美国国家公共电台 NPR Long Before Burning Man, Zozobra Brought Fire And Redemption To The Desert

Long Before Burning Man, Zozobra Brought Fire And Redemption To The Desert

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Speaking of getting rid of the annoyances² of life, ever wish you could just, I don't know, toss your worries into a bonfire and start fresh? Well, for the past 92 years, thousands of people in and near Santa Fe, N.M. have gotten together to do just that - symbolically³, anyway - by burning up a giant marionette⁴. It's called Zozobra. NPR's Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Three days of fun and fiesta are ushered⁵ in by the burning of Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom, on a hill overlooking the city.

ALEXI HOROWITZ-GHAZI, BYLINE⁷: For those of us who grew up in Santa Fe, there are few figures that loom⁶ larger than Zozobra. That's literal as much as figurative. The 50-foot-tall, ghostly white, scowling⁸ old marionette with flailing⁹ arms and a flowing robe is as familiar as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Only on his holiday, Zozobra is ritualistically burned to death on a hill above a baseball field filled with tens of thousands of screaming people.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Burn it.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Burn it, burn it, burn it.

KENNETH GARLEY: Zozobra is a Spanish word for pain, gloom, anguish¹⁰, despair. He represents all of the gloom of Santa Fe, so the burning of Zozobra's the burning of all the gloom.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: Kenneth Garley is a self-diagnosed Zozobra fanatic¹¹ and the secretary of the Santa Fe Kiwanis Club, which builds the puppet and puts on the burn. He was less than a year old when his parents first brought him, and he's attended 52 since then. Garley says that over the years, he's seen a lot of gloom go up in smoke.

GARLEY: I've seen wedding dresses. I've seen mortgage papers.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: In the weeks leading up to the burn, thousands of people anonymously¹² drop slips of paper containing their handwritten woes¹³ into Gloom Deposit Boxes around town. Elizabeth Harris says her annual contributions are usually minor¹⁴ complaints.

ELIZABETH HARRIS: But about 25 years ago, I was diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer. So I took a copy of the pathology reports to the location where Zozobra was being built and I stapled¹⁵ 10 pages of paper right onto the two-by-fours.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: Even the city police department donates thousands of shredded¹⁶ police reports. All of it goes to stuff Zozobra's body with flammable misery¹⁷. But the ritual isn't just about the gloom. It's also a way for parents to scare their children into obedience¹⁸, a rite¹⁹ of passage for young teenagers finally allowed to attend without adult supervision²⁰, and the biggest party of the year for everyone else.

The event began in the early 1920s when a young Philadelphia painter named Will Shuster moved to the Southwest seeking relief from his tuberculosis²¹. What he found in Santa Fe was a budding arts community and a city steeped in Catholic tradition. Shuster created Zozobra as a satirical, vaguely²² pagan counterpoint to the then-200-year-old Fiestas de Santa Fe, an annual Catholic-Hispanic festival celebrating the re-conquest of New Mexico from the Pueblo²³ Indians. Today, Zozobra has become so popular that in this city of just over 80,000, almost 56,000 people have come out to see him.

I arrive a few hours before the burning, and the entrance to the field is already packed. Across the street, a trio of born-again preachers are pacing the sidewalk with homemade signs and megaphones, calling out to celebrants to abandon their wicked ways.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Shame on you parents who would bring your kids and get them involved in the sin of idolatry, to worship a 50-foot piece of trash.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: Rolando Iglesias drove up from Roswell, N.M. to dissuade²⁴ potential sinners.

ROLANDO IGLESIAS: It's called idolatry when you replace Jesus with something else. Even though it's tradition or whatever that the town does, well, it angers God.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: Zozobra's angered some locals, too, who associate the event with the drunken brawls²⁵ and gang violence of decades past. Event chairman Raymond Sandoval acknowledges that there is a dark side to Zozobra.

RAYMOND SANDOVAL: Zozobra is our scapegoat²⁶. There is a violence to burning this 50-foot effigy²⁷.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: But he points to the scholarships and charity projects that the Kiwanis Club funds every year from ticket sales. And, he says...

SANDOVAL: The overall idea of this, which is to stop for a moment and to really think about things that you regret and how you can be a better person and how you do things differently, allows us to actually reflect and, I think, become a better community.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: But before they reflect, they burn. A few minutes after dusk, the lights go out and the crowd comes alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Burn it.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: A fire dancer taunts²⁸ Zozobra to a chorus of fireworks and mariachi music. And as the tension builds, the screams of Old Man Gloom himself get louder until the crowd's excitement reaches a crescendo²⁹. And all of a sudden, Zozobra's arms go up in flames. He waves his arms and screams in anguish until he gives out a final whimper and crumples³⁰ to the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: We're all going to be gloom-free all the rest of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Fiesta de Sante Fe.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Viva Zozobra.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: Kenneth Garley of the Kiwanis Club says that what Zozobra really offers the crowd is an escape.

GARLEY: Their gloom is gone. It's been lifted, right? Then we have to face the realities of the world the next day. But, you know, for at least that night, it's a celebration that things can get better and will get better for all of us.

HOROWITZ-GHAZI: After the burn, the field empties out, strewn with discarded turkey legs and crushed cans. And the dozens of volunteers who've spent the better part of the year building Zozobra gather around the embers of their fallen enemy to roast marshmallows over his smoldering³¹ remains³² and to bask³³ for a few sweet hours in the absence of their worries. Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi, NPR News.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE: I'm Asma Khalid. I cover politics. To me, NPR is truly the old-school public square. It brings together voices from all across the country, coal miners to hedge fund managers. And it allows us to hear from one another even if we might not have the chance to walk down the same streets and meet in real life. And so in some small way, it helps me feel like we're all more connected. Thanks for listening to this NPR station.

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 annoyances   

n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事

参考例句：

• At dinner that evening two annoyances kept General Zaroff from perfect enjoyment one. 当天晚上吃饭时，有两件不称心的事令沙洛夫吃得不很香。 来自辞典例句
• Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances-don't we all? 事实上我有很多类似的小烦恼，我们不都有这种小烦恼吗？ 来自互联网

3 symbolically   

ad.象征地，象征性地

参考例句：

• By wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. 将婚戒戴在左手的第三只手指上，意味着夫妻双方象征性地宣告他们的爱情天长地久，他们定能白头偕老。
• Symbolically, he coughed to clear his throat. 周经理象征地咳一声无谓的嗽，清清嗓子。

4 marionette   

n.木偶

参考例句：

• With this marionette I wish to travel through the world.我希望带着这个木偶周游世界。
• The development of marionette had a great influence on the future development of opera.木偶戏的发展对以后的戏曲有十分重要的影响。

5 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 loom   

n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近

参考例句：

• The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。
• The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

9 flailing   

v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克

参考例句：

• He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

10 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

11 fanatic   

n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a football fanatic.亚历山大是个足球迷。
• I am not a religious fanatic but I am a Christian.我不是宗教狂热分子，但我是基督徒。

12 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

13 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

14 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

15 stapled   

v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The letter was stapled to the other documents in the file. 这封信与案卷里的其他文件钉在一起。 来自辞典例句
• He said with smooth bluntness and shoved a stack of stapled sheets across his desk. 他以一种圆滑、率直的口气说着，并把一叠订好了的稿纸从他办公桌那边递过来。 来自辞典例句

16 shredded   

shred的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Serve the fish on a bed of shredded lettuce. 先铺一层碎生菜叶，再把鱼放上，就可以上桌了。
• I think Mapo beancurd and shredded meat in chilli sauce are quite special. 我觉得麻婆豆腐和鱼香肉丝味道不错。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

18 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

19 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

20 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

21 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

22 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

23 pueblo   

n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄

参考例句：

• For over 2,000 years,Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States.在长达2，000多年的时间里，印第安人统治着现在美国西南部的大片土地。
• The cross memorializes the Spanish victims of the 1680 revolt,when the region's Pueblo Indians rose up in violent protest against their mistreatment and burned the cit

24 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。

25 brawls   

吵架，打架( brawl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Whatever brawls disturb the street, there should be peace at home. 街上无论多么喧闹，家中应有宁静。
• I got into brawls in the country saloons near my farm. 我在离我农场不远的乡下沙龙里和别人大吵大闹。

26 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

27 effigy   

n.肖像

参考例句：

• There the effigy stands,and stares from age to age across the changing ocean.雕像依然耸立在那儿，千秋万载地凝视着那变幻无常的大海。
• The deposed dictator was burned in effigy by the crowd.群众焚烧退位独裁者的模拟像。

28 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

29 crescendo   

n.(音乐)渐强，高潮

参考例句：

• The gale reached its crescendo in the evening.狂风在晚上达到高潮。
• There was a crescendo of parliamentary and press criticism.来自议会和新闻界的批评越来越多。

30 crumples   

压皱，弄皱( crumple的第三人称单数 )； 变皱

参考例句：

• This kind of paper crumples easily. 这种纸容易起皱。
• This kind of cloth crumples easily. 这种布易起绉。

31 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

32 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

33 bask   

vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于

参考例句：

• Turtles like to bask in the sun.海龟喜欢曝于阳光中。
• In winter afternoons,he likes to bask in the sun in his courtyard.冬日的午后，他喜欢坐在院子晒太阳。