愚人节的来历

             愚人节的来历

April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light-hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar. New Year's Day Moves

 愚人节，有时也被叫做万愚节，是一年中最轻松的日子之一。它的来历不是很清楚，有人说它是对四季转换的庆祝，另外一些人相信它源于新日历的使用---由新年转化而来。

Ancient cultures, including those of the Romans and Hindus, celebrated New Year's Day on or around April 1. It closely follows the vernal equinox (March 20th or March 21st.) In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year.

在古代文化中，罗马人和印度人在四月一号及前后庆祝新年。它紧跟着春分（三月二十或者三月二十一）。在中世纪，大部分欧洲人在三月二十五号庆祝天使报喜节，他们把这一天当做是新年的第一天。

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe. Problems With This Explanation

 在1582年，梵蒂冈教皇格里高利制定了一个新的日历-----格里高利历来替代罗马儒略历。新的日历把新年设定为一月一日。当年，法国就采用了改革的日历并把一月一日作为新年。根据最流行的解释，当时许多人拒绝接受新日历，也不想了解它，他们继续在四月一号庆祝新年。另外一些人开始取笑这些守旧者，愚弄他们，或者让他们相信一些假事。最后，四月一日愚弄别人在全欧洲开始流行。

There are at least two difficulties with this explanation. The first is that it doesn't fully account for the spread of April Fools' Day to other European countries. The Gregorian calendar was not adopted by England until 1752, for example, but April Fools' Day was already well established there by that point. The second is that we have no direct historical evidence for this explanation, only conjecture, and that conjecture appears to have been made more recently. Constantine and Kugel

 在这种解释中至少有两处错误。第一：它并没有完全解释清楚愚人节如何传到欧洲其他国家。例如，英国在1752年采用的格里高利历，但是愚人节很早以前就已存在。第二：我们对此解释找不到明显的历史证据，只是猜测，而且最近其他的猜测也越来越多了。

Another explanation of the origins of April Fools' Day was provided by Joseph Boskin, a professor of history at Boston University. He explained that the practice began during the reign of Constantine, when a group of court jesters and fools told the Roman emperor that they could do a better job of running the empire. Constantine, amused, allowed a jester named Kugel to be king for one day. Kugel passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day, and the custom became an annual event.

 另外一种解释由波士顿大学的历史教授约瑟夫.拜金提供。他解释说，愚人节来源于君士坦丁大帝统治时期。当时，一群宫廷小丑告诉君士坦丁大帝，如果让他们来统治帝国，他们可以做的更好。君士坦丁大帝被逗笑了，之后让一个叫Kugel的小丑当一天国王。Kugel颁布了一项法令：在四月一号，大家都要做一些可笑的事。这样，愚人行为成为年度盛事。

"In a way," explained Prof. Boskin, "it was a very serious day. In those times fools were really wise men. It was the role of jesters to put things in perspective with humor."

 拜金教授解释说：“在某种程度上，四月一号是严肃的一天，在那个时代，小丑确实是很聪明的人。他们的任务是 用幽默的语言正确的阐述问题。”

This explanation was brought to the public's attention in an Associated Press article printed by many newspapers in 1983. There was only one catch: Boskin made the whole thing up. It took a couple of weeks for the AP to realize that they'd been victims of an April Fools' joke themselves. Spring Fever

 这种解释于1983年发表于美联社的许多报纸上，并引起了广泛的关注。这里只有一个问题：拜金编造了整个事件。直到几周以后美联社才意识到，他们成了愚人节的受害者。

It is worth noting that many different cultures have had days of foolishness around the start of April, give or take a couple of weeks. The Romans had a festival named Hilaria on March 25, rejoicing in the resurrection of Attis. The Hindu calendar has Holi, and the Jewish calendar has Purim. Perhaps there's something about the time of year, with its turn from winter to spring, that lends itself to lighthearted celebrations. Observances Around the World

 值得注意的是：许多文明古国在四月一号前后几周都有轻松的节日。罗马人在三月二十五号有一个快活节，以此庆祝阿提斯神的复活；印度历中有一个胡里节，犹太历中有一个普林节。这也许与时间有关，在从冬天到春天的转折点上，确实适合放松心情来庆祝一番。

April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist; playing pranks; and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things.

 我们注意到整个西方的愚人节行为包括：转送给别人一个"fool's errand”、寻找不存在的东西、开玩笑、以及让人们相信一些可笑的事情。

The French call April 1 Poisson d'Avril, or "April Fish." French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "Poisson d'Avril" when the prank is discovered.

 法国人称愚人节为 Poisson d'Avril或者是April Fish。法国的孩子们有时在纸上画上鱼，然后黏在他们同学的背后。当这个恶作剧被发现的时候就大喊：Poisson d'Avril。

Read more: April Fools' Day: Origin and History — Infoplease.com http://www./spot/aprilfools1.html#ixzz1qU5PQe52

 更多关于愚人节来历的内容请参见 http://www./spot/aprilfools1.html#ixzz1qU5PQe52