论文部分内容阅读
The Origins of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has become the day for love in American culture, when sweethearts buy cards, candy, flowers, and romantic dinners to prove their devotion to the one they adore.Like many other common holidays, however, Valentine’s Day has roots in the ancient festivals of our European ancestors.
Fertility and Love Among the Romans
The holiday of romance has roots in an ancient Roman fertility rite known as the Lupercalia.Celebrated on Feb. 15th, the Lupercalia was a fertility rite in honor of the gods Lupercus, Faunus (associated with Pan) and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.The celebration began at the Lupercal cave, where the wolf Lupa was said to have suckled the infant Romulus and Remus.Afterward, priests would sacrifice a goat (symbol of fertility) and a dog (symbol of protection) to the gods, anoint themselves with the blood, and run through the streets whipping onlookers with a thong made from the goat’s skin. The whipping was believed to help ease childbirth and promote fertility.
Also during the festival, young men would draw the names of eligible girls from a pot or urn.These couples would be paired up until the next Lupercalia, often in intimate ways.This drawing of Valentine lots continued into the Middle Ages in Europe.The young man would wear the slip bearing his Valentine’s name on his sleeve, and attend to the lady with flowers, gifts, and words of affection.
情人节已经成为美国文化中爱情的代表性节日，届时情人们为了表示对对方的倾慕会买纪念卡、糖果、鲜花，给对方准备浪漫的晚餐。和很多大众节日一样，情人节也来源于我们的欧洲祖先的古老节日。
罗马人的生育图腾与爱情
情人节与罗马的生育图腾节日“卢帕卡尼亚”有着一定的联系。每年的2月15日，卢帕卡尼亚节是庆祝卢帕克思神、法努斯神（畜牧农林神，和希腊神话中的半人半羊畜牧神有关）以及罗马城的创始人罗姆鲁斯和拉姆斯的节日。庆祝仪式在卢帕卡尔洞穴开始，据说那里是卢帕狼哺育罗姆鲁斯和拉姆斯这两个婴儿的地方。随后，牧师会向神灵献上一只山羊（人丁兴旺的象征）和一只狗（保护的象征），用血涂满他们的全身，然后沿街用山羊皮制作的鞭子抽打旁观者。这种抽打被认为是帮助顺产，促使人丁兴旺的吉祥行为。
同时，年轻男子们会从一个盆或罐里抽出心仪姑娘的名字。这些情人们会常以亲密的方式成双结对直到下一次的卢帕卡尼亚节。这种抽情人签的做法一直持续到欧洲的中世纪。小伙子会把自己情人的名字写在布条上，系在袖子上，并给自己心爱的女孩送上鲜花、礼物和爱慕之辞。
The Real St. Valentine
As Christianity became more prevalent, the celebration of love became associated with the patron saint of love and couples—St. Valentine.No one has verified the original Valentine to whom the day is dedicated, although two likely candidates have emerged.One Valentine, a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius, was jailed for secretly marrying couples in defiance of orders from the Emperor that all marriages be stopped. This Valentine was jailed and died in prison for his devotion to love.
Another Valentine was jailed for helping Christians during the 3rd century AD.In prison, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and cured her of blindness.He was executed on February 14th, 289 AD.All of the Valentine stories were finally combined, and in 496 Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14th in honor of St. Valentine.
真正的圣·瓦伦丁
基督教愈发盛行的时候，情人节的庆祝活动就与爱情和伴侣的保护圣徒——圣·瓦伦丁联系起来了。至今，还没有人能够证实这一节日所供奉的真正的圣·瓦伦丁是谁，尽管出现了两个可能的候选人。一个瓦伦丁是在柯劳迪亚大帝统治期间的牧师，大帝下令停止一切婚姻，而他却违反命令秘密安排结合了许多有情人，并因此入狱。这位圣·瓦伦丁因对爱情的奉献精神被监禁并死在狱中。
另一位圣·瓦伦丁则是因在公元三世纪帮助基督徒而被捕入狱。在狱中，他和狱卒的女儿相爱并治好了她的眼疾。他在公元289年2月14日被处以极刑。至此，所有的圣·瓦伦丁的故事就连结到了一起。公元496年，格拉西耶斯主教宣布2月14日为纪念圣·瓦伦丁日，即情人节。
Birds and Love
Europeans also believe that Feb. 14th is the day when birds begin to choose their mates.Chaucer, Shakespeare, and numerous other poets mention the tradition in their work.In accordance with the tradition, it is believed that a young girl will be able to tell what type of man she will marry based upon the first bird that she sees on Valentine’s Day.
鸟儿与爱情
同时，欧洲人也认为2月14日是鸟儿们开始寻找伴侣的时候。英国诗人乔叟、莎士比亚，以及其他很多诗人都在他们的诗篇中提及了这一传统。根据这一传统，年轻的女孩子会以她在情人节看到的第一只鸟来判断自己会嫁给什么样的人。
·链接·
1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.爱一个人不是因为他（她）是谁，重要的是和他（她）在一起要有感觉。
2. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside him knowing you can’t have him.思念的痛苦在于他就在你身边，你却不能拥有他。
3. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.即使情绪很低落，也不要皱眉头，想想爱你的人是如何着迷于你的笑容。
4. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.对于世界来说，你是渺小的；但他（她）却把你视为独一无二的珍宝。
5. Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.不要因为爱已逝去而伤心落泪，曾经拥有才是最重要的。
Valentine’s Day has become the day for love in American culture, when sweethearts buy cards, candy, flowers, and romantic dinners to prove their devotion to the one they adore.Like many other common holidays, however, Valentine’s Day has roots in the ancient festivals of our European ancestors.
Fertility and Love Among the Romans
The holiday of romance has roots in an ancient Roman fertility rite known as the Lupercalia.Celebrated on Feb. 15th, the Lupercalia was a fertility rite in honor of the gods Lupercus, Faunus (associated with Pan) and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.The celebration began at the Lupercal cave, where the wolf Lupa was said to have suckled the infant Romulus and Remus.Afterward, priests would sacrifice a goat (symbol of fertility) and a dog (symbol of protection) to the gods, anoint themselves with the blood, and run through the streets whipping onlookers with a thong made from the goat’s skin. The whipping was believed to help ease childbirth and promote fertility.
Also during the festival, young men would draw the names of eligible girls from a pot or urn.These couples would be paired up until the next Lupercalia, often in intimate ways.This drawing of Valentine lots continued into the Middle Ages in Europe.The young man would wear the slip bearing his Valentine’s name on his sleeve, and attend to the lady with flowers, gifts, and words of affection.
情人节已经成为美国文化中爱情的代表性节日，届时情人们为了表示对对方的倾慕会买纪念卡、糖果、鲜花，给对方准备浪漫的晚餐。和很多大众节日一样，情人节也来源于我们的欧洲祖先的古老节日。
罗马人的生育图腾与爱情
情人节与罗马的生育图腾节日“卢帕卡尼亚”有着一定的联系。每年的2月15日，卢帕卡尼亚节是庆祝卢帕克思神、法努斯神（畜牧农林神，和希腊神话中的半人半羊畜牧神有关）以及罗马城的创始人罗姆鲁斯和拉姆斯的节日。庆祝仪式在卢帕卡尔洞穴开始，据说那里是卢帕狼哺育罗姆鲁斯和拉姆斯这两个婴儿的地方。随后，牧师会向神灵献上一只山羊（人丁兴旺的象征）和一只狗（保护的象征），用血涂满他们的全身，然后沿街用山羊皮制作的鞭子抽打旁观者。这种抽打被认为是帮助顺产，促使人丁兴旺的吉祥行为。
同时，年轻男子们会从一个盆或罐里抽出心仪姑娘的名字。这些情人们会常以亲密的方式成双结对直到下一次的卢帕卡尼亚节。这种抽情人签的做法一直持续到欧洲的中世纪。小伙子会把自己情人的名字写在布条上，系在袖子上，并给自己心爱的女孩送上鲜花、礼物和爱慕之辞。
The Real St. Valentine
As Christianity became more prevalent, the celebration of love became associated with the patron saint of love and couples—St. Valentine.No one has verified the original Valentine to whom the day is dedicated, although two likely candidates have emerged.One Valentine, a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius, was jailed for secretly marrying couples in defiance of orders from the Emperor that all marriages be stopped. This Valentine was jailed and died in prison for his devotion to love.
Another Valentine was jailed for helping Christians during the 3rd century AD.In prison, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and cured her of blindness.He was executed on February 14th, 289 AD.All of the Valentine stories were finally combined, and in 496 Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14th in honor of St. Valentine.
真正的圣·瓦伦丁
基督教愈发盛行的时候，情人节的庆祝活动就与爱情和伴侣的保护圣徒——圣·瓦伦丁联系起来了。至今，还没有人能够证实这一节日所供奉的真正的圣·瓦伦丁是谁，尽管出现了两个可能的候选人。一个瓦伦丁是在柯劳迪亚大帝统治期间的牧师，大帝下令停止一切婚姻，而他却违反命令秘密安排结合了许多有情人，并因此入狱。这位圣·瓦伦丁因对爱情的奉献精神被监禁并死在狱中。
另一位圣·瓦伦丁则是因在公元三世纪帮助基督徒而被捕入狱。在狱中，他和狱卒的女儿相爱并治好了她的眼疾。他在公元289年2月14日被处以极刑。至此，所有的圣·瓦伦丁的故事就连结到了一起。公元496年，格拉西耶斯主教宣布2月14日为纪念圣·瓦伦丁日，即情人节。
Birds and Love
Europeans also believe that Feb. 14th is the day when birds begin to choose their mates.Chaucer, Shakespeare, and numerous other poets mention the tradition in their work.In accordance with the tradition, it is believed that a young girl will be able to tell what type of man she will marry based upon the first bird that she sees on Valentine’s Day.
鸟儿与爱情
同时，欧洲人也认为2月14日是鸟儿们开始寻找伴侣的时候。英国诗人乔叟、莎士比亚，以及其他很多诗人都在他们的诗篇中提及了这一传统。根据这一传统，年轻的女孩子会以她在情人节看到的第一只鸟来判断自己会嫁给什么样的人。
·链接·
1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.爱一个人不是因为他（她）是谁，重要的是和他（她）在一起要有感觉。
2. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside him knowing you can’t have him.思念的痛苦在于他就在你身边，你却不能拥有他。
3. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.即使情绪很低落，也不要皱眉头，想想爱你的人是如何着迷于你的笑容。
4. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.对于世界来说，你是渺小的；但他（她）却把你视为独一无二的珍宝。
5. Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.不要因为爱已逝去而伤心落泪，曾经拥有才是最重要的。