July 27 Sleepyhead1) Day
A septet of Rip Van Winkles,the men who came to be known as the Seven Sleepers,had the misfortune of being devout2) Christians in third-century Turkey in the midst of Emperor Decian's anti-Christian persecutions3).The seven fled their homes with the emperor' s henchmen4) in hot pursuit.They ducked into a cave and launched into prayer,preparing for what seemed their imminent martyrdom4).They shared what they believed would be their last meal.Then they all lay down to sleep,believing that Decian's men would discover them at any moment.But as miracles5) will have it,they slept undisturbed for 208years.By the time they awoke and emerged from t he cave,Decian had not only stopped looking for them,he was long since deceased.The current emperor,a Christian,hailed the Seven Sleepers as saints and kissed them,at which point they all lay down and died.
Sleepyhead Day marks the Seven Sleepers' collective feast day in Naantali,southwestern Finland.Soon after dawn,howling revelers fill the streets,headed for the home of the current year' s“sleepyhead”:some unsuspecting local celebrity.A waking-up party is let into the house;the Sleepyhead is roused rudely,hauled out of bed,marched down to the town's harbor,and tossed6) into the drink.
7月27日貪睡人的節(jié)日
在3世紀(jì)的土耳其,有7位里普·范溫克爾式的人物,稱為7位貪睡人,很不幸,是虔誠的基督徒。他們遭到了當(dāng)時(shí)反基督教的皇帝迪賽安的迫害。皇帝的侍從對他們窮追不舍,他們7人只得逃離了家園。他們躲進(jìn)一個(gè)山洞之后便開始禱告,為可能即將來臨的殉難作準(zhǔn)備。在分享了自認(rèn)為最后的晚餐之后,他們就躺下睡覺了,相信迪賽安的手下隨時(shí)都會找到他們。然而真是奇跡,他們竟安穩(wěn)地沉睡了208年。等到他們一覺醒來走出山洞時(shí),迪賽安不僅早已不再追殺他們,而且早已死去了。而此時(shí)的皇帝本人就是基督徒。他贊揚(yáng)他們?yōu)槭ネ?,并親吻了他們。然而他們卻隨即倒下,死了。
在芬蘭西南部的楠塔利鎮(zhèn),貪睡人的節(jié)日是紀(jì)念7位貪睡人的集體節(jié)日。天一亮,滿街就都是高聲喊叫的狂歡者。他們涌進(jìn)該年的“貪睡人”———當(dāng)?shù)貙Υ耸潞翢o覺察的某個(gè)名人———的家中。這一大幫喚醒者被帶進(jìn)屋子;粗魯?shù)貙⒇澦伺?,將他從床上拖起來帶到該?zhèn)的港口并把他扔到海里去。
NOTE 注釋:
1. Sleepyhead [5sli:pIhed] n. <口>貪睡者, 懶鬼
2. devout [di5vaut] adj. 虔敬的, 誠懇的
3. persecution [7pE:si5kju:FEn] n. 迫害, 煩擾
4. henchman [5hentFmEn] n. 侍從, 黨羽
5. martyrdom [5mB:tEdEm] n. 犧牲, 殉難, 受苦
6. miracle [5mirEkl] n. 奇跡, 奇事
7. toss [tCs] v. 投, 擲