第一篇：萬(wàn)圣節(jié)簡(jiǎn)史——從一個(gè)節(jié)日的演變歷史看人類(lèi)社會(huì)的發(fā)展變遷

萬(wàn)圣節(jié)簡(jiǎn)史——從一個(gè)節(jié)日的演變歷史看人類(lèi)社會(huì)的發(fā)展

變遷

作者：Chris McGowan編譯：zen禪 Night falls and a fierce knocking assails your quiet home.Mischievous laughter resounds outside.You open the front door and are confronted by Osama bin Laden, Lady Gaga, Barack Obama and a green witch.They rustle bags and yell 'trick or treat.' You hand them candy and send them on their way, to other houses decorated with spider webs, tombstones and glowing hollowed-out pumpkins.By morning, some of these dwellings(usually those with teenage inhabitants)will be decorated with shaving cream and eggs, their trees festooned with toilet paper.Meanwhile, at parties around town, adults dressed as vampires and French maids dance and drink into the wee hours.From whence did Halloween, this peculiar and supposedly all-American holiday, derive?夜幕降臨，一陣急促的敲門(mén)聲打破了家里的沉靜。門(mén)外回蕩著頑皮的笑聲。你打開(kāi)房門(mén)，看到門(mén)前站著本拉登，Lady Gaga，奧巴馬，還有一位綠女巫。他們手拿袋子，大聲喊道：不給糖就搗蛋。你乖乖把糖果奉上，送他們離開(kāi)。孩子們繼續(xù)走向那些裝飾著蛛網(wǎng)，墓碑和南瓜燈籠的房子，去征伐你的鄰居。到了早上，有的人家（一般是有孩子的住家），會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)房子已經(jīng)被剃須膏和生雞蛋裝飾一番，樹(shù)上也張燈結(jié)彩的掛滿(mǎn)了廁紙。而在鎮(zhèn)上的派對(duì)上，大人們打扮成吸血鬼或者女仆，酩酊暢飲到凌晨。那么，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，這個(gè)屬于全體美國(guó)人的古怪節(jié)日，到底起源何處呢？Halloween's roots lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated in the British Isles on a full moon around November 1st.Samhain was the most important of the Celtic fire festivals, or holy days, because it was the start of the New Year.The harvest had ended, the last crops had been picked, and a chill was in the air.The dark half of the year was beginning.On the night of Samhain, the Celts believed that the souls of the dead were restless, on the move, and could cross over into the world of the living.萬(wàn)圣節(jié)起源于古代凱爾特人的屬陰節(jié)（Samhain），生活在英倫列島的賽爾特人把11月1日左近的一個(gè)月圓日定為節(jié)日。屬陰節(jié)是凱爾特人最重要的篝火節(jié)日，因?yàn)檫@一天被視作新年的開(kāi)始。收獲已經(jīng)完成，最后一茬莊稼已經(jīng)收割好，空氣中滿(mǎn)是喜悅的氣息?；璋档亩站鸵_(kāi)始了。賽爾特人認(rèn)為，在屬陰節(jié)的晚上，未曾安息的逝者鬼靈會(huì)重返人間。In his book The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween, Jean Markale describes Samhain(pronounced 'sow-en')as an important festival that served to unite the tribe.To commemorate the New Year, fires all over the Celtic world were extinguished the night of Samhain, then relit from ceremonial blazes kindled by Druids, the religious leaders of the pre-Christian Celts.Animals were slaughtered and sacrificed to Celtic deities.在基恩·馬卡爾（Jean Makale）的《異教神秘萬(wàn)圣節(jié)》（The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween）一書(shū)中提到：屬陰節(jié)（發(fā)音“sow-en”）是促使部落團(tuán)結(jié)的重要節(jié)日。為了紀(jì)念新年，在屬陰節(jié)的晚上，凱爾特人會(huì)把火全都熄滅，然后，由德魯伊特（Druids，古代凱爾特人的祭祀）點(diǎn)燃儀式之火，并以其為火種重新點(diǎn)燃各個(gè)部落的篝火。在這一天，凱爾特人還會(huì)宰殺牲畜，祭祀神靈。'In marking the onset of winter, Samhain was closely associated with darkness and the supernatural,' adds Nicholas Rogers, a York University history professor, in Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night.'The festival was closely related with prophecy and story-telling.' It was a time out of time, 'charged with a peculiar preternatural energy.'“屬陰節(jié)代表著冬季的開(kāi)始，有很強(qiáng)烈的黑暗和超自然意味。”約克大學(xué)歷史教授尼古拉斯·羅杰斯（Nicholas Rogers）在《萬(wàn)圣節(jié)：從異教節(jié)日到派對(duì)之夜》（Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night）一書(shū)中補(bǔ)充道?！皩訇幑?jié)與占卜和傳說(shuō)故事聯(lián)系緊密，”是超脫時(shí)間的時(shí)間，“充滿(mǎn)了古怪的超自然的力量。”The old ways began to change with foreign influence some two millennia ago.The Romans invaded England in the first century A.D., and their festival for Pomona(the goddess of fruits and trees)may have added light-hearted traditions such as apple bobbing to Samhain.Later, the Celts converted to Christianity, a process that began in England in the 4th century and in Ireland(with the arrival of St.Patrick)in the 5th century A.D.The Christian Church could not utterly abolish the Samhain celebration, but ultimately they co-opted it, intentionally or otherwise, with two alterations of the Catholic calendar.這一節(jié)日傳統(tǒng)在大約兩千年前開(kāi)始受到外來(lái)影響。公元一世紀(jì)，羅馬人入侵英格蘭，他們的波莫娜節(jié)（Pomona，波莫娜是果樹(shù)女神）傳統(tǒng)也成為屬陰節(jié)的一部分，有趣的咬蘋(píng)果游戲可能正是起源于此。之后，在公元四世紀(jì)的英格蘭和公元五世紀(jì)的愛(ài)爾蘭（圣帕特里克到來(lái)傳教），賽爾特人轉(zhuǎn)信天主教。教堂并不能完全禁止屬陰節(jié)的節(jié)日慶?；顒?dòng)，但最終，不知道是有意還是無(wú)心為之，他們通過(guò)對(duì)歷法的兩處修改，把屬陰節(jié)同化了。First, Pope Gregory IV(827-844 A.D.)changed the date of a festival honoring Christian saints to November 1 and called it the Feast of All Saints.The celebration of All Saints' Day became known as All Hallow Mass or Hallowmas in England.The night of October 31 became All Hallows Eve.第一處修改，教皇格里高利四世（公元827-844）把11月1日定為萬(wàn)圣日。這一節(jié)日后來(lái)在英格蘭被稱(chēng)作萬(wàn)圣彌撒（Hallow Mass）。10月31日晚上就成了萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜。Then, in 998, the French monastic order of Cluny initiated a mass for the souls of the Christian dead, later moved to the day after All Saints Day.The new feast day of All Souls held further resonance for Celts accustomed to Samhain, a time so linked to the spirits of the dead.By the end of the twelfth century, the festivals of All Saints and All Souls(together called Hallowtide in Great Britain)were well-established highlights of the Christian year.And Hallows Eve, which preceded them, had effectively supplanted Samhain, while retaining its aura of eerie mystery.The beliefs that spirits were on the loose and that communication was possible between this world and the underworld survived in All Hallows Eve, as did a few rituals of the Celtic festival, like fire rites and divination.第二處修改，公元998年，法國(guó)克呂尼修道院開(kāi)始通過(guò)彌撒活動(dòng)來(lái)紀(jì)念已故基督徒的靈魂，而后，這一彌撒活動(dòng)被定在萬(wàn)圣日之后進(jìn)行，稱(chēng)作萬(wàn)靈節(jié)。這一祭奠所有魂靈的萬(wàn)靈節(jié)，與賽爾特人的屬陰節(jié)有更多的相似之處，他們都與逝者亡靈有關(guān)。到了十二世紀(jì)末期，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)與萬(wàn)靈節(jié)都已成為基督教的代表節(jié)日。而在這兩個(gè)節(jié)日之前的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜，則取代了屬陰節(jié)。但是屬陰節(jié)那種神秘氣氛卻保留了下來(lái)，如同賽爾特人的篝火儀式和神秘占卜，人們?nèi)匀幌嘈牛谌f(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜，鬼魂會(huì)重返人間四處游蕩。The church masses of Hallowtide served as insurance against hauntings.As night fell and All Souls' Day arrived, 'bells were rung for the souls in purgatory,' writes Rogers.Across Catholic Europe, 'food was laid out for the dead, whose souls were expected to return to their former abodes on All Souls' Day,' a practice we see today in Mexico's Day of the Dead.教堂彌撒能夠使人遠(yuǎn)離鬼魂侵?jǐn)_。夜晚降臨，萬(wàn)靈節(jié)到來(lái)，“鈴聲為受難的靈魂敲響”，羅杰斯寫(xiě)到。在信奉天主教的歐洲地區(qū)，“人們把食物擺放在外面，這些食物是為那些在萬(wàn)靈節(jié)重回故地的鬼魂準(zhǔn)備的?！边@跟現(xiàn)在的墨西哥鬼節(jié)十分相似。In England and elsewhere, it was a custom for the rich to give out food in return for prayers, a practice called 'souling.' 'Soul cakes'(square biscuits with currants)were baked and given to relatives, poor neighbors or beggars on All Souls' Day.In return, the recipients promised to pray for the dead relatives of the donors.While 'soulers' went door to door during Hallowtide, less solemn revelers also took to the streets.在英格蘭和其他一些地區(qū)，有一項(xiàng)“索靈”（souling）的傳統(tǒng)，富人要向禱告者分發(fā)食物。在萬(wàn)靈節(jié)這天，富人要烤制“靈魂之餅”（Soul cakes），分給親戚，鄰居和乞丐。作為回報(bào)，接受食物的人要為贈(zèng)餅者死去的親屬禱告。一般情況下，“索靈人”（souler）會(huì)走家串戶(hù)接受饋贈(zèng)，但也有少數(shù)捐贈(zèng)者會(huì)在街上擺設(shè)筵席。Costumed folk began a 'season of misrule' full of 'disguisings, masks and mummeries.' They sang, danced, drank, rode hobbyhorses, cross-dressed and impersonated officials, inverting the established order.Hallowtide had a little of the atmosphere of Carnival or Mardi Gras.Celebrants demanded food, ale, and coins from their neighbors and mocked those who wouldn't comply.The use of masks on Hallows Eve may have started with these merrymakers;and mummers and soulers asking for donations may have been a precedent for trick-or-treating.喬裝打扮的人們?cè)凇皼](méi)人管的萬(wàn)圣季”唱歌，跳舞，喝酒，騎竹馬，穿著異性服裝，假扮公職人員，挑戰(zhàn)既定秩序。萬(wàn)圣季的氣氛有一點(diǎn)像嘉年華或懺悔星期二的狂歡節(jié)。參加慶典的人向他們的鄰居索要食物，麥芽啤酒和錢(qián)，并對(duì)那些小氣的人大加揶揄。在萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜頭戴面具的習(xí)俗可能就起源于這些惡作劇的人們，而“不給錢(qián)就搗蛋”（trick or treat）的說(shuō)法，可能正是起源于索靈者向人討要饋贈(zèng)的行為。Hallowmas fell out of favor in England during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, and All Souls' Day was eliminated from the calendar.Yet All Hallows Eve continued as a time of supernatural intensity and became popularly known as Halloween in the 18th Century.In Ireland and Scotland, 'Halloween was largely untouched by the Protestant Reformation,' writes Rogers.'In the Scottish highlands, hallow fires blazed from cairns and hilltops.In some areas, there were torchlight processions around the fields to ensure their fertility or to ward off evil spirits and witches...many of these customs recalled the fire rituals of Samhain that were to be found in the ancient Celtic sagas.'16世紀(jì)新教改革期間，英格蘭取消了萬(wàn)圣彌撒和萬(wàn)靈節(jié)。然而，充滿(mǎn)超自然色彩的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜的傳統(tǒng)仍然保留下來(lái)，到了18世紀(jì)又重新興起，演變成我們現(xiàn)在熟知的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)。在愛(ài)爾蘭和蘇格蘭，“萬(wàn)圣節(jié)沒(méi)怎么受到新教改革的影響?！绷_杰斯提到。“在蘇格蘭高地，到了萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，人們?cè)谑雅裕巾斏?，到處燃起篝火。有些地方的人還在田間組織火把游行，確保糧食豐收，趕跑惡靈女巫……”這些傳統(tǒng)儀式，跟古代凱爾特人的屬陰節(jié)傳統(tǒng)儀式有很多相同之處。Mummery and begging for treats on Halloween continued.In Scottish villages 'it was not the deceased themselves who returned but young people who personified the spirits of the dead by hiding their faces under masks and wearing long white robes or grotesque costumes made from straw...they went in search of treats, treats that, of course, represented the offerings made to the deceased,' writes Markale, author of The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween.He adds that some carried hollowed-out turnips with a candle inside, representing a wandering spirit.These were called 'jack 'o' lanterns' after an Irish legend about Jack, a man unwelcome in both heaven or hell, who was doomed to wander the earth eternally.在萬(wàn)圣節(jié)頭戴面具索要饋贈(zèng)的傳統(tǒng)也延續(xù)了下來(lái)。在蘇格蘭村鎮(zhèn)里，“青年人頭戴面具，身穿白色長(zhǎng)袍，或是稻草做的奇怪衣服，打著鬼魂的旗號(hào)索要供品?！瘪R卡爾在《異教神秘萬(wàn)圣節(jié)》中寫(xiě)道。另外，他還提到，有些人提著鏤空的蕪菁，里面放著一根蠟燭，代表著游蕩的靈魂。這種燈籠被叫做杰克燈，杰克是一個(gè)愛(ài)爾蘭傳說(shuō)故事中的人物，他死后既上不得天堂，又下不了地獄，只能在人間游蕩。（【譯者注】杰克燈的由來(lái)：傳說(shuō)很久以前在愛(ài)爾蘭有一個(gè)被稱(chēng)為“吝嗇鬼杰克（Stingy Jack）”的人，有一天，他請(qǐng)撒旦與他一起喝酒，吝嗇鬼杰克當(dāng)然不愿意付錢(qián)，于是他說(shuō)服撒旦變成錢(qián)幣以付他們的酒錢(qián)。當(dāng)撒旦變成錢(qián)幣的時(shí)候，杰克就把它放在了衣袋里，而在他衣袋邊上有一個(gè)銀十字架，這使撒旦無(wú)法變回原樣。撒旦只好和杰克約法三章，答應(yīng)杰克一年內(nèi)都不會(huì)再找他麻煩，而且當(dāng)杰克死后也不會(huì)帶走他的靈魂，這樣才得已被釋放。第二年，杰克又如法戲弄了撒旦一次，這一次他把撒旦騙上了一棵果樹(shù)去摘果子，當(dāng)撒旦上樹(shù)后，杰克偷偷地在樹(shù)上刻了一個(gè)十字架的形狀，于是撒旦只好又答應(yīng)以后的十年都不會(huì)再找杰克的麻煩。不久，杰克死了，根據(jù)慣例，上帝是不會(huì)允許像杰克這樣又壞又吝嗇的人上天堂的，而撒旦又答應(yīng)過(guò)不帶走他的靈魂，因此也不會(huì)讓他下地獄。撒旦只好把他送進(jìn)無(wú)窮的黑暗中，只給他一塊燃燒的煤碳以照明，杰克把這塊煤碳放進(jìn)鏤空的蕪菁（又叫盤(pán)菜）中，從此游蕩在人間。后來(lái)，人們把提著燈籠的杰克稱(chēng)作“秉燈杰克（Jack of the Lantern）”，最后簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)為“杰克燈（Jack-O-Lantern）”，而人們?cè)诘窨探芸藷舻臅r(shí)候，因?yàn)槟瞎媳仁忀几Ｒ?jiàn)，所以原來(lái)的蕪菁也慢慢被鏤空的南瓜所替代，這就是杰克燈的由來(lái)。）Halloween was associated with divinatory rituals, omens that foretold marriages or deaths, and premonitory dreams.Families and young woman enjoyed fortunetelling games in the parlor.Meanwhile, outside in the dark night, high-spirited boys were on the loose.Many of the pranks were 'threshold tricks,' wherein 'doors were nailed shut, windows broken, gates taken off hinges and fences de-picketed,' according to Mark Alice Durant in Dressed for Thrills.The pranksters understood that Halloween 'was a night of a different order,' adds Durant.說(shuō)起萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，總脫不開(kāi)占卜儀式，那些婚喪嫁娶或者夢(mèng)的預(yù)兆。小孩子和年輕女子在客廳津津有味的玩著算命游戲。精力旺盛的男孩子們此刻正在黑夜中到處惹是生非，他們的很多惡作劇都有些過(guò)分了?！搬斔滥愕拈T(mén)，砸爛你窗戶(hù)，拽下你的鉸鏈，拔起你的籬笆?！瘪R克·艾里斯·杜蘭特在《穿好衣服去冒險(xiǎn)》（Dressed for Thrills）中這么寫(xiě)道。這些惡作劇者知道，在萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，“這個(gè)晚上沒(méi)有規(guī)矩”。In North America, Halloween began to arrive in force in the 1840s.Rural immigrants from Ireland flooded into America and Canada because of the Great Potato Famine and brought Halloween customs from their homeland.A steady stream of Scots also carried Celtic traditions to the New World.The restless energy of the 'mischief night' found expression in new surroundings: rowdy boys knocked down fences, tipped over outhouses, and wreaked other havoc.And families upgraded a harmless custom, thanks to the new land's plant life, making jack 'o' lanterns out of pumpkins, easily carved into large, grinning demonic faces.萬(wàn)圣節(jié)在19世紀(jì)40年代傳入北美。因?yàn)橥炼桂嚮?，大量?lái)自愛(ài)爾蘭農(nóng)村的移民涌入美國(guó)和加拿大，同時(shí)也帶來(lái)了他們家鄉(xiāng)的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)傳統(tǒng)。還有相當(dāng)數(shù)量的蘇格蘭移民帶來(lái)了他們的凱爾特人習(xí)俗?！皭鹤鲃≈埂钡牟话材芰吭谛颅h(huán)境下有了新的表達(dá)方式，鬧哄哄的男孩子推倒圍欄，弄翻小屋，到處惹是生非。小孩子們也有了新玩意，他們用南瓜來(lái)做杰克燈，很容易就能刻出一張齜牙咧嘴的大鬼臉。By the late 1800s in North America, Halloween had developed into a family festival full of parties, seasonal foods(pumpkins, maize and apples)and costumes.Ghost stories were told, contests were held, and games were played.Masks for Halloween were on sale by the late 19th century.Retailers advertised candies and nuts for the night.Black cats and bats became Halloween motifs, apparently because of the influence of Edgar Allen Poe and gothic writers.到了19世紀(jì)末期，在北美地區(qū)，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)已經(jīng)變成一個(gè)家庭節(jié)日。充滿(mǎn)了派對(duì)，時(shí)令食物和奇裝異服的元素。人們?cè)谶@一天講鬼故事，舉辦比賽，做游戲。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)面具在19世紀(jì)后期開(kāi)始作為商品出售。零售商也開(kāi)始給萬(wàn)圣節(jié)糖果做廣告。黑貓和蝙蝠成為萬(wàn)圣節(jié)的代表性圖案，這顯然受到了愛(ài)倫坡（Edgar Allen Poe）等哥特風(fēng)作家的影響。Halloween lost its religious overtones and changed into a secular, community-oriented celebration.It was no longer regarded as primarily an Irish or Scottish festival, and became a fixture in the North American calendar.Such acceptance did not diminish the pranks committed by young males that night, who now saw Halloween as their best opportunity to let loose.By the 1920s, there was public concern about how wild the night was getting.Mischief often veered into vandalism.Towns and clubs began to organize 'safe' Halloween events--carnivals, dances and street fairs--to keep youngsters occupied.萬(wàn)圣節(jié)失去了它的宗教意味，成為一個(gè)世俗的，社會(huì)性的節(jié)日。它不再被視作是一個(gè)愛(ài)爾蘭人的或者是蘇格蘭人的節(jié)日，而是成為了一個(gè)全北美的節(jié)日。這種接受并沒(méi)有改變?nèi)f圣節(jié)的惡作劇傳統(tǒng)，男孩子仍然把萬(wàn)圣節(jié)看做狂野一把的最好機(jī)會(huì)。到20世紀(jì)20年代，公眾注意到這些惡作劇行為太過(guò)出格，變成了對(duì)他人財(cái)產(chǎn)的故意破壞。城鎮(zhèn)和俱樂(lè)部開(kāi)始舉辦“安全”萬(wàn)圣節(jié)活動(dòng)——嘉年華會(huì)，舞蹈，還有街頭游樂(lè)園——讓年輕人的精力有處發(fā)泄。The Halloween decorations of the time were similar to those of today: 'Black cats, bats, Jack 'o' Lanterns, ghosts and witches predominate.Autumn leaves, cornstalks, fruits and vegetables carry the idea of a harvest celebration.Orange and black crepe paper are indispensable in decorating,' observes an instructional booklet from Boston.Costumes were typically homemade, often from sacks, old clothes, soot and shoe polish.Commercial costume companies began to sell outfits based on celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Mickey Mouse and Dick Tracy.那時(shí)候流行的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)裝飾和現(xiàn)在相差無(wú)幾：“黑貓，蝙蝠，杰克燈，鬼怪，女巫是出現(xiàn)最多的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)形象。秋葉，玉米桿，水果和蔬菜寓意著豐收的歡慶。橘色和黑色的縐紙是不可或缺的裝飾?！边@是我從波士頓的一本教學(xué)小冊(cè)子上看來(lái)的。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)服裝一般是自家縫制的，原材料常常是麻袋，舊衣服，煙煤灰和鞋油。商業(yè)制衣公司也開(kāi)始出售萬(wàn)圣節(jié)主題的成衣，形象包括卓別林（Charlie Chaplin），梅·韋斯特（Mae West），米老鼠（Mickey Mouse），還有迪克·特雷西（Dick Tracy）。While the practice of begging for, or demanding, food on Hallows Eve was centuries old, the words 'trick or treat' apparently came into use in the 1930s.The earliest known appearance of the phrase in print was in an American Home article written by Doris Hudson Moss in 1939, according to author David Skal(Death Makes a Holiday)and others.Rogers writes, 'Trick-or-treating radically altered the dynamics of festive license without eliminating its masking or playful features.' The holiday became a boon for food manufacturers and retailers.盡管在萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜乞求，或是索要食物的習(xí)俗已經(jīng)有幾百年，但“不給糖就搗蛋”的說(shuō)辭是從20世紀(jì)30年代才出現(xiàn)的。作家大衛(wèi)·斯卡爾（David Skal，著有《死后才放假》(Death Makes a Holiday)等）告訴我們，“不給糖就搗蛋”這一說(shuō)法，有記載的最早記錄見(jiàn)于多麗絲·哈德遜·莫斯（Doris Hudson Moss）1939年發(fā)表在《美國(guó)大家庭》中的一篇文章?！安唤o糖就搗蛋，徹底改變了萬(wàn)圣節(jié)惡作劇恣意妄為的情況，卻絲毫無(wú)損節(jié)日假面掩飾，戲謔玩鬧的特征?！辈粌H如此，食物制造商和零售商也因此能在萬(wàn)圣節(jié)大賺一筆。During the 1960s and '70s, Halloween became a thoroughly secular, consumer-oriented event.The booming plastics industry made it possible to cheaply sell realistic masks, noses, fangs and props.Middle-class parents bought full Halloween getups at mass-market stores for the family.For children, the main point of Halloween became to dress up and collect as much tasty candy as possible.There wasn't much sense of actually dealing out nasty 'tricks' to people who didn't offer sufficient goodies, but many boys harassed friends, neighbors and random victims with armaments like eggs, toilet paper and shaving cream.在20世紀(jì)60年代和70年代，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)變成一個(gè)徹底世俗的，面向消費(fèi)者的節(jié)慶活動(dòng)。得益于塑料工業(yè)的快速發(fā)展，仿真面具，假鼻，獠牙還有其他道具都以很便宜的價(jià)格販?zhǔn)?。中產(chǎn)家庭的父母會(huì)在大眾商店為全家購(gòu)買(mǎi)萬(wàn)圣節(jié)套裝。對(duì)于孩子們，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)最重要的就是打扮起來(lái)，并搜集盡可能多的美味糖果。即便有人沒(méi)能拿出足夠多的美味食物，也不必?fù)?dān)心孩子們真的會(huì)給你“搗蛋”。但是許多男孩子會(huì)捉弄他的朋友，鄰居還有無(wú)辜的路人甲，他們所用的武器是雞蛋，廁紙還有剃須膏。Today's Halloween has become popular in many places around the world.In America, suburban homes have bigger and spookier lawn displays each year.Office cubicles are festooned with orange and black crepe paper and bowls of candy.Hundreds of thousands show up at work in full Halloween garb.Costume parties for adults are commonplace.'Haunted houses' are popular seasonal attractions.The merchandising for the holiday is enormous, second only to that of Christmas.Halloween is big business, generating billons of dollars in sales;Hallows Eve has been possessed by Hollywood and Walmart.現(xiàn)如今，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)已經(jīng)成為世界性的節(jié)日。在美國(guó)，郊區(qū)住家每年都會(huì)在裝飾草坪上大費(fèi)苦心。辦公隔間在節(jié)日期間會(huì)被橘色和黑色的縐紙裝飾起來(lái)，還會(huì)擺上大碗的糖果。很多上班族身著萬(wàn)圣節(jié)裝扮出現(xiàn)在工作場(chǎng)所。面向成人的化妝派對(duì)非常常見(jiàn)。鬼屋探險(xiǎn)也是很受歡迎的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)保留節(jié)目。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)能夠帶來(lái)巨大的商機(jī)，影響力僅次于圣誕節(jié)。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)可是項(xiàng)大買(mǎi)賣(mài)，每年的銷(xiāo)售收入都有數(shù)十億美元；萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夜也成為好萊塢和沃爾瑪?shù)谋冶貭?zhēng)之地。The Halloween of this century has pretty much lost its uncanny power, unless one is four years old and terrified of an uncle dressed as Count Dracula.There aren't many Americans now who believe that spirits are on the loose the night of October 31.Although death is the central theme of Halloween, celebrants deal with the grim reaper only on a playful level.Yet perhaps this somehow helps children, and us, cope with the most fearful realities of life.現(xiàn)在的萬(wàn)圣節(jié)，差不多已經(jīng)失去了過(guò)去的種種神秘色彩（對(duì)于鬼神的敬畏之情，再難見(jiàn)到）。除非你是一個(gè)四歲的小娃娃，才會(huì)被打扮成德庫(kù)拉伯爵（Count Dracula，吸血鬼）的大叔給嚇到。沒(méi)有幾個(gè)美國(guó)人還會(huì)相信，10月31日晚上會(huì)有幽靈出沒(méi)。盡管死亡是萬(wàn)圣節(jié)的中心主題，但參加歡慶的人們都抱著一種戲謔的態(tài)度來(lái)面對(duì)死神。也許正因?yàn)槿绱耍⒆觽?，還有我們，才能如此輕松的面對(duì)生命中最可怕的事實(shí)——死亡。For adults, it may be that Halloween is evolving into a masquerade event like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in other countries.These are 'inversion rituals,' in which ordinary people can break the rules, flout convention, and mock authority for a few days, until the normal social order reasserts itself.Halloween no longer retains the sense of awe and wonder associated with Hallows Eve and Samhain in the past, yet it remains an intriguing, still-evolving ritual that fuses a wealth of folk beliefs and cultural traditions.對(duì)于我們這些成年人，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)可能越來(lái)越像一場(chǎng)假面舞會(huì)，如同新奧爾良的狂歡節(jié)，或是其他國(guó)家的嘉年華會(huì)。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)的存在就是“反演儀式”（inversion rituals），在這幾天里面，我們可以打破規(guī)矩限定，藐視傳統(tǒng)藩籬，嘲弄當(dāng)局蠢行，直到正常的社會(huì)秩序回歸，一切照舊。萬(wàn)圣節(jié)已經(jīng)變了，過(guò)去曾存在于萬(wàn)圣前夜和屬陰節(jié)的那種敬畏之情，現(xiàn)今已不復(fù)存在。然而有一點(diǎn)和過(guò)去一樣，萬(wàn)圣節(jié)始終是一個(gè)有趣迷人的節(jié)日，它一直在演變，不斷吸收融合著豐富的民間信仰和文化傳統(tǒng)。