新概念英语初中早读 （23）新年
New Year
新年
Every country in the world celebrates the New Year
世界上每个国家都欢度新年，
but not everyone does it the same way.
但是形式各不相同。
The countries of the America and Europe welcome the New Year on January first.
欧美国家是在每年的 1月1日喜迎新年，
This practice began with the Romans. Julius Caesar,a Roman ruler,
这一习俗始于罗马人.罗马统治者儒略凯撒
changed the date of the New Year
将新年的日期
from the first day of March to the first day of January.
由原来的3月1日改为 1月1日。
In the Middle East, the New Year is when spring begins.
在中东地区,新年是在春天到来之际。
People in China celebrate it on Spring Festival,
中国人是在春节欢度新年，
which is the first day of their calendar based on the moon.
即阴历年的第一天。
The Spring Festival usually comes between January 21 and February 19.
春节通常是在1月21日和2月19日之间来临。
Rosh Hashana,which is the Jewish New Year,comes at the end of summer.
岁首节,即犹太人的新年,是在每年夏季末。
The Hindus in India celebrate the first day of each season,
印度人庆祝每一个季度的第一天，
so they have four New Years.
因此他们又四个新年。
In all of these cultures, there is a practice of making noise.
在这些不同文化背景中都有一个制造声响的习俗。
People made noise in ancient times
人们在古时发出声响
to drive away the evil spirits from the home.
目的是将恶魔赶出家门
Many people did it and still do it with fireworks.
许多人过去用,现在仍然用放鞭炮的方式来驱赶恶魔。
In Japan,
在日本，
people go from house to house making noise with drums and bamboo sticks.
人们走街串巷,用击鼓即敲竹的方式制造声响
Young people in Denmark
丹麦的年轻人，
throw broken pieces of jars or pots against the sides of friends’ houses.
则用朝朋友家投掷瓮坛瓦罐碎片的方式发出各种声响。
In the United States many people stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve
在美国,许多人熬到午夜，
to watch the clock pass from one year to the next.
等待新年钟声的到来。
Friends often gather together at a party on New Year’s Eve,
朋友们经常在除夕夜聚集在一起，
and when the New Year comes,
当新年到来时，
all ring bells,blow horns and whistles, sing and kiss each other.
人们敲钟鸣号，吹口哨，唱歌，接吻拥抱。