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Ghost Month: It’s No Beauty Contest 鬼月话鬼：美鬼丑鬼大集合

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

From August 20th, avoid the swimming pool, put off any wedding plans, and no matter what, don’t go wandering alone at night. Why? Because this date marks the start of Ghost Month, an unlucky period in Chinese folklore when the gates of hell swing open and the mortal realm is flooded with gruesome ghosts!

从8月20日起，不要去游泳池、把婚礼延期，而且无论如何都不要在深夜独自游荡。为什么呢？因为这天是鬼月的开始，而在中国民间传说中，鬼月是段相当不吉利的日子。地狱鬼门于此时敞开，阳界便充斥着可怕的鬼魂！

 

According to Chinese tradition, a host of different scary spirits come out to stalk the Earth during Ghost Month. They range from bewitching female ghosts, to sinister, hungry ghosts that feed on the energy of the living, to the grotesque-looking ghosts of drowned people who seek out victims to take their place in hell. This last group of ghosts are the reason why taking a dip is ill-advised during Ghost Month.

根据中国传说，众多的各种骇人鬼魂会于鬼月期间在人间出没。从蛊惑人心的女鬼，到以活人精力为食的邪恶饿死鬼，还有长相怪异、找人接替地狱位置的溺死鬼都有。也因为有最后这种鬼，所以才会说鬼月期间去戏水是不智之举。

 

If the chance of bumping into a frightening phantom this Ghost Month has you quaking in your boots, don’t worry, because not all Chinese ghosts are evil. The literature of China, for instance, is full of examples of good-natured – and good-looking – ghosts.

如果今年鬼月可能会撞见恐怖鬼魂的这件事让你不寒而栗，别太担心，因为中国鬼也不尽然是恶鬼。比如说，中国文学中就有很多心地善良又长得好看的「好鬼」。

 

The most famous of these is Nie Xiaoqian, whose story is told in “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio,” compiled in the 17th century by Chinese scholar Pu Songling. Tragically killed at a young age, the beautiful Xiaoqian is enslaved by a demon that uses her to trap the souls of lustful men. Then, one day, a young scholar called Ning Caichen, who falls in love with Xiaoqian’s kind-hearted and charming nature, free her. In gratitude, Xiaoqian agrees to marry Caichen and becomes a dutiful wife.

其中最有名的就是聂小倩，她的故事出自17世纪由中国学者蒲松龄所编纂的《聊斋志异》。美丽的小倩年轻时就惨遭杀害，之后受恶魔姥姥奴役，利用她让好色男人的灵魂落入圈套。接着有天，一位名叫宁采臣的年轻书生爱上了小倩善良且迷人的本性，并帮她重获自由。小倩由衷感谢采臣，并答应嫁给他，当个称职的好太太。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

put off 延迟; 拖延 to delay; postpone

wander [ˋwɑndɚ] v. 流浪；徘徊

folklore [ˋfok͵lor] n. 民间传说，民俗

mortal [ˋmɔrt!] adj. 人的，凡人的

flood [flʌd] v. 充满，充斥[（+with）]

spirit [ˋspɪrɪt] n. 灵魂；幽灵；妖精

stalk [stɔk] v. 悄悄地跟踪; 潜近

range [rendʒ] from ... to ... 在从…到…的范围内变化

feed on  靠...为食

grotesque [groˋtɛsk] adj. 奇形怪状的；古怪的；怪诞的

seek out 找出; 搜寻出

ill-advised [ˋɪlədˋvaɪzd] adj. 不理智的〔日后可能惹麻烦〕; 不明智的

bump into【口】碰见某人; 偶遇 to meet by chance

trap [træp] v. 设陷阱捕捉; 使落入圈套

in gratitude 以表感激

gratitude [ˋgrætə͵tjud] n. 感激之情，感恩，感谢[U][（+to/for）]

 

 

 

More Information

单词发音

 

realm [rɛlm] n. 界，领域；范围

gruesome [ˋgrusəm] adj. 可怕的；阴森的

bewitching [bɪˋwɪtʃɪŋ] adj. 令人陶醉的；使销魂的

sinister [ˋsɪnɪstɚ] adj. 恶意的，邪恶的

phantom [ˋfæntəm] n. 幽灵；鬼魂

quake in one's boots (or quake in one's shoes) 十分紧张; 非常害怕；吓得发抖 to be very frightened or anxious

compile [kəmˋpaɪl] v. 汇编；编辑

enslave [ɪnˋslev] v. 使做奴隶；奴役

demon [ˋdimən] n. 恶魔，恶鬼

lustful [ˋlʌstfəl] adj. 色欲的﹐ 好色的

dutiful [ˋdjutɪfəl] adj. 忠于职守的，尽本分的

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

The alluring Xiaoqian is one example of a spirit that could win an otherworldly beauty contest hands down. However, most Chinese ghosts aren’t quite so blessed in the looks department and are usually depicted as hideous and deformed. In fact, ghosts are considered such unattractive beings in Chinese culture that the Chinese character for “ghost” has come to form part of the character for “ugly.”

 

迷人的小倩是美丽鬼魂的一个例子，她可以轻而易举地拿下阴间的选美比赛冠军。不过，大部分的中国鬼在样貌方面就没这种福气，而且常被描绘成丑陋且畸形的样子。事实上，中国文化认为鬼是极度难看的东西，就连中国字的「鬼」都成为「丑」字的偏旁。

 

Two of the ugliest ghosts in Chinese folklore are the Seventh General and the Eighth General, horrible ghostly guardians of hell. Most portrayals of this dreadful duo show the former as tall, white, and with his tongue sticking out, and the latter as short and black. Their frightening appearance can be attributed to the terrible ends they met in life. The Eight General drowned, while the Seventh General hanged himself.

 

中国民间传说中，七爷和八爷是两个数一数二的丑鬼，他们担任可怕吓人的地狱守卫。对于这对恐怖拍档，大部分的画像都将前者描绘成又高又白且伸出舌头，而后者则为又矮又黑。他们会有这般令人恐惧的外貌，可归因于他们凄惨的死法。八爷被淹死，而七爷则上吊自尽。

 

The ugliest ghost of them all, however, is Zhong Kui, a similarly unfortunate figure from Chinese folklore. In fact, even when he was alive, Zhong Kui was so unpleasant to look at that he was refused a position as an imperial official, despite coming out on top in an exam. In a rage, Zhong Kui killed himself by dashing his head against the palace steps. As a ghost, Zhong Kui vowed to work for the emperor by ridding the land of evil spirits – he was so ugly even other ghosts were scared of him.

 

不过提到丑鬼之最，那就是非钟馗莫属了，他在中国民间传说中也是个悲剧人物。事实上，他就连活着时也饱受外貌所累，即使在科举考试拔得头筹，却因长相太难看而使自己朝廷官员的职务遭撤。盛怒之下，钟馗头便冲撞宫殿台阶自杀。死后成鬼的他誓言要替皇帝斩妖除魔，而他长相之丑，甚至连其他的鬼都怕他呢！

 

Although some people believe in the spirits of the dead, there is simply no evidence for their existence. So, while it’s true that ghosts have fearsome depictions, this Ghost Month, there’s really no need to be afraid!

 

虽然有些人相信鬼魂，但它们的存在与否仍未获得证实。所以，尽管的确有很了关于鬼的可怕描述，但今年鬼月真的也不必感到太害怕！

 

−by James Laughton-Smith

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

win .. hands down【口】轻易大胜; 垂手赢得 to win easily

hands down 轻松地, 轻易地; 毫无疑问, 无异议, 明显地

depict [dɪˋpɪkt] v. 描述；描写

deformed [dɪˋfɔrmd] adj. 畸形的；丑陋的

guardian [ˋgɑrdɪən] n. 维护者﹐保卫者

portrayal [porˋtreəl] n. 肖像；人像

dreadful [ˋdrɛdfəl] adj. 可怕的，令人恐惧的

attribute [əˋtrɪbjʊt] v. 把……归因于；把……归咎于[（+to）]

hang oneself 自缢；吊死

imperial [ɪmˋpɪrɪəl] adj. 帝国的

in a rage 一怒之下; 勃然大怒,怒气冲冲

dash ... against 撞上

dash [dæʃ] v. 冲击，撞击

vow [vaʊ] v. 发誓要（做）[+to-v][+（that）]

rid [rɪd] v. 从……清除[（+of）]

evidence [ˋɛvədəns] n. 证据

 

 

More Information

单词发音

 

alluring [əˋlʊrɪŋ] adj. 诱人的；迷人的

otherworldly [ˋʌðɚˋwɝldlɪ] adj. 阴间的; 非现实世界的

blessed [ˋblɛsɪd] adj. 神圣的； 有福的； 无忧无虑的

in the looks department 在样貌方面 in beauty

hideous [ˋhɪdɪəs] adj. 极丑的; 极难看的

character [ˋkærɪktɚ] n. 字 a style of printing or writing

duo [ˋduo] n. 二人组

stick out 伸出 to project outward

fearsome [ˋfɪrsəm] adj. 可怕的

 

 

Reading Questions 

 

1. What is NOT true about Ghost Month?

A. People advise against swimming during the period.

B. This year, it begins in the second half of August.

C. According to folklore, it is an unlucky time.

D. During the period, ghosts are said to return to hell.

 

2. Which of the following did Nie Xiaoqian possess?

A. An evil desire to trap men.

B. An attractive appearance.

C. An unkind personality.

D. A scholarly nature.

 

3. What does the article tell us about Zhong Kui’s life?

A. He came out on top in a beauty contest.

B. He did extremely well on an exam.

C. He killed the emperor in a rage.

D. He lived quite a fortunate life.

 

4. What is the main focus of the second half of the article?

A. How ghosts are represented as ugly beings.

B. The deaths suffered by characters of Chinese folklore.

C. How Zhong Kui captured the guardian generals.

D. The evidence for the existence of spirits of the dead.

 

倩女幽魂

 

 

蛮少见的钟馗爷神将(Zhong Kui)

 

 

Jan 24, 2010 鹿港天后宫-七爷八爷(Seventh General and the Eighth General)

 

 

Answer

1. ( D)

2. ( B)

3. ( B)

4. ( A)