C: The Day of the Dead has arrived All Soul’s Day and All Saint’s Day!
A: Your neighbor is crazy. Why is he screaming that?
B: Because today is the first of November the Day of the Dead
A: Oh, that’s right.
B: This is a very special day among many cultures around the world especially in Latin America.
A: Seriously? I thought it was just like any other day, except for the fact that people visit the cemetery and remember their loved ones.
B: Well, that’s just part of it. People across the world celebrate in different ways. In Mexcio for example it’s common to see people building private altars honoring the deceasedusing sugar skulls, preparing the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. In the Philippines , the tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit and flowers are offered. Entire families camp out in cemeteries .and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives’ tombs!
A: Whoa! That’s scary! I don’t know if I could do that!
B: Why? We should fear the living, not the dead.
All Soul’s Day 万灵节 （11月2日，一些基督教徒用来缅怀逝去的人的节日）
among prep. 在……之中
They live among the mountains.
他们住在群山之中。
honor vt.尊敬；使荣耀
He was honored for his courage in battle.
他因在战斗中的英勇表现而受到尊敬。
the departed 已经去世的人
【拓展词汇】
pass away去世
burial n. 埋葬, 葬礼
The body was placed in bier before burial.
在举行葬礼以前尸体被放在棺材里。
wake守夜（在殡葬前夜在死者遗体旁守候）
funeral procession出丧，出葬
cremate vt. 焚烧(尸体), 火葬
He wants to be cremated, not buried.
他要火葬，不要土葬。
C: 死者悼念之日来了。万灵杰和万圣节。
A:你的邻居真疯狂。他在喊什么？
B:因为今天是11月1日——死者悼念之日
A:是的。
B:在许多节日和全世界各地尤其是拉丁美洲之中那是个特殊的节日。
A:真的吗？ 我一直以为，它和别的节日没什么两样，无法就是人们去墓地缅怀逝者。
B:那只是一部分。世界各地的人们用不同的方式庆祝。比如在墨西哥，人们都建造私人
的圣坛来拜祭逝者的由糖做成的骷髅。在菲律宾，人们对幕进行打扫和休憩，点上蜡烛并摆上鲜花，全家都在墓地旁露宿，有时候在亲人墓地便要呆一，两个晚上。
A:那太吓人了。我不知道我能不能那样做。
B:为什么？我们应该怕活人，或不是死人。 |