英语学习

How Jack-O'-Lanterns Originated in Irish Myth

People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack."

According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks.

Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.

Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for ten years and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul.

杰克灯是如何起源于爱尔兰神话的

几个世纪以来，人们一直在万圣节制作南瓜灯。这种做法源于一个爱尔兰神话，关于一个绰号叫“吝啬杰克”的人

根据故事，吝啬鬼杰克邀请魔鬼和他喝一杯。正如他的名字，吝啬的杰克不想为他的酒钱，所以他说服魔鬼把自己变成一个硬币，杰克可以用来买他们的饮料。

一旦魔鬼这么做了，杰克决定把钱留在口袋里，放在一个银十字架旁边，这阻止了魔鬼变回原来的样子。

杰克最终释放了魔鬼，条件是他十年内不会打扰杰克，而且如果杰克死了，他也不会认领自己的灵魂。

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell.

He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since.

The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "jack-o'-lantern."

不久之后，杰克死了。传说，上帝不会允许这样一个讨厌的人进入天堂。魔鬼被杰克耍的把戏弄得心烦意乱，信守诺言，不让杰克进地狱。

他把杰克送到漆黑的夜里，只带了一块烧着的煤来照亮他的路。杰克把煤放进一个刻好的萝卜里，从此就和他一起在地球上漫游。

爱尔兰人开始把这个幽灵般的人物称为“灯笼杰克”，然后，简单地说是“杰克灯”

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits.

Immigrants from these countries brought the jack-o'-lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns.

在爱尔兰和苏格兰，人们开始制作自己的杰克灯笼，他们把吓人的脸刻在萝卜或土豆上，放在窗户或门附近，以吓跑吝啬的杰克和其他游荡的恶灵。

来自这些国家的移民来到美国时，带着南瓜灯的传统。他们很快发现南瓜，一种原产于美国的水果，是完美的南瓜灯。

美文阅读笔记

㈠人生非常像一群猴子在抢一个空果壳。力气大的猴子抢着了，砸开一看，发现里面是空的。

中国的老庄哲学讲究一个“空”字，大约就是这个道理。

我们大多数人都是没有抢着空果壳的猴子，我们是失败者。不过最大的失败者却是那个抢着了空果壳的猴子。他已经知道果壳是空的了，但是脸上还得强装出得胜者的笑容。他更累。

㈡有一句话，误了许多人的家庭，即：家不是讲理的地方。

讲理，即理性分析，克制了短视与鲁莽的情绪冲动，最后总是给当事人带来更大的利益。

人之所以成为人，赢了其他动物，就在于他们进化出了独特的超强大脑，懂得运用理性思维。人与人之间不讲理，那就无法合作，社会就得崩溃。家庭也一样，讲道理的家庭，趋向于快乐、健康与富足，不容易丧失理智与财富，而且优势不停累积，两三代之后，人才辈出，锦衣玉食不是梦。不讲理的家庭，趋向于烦恼、痛苦与贫穷，时间、精力与金钱都浪费在内战中，所有成员的生活水准向最坏（最弱、最霸道）的那个人看齐，永远向下沉沦。

但家是不容易讲理的地方。

在家庭之外，你的谈判对手撒泼不讲理，你的选择是惩罚他，或者不与其合作，你的利益不会受到损害。

在家里，你的家人撒泼不讲理，你的选择反而是退让和妥协，让他掌控你，指望牺牲自己的利益感动他。

随着在家里放弃说理的人越来越多，不讲理的人总是在家里胜出，“家不是讲理的地方”，这种谬论，才开始流行。

家是不容易讲理的地方，所以，更要努力在家里讲道理。这才是正确的选择