MSE同步阅读：男孩进行“鳄鱼”成人礼的地方

　　2020年的MSE考试进行了重大改革，新版的MSE考试将更科学、更贴近生活、更与时俱进。特别是在阅读上，新版MSE的宗旨是“提升阅读和写作能力”，从某种意义上讲，增加了阅读相关题型的难度。

　　优加特开设《剑桥MSE同步阅读》栏目，旨在帮助考生吃透英文原版文章，在增加知识积累的同时，培养英语语感。

　　希望考生们积累知识储备量，在MSE考试中所向披靡！

　　男孩进行“鳄鱼”成人礼的地方

　　MSE同步阅读

　　Where boys become crocodile men

　　男孩进行“鳄鱼”成人礼的地方

　　When does a teenager become an adult? In many countries, it happens on your 18th birthday, but in some parts of the world, you have to do something special to enter the world of adults.

　　什么时候才算成年？在很多国家，这发生在你18岁生日的时候，但是在世界上的有一些地区，你需要做一些特别的事情才能进入到成年人的世界。

　　On the island of Papua New Guinea, the Niowra tribe lives near the Sepik River, which is full of crocodiles. The people believe that crocodiles made the Earth and its people. When it is time for teenage boys to become men, a 'crocodile ceremony' takes place.

　　在巴布亚新几内岛上，有个瑙拉部落住在赛匹克河畔，那里有很多鳄鱼。人们相信是鳄鱼创造了大地也造就了人类。当男孩到了成人的年纪，这时候就会举行一个“鳄鱼”仪式。

　　The boys are taken to a hut called 'The Crocodile Nest'. The hut is full of crocodile teeth and skulls. The boys are told to think of their crocodile 'fathers and mothers' to help them to be strong and brave. Then they are beaten several times a day for six weeks and bamboo is used to make cuts on their chests and their backs. The boys play the drums together during their time in the hut-this helps them to feel that they not alone. The Niowra believe that this ceremony makes the boys stronger and braver, so that they can survive in the dangerous forest. They also say that the boys don't feel the pain if they believe in their crocodile 'fathers and mothers'. And the amazing thing is that some of the boys sleep through the most painful parts of the ceremony!

　　男孩儿们被带到一个叫做“鳄鱼巢”的小木屋。小木屋里都是鳄鱼牙和头盖骨。这些男孩儿被告知要想一想他们的鳄鱼“父母”，这样会帮助他们变得坚强和勇敢。然后长达六周，他们一天被打若干次，竹子被用来在他们的胸部和背部留下伤痕。在小木屋的这段时间，男孩儿们一起打鼓，这样能帮助他们感觉自己不孤独。瑙拉人相信这个仪式可以使男孩儿们更加强壮和勇敢，因此他们才能在危险的森林中幸存下来。瑙拉人还说到男孩们如果能相信鳄鱼“父母”的存在的话，他们就不会感觉到疼痛。更惊奇的事是，有一些男孩儿在这个仪式最痛苦的部分中还可以睡着！

　　When the ceremony is over, there is singing and dancing and the crocodile men are given adult responsibilities in the village.

　　仪式结束后，大家载歌载舞，“鳄鱼”男人们在村落中被赋予成人的责任。

　　来源：MSE指定教材 English In Mind (student's book 2)

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