2006年VOA标准英语-Halloween Scares up Tricks and Treats in US

By Laura Ellsworth
Washington, DC
31 October 2006
 
watch Halloween in the US

Every year, on the last day of October, children in the U.S. dress up in their most creative costumes to celebrate Halloween. VOA's Laura Ellsworth reports on how this big event for children has also become a day of big profits for businesses.

 
At the end of October, visitors to America may notice something a little strange going on. If the average home does not look as welcoming as it could, it is just part of a growing phenomenon in America: the celebration of Halloween. On October 31st, children all over the country will don costumes and go house to house saying the words "trick or treat" so people will give them candy.

The celebration dates back to Celtic rituals where people tried to scare away spirits. In the U.S., the first city-wide Halloween celebration was recorded in the northern state of Minnesota in 1921. The holiday's popularity is growing fast. According to the National Retail¹ Federation², nearly two-thirds of Americans plan on celebrating Halloween this year, up from just over half the country last year.

Ellen Davis, the Federation's spokesperson says that is because people do not view the holiday as just one day anymore. "It is an entire month or even a season long celebration, and as a result even more people are getting in on Halloween activities, and we are seeing more businesses, like theme parks and orchards³, creating activities around the Halloween theme."

 
Pumpkins⁵ are a traditional symbol of Halloween
Cox Farms in the state of Virginia is one of those places.  Hundreds of children pour into the farm every day during the fall to go on hay rides, enjoy Halloween-themed games, and, of course, pick out the perfect pumpkin⁴.

The growing interest in the holiday has been anything but scary for American businesses.  Consumers are expected to spend nearly $5 billion on Halloween this year. That is nearly $2 billion more than in 2005. That money will be spent mainly on a combination of costumes, candy, and decorations.

Davis says Hollywood often influences costume choices. "The most popular Halloween costume for kids this year: for girls, princesses are big and for boys, pirates are big. We find that pop culture tends to dictate⁶ what most of us want to be for Halloween and this year because of the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean a lot of kids want to be a pirate this year."

 
Even the National Zoo in Washington D.C. is getting in on the celebration.  In a few short weeks, zoo spokesman Matt Olear says, the zoo sold out 18,000 tickets to come to their annual Halloween event where the kids dress up, but they are not the only ones getting treats. "We give pumpkins to the elephants and the pygmy hippo and the Nile hippo and some of the other animals, and here in the great ape house they get treats as well."

And the kids of course, get to act like animals.

But the most important thing about Halloween is that everyone has some fun getting a little bit scared.

"Happy Halloween!"

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Americans Celebrate Halloween
By VOA News
31 October 2006

 
Trick-or-treaters dress as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein
Many Americans, especially children, are celebrating the holiday Halloween Tuesday by dressing⁷ in costumes and going door-to-door to collect candy.

Halloween takes its name from "All Hallows Eve," the day before the Christian⁸ observance of "All Saints Day" on November 1. But its origin dates back 2000 years and comes from a pagan holiday that honored the dead on the last day of the Celtic calendar on October 31.

Halloween gained wide popularity in the United States and other Western parts of the world in the 20th century.

And now, on the night of October 31, it has become tradition for millions of children to dress up as fun or scary characters and shout "Trick-or-Treat" to collect candy. The day is also marked by pumpkin carvings⁹, parties and parades.

Some Christians¹⁰ still consider Halloween a pagan holiday and refuse to celebrate it.

The U.S. film industry uses Halloween to make huge profits by releasing scary movies leading up to October 31. The frightening new film Saw III currently tops ticket sales at American cinemas.

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

4 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

5 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

6 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

7 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 carvings   

n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物

参考例句：

• The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town. 贝雕是该城的特产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。