當情人節遇上元宵節
2014年註定是不平凡的一年，今年2月14日是元宵節(Lantern Festival)，恰好與西方情人節(Valentine's Day)重疊。據悉，以上兩節相遇十分難得，19年才能碰到一次，而且據民俗學家稱，古代元宵節也有情人節寓意!小夥伴們，如此甜蜜的日子，這不是要全球大脫單的`節奏麼!本期滬江英語教研課堂為大家解析中西方“情人節”文化。
很多人都知道在情人節要吃巧克力和送玫瑰花，那為何情人節命名為Valentine's Day ，而不是Lovers' Day? 教研君考證了下，得到如下文字：
In the third century AD, there was a tyrant in the ancient Rome called Claudius. This era of ancient Rome has been a continuous war, the tyrant recruited a large number of citizens went to the battlefield. In order to ensure that people loyal to the war, he ordered a ban on people to marry at this time, even people who have been engaged immediately to lift the marriage. In this way many young people bid farewell to their love, full of anger towards the battlefield. But Valentine, a priest, helped soldiers to hold their wedding ceremonies quietly. The news finally reached the Claudius's ears. He ordered the soldiers to arrest Valentine. On February 14th, 270 AD, Valentine was tortured in the dungeon to die. People named that day as "Valentine's Day" to memorize Valentine.
重點詞彙解析：
ancient Rome 古羅馬;
Claudius 克勞迪亞斯(古羅馬帝王);
Valentine 瓦倫丁;
tyrant 暴君;
engage 同……訂婚;
bid farewell to 告別;
priest 牧師;神父;
wedding ceremony 結婚典禮;
dungeon 地牢。
也就是說啊，情人節是為了紀念一個叫Valentine的修士，他不理古羅馬暴君禁止結婚的禁令，秘密替人主持婚禮，結果被收監，在2月14日被處死。從那以後人們為了紀念Valentine，將2月14日定為情人節，相互心儀的情侶在這一天互相饋贈禮物，表達情意，並確定戀愛關係。
而在中國古代，辛棄疾早已用 “眾裡尋它千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在燈火闌珊處。” 把元宵之夜的場景描述的惟妙惟肖了(元宵節經典詩詞英譯賞析>>>)。古代的女孩子平常都是“大門不出二門不入”，待字閨中，罕見有機會能夠出來走走，只有在元宵節這天晚上才會被長輩們允許出來看燈，借遊燈之際結識其他未婚男子，亦或者與自己心儀的男孩子約會。
教研君也為大家準備了一些民俗的英語，如：
猜燈謎 riddle solving;
紅燈籠 red lantern;
燈會 lantern fair;
團圓 enjoy a family reunion