Guy Fawkes Night ――5th November
Guy Fawkes Night--5th November, is s till observed in England――but fifty years ago it was celebrated with much more enthusiasm than is common today.It is different from other festivals in several ways. Although it occurs in the Autumn, it is not a seasonal festival:it is a political one. It started as an assertion1) of religious and patriotic2) loyalty.
All children know the rhyme3) associated with 5th November――and years ago, they would parade the streets, chanting it. These are the words:
Please remember the Fifth of November
Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot4)
I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot!
The rhyme reminded everyone of the origins of the festival. In the year 1605, an attempt was made to blow up the Houses of Parliament5). The King at this time was James I. The plotters, who were Roman Catholics, hoped that he would be one of many casualties6). Great barrels of gunpowder were placed in the cellars underneath the building and one of the plotters then was found, crouched in the darkness, ready to light the fuses. It was an act of terrorism. It never had any chance of success. The discovery of Guy Fawkes was not an accident. News of the plot had been leaked. Once the conspiracy had been uncovered, and the plotters put to death, Parliament decreed that bonfires should be lit every year, to celebration event that was seen as a marvellous deliverance.
As the darkness falls earlier and weather gets worse-everyone is cheered by a bonfire. However, building a fire that will blaze satisfactorily can’t be done quickly or easily. For weeks before, broken furniture, wood waste-anything not wanted that would burn, was added to a growing(and very untidy)heap. Most householders were very glad to get rid of their rubbish. The top of the pile was flattened ready for an effigy of Guy Fawkes.
These effigies7) were the work of children-usually with some adult help. They had first to get hold of an outworn, unwanted jacket and trousers. The wrists and ankles were tightly tied, and the buttons fastened, and then the whole was stuffed with straw so as to make the shape of a man. The trouser ends were stuck in an old pair of boots, and the wrists into gloves. Making the head was the hardest part. You got a strong paper bag of the right size, stuffed it with straw, put a strong stick in the neck, and found an old hat for it to wear. Then you pushed the end of the stick well down into the body, and on the front of the head, you tied a mask. Suitable masks could be bought in the shops for a penny or two. That completed your effigy of Guy Fawkes. He was ugly, shabby and grotesque8)――but then he was meant to be.Before he was shoved on the bonfire, he was put into something which had wheels-an old child’s perambulator or a wheelbarrow, and t he rhyme was chanted and the children begged for pennies as a reward for their hard work.
In the early darkness and in chilly, and often foggy November weather, often with a threat of rain of frost, the bonfire burned, and its straw-filled Guy, and the fireworks added colour and explosive noise to the scene. There was food too if the children were lucky――roasted potato and toffee apple with a crisp and sweet coating. All this――as you can imagine, gave children fun and excitement.
□by Anna Whitington
蓋伊·??怂怪?/span>-11月5日
在英格蘭, 人們?nèi)杂诿磕辏保痹拢等諔c祝蓋伊·??怂怪埂H欢担澳昵?/span>, 慶?;顒舆h(yuǎn)比現(xiàn)在熱鬧。蓋伊·??怂怪古c其他節(jié)日相比有幾點不同。盡管節(jié)日是在秋季, 它卻不是季節(jié)性節(jié)日, 而是政治性節(jié)日。最初慶祝這一節(jié)日是為了維護(hù)對宗教和國家的忠誠。
孩子們都知道與11月5日有關(guān)的一首歌謠-若在許多年前, 他們會唱著這首歌在街上游行。歌詞如下:
請記住11月5日,
炸藥、背叛、陰謀
炸藥叛國罪
不能遺忘這首歌謠使人們想起蓋伊·??怂怪沟钠鹪础#保叮埃的?/span>, 有人企圖炸毀議會大廈。當(dāng)時的國王是詹姆士一世。羅馬天主教徒策劃了這次陰謀。他們企圖炸死國王及其他議會成員。他們在議會大廈的地窯中藏了大桶大桶的炸藥。他們的同伙, 蓋伊·??怂沽袅讼聛?/span>, 躲在陰暗處, 準(zhǔn)備點燃導(dǎo)火線。但是這次恐怖行動不可能得逞, 蓋伊·??怂贡话l(fā)現(xiàn)也絕非偶然, 因為這次陰謀早已走漏風(fēng)聲。陰謀被發(fā)現(xiàn)后, 所有的參與者均被處死。議會下令每年11月5日燃起篝火, 慶賀國王與議會虎口脫險。
白天越來越短, 天氣逐漸變冷。篝火會給人們帶來溫暖和歡樂。不過生起一個熊熊燃燒的火堆可不是件容易的事。準(zhǔn)備工作要花好幾周的時間。人們把破損的家具、廢木頭等可以燃燒的廢物堆集在一起。這個廢物堆越堆越大(非常雜亂)。家家都很高興能有此機會清除垃圾。垃圾堆的頂部被平整, 用以擺放蓋伊·??怂沟哪M像。
模擬像由孩子們制作-一般會有大人幫忙。孩子們首先搜集破舊上衣和褲子。扎緊袖口和褲角, 扣好紐扣, 然后在里面塞滿稻草, 做成一個人形, 然后再將褲角塞進(jìn)靴子, 袖口塞入手套。頭部最不好做。你得有一個大小合適的結(jié)實紙袋, 里面填上稻草, 領(lǐng)口里插一根粗木棍, 還要找一頂舊帽子給它戴上。然后, 把木棍一端插入身體, 整理好, 并在頭上綁一幅面具?;ㄒ粌蓚€便士就可以在商店里買到合適的面具。這樣蓋伊·??怂鼓M像才算做好了, 其丑無比, 怪異破爛不堪-不過他就該是這樣。把蓋伊·??怂谷尤牖鸲阎?/span>, 孩子們先把他放入舊的童車或手推車, 然后唱起歌謠, 向人們討要零錢, 作為他們辛勤勞動的報酬。
11月里, 天黑得越來越早, 已是有寒意料峭, 霧氣迷漫, 而且時常有可能下雨或降霜。熊熊篝火, 填滿稻草的蓋伊·??怂?/span>, 五彩的煙火, 以及爆竹聲聲, 所有這些都給人們帶來了歡樂。運氣好的時候, 孩子們還會有東西吃-烤土豆和裹著一層脆脆的太妃糖衣的蘋果。你可以想像, 所有這一切會給孩子們帶來多大的歡樂。
NOTE 注釋:
assertion [E5sE:FEn] n. 主張;維護(hù)
patriotic [7pAtri5Ctik, 7peitri-] adj. 愛國的, 有愛國心的
rhyme [raim] n. 押韻的詞,詩
plot [plCt] n. 陰謀, 秘密計劃, 圈套
parliament [5pB:lEmEnt] n. 國會, 議會
casualty [5kAVjuElti] n. 傷亡
effigy [5efidVi] n. (被憎恨或蔑視的人的)肖像, 雕像
grotesque [^rEu5tesk] adj. 奇形怪狀的, 奇異