星火英语15篇文章背完大学英语六级词汇：Unit2

（单词翻译）

Let's Dress Up——It's Halloween

From early childhood getting

dressed up is connected with

a special pastime in North America,

called Halloween. Halloween is

celebrated¹ on the last

night of October, when the air

is crisp and snow is

not far off. Every young

child is acquainted with

this exciting tradition.

On the last day

of October when dinner is finished,

children hurry to

dress up in a costume.

Darkness comes early at this time

of year and caution

must be practiced, foremost

by the children who are

going from house to house,

“trick or treat”.

Parents warn their children

not to dart² out

in front of cars.

In all the excitement

it is easy for children to

become distracted and ignore safety rules.

Planning what your costume

will be, ahead of time,

is part of the

fun of the evening.

Many mothers will spend time

fabricating outfits³ for

their little girls who suddenly

turn into circus clowns,

beautiful ballet dancers or

weird⁴ colorful bugs⁵. Fathers may

help their sons construct

a costume of foil armor.

Little boys often enjoy pretending

they are in the army so

on Halloween it is possible

to see squads⁶ of lieutenants⁷

and sergeants⁸ marching along

in the dark. We affiliate⁹

this celebration with the supernatural

so some children may choose

to wear a skeleton costume

bearing a skull¹⁰ and crossbones,

or even a monster costume.

The choice of wardrobe

for the evening is really limitless.

Witches can be seen

riding on broomsticks across well

illuminated¹¹ intersections¹². Earlier

in the evening they may

have concocted¹³ a witch's brew¹⁴

to quench¹⁵ their thirst

for their arrival home.

Ghosts can be heard groaning¹⁶

and moaning while they

glide¹⁷ along city streets.

Beautiful butterflies flutter by

on their way to a party.

Pirates carrying swords and pistols

roam about, patches over one eye.

Small aliens search for

a new home here on Earth.

Wearing a cape¹⁸ and mask

allows a child to become Superman

for a few hours and

enter the world of fantasy.

An ethnic¹⁹ flavor is introduced

as a band of gypsies dance

along under a bright full moon.

Of course you can always

see a certain number of

Native American costumes,

the buckskin jackets and dresses

decorated with fringe and beads²⁰.

Some youngsters choose to

decorate only their faces with grease

paint instead of wearing masks.

In many ways this is

safer for a child,

making visibility clearer.

At the same time

a mask allows them to

remain anonymous²¹ to all

but their closest friends.

Usually, on the night

before Halloween, family members

gather together to carve a pumpkin²².

On Halloween night the candle lit

face of the pumpkin shines

from each home welcoming the little

ghosts and goblins to call.

Parents usually escort small children

around their own neighborhood

helping²³ to keep them safe.

Small children only visit random²⁴ houses,

their parent's friends mostly, while

older children knock at every door.

Crowding onto the front porch

of the house the children rap at

the door and chant

the refrain “trick or treat”.

Householders distribute candies, apples,

peanuts, or any edible²⁵ treat

into decorated wooden six quart baskets,

or plastic bags. They may

be asked to recite a poem

or sing a song

before receiving their treat.

Some lucky children may receive

cookies from a freshly baked

batch²⁶ of chocolate chip cookies.

On arriving home the children

will dump all the junk candy

out onto the floor

to examine their loot.

Usually there is a great racket

as brothers and sisters compare

what goodies they have collected.

Adults, too, like to

join in Halloween celebrations

by attending small house parties

or large group gatherings²⁷

at halls or arenas²⁸.

They may play the old traditional games

such as bobbing for apples,

which float in tubs of water,

telling ghost stories and

visiting a haunted house.

Everyone seems to get enjoyment²⁹

from being slightly afraid.

If you live in the country

the hooting³⁰ of an owl³¹ or

even the howl of a wolf

underlines the spooky atmosphere

of Halloween evening. Clouds scuttle³²

across the face of the moon

and the flap of

a bird's wings can be heard

as it settles on

the bare branches of a tree.

Eyes gleam in the night as

a black cat crosses your path.

Bats swoop³³ about in the dark

startling those who are nervous.

On this evening it is

not necessary to be extravagant³⁴

to have a good time.

A little imagination and

a sense of fun will create

a memory of Halloween

night for many years.