評(píng)論
打印
The origions of St. Valentine's Day
情人節(jié)的由來(lái)
February 14 is Valentine’s Day. It is celebrated as a lovers’ holiday today, with the giving of candy, flowers, or other gifts between couples in love. Valentine’s Day has roots in several different legends that have found their way to us through the ages.
2月14日是“情人節(jié)”。如今它被人們作為情侶的節(jié)日來(lái)慶祝，相愛(ài)的人之間互贈(zèng)糖果、鮮花或 其他禮物。關(guān)于“情人節(jié)”的由來(lái)，有許多不同的傳說(shuō)經(jīng)歷了漫長(zhǎng)的歲月，一直流傳至今，
In Rome it’s said that it originated in 5th Century as a tribute to St. Valentine, a Catholic bishop.
在羅馬,據(jù)說(shuō)它源自于5世紀(jì),是為了紀(jì)念天主教的主教圣瓦倫丁。
For eight hundred years prior to the establishment of Valentine's Day, the Romans had practiced a pagan celebration in mid-February commemorating young men’s rite of passage to the god Lupercus. The celebration featured a lottery in which young men would draw the names of teenage girls from a box. The girl assigned to each young man in that manner would be his female companion during the remaining year.
在“情人節(jié)”確立前800年,羅馬人就已經(jīng)有了一項(xiàng)在2月中旬舉行的異教徒慶典活動(dòng)，年輕人通過(guò)慶典來(lái)紀(jì)念盧帕克斯神。這項(xiàng)慶典的特點(diǎn)是進(jìn)行抽簽，讓年輕的男子從盒子里抽取十幾歲少女的名字。通過(guò)這種方式配給每一位年輕男子的女孩就成了他那一年的女伴。
In an effort to do away with the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius ordered a slight change in the lottery. Instead of the names of young women, the box would contain the names of saints. Both men and women were allowed to draw from the box, and the game was to emulate the ways of the saint they drew during the rest of the year. Needless to say, many of the young Roman men were not too pleased with the rule Changes.
為了廢除這個(gè)異教的節(jié)日，羅馬教皇蓋拉西厄斯命令抽簽活動(dòng) 必須稍作改動(dòng):盒子里面裝的不再是年輕女孩的名字,而是圣徒的名字,男人和女人都可以從盒子里抽簽,游戲的目的是讓他們?cè)诒灸甓壤锓滦麄兯榈降氖ネ降男袨榉绞健２挥谜f(shuō),很多羅馬的年輕人并不喜歡這種規(guī)則的改變。
Instead of the pagan god Lupercus, the Church looked for a suitable patron saint of love to take his place. They found an appropriate choice in Valentine, who, in AD270 had been beheaded by Emperor Claudius.
教會(huì)決定尋找一位更適合的愛(ài)的守護(hù)神來(lái)代替異教的盧帕克斯神。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)瓦倫丁是一個(gè)非常恰當(dāng)?shù)娜诉x,他于公元270年被克勞迪亞斯王斬首。
Claudius had determined that married men made poor soldiers. So he banned marriage from his empire. But Valentine would secretly marry young men that came to him. When Claudius found out about Valentine, he first tried to convert him to paganism. But Valentine reversed the strategy, trying instead to convert Claudius. When he failed, he was stoned and beheaded.
克勞迪亞斯王堅(jiān)信已婚男人是無(wú)用的戰(zhàn)士，因此在他的王國(guó)內(nèi)禁止結(jié)婚。但是,瓦倫丁卻秘密地幫助那些來(lái)找他的年輕人主持婚禮。當(dāng)克勞迪亞斯王發(fā)現(xiàn)瓦倫丁的行為后,他先是試圖使瓦倫丁皈依異教,然而瓦倫丁卻將計(jì)就計(jì),反過(guò)來(lái)要使克勞迪亞斯王改信基督教。但他失敗了，于是被亂石砸死并被砍了頭。
During the days that Valentine was imprisoned, he fell in love with the blind daughter of his jailer. His love for her, and his great faith, managed to miraculously heal her from her blindness before his death. Before he was taken to his death, he signed a farewell message to her, “From your Valentine.” The phrase has been used on his day ever since.
瓦倫丁在被囚禁的日子里,與監(jiān)獄長(zhǎng)的盲眼女兒相愛(ài)了。在他死前,他對(duì)她的愛(ài)和極度的忠誠(chéng)竟然奇跡般地治好了她的眼睛。在他被押赴刑場(chǎng)之前，他在給她的訣別信中簽下了“你的瓦倫丁”。從那以后這句話一直被沿用至今。
Although the lottery for women had been banned by the church, the mid-February holiday in commemoration of St. Valentine was stilled used by Roman men to seek the affection of women. It became a tradition for the men to give the ones they admired handwritten messages of affection, containing Valentine’s name.
雖然抽簽配對(duì)的活動(dòng)已經(jīng)被教會(huì)禁止，但羅馬的男人依舊利用2月中旬這個(gè)紀(jì)念圣瓦倫丁的節(jié)日來(lái)追求女人的愛(ài)情。男人將他們手寫的愛(ài)情字條簽上瓦倫丁的名字,然后送給他們所愛(ài)慕的女人,這逐漸演變成了一種傳統(tǒng)。
Another Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time, AD 200. He was imprisoned because he secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman emperor. Some legends say he was burned at the stake.
另一位瓦倫丁是一位意大利主教,生活在同一時(shí)代,大約在公元200年。他被投進(jìn)監(jiān)獄是因?yàn)樗孛艿貛蛣e人主持婚4L,這違反了當(dāng)時(shí)羅馬帝國(guó)的法律。有一些傳說(shuō)說(shuō)他是被綁在火刑柱上燒死的。
February 14 was also a Roman holiday, held in honor of a goddess. Young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort to the festivities. The custom of choosing a sweetheart on this date spread through Europe in the Middle Ages, and then to the early American colonies. Throughout the ages, people also believed that birds picked their mates on February 14.
2月14日也是羅馬人為表示對(duì)女神的敬意而慶祝的節(jié)日。年輕的男子隨便挑選一個(gè)年輕女子的名字，該女子便陪他度過(guò)這個(gè)節(jié)慶。中世紀(jì)時(shí),在這個(gè)日子里選擇意中人的習(xí)俗傳遍了整個(gè)歐洲,然后又傳到了早期的美洲殖民地。千百年來(lái),人們一直相信鳥兒在2月14日選擇配偶。
In AD 496 Saint Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as “Valentine’s Day”.
公元496年,圣徒羅馬教皇蓋拉西厄斯一世把2月14日命名為“瓦倫丁節(jié)”(情人節(jié)>。
Cupid, another symbol of the holiday, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. He is represented by the image of a young boy with bow and arrow. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards.
丘比特是這個(gè)節(jié)日的另一個(gè)象征,之所以與這個(gè)節(jié)日有聯(lián)系，是因?yàn)樗窍笳鲪?ài)情和美麗的羅馬女神維納斯的兒子。他被描述成一個(gè)帶著弓和箭的小男孩的形象。丘比特常常出現(xiàn)在情人節(jié)卡片上。
Whatever the odd mixture of origins, St. Valentine’s Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend or loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special. Or you can send roses, the flower of love.
無(wú)論淵源有多么復(fù)雜，“情人節(jié)”如今已是情侶們的節(jié)日。這是你對(duì)朋友和愛(ài)人表達(dá)關(guān)心的日 子。你可以把糖果送給對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)很特別的人,也可以贈(zèng)送代表愛(ài)情的花朵——玫瑰。
