里約：嘉年華會

Carnival is a four-day celebration before the start of Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Christian Lent. The idea behind Carnival is to enjoy life to the fullest by feasting, drinking, and dancing before the fasting period. It takes place during the first or second week of February and is celebrated around the world.

嘉年華會在聖灰星期三之前舉行，也就是基督教四旬齋開始之前，連續四天的慶祝活動。人們舉行嘉年華會，在齋戒期之前大吃大喝、盡情跳舞，好好享受生活。這個嘉年華會在二月的第一或第二個星期舉行，世界各地都有慶祝活動。

The biggest carnival happens in Rio where parades take place and turn the city into a big street party. Hundreds of elaborate floats glide down the streets, with costumed people on top throwing plastic beaded necklaces down to the people below.

最大的嘉年華會在里約舉行，遊行表演讓這個城市變成一個大型的街頭派對。數百輛精心製作的花車在街道上穿梭，花車上穿著奇裝異服的人，把塑膠珠串項鍊丟給下面的群眾。

Alongside the floats are marching samba bands playing traditional Brazilian Carnival songs whose fast beats get everyone in the streets dancing. Every samba band and float must choose a theme that is taken from history or literature and decorate their floats according to this theme. The result is samba bands and floats trying to outdo each other in wild, ornate costumes and intense music. Balls also occur where people attend dressed in lavish costumes and masks. Many consider Carnival to be the world’s biggest and best party.

花車旁邊的是遊行的森巴樂團，演奏傳統巴西嘉年華會的歌曲，快速的節奏讓街道上的人都跳起舞來。每一組森巴樂團和花車都要選一個歷史或文學主題來裝飾他們的花車，最後，再各自以狂野華麗的服裝和熱情的音樂來一較高下。這裡也舉辦舞會，很多人穿戴著奢華的服裝和面具去參加。很多人認為，嘉年華會是世界上最盛大、最精采的派對。

In 1840, a hotel owner changed the carnival celebration forever by hiring musicians and dancers and throwing a lavish masked ball. Only the rich could afford to go, so the poorer people partied in the streets. This celebration escalated into the huge street party that Rio is today.

1840年，有一位飯店老闆改變了嘉年華的慶祝方式，就一直沿用至今。他雇用音樂家和舞者，舉行一場奢華的面具舞會，因為只有有錢人才有辦法去，所以窮人就在街道上辦派對。這個慶祝方式就這樣不斷擴大到今日里約的大型街頭派對。

The climax of this four-day celebration is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, when the biggest floats and loudest samba bands take to the streets. Carnival is a lot of fun, but caution must be taken. It gets very crowded and hot, and there are some people who drink too much alcohol which can lead to fighting and other dangerous behavior. Still, with a little common sense, Carnival is an event to be enjoyed and if attended, can be one of life’s best memories.

連續四天的慶祝高潮在「肥胖星期二」，又叫做Mardi Gras，這時候街道上會有最大型的花車和最熱鬧的森巴樂團。嘉年華會很有趣，但也要謹慎小心，因為街道上擁擠又炎熱，有些人喝了太多酒，很容易打架滋事，或做出其他危險的舉動。但要知道，嘉年華會讓你盡情狂歡，一旦參加過，將令人終生難忘。