新概念英语第二册96

96 The dead return亡灵返乡, 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. 亡灵节每年举行一次，日本。这个节日是个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人要返回家园，他们是受欢迎的。因为预料到他们在经过长时间的旅行是饿了，所以为他们摆放好了饭菜。特制的灯笼挂在各家帮助亡灵。整个晚上，人们唱歌跳舞。在清晨，食品，为死者摆放的食品扔进河中或海里，它被认为是不吉利的活着的人吃了它。在靠海的城镇中，这些小灯笼挂在街上的前一天晚上，放入水中时，节结束。成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海，指引亡灵返回另一个世界。这是一个感人的场面，人们成群地站在海岸上，注视着灯笼远去，直到再也看不见。