Take Away English-Halloween 万圣节

People carve pumpkins2 at Halloween to make 'Jack-o-lanterns'

It’s October the 31st, and across Britain and the USA, thousands of children are dressing³ up as monsters, ghosts and witches⁴ and going to their neighbours’ houses to ask for sweets or to play tricks on them if they refuse.

Many houses have lanterns made from pumpkins in their windows. These lanterns have frightening faces cut into them.

What is the reason for all of this? It’s Halloween! To an outsider, this may seem a strange festival, but it is a very popular one and an important part of the culture in Britain and the USA. But how did it start?

The holiday once had a religious⁵ significance⁶. November the 1st is All Saint’s Day, and October the 31st was believed to be a day when all the spirits came back to the world of the living. In modern times, this has changed to be a day when children dress up as monsters, ghosts and witches.

Once they are dressed up children go to their neighbours’ houses. They knock on the door and shout ‘Trick or treat!’ Good neighbours, of course, give ‘treats’. These are usually sweets or chocolates.

Bad neighbours, however, may give nothing. If so, then the children play a ‘trick’ on them. This may be a simple practical⁷ joke. However, naughty children may do something worse, like throwing rubbish in the neighbour’s garden. Nowadays, of course, most neighbours always give a treat. After all, it’s fun for the children.

Another tradition is to make lanterns from pumpkins. First, the inside of the pumpkin¹ is removed. Then, a face is cut into the pumpkin, traditionally⁸ a smiling, devil⁹ face. Finally a candle is placed inside, and the lantern is put at the front of the house to keep evil¹⁰ spirits away.

There are many traditional games on Halloween, but the most common is ‘apple-bobbing’. It’s simple to play. Several apples are put floating in water. Children then have their hands tied behind their backs. They then have to try to pick the apples out of the water using only their mouths. Of course, people get very wet and it is very funny to watch.

GLOSSARY 词汇表
dressing up 乔装打扮；穿上盛装 ghosts 鬼；幽灵 neighbours' 邻居 tricks 恶作剧；诡计 pumpkins 南瓜 outsider 外人；局外人 treat 招待；请客 naughty 淘气的 devil 魔鬼 floating 漂浮着	monsters 怪物；妖怪 witches 巫师 sweets 糖果 lanterns 灯笼 frightening 令人恐惧的 spirits 幽灵；鬼魂 practical joke 恶作剧 rubbish 垃圾 evil 邪恶的 tied 栓着的，捆着的

 

1 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！

2 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）

3 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。

4 witches   

n.女巫，巫婆( witch的名词复数 )；讨人嫌的丑女人v.女巫，巫婆( witch的第三人称单数 )；讨人嫌的丑女人

参考例句：

• Witches used to be burned at the stake. 巫婆过去要被处以火刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Witches ain't got no power in the daytime." 巫婆白天是没有法力的。” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

5 religious   

adj.宗教性的，虔诚的，宗教上的；n.修道士，出家人

参考例句：

• She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚，每个星期天都上教堂。
• It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。

6 significance   

n.意义，含义；重要性，重大

参考例句：

• This fact has little significance for us.这一事实对我们没有什么意义。
• This is a matter of great significance.这是一个具有重大意义的问题。

7 practical   

adj.实际的，实践的；实用的，应用的；有实际经验的

参考例句：

• He is a practical person.他是位很讲实际的人。
• Your invention is clever,but not practical.你的发明很巧，但不实用。

8 traditionally   

adv.传说地；传统地

参考例句：

• Traditionally,people clean the house before the Spring Festival.传统上，人们在春节前打扫房子。
• Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year.根据传统，医学奖是诺贝尔奖每年颁发的第一个奖项。

9 devil   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• It is easier to raise the devil than to lay him.召鬼容易驱鬼难。
• Susie,you're a determined little devil.苏茜，你真是个坚决的小家伙。

10 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。