There are many famous festivals around the world. The Carnivals in Rio de Janeiro and Venice, Munich's Oktoberfest and London's Notting Hill Carnival are three examples. 世界各地有许多著名的节日。从里约热内卢和威尼斯的狂欢节，到慕尼黑的啤酒节，再到伦敦的诺丁山狂欢节，这些都是比较著名的节日。
There are, however, festivals going on somewhere in the world every day of the year. These range from very large events which involve whole cities to local celebrations in tiny villages or neighbourhoods of towns or cities. We have selected a few of the more unusual, colourful festivals from around the world. 每年甚至每天在世界上的各个角落都在庆祝不同的节日。节日的规模大小不一，从全城庆祝的重大活动，到小村庄或者市镇街区，再到当地较小规模的庆典活动。我们在这选择了一些与众不同的，来自世界各地丰富多彩的节庆活动。
Australia Day Cockroach Races: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 澳大利亚国庆节-蟑螂赛跑大赛：布里斯班，昆士兰州，澳大利亚
"Racing is simple....the races are held in a circular track and roaches are then let go from an upturned bucket in the middle...first to the edge is a winner. Things are made a little more difficult in the steeplechase events where a circular fence (garden hose) is used to enhance the spectacle and test the roach talent." “比赛规则很简单...是在一个圆形轨道中进行，蟑螂们从圆形场地中点起跑，最先到达外圈的就胜出。在障碍赛跑中，把表演推向高潮并考验蟑螂天赋之高的圆形围墙（橡胶软管）会让比赛变得更加困难。”
Canberra Sled Dog Classic: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 堪培拉雪橇犬经典：堪培拉 澳大利亚首都直辖区 澳大利亚
Dog sledding is one of the fastest growing sports on the east coast of Australia. As there's no snow (the trail is earth and sand and is smooth and wide with a few hills and turns), the sleds have wheels instead of runners, but the excitement is the same. 狗拉雪橇是澳大利亚东海岸发展最快的运动之一。虽然没有雪（运动场地只有沙土，又宽又滑，偶尔还会有小山丘和转弯），只有带有轮子的雪橇，但活动依然令人激动不已。
Darwin Beer Can Regatta: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia 达尔文啤酒罐赛艇会：达尔文 北领地 澳大利亚
This local charity event brings together great engineers and great drinkers. Participants construct everything from life-size beer-can canoes to beer-can Viking warships (complete with fire hoses) during this off-the-wall regatta. 这个当地的慈善活动汇集了很多的工程师和饮酒者们。在这疯狂的赛舟会上，参与者用一切可以找到的东西制成各种物品，从真人大小的啤酒罐独木舟到啤酒罐海盗战舰等等（配有消防水管）用来参加活动。
Festival of Snakes, Abruzzo, Italy 游蛇节，阿布罗佐大区，意大利
"Each year in the tiny hamlet of Cocullo, surrounded by some of Italy's most undomesticated forests, the villagers prove their devotion by getting down and dirty with as many fork-tongued reptiles as they can." “每年，被意大利原始的森林簇拥的小村庄科库尔罗，村民们会摆弄各式各样的蛇来证明他们对活动的无限热情。
Henley-on-Todd Regatta: Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia 帆船赛：艾丽斯斯普林斯 北领地 澳大利亚舟
"This multi-event program attracts many local and international participants from the audience who often finish up on world TV news paddling canoes with sand shovels and in land lubber events like filling empty 44 gallon drums with sand. The Henley-on-Todd is run entirely on a volunteer basis by the three Rotary Clubs based in the Alice. The entire proceeds - over a million dollars in the 30 plus years of the event - are allocated to local, national and international humanitarian projects." “众多节事活动吸引了很多本地和国际的参与者，这些参与者来自世界各地有趣的比赛现场，比如电视新闻中报道的用铲子划独木舟比赛，或是用沙子填满容量为44加仑的容器。帆船比赛由扶轮俱乐部的志愿者共同运营，扶轮俱乐部总部设在爱丽丝。从30余年的赛事中积累的全部收入超过一百万美元全部扶持于本地，本国和国际人道主义项目当中。”
International Cherry Pit Spitting Contest: Eau Claire, MI, USA 吐樱桃核国际比赛：欧克莱尔市 密歇根州 美国
"A nutritious sport - is there a better way to dispose of the pit once you have eaten the cherry? Entrants eat a cherry and then spit the pit as far as possible on a blacktop surface. The pit that goes the farthest including the roll is the champ." “养生运动----吃完樱桃，有什么更好的方式吐出樱桃核呢？参赛者在马路上吃完樱桃后，将樱桃核吐得尽可能的远。吐的距离（包括樱桃核滚动的距离）最远的就是胜者。
Interstate Mullet Toss: Pensacola, Florida, USA 州际扔乌鱼比赛： 彭萨科拉 佛罗里达州 美国
"Pensacola locals and tourists alike have been trying to perfect the art of mullet-tossing for more than 15 years. Ok -- so what exactly is a mullet? A mullet is a bottom-feeding, saltwater fish that people go nuts about every April. Competitors from far and wide come to the Florida and Alabama border town for this head-to-head competition to see who, while standing on the Florida side, can toss the one and a half pound fish into the Alabama side the farthest. Prizes are awarded and all entries receive a free T-shirt exclaiming, "Dear Ma, thanks for the college education!" More than 300 pounds of mullet are used each year. Sounds like a lot of fish? They are recycled! After contestants throw their fish they must retrieve it, and if it's not too mangled they put it back in the bucket. Other festivities include the Mullet Man Triathlon, Mullet Swing Golf Classic, Ms. Mullet Bikini Contest, a wet T-shirt contest, volleyball, skeet shooting, a keg toss, three bandstands and seven bar stations." “彭萨科拉当地人和游客用超过15年去尝试并完善扔鲻鱼比赛。那鲻鱼到底是什么？鲻鱼是靠底饲为生的海鱼。每年的4月，人们都会为之疯狂。来自各地的参赛者远赴佛罗里达州和阿拉巴马州边境的小镇前来比赛。比赛内容：站在佛罗里达州这侧的参赛者向阿拉巴马州的方向投掷重达1.5磅鲻鱼，看谁扔的最远。胜利者可获得奖品，每位参赛者都可以免费获得一件T恤，衣服上写着“亲爱的妈妈，谢谢你让我上了大学”。每年比赛都会用掉300磅的鲻鱼。这听起来好像有很多鱼？不过，比赛完后参赛者还得把鱼找回来，如果鱼没有被摔很惨的话，就将它们放回桶里。还有其他关于鲻鱼的庆祝活动例如：鲻鱼男子铁人三项，经典鲻鱼挥高尔夫，鲻鱼比基尼小姐大赛，湿T恤比赛，排球赛，飞碟射击赛，扔小桶，三个演奏台比赛和七个站点。”
La Tomatina: Bunol, Spain 番茄大战：布诺 西班牙
"The tomato battle is in honor of Saint Luis Beltran, the patron saint of Bunol. Residents and visitors take part in a tomato-throwing battle that decimates more than 88,000 pounds of tomatoes. This wacky event began with a serious aim as a symbolic protest against Franco. But the Tomatina is now firmly entrenched as an amusing way to end the summer." “番茄大战是为了向圣•路易斯•贝尔特兰-布尼奥尔的守护神表示敬意而举办的。居民和游客都可参加比赛，每年超过了88,000磅的番茄被投入到大战中。这个古怪的活动以一个象征抗议佛朗哥的严肃目的而发起。但是现在，西红柿大战已成为结束夏天的有趣庆祝方式。”
Mighty Mud Mania: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA 疯狂泥浆节： 斯科茨代尔 亚利桑那州 美国
"Children's dreams really do come true in the City of Scottsdale. Children aged 1 to 13, get to participate in a mud race to end all mud races. During the running of the Mighty Mud Obstacle course, several mud pits strategically placed, provide wet and really dirty obstacles as kids compete for the fastest time in each heat. There are also mud puddle pools for the tiny tots, and a mini mud course for those six and younger. In addition, Mighty Mudway features water and mud games. There are also water slides, sandcastle buildings and fun for all ages. Moms and dads, remember to send your kids out with old clothes and shoes that lace up or Velcro closures. And have no fear, Rural Metro Fire Department is on hand to literally hose down the muddy children." “孩子们的梦想可以在斯科茨代尔这座城市实现-那就是泥浆大赛，比赛只对1至13岁的儿童开放。在泥浆比赛中设置障碍赛区，泥坑必须巧妙的摆放好，并保持又湿又脏的状态，比的就是在这样艰难的环境下看看哪个孩子以最快的速度完成比赛。对于年龄较小一点的孩子（6岁甚至更小），他们会在另外小些的区域进行比赛。此外，泥浆节的特点是水和泥，活动还设置水滑梯，沙塔建筑物等其他活动项目供不同年龄段的小伙伴玩耍。爸爸妈妈们在带孩子来比赛之前，记得给孩子们穿上旧衣服、鞋子并用系带系紧衣物。大家们不必害怕，城村消防部门会在活动结束后用水管冲干净这些浑身是泥的孩子们。
Songkran Festival, Thailand 泼水节 泰国
What better way to celebrate the "start of the return of rains" than with a country-wide water fight? Thais celebrate their festival officially from April 13th until April 15th. These three days represent the last day of the old year, the day of transition, and the first day of the New Year. These are days of cleaning the houses and the body, days of merry making, and renewal. Nothing evil has to be taken into the New Year. Formerly one sprinkled or spilled a bit of scented water over the hands or shoulders of elders and friends to ask them forgiveness for coarse or wicked speaking. But in modern times these traditions, which still are held in family celebrations, are hidden behind water battles fought out for days in the streets of every town and city over the country. 有什么更好的方式比整个国家用打水仗来庆祝“雨季的开始”呢？从4月13日至4月15日，泰国正式庆祝泼水节。这三天，分别代表着旧的一年的最后一天，过渡得日子，以及新年的第一天。这几天，人们打扫房屋、净身，开心的迎接新年到来。为了避免将邪恶的事物进入新的一年。人们会在长辈和朋友的手或肩膀撒上少许带有香味的液体，请求对自己恶言恶语的宽恕。近现代，这些传统在家庭庆祝活动中也一直保持着，同时也被淹没在大街小巷持续数天的泼水大战之中了。
The New Straits Times Million Ringgit Charity Duck Race: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 新海峡时报百万林吉特慈善鸭竞赛：吉隆坡,马来西亚
Thirteen years ago, Eric Schechter and his friends were brainstorming to find new ways of raising money for local charities when they came up with the idea of rubber duck races. The event, crazy as it may sound, involves racing "cool" rubber ducks down a local waterway and having members of the community "adopt" the ducks for a chance to win valuable donated prizes, possibly even $1 million bucks. 十三年前，13年前，埃里克•谢克特和他的朋友们集思广益，寻找能够为当地的慈善机构筹集资金的新办法，他们想出了橡皮鸭比赛的点子。这件事，听起来可能很疯狂，比赛是把一只很“酷”的橡皮鸭子放到当地水道，然后由社区成员“认领”鸭子，并有机会赢得宝贵的奖品，奖金高达1万块钱。
Wife Carrying World Championships: Sonkajarvi, Finland 国际背夫人锦标赛：松卡耶尔维 芬兰
"The idea of the Wife Carrying Competition is Sonkajärvi's very own and, in spite of its humorous aspects, it has deep roots in the local history. In the late 1800's there was in the area a brigand called Rosvo-Ronkainen, who is said to have accepted in his troops only those men who proved their worth on a challenging track. In those days, it was also a common practice to steal women from the neighbouring villages." “背妻子比赛的想法是苏卡哈维自己想出来的，尽管这听起来很好玩，但是它可以追溯到很久以前。在十九世纪，一个在松卡耶尔维叫隆卡伊宁的强盗说，只有那些在具有挑战性的比赛上充分证明过自己价值的男人才可以进入他的部队。当时，也有说法是这项赛事来自古老部落的一种“偷妻”风俗。
World Bog Snorkeling Championships and Mountain Bike Bog Leaping: Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales 世界沼泽潜水锦标赛和山地自行车沼泽赛：拉努蒂德韦尔斯 威尔士
"It's the muckiest dip you've ever taken! Swim two lengths of a bog wearing a snorkel, or jump on a mountain bike and leap the bogs over a 20-mile course. If bog snorkeling's your game, get ready to flounder your way through 120 yards of peat bog in the quickest possible time. Your attire? A snorkel and flippers, of course. Uhhh - and maybe some swim trunks. And you can't use any conventional swimming strokes. This battle of wills in a dirty, smelly, wet Welsh peat bog trench is not for the faint of heart! If you'd rather be above the bog (though there's no guarantee you won't end up in it), try taking your mountain bike through 20 miles of boggy terrain, in the bog-leaping event. It's your chance to show off your bike-in-a-bog maneuvering abilities! Following your adventures, kind folks are on hand to hose you down. Goodness knows, you'll need it! Happy bogging!" “这是你参加过的最脏的潜水！在沼泽里戴着潜水管，紧接着在20英里的沼泽场地骑上山地自行车。如果沼泽浮潜是你喜欢的运动项目，请以最快速度穿过120米的泥炭沼泽。你应该带什么样的装备呢？呼吸管和脚蹼，还有游泳裤。重要的一点是你不能在过程中使用任何常规的游泳姿势。在威尔士这个泥泞的、臭气熏天的泥炭沼泽沟进行比赛是意志力的挑战，这场比赛是不适合心脏不好的人的！如果你愿意参加并努力骑山地车穿过20公里的沼泽地带。那么展现自己在泥泞中前行的机会来了！完成过后，善良的乡亲们会用手中的水管帮你把身上的脏东西清洗干净。天知道，你太需要它了！祝愿在沼泽中快乐前行！”
来源：英国使馆文化教育处
