？我们下次继续听。 |