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【往期回顧】 世界各國的新年傳統(tǒng)6：各國都有哪些新年祈福的傳統(tǒng)習(xí)俗？
【本期內(nèi)容】 SHARED NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD 世界各國共享的新年傳統(tǒng) And then there are the New Year’s traditions that are celebrated by people all around the world. These shared customs are part of what makes the New Year one of the planet’s most popular holidays. Here’s a look at some of the many traditions that transcend time zones, borders, and cultures. 此外，還有全世界人民共同慶祝的新年傳統(tǒng)，這些共同的習(xí)俗使新年成為地球上最受歡迎的節(jié)日之一。下面我們就來看看一些超越時(shí)區(qū)、國界和文化的新年傳統(tǒng)。 1. SINGING THE NEW YEAR SONG, “AULD LANG SYNE” 唱響新年歌曲《友誼地久天長(zhǎng)》 Singing “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight is done throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The traditional Scottish folk song was transcribed (not written) by beloved poet Robert Burns in 1783. The literal Auld Land Syne translation is “old long since”, which really means, “days gone by”. After that, it became a common song of celebration - for weddings, graduations, funerals, etc. - throughout Scotland. In the nearly two and a half centuries since, “Auld Lang Syne” has become the most popular New Year's song in the world. 除夕夜吟唱《友誼地久天長(zhǎng)》的習(xí)俗在英語世界內(nèi)外都有，這首傳統(tǒng)的蘇格蘭民歌是由深受愛戴的詩人羅伯特·伯恩斯于1783年改寫的（不是原創(chuàng)）?！?span style="text-align: left;">Auld Land Syne”的字面意思是“很久以前”，用來喻指“歲月流逝”。此后，它成為蘇格蘭各地常見的慶祝歌曲——出現(xiàn)在婚禮、畢業(yè)典禮、葬禮等場(chǎng)合。在近兩個(gè)半世紀(jì)以來，《友誼地久天長(zhǎng)》已成為世界上最流行的新年歌曲。 The tradition of singing it at midnight on New Year's Eve was popularized by a Canadian band, Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. The band, which came from a part of Ontario settled by Scots, often covered the song, partially to promote one of the sponsors of their radio show, Robert Burns Cigars. In 1928 the band got a chance to do a New Year's Eve show and closed their set with “Auld Lang Syne”. It became the show's closing number for nearly 50 years, the remainder of Lombardo's life. 加拿大樂隊(duì)蓋伊·隆巴多（Guy Lombardo）和加拿大皇家樂隊(duì)（Royal Canadians）普及了除夕午夜吟唱這首歌曲的傳統(tǒng)。這支樂隊(duì)來自安大略省的一個(gè)蘇格蘭人聚居的地區(qū)，經(jīng)常翻唱這首歌，部分是為了宣傳他們的廣播節(jié)目贊助商之一羅伯特·伯恩斯·雪茄斯。1928年，樂隊(duì)獲得了一次跨年演出的機(jī)會(huì)，并以《友誼地久天長(zhǎng)》結(jié)束了他們的演出。在隆巴多樂隊(duì)近50年的演藝生涯里，它成為了樂隊(duì)的閉幕曲。
2. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS 新年決心 People have been making New Year’s resolutions for literally thousands of years, dating back to the ancient times of the Mesopotamians. 幾千年來，人們一直在制定新年計(jì)劃，這可以追溯到美索不達(dá)米亞的古文明時(shí)代。 The tradition began as part of a 12-day New Year Festival (which was celebrated in March) called Akitu, during which citizens of Babylonia would swear an oath to the sitting king or allegiance to a new one. The Romans did a similar thing, also in March, devoting themselves to the Emperor. In the mid-1700s, the Methodist Church used the New Year to encourage its members to renew their commitments to God. 這一傳統(tǒng)開始于一個(gè)為期12天的新年節(jié)（于3月慶祝），名為Akitu，期間巴比倫尼亞的公民將向在位國王宣誓或效忠新國王。同樣在三月，羅馬人也做了類似的事情，宣誓效忠皇帝。在18世紀(jì)中期，衛(wèi)理公會(huì)利用新年鼓勵(lì)其成員重申對(duì)上帝的承諾。 Nowadays, most resolutions are neither oaths to kingdoms or religious tradition. Instead, they’re generally commitments to make some effort towards self-improvement. Unfortunately, studies show that - while nearly half the US population annually makes resolutions - less than 10% of them are kept. 如今，大多數(shù)新年決心既不是對(duì)王國的誓言，也不是宗教傳統(tǒng)。相反，它們通常是致力于自我提升的承諾。不幸的是，研究表明，盡管近一半的美國人口每年都會(huì)做出決定，但只有不到10%的人會(huì)遵守。
HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:
以下是一些排行考前的新年計(jì)劃：
3. NEW YEAR’S FIREWORKS 新年放煙花 Invented in ancient China, fireworks were originally made from dried bamboo stalks. When thrown in a roaring fire, they would emit loud bangs. These were later filled with gunpowder (which was also a Chinese invention) to enhance the explosive effect. Finally, the bamboo was replaced by paper (another Chinese invention). Around the 12th century, gunpowder and fireworks gradually worked their way over to Europe. 煙花起源于中國古代，最初是用干竹竿制作的。當(dāng)被扔進(jìn)熊熊烈火中時(shí)，它們會(huì)發(fā)出巨大的爆炸聲。這些竹竿后來被填充了火藥（這也是中國的發(fā)明），以增強(qiáng)爆炸效果。最后，竹子被紙取代（中國的另一項(xiàng)發(fā)明）。大約在12世紀(jì)，火藥和煙花逐漸傳到歐洲。 Since the beginning, fireworks have been used to scare away evil spirits and enemies. Because the holiday is often associated with starting anew, fireworks have long been a part of New Year celebrations, setting up partygoers for a positive year to come. Today, the tradition of setting off fireworks as part of New Year celebrations is pretty much a staple all around the world. 從一開始，煙花就被用來嚇跑惡靈和敵人。因?yàn)檫@個(gè)節(jié)日經(jīng)常與重新開始聯(lián)系在一起，所以煙花一直是新年慶?；顒?dòng)的一部分，為即將到來的積極的一年做好準(zhǔn)備。今天，燃放煙花作為新年慶?；顒?dòng)的一部分的傳統(tǒng)在世界各地幾乎成了最主要的活動(dòng)。
4. NEW YEAR’S CHAMPAGNE 新年香檳 Champagne, some people claim, was originally an English invention as opposed to a French one. The Brits developed the technology to bottle carbonated drinks in the late 1500s. Using techniques translated from making cider, they began to make sparkling wines (of which Champagne is one variety). This invention also required creating stronger glass bottles that could withstand the pressure built up inside by the fermented drink. 一些人聲稱，香檳最初是英國人發(fā)明的，不是法國人。英國人在15世紀(jì)末開發(fā)了瓶裝碳酸飲料的技術(shù)。他們利用蘋果酒釀造技術(shù)，開始釀造起泡酒（香檳是其中的一種）。這項(xiàng)發(fā)明還需要制造更堅(jiān)固的玻璃瓶，它們能夠承受發(fā)酵飲料在內(nèi)部產(chǎn)生的壓力。 Later, Champagne became the popular drink of choice for celebrations by the royal courts of Europe. It eventually became a worldwide phenomenon in the late 1800s, when the price began to drop and producers started marketing the drink to common folks. While commoners couldn’t afford it for their daily table wine, it was affordable enough for special occasions. It became especially popular for New Year’s celebrations because opening the bottle produced a firework-like POP, and the beverage flowed out in a display of abundance. 后來，香檳成為歐洲皇家宮廷慶祝活動(dòng)的熱門飲品。它最終在19世紀(jì)末在全球得以普及，當(dāng)時(shí)價(jià)格開始下降，生產(chǎn)商開始向普通人推銷這種飲料。雖然普通人負(fù)擔(dān)不起它作為日常的餐用酒，但在特殊場(chǎng)合還是買得起的。它在新年慶?；顒?dòng)中特別受歡迎，因?yàn)榇蜷_瓶子會(huì)產(chǎn)生像煙花一樣的爆裂聲，而且香檳酒會(huì)瞬間大量噴出。
5. NEW YEAR’S KISS 新年之吻 The tradition of sharing a New Year’s Eve kiss at the stroke of midnight has been featured in countless classic movies, from The Godfather II to When Harry Met Sally. The custom is now a part of most modern New Year’s celebrations. 從《教父II》到《當(dāng)哈利遇見莎莉》，無數(shù)經(jīng)典電影都有在午夜時(shí)分分享新年之吻的傳統(tǒng)。這一習(xí)俗現(xiàn)在是大多數(shù)現(xiàn)代新年慶祝活動(dòng)的一部分。 Amazingly, the practice has been around for millennia, beginning with the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Lots of meaning has been attributed to the kiss over the years. In Roman times, it was more an act of basic debauchery. German and English folklore cited that the first person you encountered in the New Year (and how that encounter went) would set the tone for the rest of the year. Attendees of masked balls in Europe used it as an act of purification after removing their masks. These days, it’s widely believed that failing to share a midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve foretells a year of romantic loneliness. 令人驚訝的是，從羅馬的土星節(jié)開始，這種習(xí)俗已經(jīng)存在了數(shù)千年。多年來，這個(gè)新年之吻被賦予了很多寓意。在羅馬時(shí)代，它更多被視作一種放蕩行為。德國和英國的民間傳說稱，你在新年遇到的第一個(gè)人（以及你們是如何相遇的）將為今年余下的日子定下基調(diào)。過去在歐洲參加假面舞會(huì)的人在摘下面具后，將親吻作為一種凈化心靈的行為。如今，人們普遍認(rèn)為，在除夕夜未能分享午夜之吻預(yù)示著來年將愛無所依。
However (and wherever) you may celebrate the New Year, most people around the world embrace and honor the passage of time with mixtures of reverence and revelry. It’s yet another thing that shows just how similar, yet unique, our planet’s diverse array of cultures are. We value analogous things and celebrate in our own ways. But we all love to share these moments we hold sacred. We should all remember and relish the customs and traditions that unite us this New Year’s. At a moment when division and dissidence seems inevitable, we still have each other. 不管如何慶祝新年，或是在哪里慶祝新年，世界各地的大多數(shù)人都懷著敬畏和喜悅的心情，接受并尊重時(shí)間的流逝。這也同時(shí)表明了我們星球上的各種文化是多么地相似，但又是多么地獨(dú)特。我們珍視彼此的共通之處，并以自己的方式慶祝。但我們都喜歡分享這些我們認(rèn)為神圣的時(shí)刻。我們都應(yīng)該記住并享受將我們團(tuán)結(jié)在一起的習(xí)俗和傳統(tǒng)。在分離和分歧似乎不可避免的時(shí)刻，我們?nèi)匀粨碛斜舜恕?/span>
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