5-6 5月8日—欢庆舞节（在线收听）

May 8 -- the Furry Dance

     Nothing whatsoever to do with fur, the name of the Furry Dance -- as practiced every May in Helston¹, Cornwall²-- is likely derived from the old Cornish³ word "fer," meaning "rejoicing."

　　To do "the Furry," hundreds of local couples line up on the sidewalk, one behind the other in orderly fashion. As the town band plays a traditional tune, the dancers form a graceful human stream that winds up and down the streets and flows around corners -- even through the front doors of shops and out the back; the dancers'footsteps are said to bring good luck. This spectacle transpires⁴ four times during the day, with well over a thousand Helstonians participating and several thousand out of towners gathered in the gaily⁵ decorated streets to watch. The first dance, beginning at 7 a.m., is for young couples only. The midmorning dance is for schoolchildren. The formal noon processional is the main event, with the men in top hats and frock coats⁶, the women in gowns⁷. Out of towners can at last join in the final dance just before dusk.

In 1790 Gentleman's Magazine reported on the rite⁸: "They assemble and dance hand in hand round the streets... and thus continue... In the afternoon, the local gentry⁹ go to some farm house and have tea, sillabub¹⁰ and other refreshments and then return in a... dance to the town and dance throughout the streets till dark. "

注释:

1.Helston 赫尔斯顿（英国康沃尔郡一教区城镇）

2.Cornwall [5kR:nwR:l] 康沃尔郡（英国英格兰郡名）

3.Cornish [5kC:niF] a.（18世纪末以前康沃尔郡的）古凯尔特语的

4.transpire [trAns5paiE] vi.〈口〉发生

5.gaily [5^eili] ad. 花哨地，艳丽地，喜气洋洋地

6.frock coat（19世纪双排纽扣、长及膝部的）男礼服大衣

7.gown [^aun] n.（雅致的）女裙服，女礼服

8.rite [raIt] n.（宗教等的）仪式

9.gentry [5dVentri] n. 出身高贵的人们，贵族们，绅士们

10.sillabub [5silEbQb] n. 乳酒冻（一种用牛奶或奶油加酒、蛋等拌制的甜食）

5月8日-欢庆舞节

在康沃尔郡赫尔斯顿镇，每年的5月都庆祝“欢庆舞节”。欢庆舞节这个名字中的furry一词其实和fur毫无关系。它很可能是来源于古凯尔特语中的一个词fer，是“欢庆”的意思。

　　为了跳“欢庆舞”，数以百计的当地民众结成舞伴，一对一对整齐地排在人行道上。当镇上的乐队奏起传统乐曲时，跳舞的人就形成了一股缓缓流动的人流。这人流沿着街道到处流动，流过角角落落——甚至从商店的前门流进，后门流出；据说跳舞人的脚步声能带来好运。这一天会出现4次这样的奇观，有远远超过千名的赫尔斯顿人参加，还有数千外地人聚集在装饰一新的大街上观看。第一拨跳舞的是一对对年轻人，上午7点钟开始。到10点钟左右，是小学生们跳舞的时间。中午的正式队伍是主要的节目。男士们头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿礼服大衣，女士们也身穿礼服。快到黄昏时，外地人才终于可以加入到最后的跳舞行列了。

    1790年的《绅士杂志》报道了这一仪式：“他们排着队，手牵着手沿街跳舞……他们一直跳……下午，当地的绅士淑女走进一家农庄住宅，在那里喝茶，吃乳酒冻以及其他点心，然后跳着……回到镇上，跳遍条条街道，一直到夜幕降临。”