雅思英语素材：万圣节的由来

 对于雅思考试来说，涉及的话题很广泛。所以平时多积累相关的素材就尤为重要了。马上就要到西方的万圣节了，特意为大家准备了和万圣节相关的雅思英语素材，来供大家了解万圣节的由来。

 Another Edition(English One):

　　Symbols of Halloween

　　Halloween originated as a celebration connected with evil spirits. Witches flying on broomsticks with ghosts, goblins and skeletons have all evolved as symbols of Halloween. Bats, owls and other nocturnal animals are also popular symbols of Halloween. They were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.

　　Black cats are also symbols of Halloween and have religious origins as well. Black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future. During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise. All these are popular trick-or-treat costumes and decorations for greeting cards and windows.

　　Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors, probably because Halloween festivals and traditions took place at night.

　　Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. The pumpkin is an orange-colored squash, and orange has become the other traditional Halloween color. Carving pumpkins into jack- o'-lanterns is a Halloween custom also dating back to Ireland. A legend grew up about a man named Jack who was so stingy that he was not allowed into heaven when he died, because he was a miser. He couldn't enter hell either because he had played jokes on the devil. As a result, Jack had to walk on the earth with his lantern until Judgement Day. So Jack and his lantern became the symbol of a lost or damned soul. To scare these souls away on Halloween, the Irish people carved scary faces out of turnips, beets or potatoes representing "Jack of the Lantern," or Jack-o-lantern. When the Irish brought their customs to the United States, they carved faces on pumpkins because in the autumn they were more plentiful than turnips. Today jack-o-lanterns in the windows of a house on Halloween night let costumed children know that there are goodies waiting if they knock and say "Trick or Treat!"

　　参考译文：

　　万圣节前夜起源于与邪恶幽灵相关的庆祝活动，所以骑着扫帚的女巫、幽灵、小妖精和骷髅都是万圣节的标志物。蝙蝠、猫头鹰和其他夜间活动的动物也是万圣节的普遍标志。起初，这些动物让人觉得非常可怕，因为人们认为这些动物能和死者的幽灵进行交流。

　　黑猫也是万圣节的标志物，并且也有一定的宗教起源。人们认为黑猫可以转生，具有预言未来的超能力。在中世纪，人们认为女巫可以变成黑猫，所以人们一看到黑猫就会认为它是女巫假扮的。这些标志物都是万圣节服装的普遍选择，也是贺卡或橱窗上很常用的装饰。

　　黑色是传统的万圣节颜色，这可能是因为万圣节前夜的各种传统或仪式都是在晚上举行。

　　南瓜也是万圣节的标志性象征。南瓜是橘黄色的，所以橘黄色也成了传统的万圣节颜色。用南瓜雕制南瓜灯也是一个万圣节传统，其历史也可追溯到爱尔兰。传说有一个名叫杰克的人非常吝啬，因而死后不能进入天堂，而且因为他取笑魔鬼也不能进入地狱，所以，他只能提着灯笼四处游荡，直到审判日那天。于是，杰克和南瓜灯便成了被诅咒的游魂的象征。人们为了在万圣节前夜吓走这些游魂，便用芜菁、甜菜或马铃薯雕刻成可怕的面孔来代表提着灯笼的杰克，这就是南瓜灯(Jack-o'-lantern)的由来。爱尔兰人迁到美国后，便开始用南瓜来进行雕刻，因为在美国秋天的时候南瓜比芜菁更充足。现在，如果在万圣节的晚上人们在窗户上挂上南瓜灯就表明那些穿着万圣节服装的人可以来敲门捣鬼要糖果。

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