标签 万圣节 下的文章

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!

牛顿市的一片南瓜地，美国马萨诸塞州 A pumpkin patch in Newton, Massachusetts (© Frank Debonis/EyeEm/Alamy)

Pumpkin

It's not too late to pick up a pumpkin to add some Halloween flair to your doorstep. Although pumpkins are grown across the country, most of the 2 billion pounds produced in the US come from five states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. While California grows the most pumpkins headed for the jack-o'-lantern market, Illinois wins in poundage, though, most of its crop ends up as pie filling or other processed products—perhaps even your pumpkin spice latte?

And while we're talking orange orbs, what is a pumpkin exactly? You might think they're vegetables, but botanists say they're the fruit of pumpkin vines. They're considered fruit because pumpkins contain seeds and grow from the same part of the plant that produces flowers. Whether you opt to consume or carve, we invite you to enjoy this fruit of the spookiest season!

南瓜

现在还来得及拿起一个南瓜来给你的门阶增添万圣节的气息。尽管南瓜在全国各地都有种植，但美国生产的20亿磅南瓜中的大部分来自五个州：加利福尼亚州、伊利诺伊州、印第安纳州、宾夕法尼亚州和得克萨斯州。虽然加利福尼亚州种植的南瓜最多，销往南瓜灯市场，但伊利诺伊州的南瓜收成却以手续费取胜，尽管如此，它的大部分南瓜收成都是馅饼馅料或其他加工产品，甚至是你的南瓜香料拿铁？

当我们谈论橙色球体时，南瓜到底是什么？你可能认为它们是蔬菜，但植物学家说它们是南瓜藤的果实。南瓜之所以被认为是水果，是因为南瓜含有种子，并且是从植物的同一部位生长而成的。无论您选择消费还是雕刻，我们都邀请您享受这个最恐怖季节的水果！

万圣节之夜在黑暗的树篱 Halloween night at the Dark Hedges (© Audio: Emmett Cooke/Shutterstock; Cedric Hommel/Getty | Video: VanderWolf Images, Lario Tus, Parinya/Shutterstock; mputsylo/Getty Images)

'Twas a night just like tonight…

In the late 18th century, a wealthy landowner built an estate in County Antrim in what is now Northern Ireland. To make a scenic but imposing entryway, he had 150 beech trees planted on either side of the road (90 trees survive). The trees grew to form the Dark Hedges—a tunnel of trees leading up to the property. In the right conditions—say a gloomy autumn night with the moonlight casting shadows through the tree canopy—this road can be a little spooky.

If that isn't enough to tingle your spine, many travelers who've made their passage down Dark Hedges have reported seeing the Grey Lady—a spectral woman who crosses the path, only to vanish into the trees. And according to local lore, on Halloween, the Grey Lady is joined in her wanderings by the occupants of the nearby graveyard. We love a good ghost story on Halloween but, do you mind if we turn on the lights?