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Summer Celebrations – The Amis Harvest Festival 阿美族的盛夏庆典：丰年祭

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Women in beautiful red and black costumes with feathered headdresses dance joyfully with men in traditional black skirts. The simple dance steps and repetitive melodies of the music are mesmerizing, and as everyone links hands and moves in a circle, the feeling of togetherness is unmistakable. This is a glimpse into the colorful traditions of Taiwanese aborigines, as over the next couple of months, Amis villages and tribes will celebrate the end of a successful rice harvest. Young and old come together to show respect to their ancestors and appreciation to the gods for a successful harvest. Invariably, there’s much music, dancing, feasting, and drinking of rice wine involved! Family and community are important at this time, and many Amis return home to their villages, just as the Chinese return home at Lunar New Year.

妇女身着红黑相间的美丽服装，头戴羽毛头饰，与穿着传统黑裙的男士们开怀起舞。简单的舞步及反复的旋律令人迷醉，而当大家牵手围成一圈跳舞时，融为一体的亲密气氛更是明显流露。这只是台湾原住民丰富传统的一小部分，接下来的两个月，便会见到阿美族各部落欢庆稻米丰收。部落中无论老少都聚在一起对祖先表示尊敬，并感谢祖灵庇佑丰收。大量的音乐、舞蹈、美食和小米酒是庆典中必备的。家人和社群在此节庆非常重要，许多阿美族人会在这时候返乡回到村落，就像汉人在农历新年时回家团圆一样。

Mainly living on the coastal plains and in the valleys of Hualien and Taitung counties, the Amis are the largest of Taiwan’s aboriginal groups, making up over one-third of all the island’s indigenous peoples. Interestingly, the Amis are a matrilineal society. This means that the men marry into the woman’s family, and it is also daughters who inherit land and property. However, when it comes to public affairs, such as organizing the annual festival, the responsibilities lie firmly on the shoulders of the men. Each generation of males has specific roles to fulfill, with the elders deciding on the date. As it’s dependent on the harvest, in different areas the festival may fall anytime from July to September.

阿美族主要分布在花莲县及台东县沿海平原及谷地，为台湾最大的原住民族群，占全岛原住民人口的三分之一强。有趣的是，阿美族属于母系社会，所以男方入赘到女方家，且由女儿继承土地及财产。但是，像筹备年度节庆这样的公共事务，则完全由男性负责。每个年龄层的男性都有各自要完成的任务，长者则负责决定日期。因为丰年日期需视收获时间而定，所以在不同地区，丰年祭有可能落在七月至九月间的任何日子。

Vocabulary

单词发音

costume [ˋkɑstjum] n. 服装; 戏装

repetitive [rɪˋpɛtɪtɪv] adj. 重复的; 反复的

unmistakable [͵ʌnməˋstekəb!] adj. 明显的

glimpse [glɪmps] n. 瞥见；一瞥; 一睹

aborigine [æbəˋrɪdʒəni] n. 土著居民

ancestor [ˋænsɛstɚ] n. 祖宗; 祖先

appreciation [ə͵priʃɪˋeʃən] n. 感谢; 欣赏

invariably [ɪnˋvɛrɪəb!ɪ] adv. 始终不变地; 总是

feast [fist] v. 尽情地吃;  n. 盛宴

make up〔人或物的〕组成; 构成

inherit [ɪnˋhɛrɪt] v. 继承；得到

property [ˋprɑpɚtɪ] n. 财产

annual [ˋænjʊəl] adj. 每年的

fulfill [fʊlˋfɪl] v. 完成（任务等）；

be dependent on  依靠; 依赖

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单词发音

headdress [ˋhɛd͵drɛs] n. 头饰；头巾

mesmerize [ˋmɛsmə͵raɪz] v. 迷住, 迷惑

togetherness [təˋgɛðɚnɪs] n. 和睦团结; 亲密无间

coastal [ˋkost!] adj. 海岸的；近（或沿）海岸的

plain [plen] n. 平原

indigenous [ɪnˋdɪdʒɪnəs] adj. 土著的；本地的

matrilineal [͵metrɪˋlɪnjəl] adj. 母系的

课文朗读

课文讲解

Each village also has its own rituals, and celebrations may last from one to seven days. The solemn opening ceremony is only for men, with the village chief and elders singing sacred songs to welcome the gods. But the festival as a whole is a lively time for everyone to participate in not only singing and dancing but also various contests of skill.

每个村落有各自的庆祝仪式，庆典则为其一至七天不等。庄严肃穆的开幕仪式只准男性参加，由部落酋长及长者唱神圣的歌谣来迎接祖灵。但整体而言，庆典其实是热闹欢乐的，人人皆可参与歌舞及各种才能竞赛。

For some of the males of the group, the festival is even more significant as it coincides with rituals to welcome them to adulthood, meaning a higher status within the tribe. They may also join the pre-festival fishing expeditions, hopefully catching enough fish to impress the elders on their return. In fact, many of these young men are likely just as eager to show off their fishing skills to impress the ladies, as harvest festival is also a time for romance! On the final evening, as the men dance in a circle, each woman may step forward and give a love token to the man she likes. If he returns her affections, the couple leaves the circle to dance together.

对族群中的部分男性而言，这个节庆更具重要性，因为它同时也是举行成年礼的时间，表示他们在部落中的地位自此提升。他们可能也会参加节庆前的捕鱼探险活动，希望捕到足够的鱼，以便在归来时让长者留下好印象。但事实上，这些年轻人之所以急于表现捕鱼技巧，大半也是为了要打动女士们，因为丰年祭也是男女交谊的时刻！在最后一天晚上，当男士们围成一圈跳舞，每位女士都可以上前把爱的信物交给自己心仪的对象。如果男士有所回应，则这对男女便会离开圈圈，到一旁共舞。

In recent years, in Haulien County, the festival has become the United Harvest Festival, and the government and tourism bureaus enthusiastically promote it as a must-see summer event. With plenty of activities to enjoy, it’s a fantastic way to learn about aboriginal culture and customs. However, nothing can beat joining hands with the Amis in dance, and feeling for yourself the uniting rhythms of centuries of tradition.

近几年来，花莲县的庆祝活动演变成联合丰年祭，政府及观局积极将其推展为不可错过的夏日活动。因为丰年祭有许多好玩的活动，所以是了解原住民文化及习俗的绝佳方式。但即使如此，还是没有任何事比得上与阿美族人携手共舞，亲身感受有数百年传统、足以凝聚人心的节奏。

−by Claire Tyrrell

Vocabulary

单词发音

ritual [ˋrɪtʃʊəl] n. 仪式，典礼

solemn [ˋsɑləm] adj. 严肃的；庄重的

sacred [ˋsekrɪd] adj. 神圣的；庄严的

as a whole 普遍说来, 一般地说

participate in 参加

contest [ˋkɑntɛst] n. 竞赛; 比赛

significant [sɪgˋnɪfəkənt] adj. 重要的

status [ˋstetəs] n. 地位; 身分

expedition [͵ɛkspɪˋdɪʃən] n. 远征；探险

show off 炫耀 to exhibit or display so as to invite admiration

token [ˋtokən] n. 证物; 标记；象征

enthusiastically [ɪn͵θjuzɪˋæstɪk!ɪ] adv. 热心地；满腔热情地

rhythm [ˋrɪðəm] n. 节奏; 节拍

More Information

单词发音

chief [tʃif] n. 酋长；族长

lively [ˋlaɪvlɪ] adj. 充满活力的; 精力充沛的; 活泼的

coincide [͵koɪnˋsaɪd] v. 同时发生[(+with)]

adulthood [əˋdʌlthʊd] n. 成年（期）

affection [əˋfɛkʃən] n. 爱慕

bureau [ˋbjʊro] n.（政府机构的）局

must-see 必须看的  something (as a film) that must or should be seen

fantastic [fænˋtæstɪk] adj.【口】极好的，了不起的

nothing can beat 没有任何事比得上  no one can do better than that

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following would you NOT see at the Amis Harvest Festival?

A. Men dancing in skirts.

B. People planting rice in the fields.

C. A large amount of alcohol being drunk.

D. Aborigines playing traditional musical instruments.

2. According to the article, what is special about the Amis tribe?

A. They are the oldest aboriginal group in Taiwan.

B. They own the largest amount of land in Taiwan.

C. They are the only aborigine group to celebrate the harvest festival.

D. Women, not men, inherit property and land.

3. What is mentioned as a feature of the festival?

A. A competition to eat the most fish.

B. A religious ritual to close the festival.

C. A romantic dance to pair up couples.

D. Ceremonies to praise the village elders.

4. Which of the following is implied in the article?

A. Until recently, outsiders were not allowed to join the festival.

B. The festival was established to promote aboriginal culture.

C. Tourists are being encouraged to visit the festival.

D. The festival is now under the control of the government.

阿美族庆典音乐

2011丰年祭大会舞

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