Lesson 96 The dead return 亡灵返乡
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival?
A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.
New words and expressions 生词和短语
festival n. 节日
lantern n. 灯笼
spectacle n. 景象，壮观，场面
参考译文
日本每年过一次“亡灵节”。这个节日是个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。因为预料到他们在经过长途旅行之后会感到饥饿，所以为他们摆放好了食品。特制的灯笼挂在各家的门外，为的是帮助亡灵看清道路。整个夜晚人们载歌载舞。一大早，人们便把为死者摆放的食品扔进河中或海里，因为人们认为活着的人吃了这些东西是不吉利的。在靠海的城镇中，头天夜里挂在大街小巷的小灯笼在节后就放在了水里。成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海，指引着亡灵返回另一个世界。这是一个感人的场面，人们成群地伫立在海岸上，注视着灯笼远去，直到再也看不见为止。
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自学导读
课文详注 Further notes on the text
1．… the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. ……据说死去的人要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。
（1）the dead与the living 均为定冠词+ 形容词结构，表示某类人。（cf．第54课语法）
（2）被动语态 the dead are said 在这里的作用是缓和说话语气，因为对事情是否属实的把握不太大。（cf．第58课语法）
2．… food is laid out for them. ……
为他们摆放好了食品。
lay out 为短语动词，其含义之一为“摆出”、“摊开”：
Just as he laid out his book, the telephone rang.
他刚把书摊开电话就响了。
Don't lay out your clothes on the bed. Put them away.
别把你的衣服都摊在床上。把它们收起来。
3．specially-made lanterns，特制的灯笼。
specially-made 是个复合形容词，由副词+过去分词构成。在第60课的词汇学习中，我们学习了名词+ 名词构成的复合名词。过去分词经常与其他词构成复合形容词：
well-intentioned 善意的
well-known 著名的
well-preserved 保存／保养得好的
widespread 广泛流传的
candle-lit 点着蜡烛的
a horse-drawn cart 一辆二轮马车
a tree-lined street 林阴街道
4．all night long，整夜。
long 在这里是副词，表示“整个”、“在整段期间中”，通常与 all 连用：
It snowed all day long.
一整天都在下雪。
She stayed with her grandfather all summer long.
她整个夏天都和她爷爷呆在一起。
5．their return journey to the other world，返回另一个世界。
world 可以与一些限定词连用以表示“今世／现世”、“来世”、“黄泉”等：
the next world / the world to come 来世
She believes that she will meet her dead parents in the other world.
她相信她会与她死去的父母在阴间重逢。
6．a moving spectacle，一个感人的场面。
moving 为形容词，表示“动人的”、“感人的”：
I've just read a moving story / letter.
我刚读了一个感人的故事／一封感人的信。
词汇学习 Word study
1．drift vi.
（1）漂流，漂移：
Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea.
成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海。
The boat drifted gently across the water.
小船在水面上慢悠悠地漂流。
（2）漂泊，游荡：
He has lost his job and just drifts in the city all day long.
他失业了，成天就在这座城市里游荡。
He drifted from France to Italy.
他从法国漂泊到意大利。
2．guide vt.
（1）给……领路：
The old man guided the explorers through the forest.
老人领着探险队员们穿过森林。
These lanterns will guide the dead on their return journey to the other world.
这些灯笼将指引亡灵返回另一个世界。
（2）指导（……的行动）；影响（……的决策等）：
We should be always guided by truth.
我们应该永远受真理的指导。
Don't let your wife's opinion guide your actions.
别让你妻子的观点左右你的行动。
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练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．难点练习答案
A 1 usual 2 among 3 manager 4 clothes
5 greets 6 clean 7 washing 8 temper
9 too 10 fairly 11 enough 12 single
13 queue
B 1 in 2 out of 3 up 4 over
5 away from 6 for 7 in 8 out
9 down 10 after 11 into 12 over
13 out 14 up
2．多项选择题答案
1 d 2c 3c 4b 5a 6d
7c 8d 9a 10b 11c 12b
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