第13章 千奇百怪的文化猎奇
An Infinite Variety of Culture
We search the different in the ordinary,and meet the oddity in the different.
我们在平凡中寻找不同，却在不同中邂逅了奇异。
手指文化
Fingers
Crossing your fingers
Americans cross their fingers in several different situations:when they are wishing for good luck（or wishing to avoid bad luck）,and when they are saying something untrue,for which they do not want to take the responsibility.In the former situation,Americans often say “Keep your fingers crossed” along with the gesture and “It doesn't count.I had my fingers crossed” in the latter situation.These situations have the common feature of potential danger;thus the gesture serves as protection from bad luck or from the penalties[1] normally associated with lying.
Christians took the crossed fingers as a “cryptic version” of the sign of the cross—the religious emblem the in the early ages,because they didn't want to attract the attention of pagan eyes.Gradually the gesture is also taken up by non-Christians and has lost its religious color.Nowadays the crossed fingers come out into the open as a light-hearted social gesture.
The “V” sign
The palm-forward “V” sign,formed by raising and spreading the first two fingers,have three different meanings in American culture.
The most popular meaning of the “V” sign was invented in 1941 by a Belgian,Victor De Lavalaye.Wanting a symbol for resistance to the Nazi occupation,he came up with the single letter “V”,which stood not only for his own first name,but also for English victory,Flemish virijherd,and French victoire.The symbolism of the sign spread very quickly,and Winston Churchill used it constantly in public appearance.Thus throughout the 1940s and 1950s,the gesture meant simply “victory”.
The second meaning came in the 1960s.Because of its military implication,American antiwar protesters used the sign sarcastically against the arms,so that it became known as the “peace sign”.In the 1970s,the “V” sign,which had lost its military implication[2] was a common greeting among freedom lovers,political radicals,and ultimately,young people in general.So by about the middle of the 1970s,it ceased to give clue to the user's philosophy.
The third meaning is the oldest and least common.American children jokingly put “V”,which resembles “horns”,behind friends’ heads in group snapshots.They are unknowingly reproducing something that southern Europeans would find highly offensive.This mischief[3],called “horns of the Devil”,is a variant of the European “horns” gesture,which is obscene.Here the “V” sign means “Your wife has been cheating on you” or,when placed behind another's head,“His wife has been cheating on him”.
In the United States,the gesture is typically given with the palm facing
the viewer.The British use both this version and an older,palm-backward version;the latter is obscene in American culture,and corresponds to the American “Giving the Finger”.Churchill got some surprised stares in 1941 when,evidently unaware of the vulgar usage,he gave the palm-backward “V” to British troops.Astonishingly,however,Margaret Thatcher repeated Churchill's error after her victory in the 1979 election.
名人语库
When a man points a finger at someone else,he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.
～Louis Nizer
当你用一个指头指向别人的时候，别忘了还有四个指着你自己。
——路易斯·奈泽
交叉手指
美国人会在以下几种不同的场合交叉他们的手指：每当他们祈求好运（或避免霉运时），或是因为不想承担责任而撒谎时。在前一种情况中，美国人交叉双手时，口中还会念道“两指交叉”；而在后一种情况中，交叉双手时，他们会说“这不算，因为我交叉了指头”。这些情况都同样存在着潜在的危险，如此一来，这个避开霉运和惩罚的手势通常都与谎言脱不了关系。
基督教徒最初用交叉的手指代表“神秘的”十字架——宗教的象征，这是因为他们不想引起非基督教徒的注意。渐渐地，一些非基督教徒也开始采用这种手势，于是它就失去了其宗教色彩。如今，出现在公开场合中的指头交叉，代表着一种愉快的社交手势。
“V”标志
拇指和食指伸出来，构成掌心向前的“V”标志，这个手势在美国有着三种不同的含义。
“V”标志最为流行的含义是由一位名叫维克多·拉瓦莱的比利时人于1941年想出来的。他想寻找一种表示抵抗纳粹占领的标志，于是想出了“V”这么一个字母，这不仅代表他名字的第一个字母，同时也是英语中victory（胜利）的首字母，和佛兰德词virijherd的首字母，以及法语victoire的首字母。这个标志的象征迅速传播开来，温斯顿·丘吉尔出席公众场合时就时常用到它。于是，整个20世纪40年代到50年代，这个姿势就只意味着“胜利”。
它的第二层意思来自20世纪60年代。由于它的军事意义，美国的反战抗议者们用这个手势讽刺性地与军队对抗，于是它就成了著名的“和平标志”。20世纪70年代，“V”标志已经失去了它的军事含义，成为自由恋爱者、政治激进者，甚至最终变成年轻人之间的一种常规问候。因此，大约到了20世纪70年代中期，你就无法从它身上发现使用者的哲学了。
第三层含义最古老，也最不常见。美国的孩子们在照相时，喜欢开玩笑地比出“V”手势，放在朋友的头后面，来象征“角”。他们不知不觉就形成了一些令南部欧洲人极其愤怒的东西。这个叫作“恶魔角”的恶作剧，是欧洲的“角”的变体，它含有淫秽的意思。这里，“V”标志的意思是“你的妻子对你不忠”，或者若是放在别人的头后面，就表示“他的妻子对他不忠”。
在美国，比该手势时都是掌心对着别人。而英国则同时使用这种版本以及掌心向后的古老版本；但是，掌心向后在美国文化中意味着下流，相当于美国的“竖中指”。1941年，丘吉尔很显然没有意识到这种下流的用法，于是朝英国的士兵们比了一个掌心向后的“V”字，招致了士兵们诧异的目光。然而，令人吃惊的是，玛格丽特·撒切尔在1979年选举获胜后，也重复了丘吉尔的错误。
注释
[1]penalties['penəltiz] n.惩罚（penalty的名词复数）；刑罚；害处；足球点球
[2]implication[ˌɪmplɪ'keɪʃn] n.含义；含蓄，言外之意；卷入，牵连纠缠
[3]mischief['mɪstʃɪf] n.损害，危害；顽皮，淘气；恶作剧；祸根
你知道搞笑诺贝尔奖吗
Do You Knowthe Ig Nobel Prizes
The Ig Nobel Prizes are an American parody[1] of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early October for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research.The stated aim of the prizes is to “ first make people laugh,and then make them think”.Organized by the scientific humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research（AIR）,they are presented by a group that includes Nobel Laureates at a ceremony[2] at Harvard University's Sanders Theater,and they are followed by a set of public lectures by the winners at MIT.
The name is a play on the word ignoble（“characterized by baseness,lowness,or meanness”）and the name “Nobel” after Alfred Nobel.The official pronunciation used during the ceremony is[ˌɪgˈnoʊbel].It is not pronounced like the word “ignoble”[ɪgˈnəʊbl].The first IgNobels were held in 1991 by Marc Abraham.
The prizes are presented by genuine Nobel laureates,originally at a ceremony in a lecture hall at MIT but now in Sanders Theater at Harvard University.It contains a number of running jokes,including Miss Sweetie Poo,a little girl who repeatedly cries out,“Please stop:I'm bored,” in a high-pitched voice if speakers go on too long.The awards ceremony is traditionally closed with the words:“If you didn't win a prize—and especially if you did—better luck next year!”
The ceremony is co-sponsored by the Harvard Computer Society,the Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association and the Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Physics Students.
Throwing paper airplanes onto the stage was a long-standing tradition at the IgNobels,changed at the 2006 ceremony because of “security concerns”.In past years,physics professor Roy Glauber has swept the stage clean of the airplanes as the official “Keeper of the Broom”.However,Glauber could not attend the 2005 awards—he was traveling to Stockholm to claim a genuine[3]Nobel Prize in Physics.
In 2010,Andre Geim became the first person to receive both the Nobel and an individual Ig Nobel prize.
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
文化小课堂
搞笑诺贝尔奖是对诺贝尔奖的有趣模仿，其名称来自Ignoble（不名誉的）和Nobel Prize（诺贝尔奖）的结合。“搞笑”版诺贝尔奖由美国人马克·亚伯拉罕创办，此人创办了一份名为《不可能的研究纪录》的科学幽默杂志。从1991年开始，每年颁奖一次。
搞笑诺贝尔奖是诺贝尔奖的恶搞版，于每年的10月举行，以表彰科学研究领域十大罕见却微不足道的成就。该奖项所宣称的目的是：“首先得让人开怀大笑，然后再引人深思”。它由科学幽默杂志《不可思议研究年报》组织，由包括诺贝尔奖得主在内的一行人，在哈佛大学的桑德斯剧场举行。紧接着，他们会在麻省理工学院进行一系列公开演讲。
这个名字是在ignoble（“下流、低贱、卑鄙”）这个词上耍的小花招，而“诺贝尔”这个名字却是来源于“阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔”。颁奖典礼上使用的官方发音是[ˌɪgˈnoʊbel]，与“ignoble”的正确发音[ɪgˈnəʊbl]不同。第一届搞笑诺贝尔奖是由马可·亚伯拉罕在1991年举办的。
奖品由真正的诺贝尔获得者颁发，颁奖地点最初在麻省理工学院演讲大厅，如今在哈佛大学桑德斯剧院。颁奖典礼上笑料不断，另外，若是发言人讲话过长，台下的小女孩“甜普小姐”就会反复大喊：“请停下来，烦死了。”颁奖典礼的传统结束语是：“如果你没有拿奖——特别是如果你拿了奖——那祝你明年有个好运气！”
该颁奖典礼是由哈佛计算机协会、哈佛拉德克里夫科幻小说协会和哈佛拉德克里夫物理系学生会共同主办的。
将纸飞机扔上舞台，这是搞笑诺贝尔奖的一项长期传统，但在2006年的典礼上，因为“安全问题”而被取消。在过去几年中，物理学教授罗伊·格劳伯扫干净台上的纸飞机，成为正式的“扫帚守护者”。然而，格劳伯不能参加2005年的奖项——他已经前往斯德哥尔摩，去领取真正的诺贝尔物理学奖了。
2010年，安德烈·海姆成为第一位同时获得诺贝尔奖和搞笑诺贝尔奖的人。
皱纹应该只是微笑留下的印记。
注释
[1]parody['pærədɪ] n.拙劣的模仿；恶搞；滑稽的模仿
[2]ceremony['serəmənɪ] n.典礼，仪式；礼仪，礼节；虚礼，客气
[3]genuine['dʒenjuɪn] a.真正的；坦率的，真诚的；血统纯粹的，纯种的
为什么西方认为“13”不吉利
Why “13” Is Unlucky in Western
2013 is going to be a very trying year for people with Triskaidekaphobia,also known as the fear of the number 13.
While the superstitious folks afflicted with this problem can easily stay home on Friday the 13th,it's going to be a lot harder to stay inside for another 362 days.
Why is 13 considered unlucky,anyway?
There were 13 people at the Last Supper.
It's said that Judas Iscariot,the one who betrayed Jesus—was the 13th man to take his place at the table.
Similarly,there's a Norse legend that has 12 gods sitting down to a banquet[1] when the 13th（uninvited）god,Loki,shows up.
Loki killed one of the other gods,which led to events that eventually resulted in Ragnarok—the death of a bunch of gods,a slew of natural disasters,and the eradication[2] of everything on earth save for two human survivors.There's a lot more to the story than that,but you get the general idea.
Traditionally,there used to be 13 steps leading up the gallows.
There's also a legend that a hangman's noose traditionally contained 13 turns,but it's actually more like eight.
In the sixteenth century,bakers could befined heavily for selling short-weighted loaves of bread,and to guard against this possibility it became customary for them to throw in an extra loaf,whenever one purchased[3] a dozen.Thus a dozen plus one became known as a baker's dozen—a rare instance in which the number 13 has a positive connotation.
名人语录
Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.
～Shakespeare
宁为聪明的愚夫，不做愚蠢的才子。
——莎士比亚
对于有黑色星期五恐惧症的人（也就是患有数字13恐惧症的人）来说，2013年将是非常难熬的一年。
以往那些被此类问题缠绕的迷信之人，会待在家里躲过每个13日的星期五，但在今年，剩下的362天也一直躲在家里可谓难上加难。
不过，不管怎样，人们为什么认为13不吉利呢？
最后的晚餐里就有13个人。
据说，加略人犹大，也就是那个背叛耶稣的人——是第13个坐上桌的。
同样，挪威有一个传说：当第13个神洛基出现时，已经有12个神坐下来享用晚宴了。
洛基杀死了其中一位神，结果导致世界毁灭——一群神死亡、大量的自然灾害、地球上的一切都灭绝了，只剩下两个人。这个故事还很长，但你已经知道了大意。
按照惯例，通往绞刑架的路上有13级阶梯。
还有一个传说就是，刽子手的套索缠了13圈，可实际上更像是8圈。
16世纪，面包师出售分量不足的面包要受到重罚，因此，为了避免发生此事，当别人买一打面包时，他们喜欢额外加上一片；该做法便成为习惯。如此，一打面包加上一片就变成了面包师的“打”——这是罕见的13在其中有积极含义的情况。
注释
[1]banquet[ˈbæŋkwɪt] n.宴会，盛宴；筵席；宴请，款待
[2]eradication[ɪˌrædɪ'keɪʃn] n.摧毁，根除
[3]purchased['pɜ:tʃəst] v.购买（purchase的过去式和过去分词）；购买东西
祝你摔断腿
Break a Leg
This is an odd but traditional good luck wish to an actor about to go on.Among highly superstitious theater people,it is thought that if people wish for good luck,something will inevitably go wrong.So they wish for bad luck instead,and hope that the efficacy will just be the reverse.
There are some other superstitious beliefs among actors.It is good luck,for example,to have their shoes squeak during an entrance,and it is good luck to have a theater cat.But bad luck comes from all directions:from whistling in the theater,from repeating the last line of a play at rehearsal,from certain shades of yellow,and from being forced to appear on a set with a picture of an ostrich.
These traditional beliefs may be attributed to the artistic temperament,which tends to be full of strange ideas.Or,they may have much to do with the unfavorable situations of actors:the high tension on the stage,the instability of the profession,and the low social status until quite recent times.When your livelihood depends on satisfying the public by pretending to be someone you are not,it is no wonder you are always expecting disaster.
名人语库
Art is much less important than life,but what a poor life without it!
～Robert Motherwell
艺术远没有生活重要，但是，没有艺术的生活将多么乏味！
——罗伯特·马瑟韦尔
对于一位演员来说，这样的“祝福”有些奇怪，但它是一种传统。那些严重迷信的剧院人认为，如果有人祝你好运，那么就避免不了要出差错。所以，他们就祝你倒霉，希望效果也反过来。
演员之间还存在着另一种迷信。若是他们的鞋子卡在门口，就表示好运。此外，在剧院里养一只猫也能带来好运。不过，霉运也无处不入：在剧院里吹口哨，排练时重复剧中的最后一句台词，用黄色遮盖物，被迫和鸵鸟的图片一起出现在剧中等。
这些传统的信念有助于陶冶艺术性情，而拥有这种性情的人充满了千奇百怪的想法。或者说，这些信念有助于演员们缓解不良状况：舞台上的高度紧张、职业的不稳定和社会地位的低下（现代以前）等。若是你的生活要依靠扮演一个根本不是你的人来取悦观众，也难怪你总是期待霉运。
千奇百怪的迎新年风俗
Quirky Traditions That Mark NewYear
As the clock strikes 12 on Monday,millions will pop champagne corks and light fireworks while others indulge in quirkier[1]New Year's rituals like melting lead,leaping off chairs or gobbling grapes.
One of the world's oldest shared traditions,New Year's celebrations take many forms,but most cultures have one thing in common—letting one's hair down after a long,hard year.
For much of the globe this involves sipping bubbly with friends until the sun comes up,seeing out the old year with bonfires and flares and off-key renditions of Auld Lang Syne.
But others have rather more curious habits,often steeped in superstition[2].
In Finland,say tour guides,people pour molten lead into cold water to divine the year ahead from the shape the metal sets in.If the blob represents a ship it is said to foretell travel,if it's a ball,good luck.
In Denmark,people stand on chairs and jump off in unison as the clock strikes midnight,literally[3] leaping into the new year.
The Danes also throw plates at their friends’ homes during the night—the more shards you find outside your door in the morning the more popular you are said to be.
The Dutch build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and eat sugary donuts—one of many cultures to consume round New Year's foods traditionally believed to represent good fortune.
Spaniards,in turn,gobble a dozen grapes before the stroke of midnight,each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour.
In the Philippines,revellers wear polka dots for good luck,while in some countries of South America people don brightly coloured underwear to attract fortune—red for love and yellow for financial success.
Despite regional and cultural differences,for most the New Year's festivities are a chance to let off steam before the annual cycle starts all over again.
“This is a holiday that is about relaxation and letting go,” explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni.
名人语库
We know nothing of what will happen in future,but by the analogy of past experience.
～Abraham Lincoln
除了凭着对过去的经验加以类推之外，我们对今后的事一无所知。
——林肯
星期一，当时钟敲响12点时，上百万人会“砰”的一声打开香槟软木塞，点燃烟花，而还有一群人则沉浸在更离奇的新年仪式上，比如熔铅、从椅子上跳下，或是狼吞虎咽地吃葡萄。
作为世界上最古老的共同传统，庆祝新年有多种形式，可是，在大多数文化中，有一点是相同的——在艰苦漫长的一年后，要恣意放松一下。
在世界上大多数国家，人们都会和朋友一起喝香槟，直到第二天太阳升起，在烟花、火焰和特别演唱的《友谊地久天长》中，见证新一年的到来。
然而，还有些风俗相当稀奇，而且通常过于迷信。
导游们说，在芬兰，人们会将熔铅倒进冷水中，通过该金属的形状预测来年的运势。如果熔铅形成船的形状，就预示着旅行；如果是球，就代表好运。
在丹麦，当午夜钟声敲响的时候，人们要站在椅子上一起往下跳，这就相当于跳进新的一年。
丹麦人还会在晚上将盘子扔进朋友的家里——第二天早上，你在家门外找到的盘子碎片越多，就表示你越受欢迎。
荷兰人用圣诞树燃起大堆火焰，还一边吃着甜甜圈——很多文化历来都将甜甜圈作为新年食物，并将其视作好运的象征。
轮到西班牙人啦，他们在钟声敲响之前，会狼吞虎咽地吃下12颗葡萄，每一颗就代表一个月，这一个月，要么酸、要么甜。
在菲律宾，狂欢者们穿着圆点花纹的衣服以迎接好运。而在南美的一些国家，人们穿上鲜亮的内衣来召唤好运——红色代表爱情，黄色代表财富。
除了地域和文化差异外，大多数新年都是新年伊始之前宣泄压力的好时机。
“这是一个关于放松和释放的节日。”乔治·华盛顿大学的社会学家阿米塔伊·艾奇奥尼说道。
注释
[1]quirky['kwə:ki] a.诡诈的，离奇的
[2]superstition[ˌsu:pə'stɪʃn] n.迷信；迷信行为；<古>邪教
[3]literally['lɪtərəli] ad.逐字地；照字面地；确实地，真正地；<口语>差不多，简直（用于加强语意）
撒盐
Spilling Salt
We do not know when man first began to use salt,but we do know that it has been used in many different ways throughout history.Historical evidence shows,for example,that people who lived over 3000 years ago ate salted fish.Thousands of years ago in Egypt,salt was used to preserve the dead.
Because of its value as a preservative,antiseptic,and flavoring,salt was considered almost supernatural throughout the ancient world.Among Greeks,Romans and Hebrews it was a common sacrificial offering.Throughout the Middle East,moreover,it was a token of friendship and trust.Spilling such an honored substance was seen as an intentional offense to the celestial powers;the association of spilled salt with bad luck can therefore trace back to very ancient times.In Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper,where Judas has knocked over the saltcellar,the painter was mirroring an old tradition.
One may counteract effect of spilled salt,or bad luck,by throwing a little over the left shoulder.The thrown salt may serve as an informal sacrifice to conciliate the gods;or it may be an attack in the evil spirits,since it is believed that the Devil cannot abide salt.It's the left shoulder probably because the right is associated with what is “right”,but the left represents evil.
名人语库
Let yourself be open and life will be easier.A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable.A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.
～Buddha Quote
敞开心扉，生活会更从容。若心胸如一杯水般狭小，一勺盐便足以毁其滋味；若心胸像一汪湖水般宽广，一勺盐却是微不足道。
——佛语
我们不知道人类从什么时候开始使用盐，但我们了解，历史上盐的用途多种多样。比如，历史证据显示，生活在3000多年前的人就已经开始吃咸鱼了。在几千年前的埃及，人们就已经开始用盐来保存尸体。
因为盐具有防腐、杀菌和调味的作用，所以，在整个古代世界，盐都被认为是超自然之物。在希腊、罗马和希伯来人看来，它就是一种通用的祭品。在整个中东地区，它是友谊和信任的象征。抛洒这种神圣的事物，会被认为是故意冒犯神灵；因此，将撒盐与霉运联系在一起的习俗，要追溯至远古时期。里昂纳多·达·芬奇的《最后的晚餐》上画着犹大打翻盐瓶的场景，画家正是借此展现这个古老的传统。
人们会通过稍微耸耸左肩来抵消撒盐或霉运的效果。撒盐可作为对神灵的非正式祭献，以此让他们息怒；或者说它可袭击恶魔的灵魂，因为人们认为恶魔不能忍受盐。而之所以是左肩，或许因为右肩与“正确”[1]有关，所以左肩就代表灾祸。
注释
[1]译者注：英文中，right有右边和正确的意思。
屋内打伞
Opening an Umbrella Indoors
There is no doubt that the umbrella is employed as shield against bad weather and as a shade against the sun.Therefore,it is understandable that opening an umbrella indoors would be considered unnecessary or foolish.But why would this action be seen as dangerous?
Some people believe that an umbrella unnescessarily opened during fine weather may bring down the rain.A more subtle rationale suggests that indoor umbrella usage violates the right order of things,and may thus be seen as a challenge of the supernatural powers.Specifically,such behavior might be seen as insulting to God—who intended the umbrella to be employed outdoors—to the spirit of the umbrella itself,or to the spirit of the household,who might be annoyed at the implication that their protection must be supplemented by an overhead shield.Of course,another simple practical rationale[1] may also enter in:the custom may come out of a long-forgotten accident in which someone opened an umbrella in his house and knocked over a burning candle or the china.
名人语库
I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.
～Oprah Winfrey
我相信，生命中每一件事情的发生，都是因为我们选择了爱而不是恐惧。
——奥普拉·温弗瑞
毫无疑问，伞是用来遮风避雨，或是用来遮阳的。因此，在屋内打伞也就没有必要，或许会被看作愚蠢之举，这也可以理解。可是，为什么人们认为这种行为很危险呢？
一些人认为晴天打伞会招来下雨。还有更微妙的理论，说在屋内打伞会扰乱万物的正确秩序，因此就被看作是对超自然力量的挑衅。具体来说就是，这种行为会被视作对上帝的侮辱——上帝的旨意是伞应在屋外使用；这也是对伞灵的侮辱，对家庭守护神的侮辱——他们会因为自己的保护职责被另一个遮住头顶的东西插手而恼怒。当然，另一个简明而实际的理论就是：这个习俗源自于久被遗忘的一次事故，说是有一个人因为在屋里打伞，打翻了一只燃烧的蜡烛或瓷器。
注释
[1]rationale[ˌræʃəˈnɑ:l] n.理论的说明；基本原理，基础理论；根据。
世界上五个古怪的节日
Whacky Festivals in the World
Celebrations and traditions hold a special place in a country.It is a time of national solidarity when the families come together and forget the day-to-day grind and celebrate a holiday,for a particular purpose.It is a way for the people to express themselves.
Besides the national festivals and celebrations,many places enjoy some whacky[1] celebrations.Here are just five whacky festivals:
1.Henley-on-Todd Regatta
If you want something quieter,trip over to Alice Springs in the dry heart of Australia.There you will find the Todd Regatta in a riverbed that normally has no water.The boats are bottomless and without paddles,or motors.They are usually constructed from beer cans,which have been eagerly emptied by the boat builders.The teams run up the riverbed with their feet sticking out of the bottom of their boats.In 1993 the race was cancelled because of the threat of a once in a blue moon rain storm.
2.World Black Pudding Throwing Championship
In Greater Manchester UK they throw black puddings.Black pudding is traditionally made of cooked pig blood,fat and rusk,encased in a length of intestine.The contest dates back to the 1850s.Competitors from across the world have gathered at a pub in Greater Manchester for the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship.The aim is to knock Yorkshire puddings off a 20-foot shelf by throwing black puddings at them.
3.Sauna Bathing Championships
If you prefer it hot,Finland is the place for you to compete in the Sauna Bathing Championships.Every 30 seconds the heat is turned up,but the contestants must keep their naked bums firmly on the wooden seat,while remaining seated in an upright[2] position.The last person left in the sauna is the winner.
4.The La Tomatina Festival
Every August thousands of Spaniards take part in the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol.Truckloads of tomatoes are pulled in each year and dumped in the city centre.The people throw tomatoes at each other for the whole day,but the only rule is that the tomato must be flattened in the hand first,before being thrown.Even elderly grandmothers have been known to take part.
5.The Naked Festival
Japan hosts the Naked Festival.All male contestants are dressed in oversize diapers and parade through the winter streets.Bystanders throw cold water over the contestants,who drink copious[3] amounts of sake in an effort to stop from freezing.
While some say festivals express something about the people who celebrate them,I wonder!It is important however,as a universal community we respect without censure,how and what others choose to celebrate.Each festival meets a particular need in the individuals of that country and becomes an integral part of a way of life.Maybe you can come up with some whacky celebration of your own.
名人语录
The festivals are like a map charting our spiritual progress in God.
～Western Proverb
节日就像一张地图，指引着我们接近上帝的道路。
——西方谚语
在乡村地区，各种庆典和传统占据着特殊的地位。这是个举国欢腾的日子，家家户户相聚一堂，忘却日复一日的苦累，为了某种特殊的目的欢庆佳节。人们也都会在此刻互述衷肠。
除了国家的节日和庆典外，许多地方还有一些奇怪的庆祝活动。下面，就让我们一起来看看这世上的五个古怪节日。
1.托德河脚行船赛
如果你想寻找较为安静的地方，那就去澳大利亚的干旱中心——爱丽丝斯普林斯。到了那里，你会发现，托德河常年干涸。那里的船没有底、没有桨，也没有发动机；它们都是由啤酒罐制成的，造船者们迫不及待地将啤酒喝完，然后用啤酒瓶来造船。参赛者们穿过船底，双脚着地，沿着河床往前奔跑。1993年，这项比赛因为一场极为罕见的灾难风暴被取消。
2.扔黑布丁比赛
英国的曼彻斯特有扔黑布丁比赛。历年以来，黑布丁是将煮熟的猪血、脂肪和甜面包干装在一节肠衣内而制成。该比赛要追溯到19世纪50年代。来自世界各地的竞赛者聚集在曼彻斯特的酒馆里，争夺世界扔黑布丁比赛的冠军。他们的目标就是，通过朝20英尺高的架子上扔黑布丁，将上面的约克郡布丁打落下来。
3.桑拿浴大赛
如果你喜欢炎热，便可以去芬兰参加桑拿浴大赛。在那里，温度每30秒就会上升，而参赛者们必须挺直腰板，裸着屁股，稳坐在木椅上，最后一个离开的人就是胜者。
4.西班牙西红柿节
每逢8月，成千上万的西班牙人都会参加布尼奥尔的西红柿节。每年都有一车又一车的西红柿运来，倒在市中心。一整天，人们相互朝对方扔西红柿，唯一的规矩就是：扔之前必须先用手把西红柿捏烂。就连老奶奶们也会参加。
5.日本裸体节
在日本，人们会举办裸体节。所有的男性参赛者都要裹上大块的兜裆布，在冬日的街道上游行。路人们朝参赛者泼冷水，而为了避免冻僵，参赛者们会提前喝很多米酒。
有人说，节日就是庆祝它的人们为了表达某些东西而举办的，我看未必！然而，作为世界共同体，我们应该放开偏见，尊重别人的庆祝方式和内容。每一个节日都能满足该国人民的个人需求，并且成为他们生活方式的必要部分。或许，你自己还能创造一些奇怪的庆祝方式呢。
注释
[1]whacky['（h）wæki] a.怪诞的，发狂的
[2]upright['ʌpraɪt] a.直立的；垂直的；正直的；诚实的
[3]copious['kəʊpiəs] a.丰富的；大量的；多产的；冗长的
美国十大匪夷所思的现象
Ten Unthinkable Phenomena in America
1.Only in America ...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
2.Only in America ...are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
3.Only in America ...do drugstores[1] make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
4.Only in America ...do people order double cheese burgers,large fries,and a diet Coke.
5.Only in America ...do banks leave both doors to the vault open and then chain the pens to the counters.
6.Only in America ...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk[2] in the garage.
7.Only in America ...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.
8.Only in America ...do we buy hot dogs in packages[3] of ten and buns in packages of eight.
9.Only in America ...do we use the word “politics” to describe the process so well:“Poli” in Latin meaning “many” and “tics” meaning “bloodsucking creatures”.
10.Only in America ...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
名人语库
Too much experience is a dangerous thing.
～Oscar Wilde
经验过多反而危险。
——奥斯卡·王尔德
1.只有在美国……披萨可以比救护车更快到达你家。
2.只有在美国……溜冰场外有残疾人专用的停车位。
3.只有在美国……病人到药房后面去取药，而健康人群则可在前面买烟。
4.只有在美国……人们才会点双份奶酪汉堡、大薯条和健怡可乐。
5.只有在美国……银行才会让金库的门敞开着，然后只用链子锁住围栏。
6.只有在美国……我们会将价值不菲的好车停在路边，而把不值钱的破车留在停车场。
7.只有在美国……我们使用答录机来筛选来电，然后让电话一直响铃，这样我们就不会错过一开始我们不想与之说话的人的电话。
8.只有在美国……我们会买十根装的热狗和八块装的圆面包。
9.只有在美国……“政治”一词用得再好不过：拉丁文中的“政”意思是“许多”，而“治”的意思是“吸血生物”。
10.只有在美国……他们有盲文自动取款机。
注释
[1]drugstores[ˈdrʌgstɔ:z] n.药房（兼售化妆品等）（drugstore的名词复数）
[2]junk[dʒʌŋk] n.废旧物品，破烂物；
[3]packages['pækɪdʒz] n.包裹；包装袋（package的名词复数）
阅读课堂 你所不知道的英语典故
English Allusions That You Don't Know
Cleopatra（克娄巴特拉）
后人所称的“埃及艳后”，指绝代佳人。这是莎士比亚戏剧《安东尼和克娄巴特拉》中的人物。
Shylock（夏洛克）
指贪婪、残忍、追求钱财、不择手段的守财奴。莎士比亚戏剧《威尼斯商人》中的人物。
Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde（吉基尔医生和海德先生）
指有双重性格的人。一方面善良、温和（吉基尔医生），另一方面凶恶、残暴（海德先生）。这是史蒂文森的小说《吉基尔医生和海德先生奇案》（又名《化身博士》）中的人物。
Frankenstein（弗兰肯斯坦）
人们常说“制造一个弗兰肯斯坦”，指杀伤原制造者的怪物或东西，也指制造这种东西的人以及可怕的怪物。这是玛丽·雪莱的小说《弗兰肯斯坦》（又译《科学怪人》）中的人物。这本书的主人公是医学院的学生，他把尸体中的骨头取来，制造了一个似人的怪物弗兰肯斯坦，最后自己被这个怪物杀害。
Sherlock Holmes（夏洛克·福尔摩斯）
指有非凡才能的侦探或敏锐精明的人，这种人善于通过仔细观察、科学分析和逻辑推理，进行追捕或解决疑难问题。夏洛克·福尔摩斯是阿瑟·柯南道尔著名侦探小说中的主人公。
Uncle Tom（汤姆叔叔）
指逆来顺受的人，尤其是黑人，这种人情愿忍受侮辱和痛苦，在思想上和行动上绝不反抗。这个词有贬义，来自哈利特·斯托的小说《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中的主人公。
Horatio Alger story（霍雷肖·阿尔杰式的故事）
指一种神话般的“飞黄腾达”的经历，往往描写穷小子艰苦奋斗往上爬，最后功成业就，成为富裕的社会名流的故事。因霍雷肖·阿尔杰写的小说情节几乎全部如此而得名。他最著名的作品是《衣衫褴褛的狄克》（Ragged Dick）系列小说和《衣衫褴褛的汤姆》（Tattered Tom）系列小说。
catch-22 situation（第22条军规式的处境）
指不可摆脱的困境：各种因素相互依存，A决定于B，而B又决定于A，所以是一种无出路的连锁性绝境。这一用语出自美国作家约瑟夫·海勒写的《第22条军规》。
Herculean task（艰苦的任务）
指需要巨大的体力或智力才能完成的任务。海格立斯是希腊神话中身材魁梧、力大无穷的英雄。他曾被罚去完成12项极为艰巨的任务，成功后被封为神。如：It was a Herculean task,but he managed to do it.
Achilles heel（唯一致命的弱点）
指一个人（组织、国家等）的弱点。故事是这样的：在荷马史诗《伊利亚特》中有一位希腊英雄阿基里斯（Achilles），出生后被他的母亲倒提着在冥河中浸过，以便使之刀枪不入。阿基里斯全身浸入水中，唯独脚跟抓在他母亲手里未湿，所以脚跟成了唯一的弱点。最后，阿基里斯在战斗中恰恰因脚跟受伤而死。
Pandora's box（潘多拉之盒——灾难、麻烦、祸害的根源）
指看上去有用却引起祸害的礼物或其他物品。在希腊神话中第一个妇女潘多拉因受惩罚，被众神谪下凡间。宙斯给她一个盒子，让她带给娶她的男人。当盒子最后打开时，所有的罪恶、不幸、灾难等都跑了出来，从此给人类带来无穷的祸害。
to be down and out（被困难压倒，完全失败）
原指在拳击运动中被击倒而不能继续比赛，转义为虽经过努力挣扎，但已处于绝望境地而彻底垮台。
Rambo（兰博）
兰博是80年代中期美国电影中的一个著名人物。他是在侵越战争中为美军卖过命的汉子，足智多谋沉默寡言，性情孤僻，行为有点古怪。在电影中，他历尽艰险并经常使用暴力，又奇迹般地死里逃生。他用射击、刀砍、轰炸及火烧杀出一条活路，虽然这些情节令人难以置信，他的某些暴力行动也使人反感，但他却是许多美国男孩和青年心目中的当代英雄。
as American as apple pie（像苹果馅饼一样典型的美国式）
苹果馅饼是美国人喜欢的甜食之一，常常配着冰淇淋一起吃。有人说苹果馅饼是美国人发明的，也有人说它是在美国最先流行起来的。这一短语用来强调某种东西是真正美国式的。
That's something for Ripley（那简直是里普利的奇闻）
美国有许多家报纸刊登里普利写的“信不信由你”这一专栏，所报导的都是一些稀奇古怪或匪夷所思的事，却都是真实的、经过核实的。因为这些事太古怪，非同一般，人们常觉得难以相信。这一短语一般指令人难以置信而又很可能是事实的事。