新人教版高中英语必修三 Unit1 Reading and Thinking课文英汉对照+录音 收藏学习
Reading and Thinking（P4）
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE FESTIVALS
我们为什么庆祝节日？
Festivals are celebrated all around the world.They have a wide range of origins, such as the seasons of the year,religions, famous figures, and important events. Every festivalhas its different customs and unique charms. However, no matter how differentthey may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.
世界各地都庆祝各种节日。节日的由来五花八门，比如时节、宗教、著名人物及重要事件。每个节日都有其不同的习俗和独特的魅力。然而，无论它们多么迥异，在世界各地，分享快乐、感恩、友爱或和平的精神存在于所有节日之中。
Of all the traditional festivals, the harvestfestival can be found in almost every culture. This important agriculturalfestival takes place after all the crops have been gathered in. People celebrate toshow that they are grateful for the year’s supply offood. In ancient Egypt, the harvest festival was celebrated during thespringtime—the Egyptian harvest season. It featured a parade and a great feast withmusic, dancing, and sports. Today, in some European countries, people decoratechurchesand town halls with flowers and fruit, and get together to celebrate over ameal. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire theshining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.
在所有的传统节日中，丰收节几乎可见于每一种文化之中。这一重大的农业节日在所有农作物收成后来临。人们举行庆祝活动，对这一年收获的食物表达感恩。在古埃及，人们于春季庆祝丰收节——即埃及的丰收季。庆祝活动主要是游行和丰盛的筵席，载歌载舞，并伴有体育活动。如今，在一些欧洲国家，人们用鲜花和水果来装饰教堂和市政厅，聚在一起共享大餐，以示庆祝。在中国的中秋节，家家户户欢聚一堂，观赏明月，品尝美味的月饼。
Customs play a significant role in festivals, butsometimes they can change over time.With the development of modern society andthe spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade away and others maybe established. One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom oflighting firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the newyear. Nowadays, many big cities have given up this custom in order to avoid airpollution. Another example is Halloween, which slowly became an excitingfestival for children, in spite of its religious origins.
风俗在节日中扮演重要角色，但有时也随时间而变化。随着现代社会的发展和新思想的传播，有些传统会渐渐消失，而另一些传统则得以建立。中国春节燃放鞭炮以驱鬼神、贺新年这一典型风俗就是一个例子。如今，为了避免空气污染，许多大城市已经摒弃了这一风俗。另一个例子是万圣节，虽然起源于宗教，万圣节渐渐成了孩子们纵情玩乐的一个节日。
Festivals are becoming more and more commercial,with business taking advantage of the celebrations Online shopping websites andsocial mediaapps have made it much easier for the public to spend more on gifts for theirloved ones. Although some believe festivals should not be commercialised,others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and publichappiness.
节日正变得越来越商业化，商家会利用这些庆祝活动(进行促销)。购物网站和社交媒体应用程序极大地方便了人们为至亲至爱花更多钱购买礼物。尽管有人认为节日不应该被商业化，但是也有人认为消费增长有利于(提高)经济和公众幸福感。
Festivals are an important part of society. They reflectpeople’s wishes, beliefs, faiths, and attitudes towards life. They are occasionsthat allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a littlewhile. They help us understand where we came from, who we are, and what toappreciate. And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to findthat different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.
节日是社会的一个重要组成部分。节日反映了人类的愿望、信仰、信念以及对生活的态度。节日是让我们放松心情、享受生活、暂时忘却工作的时刻。节日让我们了解我们来自何方、我们是谁、我们应该感恩什么。此外，如果你仔细研究各种节日，你会惊奇地发现不同的文化实际上有很多共同之处。
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