2024年11月

巴黎圣母院的奇美拉，法国 Chimera of Notre-Dame de Paris, France (© scaliger/Getty Images)

万圣节时冷冰冰的凝视 Stone-cold stares on Halloween

万圣节快乐！

你有被恐怖的事物吓着的时候吗？如果有这样的经历，那说明你有着适度的娱乐感和恐惧感。一年中，没有什么日子比万圣节更适合沉迷于各种恐怖事物中了。我们今天所知的万圣节其实是由多个古老的文化和宗教传统演变而来，其中包括凯尔特人的萨温节，罗马人的“费拉里雅”，以及中世纪基督教的活动。今天，乔装打扮后的人们穿梭于大街小巷，就像祖先们披着兽皮来占卜未来或颂扬圣人和英烈一样。

在像“不给糖就捣蛋”、雕刻南瓜灯以及举办万圣节派对等现代的节日活动中，你可能会发现一些令人毛骨悚然的装饰品，例如今天图片中的巴黎圣母院的奇美拉。这种神话中的生物高高地栖息在城市上空，它经常被误解是滴水嘴兽（一种建筑输水管道喷口终端的雕饰），与这些喷水的“表亲”不同，奇美拉只是纯粹的装饰品。因此，当我们在欢庆万圣节时，也不要忘记这个节日背后的神秘生物和传说！万圣节快乐！

Happy Halloween!

Do you sometimes get spooked? If you do, that means you have a healthy sense of fun and fear. And what better day of the year than Halloween to indulge in all things scary? The holiday we know today traces its roots to ancient traditions, including the Celts' Samhain, the Romans' Feralia, and medieval Christian observances. Today, costumed people mingle in the streets, not unlike their ancestors who donned animal skins to divine the future or celebrate saints and martyrs.

Amid modern festivities like trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, and parties, you might spot a few spooky decorations that look like the one pictured here—a chimera of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perched high above the city, this mythical creature is often mistaken for a gargoyle, but unlike its waterspout cousins, the chimera is purely decorative. So today, let's remember the shadows and stories that dance around the edges of our brightly lit celebrations. Happy Halloween!