潑水節來自於我國傣族傳統節日，它還有另外一個名稱叫宋幹節。如今潑水節文化已經傳播到海外，越來越多的外國人莫名而來，想要感受這個特殊節日氣氛。那麼這時候，向他們介紹潑水節文化就很重要了，所以我特意準備了一篇英文版介紹潑水節，大家一起看看。
Water-Splashing Festival Of The Dais
The Dai is the biggest ethnic group in Yunnan Province,which is home to about half of China's 55 minority nd goes that in ancient times,the ancestors of the Dai people tried to find a place to settle walked along rivers,from on place to least,they found an oasis on the Tropic of e then they have had close relation with water.
That oasis today is known as Xishuang Banna,a beautiful place in the southern part of Yunnan area is subtropical,with plenty of rding to Chinese documents of the ninth century,the Dai had a fairly well developed used oxen and elephants to till the land,grew lots of rice and had an extensive irrigation when referring to the Dai nationality,people think about custom of water-splashing is an unforgettable experience to many American tourist,who had no idea about the custom until he visited a Dai village,describes his experience this way:
“I was intrigued by the Dai people's custom of splashing water on one a lovely,young Dai girl approached me with a pail of water,at first she dunked a small branch of leaves in the water,then touched me gently with the wet shortly afterward,the fun least for her!She and other Dai ladies threw entire buckets of water on unsuspecting me and everyone else who happened to be enjoying this little ritual.” The water-splashing reaches a climax in the Water-Splashing Festival,by which the Dai people ring out the old and bring in the new,as the festival marks the beginning of a new year in the Dai calendar.
There are a lot of folk tales about the origin of the is long ago,there lived a tyrant in the Dai stopped at no burned,killed and looted wherever he one could get rid of him,because he was very was afraid of neither water nor day,he came across a beautiful Dai already had six wives and he wanted that girl as his he married wives,all kind-hearted women,utterly detested the barbarous acts of the tyrant and decided to kill him in order to protect the innocent ver,they were too weak to challenge had to day,the tyrant came back with lots of night,he got seventh wife,his favorite,thought it was the right time to act.“Your Majesty,” she said to the tyrant,“You're the strongest person in the ,you can live as long as you want.” The tyrant was g drunk,he was not as cautious as usual.“My dear,” he said,“I have a fatal my hair twists around my neck,I'll die.” His wife memorized those the tyrant fell asleep,the women began to twisted his hair around his neck,and the tyrant as soon as his head feel onto the ground,a big fire women had no choice but to hold his head with their hands,doing it in turns,one for a time one wife finished her turn and passed on the head,the others would splash water on her to wash away splashing water on one another became a way to vanquish the devil and symbolically express the wish for better times r splashing became a symbol of good luck,a way to wish good fortune to strangers,friends and family alike.
The Water-Splashing Festival is in mid-April and lasts three to five ng the festival,the door of every home is decorated with multicolored the villagers dress in their holiday p and cows are slaughtered for feasting,plus delicious glutinous rice cakes,rice noodles,and rice occasion is marked by a variety of entertainment,including singing and dancing,fireworks-displaying,boat-racing and exhibiting air-borne the most popular event is still American tourist tells what he sees there:“The first day of the mid-April Water-Splashing Festival is devoted to a giant the second day,there are dragon-boat the third day is what I'll call a water-splashing 'free for all''s impossible to get too hot,because the Dai people will drench you with water all day ing and game-playing occupy the evenings during the the Dai people's sincere wish for your good fortune,as they sprinkle you lightly,then soak you to the skin,to be sure,your days will be filled with the greatest possible prosperity and happiness.” Water is the most precious thing to the Dai people.
In the song “Ode to Dripping Water”,we discover that water for the Dai is the source of life and the embodiment of justice and ping water,you soak into the fields,/ You turn the ground into a green ocean,/ To make the world cool and refreshing forever./ Dripping water,you're the source of life,/ When you nurture the creatures on earth,/ Wash away all their worries and misfortunes,/ Cleanse them of their selfishness and greediness,/ And keep them safe and sound Dai villages are on the plains,near rivers and streams,and among clusters of important ceremonies,such as those of wedding,funeral and birth,will take place without a young couple get married,the old man who presides over the wedding ceremony will sprinkle water on them to wish a happy time and a good future.
Most of the Dai people still prefer water re the ceremony,a respected old man will recite a funeral ing a gourd which is full of water,he chants:Pour out the holy water,Like tears rolling down our cheeks,As drop by drop,it falls on the sorrowful you miss your descendants on earth,Please turn into a big bodhi tree,Standing by the roadside,Soothing everyone passing by,Serving as a straw hat on hot summer days,And as an umbrella in the the funeral oration indicates,religion is also an important element in Dai people's are generally followers of e are many Buddhist temples in the at the age of seven or eight will go to the temples to learn to read,write and chant Dai festivals are closely related to religious “Door-Closing” for example,marks the start of the three months of intensive religious activities beginning in the middle of the sixth month on the lunar it is the hot season with a lot of rain,people do little farm stay home to pray or go to temples to pay religious homage to iage is forbidden during the “Door-Closing” when the “Door-Opening” comes round,it means the return to normal g men and women choose their lovers by tossing embroidered they have picked their partners,they sing and dance together.
小結：用流利地英語想外國人介紹自己民族傳統節日，是一件非常驕傲的事情，有利於把我國優秀傳統文化弘揚到海外，所以在潑水節前期，大家趕快預習一下，做好準備。順便告訴大家，潑水節可是相當於中國的春節。
