11-5 11月4日恶作剧之夜（在线收听）

November 4: Mischief Night

A time of misrule¹, when every principle is turned on its head, is a tempting thing indeed. Some sociologists have theorized that such festivals of chaos are necessary for the running of a decent culture.

From time immemorial², British children have celebrated a Mischief Night. This is the time for plugging neighbors’ chimneys, whitewashing enemies’ windows, and setting fire to piles of dog dung on doorsteps so that the unfortunate householder gets an unpleasant surprise while stamping out³ the flames. Until relatively recently, different regions celebrated their Mischief Nights at different times of year. In Cornwall and Devon Mischief Night fell on Shrove Monday⁴. Other regions preferred May Day; others Halloween. But during the last century, Mischief Night has attached itself to November 4, Guy Fawkes Eve. Especially popular in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the northern Midlands, as well as New Zealand and Australia, Mischief Night is loud with firecrackers⁵ and bright with bonfires⁶.

注释：

1. misrule [5mis5ru:l]n.混乱，骚动

2. immemorial [7imi5mC:riEl]a.古老的，远古的

3. stamp out 踩灭，扑灭，消灭

4. Shrove Monday [宗]（基督教）忏悔星期一（大斋首日[即AshWednesday]前的星期一）

5. firecracker [5faiEkrAkE(r)] n. 爆竹，鞭炮

6. bonfire [5bCn7faiE] n. 篝火，营火

11月4日恶作剧之夜

如果有一天人们都不按规矩办事，把每一条原则都颠倒过来，那该是十分诱人的。有些社会学家对这个问题从理论上加以论证，认为这种“混乱的节日”，对于一个健康的文？的正常运转是必要的。

自远古以来，英国儿童就庆祝恶作剧之夜了。在这个夜晚，他们堵塞邻居的烟囱；将仇敌的窗户刷白；将一堆堆的狗粪放在别人门阶上点起火来，让那些倒霉的屋主又沮丧又吃惊，赶快将火踩灭。一直到近代，英国不同的地区一年中恶作剧之夜的日期并不相同。在康沃尔郡和德文郡，恶作剧之夜是在基督教的忏悔星期一那一天。另一些地区在五朔节（5月1日）。还有一些地区则在万圣节前夕。但是在上个世纪，恶作剧之夜定在了11月4日盖伊·福克斯节前夕这一天。恶作剧之夜在兰开夏郡、约克郡和英格兰中部地区的北部以及新西兰和澳大利亚尤其受欢迎。这是一个放烟花的喧闹之夜，一个点篝火的明亮之夜。