今天就是元宵節，台灣各地活動如燈會、平溪天燈、台南鹽水蜂炮、台東炸邯鄲等慶祝儀式，英文說法你瞭解多少？趕緊來看【元宵節英文】必學的「4大活動」，一起了解如何用英文介紹節慶活動的起源、活動特色與英文單字句子!
台灣元宵節4大活動 Taiwan Lantern Festival Activities
There are many activities all over Taiwan during Taiwan Lantern Festival.
1. 台灣燈會Taiwan Lantern Festival
The Taiwan Lantern Festival is an annual event hosted by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taiwan, and the theme is based on the zodiac animal of that year.台灣燈會是台灣自1990年起於每年元宵節舉行之燈藝節慶活動，由交通部觀光局主辦，每年以生肖為主題。
重點單字整理
annual event 年度活動
hosted by 由…主辦
zodiac animal 生肖
2. 平溪「放天燈」Pingxi (Pingsi) Sky Lantern Festival
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most colorful activities of the Lantern Festival. During the Taiwan Lantern Festival, thousands of sky lanterns light over Pingxi in Taiwan.
平溪放天燈是元宵節精彩的活動之一，台灣元宵節期間，平溪有數千盞天燈照亮夜空。
As Pingxi is located in a remote area outside of Taipei, the Pingxi sky lanterns were released originally to let others know that the town was safe.
追溯平溪天燈的由來，主要原因是平溪一帶因地處偏僻，早年入山開拓者常遭殺害搶劫，為便於通信，所以人們以放天燈的方式來互報平安。
Nowadays, the lanterns do not function as signals anymore but are now used as symbols of peace and good fortune. These lanterns are decorated with wishes and images relating to the owner.
流傳至今，平溪放天燈已不再具有互通信息的功能，而演變成元宵夜的一項觀光活動，遊人天燈放得越高，表示運氣越好，成為許願祈福的象徵物。
重點單字整理
sky lantern 天燈，放天燈releasing sky lanterns
be located in 位於
remote area 偏遠地區
signal 信號
as symbol of 象徵
3. 台南鹽水「燃蜂炮」Yanshui Fireworks Festival (Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival)
The fireworks display at the God of War Temple in Yanshui, Tainan City, is one of the most popular and anticipated events of the Lantern Festival. Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is listed as one of the world's three major folk festivals, and is also one of the most significant religious events in Taiwan.
元宵夜除了放天燈之外，台南市鹽水區武廟的蜂炮也聞名國內外。「鹽水蜂炮」名列世界三大民俗慶典，為台灣最具代表性的宗教活動之一。
Legend has it that the fireworks originated during the Qing Dynasty as the plague raged in the streets of Yanshui. Victims of the disease multiplied daily, and the locals prayed to Guan Di, the god of war, to save them. Thus on Lantern Festival evening, the Guan Di's palanquin paraded through the streets with multitudes of followers setting off firecrackers behind the deity’s holy sedan chair along the road until the break of dawn, and the plague was ended.
相傳起源於清朝光緒年間，鹽水流行瘟疫，死者日益增加，故祈求關聖帝君解災救難。關聖帝君指示須於元宵夜由信眾隨神轎一路燃放鞭炮，遶境大街小巷至天明，將瘟疫掃除。
So the later generations followed this custom, asking Guan Di to patrol the streets on the evening of the Lantern Festival each year.
百姓為感念關聖帝君的神威，遂明訂每年元宵節當天燃放煙火，並舉行「關帝遶境」。
On Lantern Festival night, the holy sedan chair will depart from Emperor Guan Temple and parade through the streets of Yanshui. Followers along the way will set off firework racks (also called "gun deck" or "gun wall") in front of their doorways.
鹽水蜂炮活動在元宵節前夜開始引燃，神轎從武廟出發繞境鹽水，沿途信徒會施放自家門口的蜂炮。
The "gun deck" consists of thousands of bottle rockets that ignite all at the same time, creating a deafening, bee-like sound as if hundreds of thousands of bees streaming out of their hives.
「蜂炮」是由數萬支沖天炮製作而成，只要點燃其中一個沖天炮，就會帶動邊上其他沖天炮轟炸，一點燃多個沖天炮連續射出，發出震耳欲聾的聲音，彷彿成千上萬的蜜蜂從蜂巢中飛出。
People believe that after running through the flying fireworks, you can get rid of calamity and troubles, and have a prosperous and wonderful new year.
人們相信衝入蜂炮陣中，能消災解難並祈求好運。
重點單字整理
beehive firecrackers蜂炮(beehive蜂巢)，set off beehive firecrackers燃蜂炮
popular受歡迎的
anticipate期望、盼望
is listed as 被列為
folk festival 民間節慶
religious event 宗教活動
plague 瘟疫
rage肆虐
palanquin, sedan chair轎子
deity神
patrol巡邏；出巡
bottle rocket 沖天炮
ignite 點燃
get rid of擺脫，消除
calamity災難
4. 台東「炸邯鄲」Bombing of Master Han Dan
The main activity in Taitung during the Lantern Festival every year is the Bombing of Master Han Dan. Master Han Dan is a guardian of the celestial treasury and is revered today as a God of Wealth.
每年元宵節台東特有的習俗是炸邯鄲，邯鄲爺是封神榜中管天庫的武財神，對人們來說，祂就是財神爺。相傳祂生性怕冷，所以又稱「寒單爺」。
When Master Han Dan makes his tour of the earthly world, people along the route of the divine procession prepare offerings of fresh flowers and fruit, and light strings of firecrackers to welcome Master Han Dan and pray for his blessing and for good fortune. The person representing Master Han Dan on the tour shows braveness by only holding a tree branch and wearing a headscarf, mask and pair of red shorts amid the fusillade of firecrackers.
「寒單爺」出巡繞境時，鞭炮齊鳴，家家戶戶紛紛往他身上扔鮮花、水果以及一串串鞭炮，大家爭相迎接，在一年之始祈求吉利。扮「寒單爺」的人，為表現其勇猛威武的精神，他手上只拿著小樹枝稍作掩護，赤裸上身紮著頭巾並蒙著臉，僅穿件紅色短褲，接受民眾鞭炮轟擊。
Why the people throw firecrackers at Master Han Dan? In one version, Master Han Dan is the God of Rogue and his power grows with the loudness of the firecrackers. It also symbolizes the vent of dissatisfaction; another version is that legend says Master Han Dan is afraid of the cold, so the people throw firecrackers at him to keep him warm and win his blessing.
為什麼用鞭炮轟擊「寒單爺」呢？有二種說法，其一是寒單爺係「流氓神」，鞭炮聲愈震身，愈意氣飛揚，同時也象徵不滿情緒之渲洩；另一種說法是相傳財神爺生性怕寒，人們以鞭炮爲他驅除寒冷，以便獲得財神爺的保佑。
重點單字整理
bombing of Master Han Dan炸邯鄲
celestial天國的；earthly塵世的，世俗的
revere崇敬
divine procession神明遶境隊伍
fusillade連續齊射
rogue流氓
vent of dissatisfaction不滿情緒之渲洩
元宵節英文單字總結
現在我們來總結一下，今天學到跟元宵節有關的單字:
台灣元宵節4大活動Taiwan Lantern Festival Activities
1. 台灣燈會Taiwan Lantern Festival
annual event 年度活動
hosted by 由…主辦
zodiac animal 生肖
2. 平溪「放天燈」Pingxi (Pingsi) Sky Lantern Festival
sky lantern 天燈，放天燈releasing sky lanterns
be located in 位於
remote area 偏遠地區
signal信號
as symbol of 象徵
3. 台南鹽水「燃蜂炮」Yanshui Fireworks Festival (Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival)
beehive firecrackers蜂炮 (beehive蜂巢)，set off beehive firecrackers燃蜂炮
popular受歡迎的
anticipate期望、盼望
is listed as 被列為
folk festival 民間節慶
religious event 宗教活動
plague 瘟疫
rage肆虐
palanquin, sedan chair轎子
deity神
bottle rocket 沖天炮
ignite 點燃
get rid of擺脫，消除
calamity災難
4. 台東「炸邯鄲」Bombing of Master Han Dan
celestial天國的；earthly塵世的，世俗的
revere崇敬
divine procession神明遶境隊伍
fusillade連續齊射
rogue流氓
vent of dissatisfaction不滿情緒之渲洩
希望今天的文章讓你有收穫，歡迎留言跟我分享元宵節的有趣習俗，如果想要進一步學習今天Podcast節目的內容，歡迎寫信給我 entogo666@gmail.com我會把今天節目的講稿email給你喔！
喜歡我的文章，或覺得對你有點幫助的話，請幫我在下方拍拍手按讚並分享出去，你的支持是我最大的動力！也歡迎追蹤外帶英文Podcast節目、FB或IG，謝謝😊
