元宵習俗特輯！用英文介紹元宵節的傳統文化

2019/02/13

全台元宵燈會陸續開跑了，哪一場的活動節目最討你歡心呢？在感受現代元宵節慶歡樂氣氛的同時，一起來認識一下，傳統的元宵節有哪些文化活動吧！

Set off a sky lantern 放天燈

平溪十分村在元宵節放天燈的習俗已經有超過200年的歷史，天燈放得愈高，表示運氣會愈好。

A: Have you heard of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival?
你有聽過平溪天燈嗎？
B: Yes, it's a traditional activity during the Lantern Festival.
有，那是元宵節的一種傳統活動。
A: People write their wishes on sky lanterns to pray for peace and everything going well for the coming New Year.
大家會把願望寫在天燈上，祈求新的一年能夠平安順利。
B: And the scenery of sky lanterns flying is really beautiful.
而且天燈齊飛時真的很美。
A: Shall we go to Pingxi and set off a sky lantern next Sunday?
我們要不要下禮拜天一起去平溪放天燈？

重點單字整理

sky lantern 天燈
the Lantern Festival 元宵節
scenery 景色

Set off beehive fireworks 燃蜂炮

台南鹽水的「南蜂炮」是每年元宵節的一道亮麗風景。每年燃放蜂炮有乞求風調雨順、平平安安的象徵。

A: Would you like to experience the Yanshui Beehive Firecrackers Festival?
你想體驗看看鹽水蜂炮嗎？
B: What is that?
那是什麼？
A: It's a specific way to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Yanshui district of Tainan. The fireworks explode in all directions, which is a kind of custom to defeat the misfortune for the coming New Year.
在台南鹽水區特有的慶祝元宵節方式喔！煙火會向四面八方施放，是一種在新的一年可去除厄運的習俗。
B: Sounds good!
聽起來真不錯！
A: But it's an extremely dangerous tradition. All participants have to protect themselves with a full helmet, a thick jacket, gloves, and so on.
但是它是非常危險的傳統，所有參加者都必須穿戴全罩式安全帽、厚外套和手套等等來保護自己。

重點單字整理

the Yanshui Beehive Firecrackers 鹽水蜂炮
explode 施放
defeat 去除

The Lord Handan Festival 炸邯鄲

炸邯鄲是台東元宵節特有的習俗。邯鄲爺也稱武財神，對民眾來說，祂的出巡便是迎接財神爺。當鞭炮炸得愈旺，代表那一年的財運會愈旺。

A: The Lord Handan Festival is a specific custom during the Lantern Festival of Taitung.
炸邯鄲是台東元宵節特有的習俗。
B: What's the Lord Handan?
邯鄲是什麼？
A: People generally believe that the Lord Handan is the god of wealth. Someone will be selected to play the role of Lord Handan. The person only wears a pair of red shorts and covers his face with a towel. Then, he will stand on the sedan chair and accept people to throw firecrackers to his naked body.
一般人相信邯鄲是財神。由被挑選出來的人扮演邯鄲爺，只穿著紅色短褲和用布巾遮住臉，然後，站在轎子上接受民眾用鞭炮轟擊。
B: It's so cool!
好酷喔！
A: It's crowded every year because people want to see this impressive activity in person.
每年都人山人海，大家都想要親睹這個精彩盛況。