14 British English Holidays - April Fool's Day
今天是星期六，今天是愚人节。
那么问题来了，周六愚人节公司通知要上班，到底去还是不去呢？
图片来自网络
愚人节来了，关于愚人节的这些事，你造么？
一、General Introduction 整体介绍
The first of April is April Fool's Day, a day to try and fool your friends with jokes and a day to have some lighthearted fun.
4月的第一天是愚人节，这天可以尽情地捉弄你的朋友，开他玩笑，这天也通常充满欢乐。
The jokes and their victims are calledApril fools. People playing April Fool jokes expose their prank by shoutingApril Fool. Some newspapers, magazines, and other published media report fake stories, which are usually explained the next day or below the news section in small letters. Although popular since the 19th century, the day is not a public holiday in any country.
被这些玩笑捉弄的人,被称作四月傻瓜。恶作剧的人一旦成功，则会大喊四月傻瓜。一些报刊，杂志也会在愚人节当天发布虚假消息，通常第二天才会澄清，或者在虚假消息的下面用非常小的字体标注。尽管自19世纪以来，愚人节风靡全球，但并没有成为任何一个国家的公共假日。
二、Orgins of April Fool’s Day 愚人节来历
In 1582,Pope Gregore XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe.
1582年，教皇格雷戈里十三世采用新历（格里历：即通用的阳历）来取代以前的儒略历。新历规定新年为一月一日（此前的旧历的新年是从四月一日开始的）。那年，法国首先采用新历，在一月一日庆祝新年。但是，许多顽固派拒绝接受新历，或者根本对新历一无所知，于是，他们仍然在四月一日庆祝新年。主张新历的人开始愚弄这些“顽固派”，比如送一些假的礼物或者用谎言欺骗他们。最终，这种恶作剧传遍整个欧洲。
三、 Bottom Line of the Day 愚人节也有底线
Making jokes only lasts until the noon of the day, the rule is fixed and acknowledged everywhere. Anyone who tries to make a fool after midday is a bigger fool than he who has been fooled.
需要注意的是，愚人节当天的玩笑只能开到中午十二点前，这是严格规定，约定俗成的。过了中午十二点还去开人家玩笑的人往往自讨没趣，会被人认为比被他愚弄的那个人还蠢。
四、Two Jokes About the Day 愚人节笑话两则
1、San Serriffe 虚拟国家
image1977: The British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Only a few noticed that everything about the island was named after printer's terminology。
1977年愚人节，英国卫报发行了长达7页的增刊，全是介绍San Serriffe这个印度洋上的小岛国的，据说那里有好几个分号形状的小岛。文章中大肆渲染了这里的风情和民俗，介绍了它的城市和首都，甚至总统的名字。当天卫报编辑室的电话都被读者打爆了，大家都想知道这样美好的度假胜地在哪。只有少数人注意到，首都名字Bodoni是印刷术语，是一种印刷字体的名称。
2、Nixon for President 尼克松复出
1992: National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." Accompanying this announcement were audio clips of Nixon delivering his candidacy speech. Listeners responded viscerally to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and outrage. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Hockenberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little。
1992年愚人节，全国公共广播之声宣布，尼克松又要竞选总统了，他的竞选宣言是：我没做错事;我也不会再做错事。新闻中还穿插了一段尼克松的讲话。愤怒而惊讶的听众纷纷打电话来质问。随后主持人承认这是假的，尼克松的声音也是一个喜剧演员模仿的。
祝大家节日快乐！
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