April Fools' Day

April Fool's Day. Written by Sharon Beaux. Focus question. How is April Fool's Day best celebrated?

愚人节 莎伦·博 撰文 思考问题 怎么过愚人节才最有意思？

Pranking Fun It's early spring. You're getting ready to enjoy a delicious bowl of chili, but it needs a pinch of salt. Little do you realize that the shaker's top is unscrewed. Your chili ends up buried under a pile of salt. You've been the victim of an April Fool's joke. April Fool's Day is celebrated in many countries on or around the first day of April every year. It's the one day of the year when it's OK to play practical jokes or pranks on people.

捉弄人的趣味 现在是早春时节 你正准备享用一碗美味的辣椒炖肉，就差撒一点点盐 你完全没发现盐罐的盖子已经被拧松了 你的辣椒直接埋进了一大堆盐里 你就这样成了愚人节玩笑的受害者 每年四月一日前后，很多国家都会过愚人节 一年里只有这一天，捉弄别人开恶作剧是没关系的

Popular pranks to play include putting grease on a doorknob or swapping the sugar for salt. You might persuade your friends to do silly things, like try to buy plaid paint or a left -handed screwdriver. Thinking of fresh ways to fool your friends is a big part of the fun.

常见的恶作剧包括在门把手上抹油、把盐和糖互换 你还可以忽悠朋友做傻事，比如让他们去买格子颜料或者左撇子螺丝刀 想新花招捉弄朋友，就是愚人节最大的乐趣之一

Why April 1st? No one really knows for sure why April Fool's Day is on the first day of April. Historians believe that April Fools originally celebrated the welcoming of spring. Many people were often fooled by the unpredictability of the weather during this time of the year. Another popular theory is that it started in the 1500s. The version of the yearly calendar we use today was introduced back then. The New Year moved from the beginning of April to January 1st. This theory states that people who still celebrated New Year's Day on the 1st of April were

为什么是四月一日呢？ 没人确切知道愚人节为什么定在四月一日 历史学家认为，愚人节最初是为了迎接春天到来 过去很多人都会被这段时间变幻莫测的天气捉弄 另一种流行的说法认为，它起源于十六世纪 我们如今使用的公历就是在那个时候开始推行的 新年从四月初改到了一月一日 这种说法认为，那些仍在四月一日庆祝新年的人会

Many cultures in the past have celebrated days of foolishness around the beginning of April. Until about A .D. 476, ancient Romans celebrated Hilaria. This seasonal holiday honored the return to the longer days of spring after a dark winter. Romans rejoiced by dressing up in disguises and playing games and pranks. At the end of the 12th century, people celebrated the Feast of Fools in parts of medieval Europe. The revelers chose a Lord of Misrule or False Ruler to lead the celebration. The followers joined in the fun by dressing in disguise. This chance to poke fun at leaders continued until the 16th century, though there were repeated attempts to ban it.

过去很多文化都会在四月初庆祝愚人玩耍的节日 直到公元476年左右，古罗马人都会庆祝希拉利亚节 这个应季节日是为了庆祝寒冬过后，春日长昼归来 罗马人会乔装打扮，玩游戏、搞恶作剧，尽情欢庆 十二世纪末，中世纪欧洲部分地区会庆祝愚人盛宴 狂欢者会选出“胡闹之王”或是“假统治者”带领庆祝 参与者也会一起乔装打扮，共享欢乐 这种调侃统治者的活动一直持续到十六世纪，期间曾多次遭到禁止

around the world. Today, people celebrate April Fool's Day differently around the world. The following are just some of the many celebrations. Scottish Scramble Some people in parts of the United Kingdom believe that the fun must stop by midday. In Scotland, however, April fools can go on for two days. On April 1st, some people send a friend on a foolish errand. The victim is tricked into delivering a sealed letter, thinking he or she is asking for help. The letter actually reads, Denna laugh, denna smile. Hunt the gawk, cuckoo bird, another mile. Do not laugh, do not smile. Send this naive person on another mile. The messenger is then sent on to another person. This continues until the victim catches on. The second day is for playing more practical jokes on innocent victims.

世界各地的愚人节 如今，世界各地庆祝愚人节的方式各不相同 下面就介绍其中几种不同的庆祝方式 苏格兰的寻人游戏 英国部分地区的人认为，玩笑必须在中午前结束 不过在苏格兰，愚人节玩笑可以持续整整两天 四月一日这天，有些人会派朋友去跑一趟无用的傻差事 受害者被骗去送一封密封信，还以为真的要帮忙传递请求 信上其实写着：别笑呀，别露笑 去找傻家伙，布谷鸟呀，再跑一遭 不许笑，不许笑 把这个天真的家伙送往下一遭 之后信使就会被支使去找下一个人 这个过程一直持续，直到受害者发现不对劲 第二天就可以给无辜的受害者开更多恶作剧了