多大年齡就不可以玩“不給糖就搗蛋”了?

多大年齡就不可以玩“不給糖就搗蛋”了?

I think I was in about seventh grade when my friends and I decided we were too old to go trick-or-treating. Newly minted teenagers, we decided to have a Halloween party instead. So we decorated someone's basement with black streamers, played creepy music and told ghost stories until we got bored, which was relatively quickly.

我想我大概在七年級的時候，我和我的朋友們決定我們長大了，不能玩“不給糖就搗蛋”的游戲了。我們決定舉辦一個萬圣節(jié)派對。所以我們用黑色的飾帶裝飾某人的地下室，播放恐怖的音樂，講鬼故事，直到我們覺得無聊為止，這相對來說比較快。

Deciding we weren't too old after all, we hit the streets and got a stash of candy instead. We realized everyone is the right age for free candy.

我們覺得自己還不算太老，于是上街買了一堆糖果。我們意識到每個人都是免費糖果的合適年齡。

Some etiquette experts say the age shouldn't matter as long as the trick-or-treater is polite. (Photo: SeventyFour/Shutterstock)

But it's a question that often comes up this time of year as people prepare to hand out goodies and the kids come knocking. At what age should the "big kids" stop ringing doorbells?

但這個問題在每年的這個時候經常出現，因為人們準備分發(fā)糖果，而孩子們會來敲門。“大孩子”應該在什么年齡停止按門鈴?

Recently, the city of Chesapeake, Virginia, made headlines for a law that says anyone over the age of 14 who goes trick-or-treating could be guilty of a possible Class 4 misdemeanor, which could include up to a $250 fine. Anyone who trick or treats after 8 p.m. also could be guilty of the same crime.

最近，弗吉尼亞州的切薩皮克市因為一項法律而成為頭條新聞，該法律規(guī)定，任何14歲以上的人玩“不給糖就搗蛋”游戲都有可能觸犯4級輕罪，其中可能包括高達250美元的罰款。任何在晚上8點以后惡作劇或款待的人也可能犯同樣的罪。

As CNN points out, the ordinance is actually nothing new. It's been in effect since 1970, but back then it said kids over 12 who were out asking for candy on Halloween could face jail time.

正如美國有線電視新聞網所指出的，該法令實際上并不是什么新鮮事。該法案自1970年起生效，但當時規(guī)定，12歲以上的孩子在萬圣節(jié)索要糖果將面臨牢獄之災。

The city drew national scrutiny for putting an age limit on Halloween fun. Although city administrators were quick to point out that the law was never enforced and was created after a violent Halloween night in a nearby city, it was put in place to give police an option if needed. They explained with a note online:

由于對萬圣節(jié)的樂趣設置了年齡限制，該市受到了全國的關注。盡管市政官員很快指出，這項法律從未實施過，是在附近一個城市的萬圣節(jié)暴力夜之后制定的，但它的實施是為了讓警察在需要的時候有一個選擇。他們在網上解釋道:

While we appreciate all of the concern and attention we received from around the country last year, we’d like to assure everyone that, in fact, we do NOT arrest teens for trick-or-treating and never have ... The City of Chesapeake wishes everyone a safe, fun, and candy-filled Halloween!

雖然我們感謝去年全國各地對我們的關心和關注，但我們想向大家保證，事實上，我們不會以“不給糖就搗蛋”的名義逮捕青少年，我們也從來沒有……切薩皮克市祝愿每個人有一個安全、有趣、充滿糖果的萬圣節(jié)!

Chesapeake isn't the only town making headlines for Halloween rules. A town in New Brunswick, Canada, forbids kids older than 16 from trick-or-treating. The Bathurst law was amended in recent years; previously, the cut-off age for Halloween was 14.

切薩皮克并不是唯一一個因萬圣節(jié)規(guī)則而成為頭條新聞的城鎮(zhèn)。加拿大新不倫瑞克的一個小鎮(zhèn)禁止16歲以上的孩子玩“不給糖就搗蛋”的游戲。巴瑟斯特法近年來進行了修訂;此前，萬圣節(jié)的法定年齡是14歲。

Which side are you on?

你站在哪一邊?

Older kids should be polite and choose a costume that isn't too scary, experts suggest. (Photo: SeventyFour/Shutterstock)

Some people aren't pleased when the big kids come to the door, especially when they're in scary costumes or rude. Others think they'd rather have them going door-to-door than causing other kinds of mischief.

有些人不喜歡大孩子來敲門，特別是當他們穿著可怕或粗魯的服裝時候。另一些人則認為，他們寧愿讓孩子們挨家挨戶地敲門，也不愿讓孩子們干其他的壞事。

In an ongoing unofficial Today poll, 42% of voters said kids are never too old to trick or treat, while 21% said age 15-16 is the cut-off point and 17% said age 17-18 is the right time to stop. A poll by FiveThirtyEight found most people think kids should stop trick-or-treating somewhere between ages of 12 and 15.

在今日進行的一項非官方民意調查中，42%的選民說孩子們永遠不會大到不給糖就搗蛋的年齡，21%的人說15-16歲是臨界點，17%的人說17-18歲是停止這種行為的正確年齡。FiveThirtyEight的一項民意調查發(fā)現，大多數人認為孩子應該在12到15歲之間停止玩“不給糖就搗蛋”的游戲。

Many parents and candy-givers often have strong opinions on the subject, and it might just be whether you have kids or how well-behaved the older kids are when they come to your house.

很多父母和送糖果的人在這個問題上往往有很強的觀點，可能只是你是否有孩子，或者大一點的孩子來你家時表現如何。

"If a 17-year-old wants to dress up with their friends and trade candy at the end of the night, I think that's great," etiquette expert Catherine Newman of Real Simple magazine, told Today. "Little kids die of happiness when they see big kids dressed up. It validates their excitement."

《Real Simple》雜志禮儀專家凱瑟琳·紐曼在接受《今日》采訪時說:“如果一個17歲的孩子想要和朋友一起盛裝打扮，并在晚上交換糖果，我覺得這很好。”“當看到大孩子們盛裝打扮時，小孩子們高興得要死。這證明了他們的興奮。”

Newman suggests that older kids be polite, don't ring the doorbell too late, and don't dress up in a costume that's very scary because they'll be sharing the streets with little ones.

紐曼建議年齡較大的孩子要有禮貌，不要太晚按門鈴，也不要穿特別嚇人的服裝，因為他們會和小孩一起在街上玩耍。

"The big concerns I have are that younger kids get priority," Lizzie Post, etiquette expert and co-president at the Emily Post Institute, tells Time. "You want to make sure younger kids are getting the chance and the opportunity, but I don't want to discourage teens from enjoying this as long they’re behaving well."

“我最擔心的是年幼的孩子會被優(yōu)先考慮，”禮儀專家、艾米莉·波斯特學院(Emily Post Institute)聯合主席莉齊·波斯特(Lizzie Post)告訴《時代》(Time)雜志。“你想確保更小的孩子得到機會和機會，但我不想阻止青少年享受這一切，只要他們表現良好。”