萬聖節就要到了，大家都很開心吧，下面小編給大家提供萬聖節的英語介紹，歡迎大家閱讀欣賞!
【萬聖節的英文介紹】
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.
Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts (凱爾特人), who worshipped (崇拜) nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. They celebrated their New Year on November 1st which was made every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."
On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished (消失). The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). They would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin.
When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.
The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.
The Celtics would carry a lantern (燈籠) when they walked on the eve of October 31. These lanterns were carved out of big turnips (大頭菜) and the lights were believed to keep the evil spirits away. Children would carve faces in the turnips. These carved turnips were called "jack-o-lanterns.
It is said that the "jack-o-lantern" got its name from a stingy (吝嗇的) and mean old man, named Jack, who when he died was too mean to get into heaven. When Jack went to hell he was meet by the Devil who gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack placed the burning coal in a turnip to use as a lantern to light his way. The legends claim that Jack is still walking with the lantern looking for a place to stay.
When the early settlers came to America they found the big round orange pumpkin. Being larger and much more colorful than turnips, the pumpkin made great "jack-o-lanterns". Eventually the pumpkin would replace the turnip. Eventually the Pumpkin would become the most widely recognized symbol(象徵)of the Halloween holiday.
The history of "Trick'O'Treating" can be traced back (追溯) to the early celebrations of All Soul's Day in Britain. The poor would go begging and the housewives would give them special treats called "soulcakes". This was called "going a-souling", and the "soulers" would promise to say a prayer for the dead.
Over time the custom changed and the town's children became the beggars. As they went from house to house they would be given apples, buns (圓形的小甜麵包), and money. During the Pioneer days of the American West, the housewives would give the children candy to keep from being tricked. The children would shout "Trick or Treat!".
【萬聖節的黑貓】
Halloween is a bad time of year for black cats, with their long-standing connections with witches, hubble-bubble and evil。
對於黑貓來說，萬聖節是一年中最“悲慘”的日子。一直以來，人們都將它們與巫婆、喧鬧以及邪惡聯絡在一起。
Reports of deliberate cruelty to black cats rise especially in the weeks around Halloween in Britain, the RSPCA animal charity said on Wednesday。
英國皇家防止虐待動物協會(RSPCA)於本週三稱，在臨近萬聖節的前幾周，英國故意虐待黑貓的案例數出現上升。
But it seems that not only do people treat black cats badly in October -- they shun them for the rest of the year too。
但似乎人們不僅在十月份虐待黑貓，其它時候也是避之不及。
Black cats at animal shelters take longer than others to find homes, probably because of all the superstitions surrounding them, the charity said。
該慈善機構稱，動物收容所裡的黑貓等待領養的時間比其它貓都要長，這或許是因為那些與之相關的迷信說法。
"Unfortunately, black cats often do spend longer in our rehoming centres than others as they are frequently overlooked by potential owners," said shelter manager Beverly Leavy。
收容所經理貝弗莉?利維說：“不幸的是，黑貓往往在我們的收養中心待得時間更久，它們常被潛在的收養者們忽視。”
"But their fur color makes no difference to how much love they have to give," she added. "The cats are ready to make wonderful pets."
她說：“但它們皮毛的顏色和它們給予人們的愛的多少沒有關係。它們可以成為很好的寵物。”
The image problem varies from country to country and often involves black cats crossing people's paths。
各國有關黑貓的迷信說法各不相同，但一般都有忌諱看見黑貓從自己面前走過這一說。
Historians differ about the origins of the superstitions。
歷史學家對這些迷信說法的起源看法各異。
Some point to the ancient Celts, some to folklore tales that liken cats to snakes and cast them as the constant companions of witches, others to a Medieval belief that they caused the black plague in Europe。
有些人認為這源於古凱爾特人，有些人則認為這與把黑貓比作蛇，總將黑貓與巫婆扯在一起的民間傳說有關，還有一些人認為這源於中世紀時期的一種有關黑貓在歐洲引發鼠疫的`說法。
The view that they bring bad luck has also woven its way into art and popular culture。
黑貓會帶來厄運的說法在藝術和流行文化中也有所體現。
American writer of macabre tales, Edgar Alan Poe, published a short story "The Black Cat" in 1843 and in the late 19th century a shady cabaret called Le Chat Noir welcomed guests in the Bohemian Montmartre district of Paris。
美國驚悚小說家埃德加?愛倫?坡曾於1843年發表了一本名為《黑貓》的短篇小說。19世紀晚期，一家名為Le Chat Noir(法語，黑貓)的隱祕歌舞表演場所在法國巴黎具有波希米亞風格的蒙馬特區開業。
The RSPCA is appealing for potential owners to come forward for the black cats in its shelters.
英國皇家防止虐待動物協會正呼籲潛在的收養者們主動領養收容所的黑貓。
