走进耶鲁大学 第20期:幸福时光(1)

 Happy Hour

"幸福时光"

Tracing back to its source, the term "happy hour" originated in the United States Navy. In the 1920s, it was slang for a scheduled entertainment period on board a ship during which boxing and wrestling took place. "Happy" in that context meant slightly drunk, and it was an opportunity for sailors to let off the steam accumulated during the long time at sea.

追根溯源，"幸福时光"源于20世纪20年代的美国海军。当时，这个俚语被用来指包括摔跤等活动在内的娱乐时段。在那种情形下，"快乐"是"微醉"的意思。"幸福时光"为长期在海上的海员们提供了释放精力的机会。

The use of the term was curtailed¹ with the ratification² of the 18th Amendment³ in October 1919 and the Volstead Act in 1920，when the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic⁴ beverages⁵ were prohibited in America. This is simply known as the Prohibition⁶ era. Although its original intention is to maintain the purity of the society as well as to reduce the potential criminal affairs after drinking, the effects of Prohibition were largely unanticipated. Production, importation, and distribution of alcoholic beverages - once a legitimate⁷ business - were taken over by criminal gangs, which fought each other for market control in violent confrontations⁸, including mass murder, which can be seen in many movies.

随着1919年10月《宪法第18号修正案》和1920年《沃尔斯特法令》的获批，"幸福时光"的说法越来越少用。这个时期被叫做"禁酒时期"：禁止在美国领土内酿造、出售、运送以及进出口作为饮料的致醉酒类。尽管禁酒令的初衷是为了维护社会的稳定，减少醉酒后可能出现的犯罪事件，其结果却是始料未及的：致醉酒类的生产、 进口、及分销本来是合法生意，那时却被犯罪团伙取而代之。他们为了获得市场的控制权你争我夺，采取暴力对抗，甚至大规模的暗杀行动。许多电影中都可以见到这样的镜头。

At the same time, alcohol gained increasing social acceptance. Citizens would host "cocktail⁹ hours"，also known as "happy hours" at a speakeasy before eating at restaurants where alcohol could not be served. By 1933，public opposition¹⁰ to prohibition had become overwhelming. Congress proposed the Twenty-first Amendment to repeal¹¹ Prohibition in February and on December 5, 1933, when Utah became the 36th state to ratify¹² the Amendment, the Volstead Act became unconstitutional.

与此同时，酒精饮料也越来越被大众所接受。市民们在去禁止售酒的饭馆吃饭之前，都会先去非法酒吧度过一段"鸡尾酒时间"，抑或叫做"快乐的时光"。到了 1933年，公众的反禁酒运动已然势不可挡。2月，国会通过《宪法第21号修正案》，以废除禁酒令；12 月5日，随着犹他州作为第36个州签署此项法案，美国的全国性禁酒便寿终正寝了。

1 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

3 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

4 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

5 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

6 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

7 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

8 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

9 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

12 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。