Effortless English—Day of the Dead

作者：Alice的学习笔记

Mini Story

原文来自《Effortless English》——New Method Learning English

I arrive in Guatemala on The Day of the Dead, November 1st. I’m curious about this holiday, so I go to the cemetery to see what’s happening. What I find is quite interesting.

The atmosphere is like a party. There are people everywhere. Families are sitting around the graves of their dead ancestors. They clean the graves and add fresh flowers. I walk through the cemetery and admire the beauty of all the colorful flowers.

There is also color in the sky because many kids are flying kites. Some families are having a picnic next to the graves. They eat, drink, and chat together. People laugh and smile.

In the United States, cemeteries are always somber. We certainly never have festivals or parties next to graves. We don’t laugh or play music or fly kites in cemeteries either.

I find that I prefer the Guatemalan approach. I like the way they remember and celebrate those who have passed away. I like that they acknowledge death, instead of denying it the way Americans do. I like that there is life, as well as death, in their cemeteries.

Guatemalans call it “The Day of the Dead”, but it is also a day to appreciate life.

单词、短语、句子

• Guatemala
  危地马拉共和国，是中美洲的一个总统共和制国家，位于北美洲大陆的南部，中美洲西北部。首都是危地马拉城，同时它也是危地马拉第一大城市，位于危地马拉中部的山谷中，由于四季如春，又叫“Spring City”。

• Day of the Dead
  亡灵节，起源于墨西哥，但是在拉丁美洲国家都很盛行。在这个节日中，人们会戴上彩色的头骨以及骨架来庆祝。

• cemetery
  （尤指不靠近教堂的）墓地，公墓，坟场。区别于graveyard：一般指教堂边的墓地。

• grave
  作名词表示坟墓，作动词表示严重的，重大的，严峻的。
     He said that the situation in his country is very grave...
      他说他的国家情况十分危急。
      I have grave doubts that the documents tell the whole story.
      我对这些文件能否说明所有的问题深表怀疑。

• there is color in the sky
  我很喜欢这句话的表达，因为孩子们放风筝使得天空也有了颜色！尤其在这个缅怀逝者的日子里，让人觉得格外温暖。

• sober
  严肃的，审慎的，头脑清醒的。
      It was a room filled with sad, sober faces……
      房间里坐满了人，大家都一脸忧伤和严肃。
      The euphoria is giving way to a more sober assessment of the situation.
      兴高采烈的情绪不见了，取而代之的是对局面更为清醒的认识。

• approach
  作名词可表示方法，态度，手段，在这段话中，它表示气氛，氛围。
      //...the festival spirit that permeated the house with the approach of Christmas.
      随着圣诞节临近，房子里洋溢着的节日气氛。

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