第一章那些经典，源远流长

Long Histories of Classics

Life is a profound book. Other’ s notes cannot replace your own understanding. May you find and create something new in it.

生活是一本精深的书，别人的注释代替不了自己的理解。愿你有所发现，有所创造。

Christmas Day

圣诞节

Anonymous

As winter rolls around again this year and the days become chillier, millions of people around the world will break out their winter coats and look forward with anticipation to the approaching holiday season. That’ s right, Christmas is upon us again.

The name Christmas is short for “Christ’ s Mass” A Mass is a kind of Church service. Christmas is a religious festival. It is the day we celebrate as the birthday of Jesus. There are special Christmas services in Christian churches all over the world. But many of the festivities of Christmas do not have anything to do with religion. Exchanging gifts and sending Christmas cards are the modern ways of celebrating the Christmas in the world.

For some, that means digging out those old lights and ornaments out of the closet to hang on the Christmas tree. Although it is generally agreed that the Christmas tree in its current form came from Germany in the early 19th century, the tradition of decorating a tree to mark winter celebrations dates back hundreds of years to Roman times, when they used to decorate evergreen trees with small pieces of metal to celebrate Saturnalia.

In medieval times the “Paradise Play” was performed every year on 24December. This depicted the creation of Man and the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and always included an evergreen hung with apples which represented the apple tree of temptation. In the late 16th century, Martin Luther (the founder of the Protestant religion) was the first to decorate an indoor tree with candles when he attempted to recreate the stars shining over a forest of evergreens. The first mention of decorated trees being taken indoors came in 1605in Germany—a country with a long Christmas tree history! The trees were initially decorated with fruit and sweets together with hand—made objects such as quilled snowflakes and stars. German Christmas Markets began to sell shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments which people bought as souvenirs of the fair and took home to hang on their trees.

For many children, Christmas is the season of Santa Claus, that mysterious and jolly invader of chimneys, soaring through the sky on his magical sled, bearing gifts for the nice and coal for the naughty. Most people who celebrate Christmas are familiar with the figure of Santa Claus. However, few know the details of his origins or the fairly complex history of his development.

The figure of Santa Claus actually has many different origins and is derived from a variety of traditions. Elements from these different traditions became incorporated together with time and produced the Santa Claus that we know today. The primary inspiration for Santa Claus is the 4th century Christian bishop Saint Nicholas of Myra. Nicholas resided in the ancient Lycian town of Myra, located in Byzantine Anatolia. Having devoted his entire life to Christianity at a young age, Nicholas became known for his generous gifts to the poor. One famous story tells of how he presented three impoverished daughters of a faithful Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. Today, we continue to use Saint Nicholas (or Saint Nick) as a pseudonym for Santa Claus.

The Historical First

Thanksgiving Day

历史上第一个感恩节

Kathleen Curtin

In 1621，the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans.

Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia.

At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619，a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged “Thanksgiving” to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record.

Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.

文化小课堂

感恩节是美国和加拿大共有的节日，由美国人民独创，原意是为了感谢上天赐予的好收成。美国每年11月的第四个星期四为感恩节，加拿大则是10月第二个星期一。正如中国的春节，这一天不管多忙，人们都要和自己的家人团聚。

The Differences of Tips Between UK and US

英美消费大不同

Anonymous

“Tipping” “gratuity” or “service” is handled very differently in the UK and America. It’ s important to get this right when you visit each place as it can affect whether the staff in bars, cafe, restaurant, hotels, hairdressers, and the drivers of taxis or buses think that you are lovely, rude, strange, or whether they chase you down the street!

In the UK.

In the UK the reason for tipping is to show that you really liked the service. In the UK we have a high minimum wage, and no—one can be paid below this amount for any work, so when you tip, it is mainly showing politeness to the service person, and to acknowledge that they did an excellent job.

You can tip more or less depending on how good you thought the service was, and the average tip is around 10~20%So if you loved your new 50pound haircut, you should add another 5~10pounds onto your bill, and this will go directly to the hairdresser! If you didn’ t like the service, don’ t tip! This is the case even if “service” has been added to your bill. If you didn’ t like the service, you can always refuse to pay. Or if you are a student, traveller on a budget, or simply can’ t afford to, it’ s also ok not to spend the extra money.

In the US.

In the US，you will often hear “tips” called “service” It is essential to tip in the US，because the waitresses, bar staff, maitre’ d’ s in these industries are paid a low wage which they cannot afford to live on, and therefore your tip is much needed by them.

It is actually part of the payment that you make and very often is not optional! Especially in restaurants, if you do not pay the service, you have not paid your entire bill, so watch out!

The Round Table Knights

圆桌骑士

Anonymous

The Round Table Knights were a group of greatest knights who had the honor to sit at the Round Table at King Arthur’ s court. According to a story, Arthur had a carpenter build the Round Table to show that no knight, not even Arthur himself was “head of the table” All were equal and the king was just “first among equals” The table was so large that it had enough seats for 150men and yet could be folded up and carried on horseback. According to another source. Merlin the magician had the table built for Uther, Arthur’ s father. Uther gave the table to King Leodegan. Later, Leodegan gave the table to Arthur after Arthur married Guenevere, Leodegan’ s daughter. Still another story says that the Round Table had 12seats around it, like the table at the Last Supper, with an empty place representing Judas’ s seat. This seat was called the Siege Perilous, and was reserved for the knight so pure in heart that he would someday find the Holy Grail, the cup or dish used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Any other knight who sat in the seat would die. One day, Sir Galahad’ s name appeared on the seat. From then on, he occupied the Siege Perilous. Later, as expected, he found the Holy Grail with the other two knights.

Knights considered it a great honor to have a seat at the Round Table. Brave men came to Arthur’ s court from many countries hoping to become a Round Table Knight. Many stories describe the heroic deeds of various Knights of the Round Table. Several tell of the adventures of Sir Tristram and Sir Gawin. Other famous Round Table Knights included Lancelot, Bedevere, Bors, Galahad, Perceval and Modred.

The greatest adventure of the Round Table was the search for the Holy Grail. However, only the three knights—Bors, Galahad and Perceval were pure enough to be able to find the Grail. All the others had various moral defects. This fact damaged the reputation of the Round Table. To make things worse, a love affair developed between Queen Guenevere and Sir Lancelot, who was perhaps the greatest of the Round Table knights. This scandal destroyed the bonds of respect and friendship that had united all the knights.

The mortal blow to the Round Table was given by Sir Modred, who tried to seize Arthur’ s power. In a battle between the forces of the two men, Arthur killed Modred but he himself was seriously wounded and soon died. The Round Table broke up following the death of Arthur.

A History of Mother’ s Day

母亲节的历史

Holly Hildebrand

The first celebrations in honor of mothers were held in the spring in ancient Greece. They paid tribute to Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 17th century, England honored mothers on “Mothering Sunday,” celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

In the United States, Julia Ward Howe suggested the idea of Mother’ s Day in 1872. Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, saw Mother’ s Day as being dedicated to peace.

Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia is credited with bringing about the official observance of Mother’ s Day. Her campaign to establish such a holiday began as a remembrance of her mother, who died in 1905and who had, in the late 19th century, tried to establish “Mother’ s Friendship Days” as a way to heal the scars of the Civil War.

Two years after her mother died, Jarvis held a ceremony in Grafton, W. Va. to honor her. She was so moved by the proceedings that she began a massive campaign to adopt a formal holiday honoring mothers. In 1910，West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother’ s Day. A year later, nearly every state officially marked the day. In 1914，President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Mother’ s Day as a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.

But Jarvis’ accomplishment soon turned bitter for her. Enraged by the commercialization of the holiday, she filed a lawsuit to stop a 1923Mother’ s Day festival and was even arrested for disturbing the peace at a war mothers’ convention where women sold white carnations—Jarvis’ symbol for mothers—to raise money. “This is not what I intended,” Jarvis said, “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!”

When she died in 1948，at age 84，Jarvis had become a woman of great ironies. Never a mother herself, her maternal fortune dissipated by her efforts to stop the commercialization of the holiday she had founded, Jarvis told a reporter shortly before her death that she was sorry she had ever started Mother’ s Day. She spoke these words in a nursing home where every Mother’ s Day her room had been filled with cards from all over the world.

Today, because and despite Jarvis’ efforts, many celebrations of Mother’ s Days are held throughout the world. Although they do not all fall at the same time, such countries as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia and Belgium also celebrate Mother’ s Day on the same day as the United States.

文化小课堂

这个节日最早出现在古希腊，而现代的母亲节则起源于美国，为每年5月的第二个星期日。母亲们在这一天通常会收到礼物，人们将康乃馨献给母亲，而在中国，萱草花被视为母亲花，又叫忘忧草。

The Different Ages of Man

人类的各个时代

Anonymous

In the Age of Gold, the world was first furnished with inhabitants. This was an age of innocence and happiness. Truth and right prevailed, thought not enforced by law, no was there any in authority to threaten or to punish. The earth brought forth all things necessary for man, without his labor in plowing or sowing. Perpetual spring reigned, flowers sprang up without seed, the rivers flowed with milk and wine, and yellow honey distilled from the oaks.

The Silver Age came next, inferior to the golden. Jupiter shortened the spring, and divided the year into seasons. Then, first, men suffered the extremes of heat and cold, and houses became necessary. Crops would no longer grow without planting. This was a race of manly men, but insolent and impious.

Next to the Age of Silver came that of brass, more savage of temper and readier for the strife of arms, yet not altogether wicked.

Last came the hardest age and worst, —of iron. Crime burst in like a flood; modesty, truth, and honor fled. The gifts of the earth were put only to nefarious uses. Fraud, violence, war at home and abroad were rife.

Jupiter, observing the condition of things, burned with anger. He summoned the gods to council. Jupiter set forth to the assembly the frightful condition of the earth, and announced his intention of destroying its inhabitants, and providing a new race, unlike the present, which should be worthier of life and more reverent toward the gods. Fearing lest a conflagration might set Heaven itself on fire, he proceeded to drown the world. Speedily the race of men and their possessions were swept away by the deluge.

Parnassus alone, of the mountains, overtopped the waves, and there Deucalion, son the Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha, daughter of Epimetheus, found refuge—he a just man and she a faithful worshiper of the gods. Jupiter, remembering the harmless lives and pious demeanor of this pair, caused the waters to recede. Then Deucalion and Pyrrha, entering a temple defaced with slime, approached the enkindled altar and, falling prostrate, prayed for guidance and aid. The oracle answered, “Depart from the temple with head veiled and garments unbound, and cast behind you the bones of your mother.” They heard the words with astonishment. Pyrrha first broke silence: “We cannot obey; we dare not profane the remains of our parents.” They sought the woods. and revolved the oracle in their minds. At last Deucalion spoke: Either my wit fails me or the command is one we may obey without impiety. The earth is the great parent of all; the stones are her bones; these we may cast behind us; this, I think, the oracle means. They veiled their faces, unbound their garments, and, picking up stones, cast them behind them. The stones began to grow soft and to assume shape. By degrees they put on a rude resemblance to the human form. Those thrown by Deucalion became men; those by Pyrrha, women.

Wedding Customs Around the World

全世界奇特的婚礼习俗

Anonymous

Early African American: Jumping the Broom. In the times of slavery in this country, African American couples were not allowed to formally marry and live together. To make a public declaration of their love and commitment, a man and woman jumped over a broom into matrimony, to the beat of drums. (The broom has long held significant meaning for the various Africans, symbolizing, the start of home—making for the newlywed couple. In Southern Africa, the day after the wedding, the bride assisted the other women in the family in sweeping the courtyard, indicating her dutiful willingness to help her in—laws with housework till the newlyweds could move to their new home. ) Some African—American couples today are choosing to include this symbolic rite in their wedding ceremony.

Armenia: Two white doves may be released to signify love and happiness. The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her.

Belgium: The bride may still embroider her name on her handkerchief, carry it on the wedding day, then frame it and keep it until the next family bride marries.

Bermuda: Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling. The newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it grow, as their marriage grows.

Bohemia: The groom gives the bride a rosary, a prayer book, a girdle with three keys (to guard her virtue) a fur cap, and a silver wedding ring. The bride gives the groom a shirt sewn with gold thread blended with colored silks and a wedding ring. Before the ceremony, the groomsman wraps the groom in the bride’ s cloak to keep evil spirits from creeping in and dividing their two hearts.

Caribbean: A rich black cake baked with dried fruits and rum is especially popular on the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. The recipe, handed down from mother to daughter, is embellished by each. It is considered a “pound” cake—with the recipe calling for a pound each of flour, dark brown sugar, butter, glace cherries, raisins, prunes, currants, plus a dozen eggs and flavorings. The dried fruits are soaked in rum and kept in a crock anywhere from two weeks to six months.

Croatia: Married female relatives remove the bride’ s veil and replace it with a kerchief and apron, symbols of her new married status. She is then serenaded by all the married women. Following the wedding ceremony, those assembled walk three times around the well (symbolizing the Holy Trinity, ) and throw apples into it (symbolizing fertility)

The Czech Republic: Friends would sneak into the bride’ s yard to plant a tree, then decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. Legend said she would live as long as the tree. Brides in the countryside carry on the very old custom of wearing a wreath of rosemary, which symbolizes remembrance. The wreath is woven for each bride on her wedding eve by her friends as a wish for wisdom, love, and loyalty.

Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. In Egypt, many marriages are arranged. The zaffa, or wedding march, is a musical procession of drums, bagpipes, horns, belly dancers, and men carrying flaming swords; it announces that the marriage is about to begin.

England: Traditionally, the village bride and her wedding party always walk together to the church. Leading the procession: a small girl strewing blossoms along the road, so the bride’ s path through life will always be happy and laden with flowers.

Finland: Brides wear golden crowns. After the wedding, unmarried women dance in a circle around the blindfolded bride, waiting for her to place her crown on someone’ s head. It is thought that whoever she crowns will be the next to wed. The bride and groom have seats of honor at the reception. The bride holds a sieve covered with a silk shawl; when the guests slip money into the sieve, their names and the amounts given are announced to those assembled by a groomsman.

Greece: The koumbaros, traditionally the groom’ s godfather, is an honored guest who participates in the wedding ceremony. Today, the koumbaros is very often the best man, who assists in the crowning of the couple (with white or gold crown, or with crowns made of everlasting flowers, or of twigs of love and vine wrapped in silver and gold paper) and in the circling of the altar three times. Other attendants may read Scripture, hold candles, pack the crowns in a special box after the ceremony. To be sure of a “sweet life” a Greek bride may carry a lump of sugar in her glove on wedding day.

Korea: Ducks are included in the wedding procession because ducks mate for life. The groom once traveled to the bride’ s house on a white pony, bearing fidelity symbols—a gray goose and gander.

Malaysia: The groom’ s gifts to the bride are delivered to her home by costumed children in a noisy procession, carrying lavish trays of food and currency folded into animal or flower shapes. Each wedding guest is given a beautifully decorated hard—boiled egg, a symbol of fertility.

Mexico: A “lasso” a very large rosary, is wound around the couple’ s shoulders and hands during the ceremony to show the union and protection of marriage. Guests at many Mexican weddings gather around the couple in a heart—shaped ring at the reception, perhaps before the first dance.

Pop Culture

流行文化

Andrew Ross

When you think of American culture, what first comes to your mind? McDonald’ s? Coca Cola? Levi’ s? Disneyland? Michael Jordan? Julia Roberts? Many people imagine American culture is a collection of popular symbols like these. Actually, these symbols are only one small part of American culture— “pop culture。”

What is pop culture? Well, pop is short for popular. The origins of pop culture can often be traced to popular movies, television shows, music stars and sports figures. Pop culture is also promoted by business and advertising. The most common examples of American pop culture appear among high school and college students. Trends set by famous personalities quickly become part of young people’ s lifestyles.

American pop culture has spread around the world. One major reason for its popularity is that English is a universal language. English is the language of diplomacy, international business and transportation. Since language and culture go together, learning English means becoming aware of English—speaking cultures. Also, America is a world leader in movies, music and magazines. The kind of American culture communicated in those media is pop culture. Finally, pop culture is easy to package and to export. For that reason, it is easy to “sell” to the world.

(At a cafe in Paris, France)

Pierre: I just saw an advertisement for that recent American movie “The Pelican Brief” Sounds interesting. Want to go see it with me?

Jean: I don’ t think so. I’ ve got too much to do. Besides, all of this American influence really bothers me. Everybody’ s going to see American movies, listening to American rock music and eating American fast food.

Pierre: Oh, come on. Don’ t be such a grouch. People just want to find out what America is all about. The movies I’ ve seen make American lifestyles seem exciting. Maybe we could learn a few things from them.

Jean: Learn a few things! Yeah, sure. We’ ll learn how to be American and forget how to be French. If we follow American ways, it’ s going to change our own culture. Americans will be the winners, and we’ ll be the losers.

Pierre: Now, wait a minute. You’ re forgetting that we have a global economy now. If we want to do business with Americans, we have to understand their culture.

Jean: If American culture is Michael Jackson, Mickey Mouse and McDonald’ s, I don’ t want to understand it.

Many people assume that American pop culture is what America is all about. Does pop culture reflect the true culture of America? Yes and no. Pop culture does represent a portion of American society—especially urban young people that are tuned in to the media. But American pop culture is faddish and ever—changing. It is an artificial and superficial picture of America. If you want to learn about real American culture, you’ ll have to go a little farther than McDonald’ s.

Customs of Dental Transition Around the World

世界各地换牙习俗

Akiko. Tsuji—San

Japan

If it is a lower baby tooth, throw it up onto the roof; and if it is an upper tooth, throw it underneath the “en—no—shita” (the lower portion below the floor of a Japanese house) It is done so that the upper tooth grows healthy downwards, while the lower tooth upwards.

Vietnam

Both the upper and lower teeth are thrown up over the house.

Korea

The same method as that of Japan。

USA

A child puts the baby tooth under his pillow before going to bed. A tooth fairy comes during the night and takes the tooth with her. The next morning, the child would find money underneath the pillow.

France

Like the American version, the child puts his baby tooth under the pillow when he goes to bed. The fairy takes it while he is asleep, and replaces it with a present instead of money.

Mexico

It is the same as the American and the French version, so the child goes to bed with the baby tooth under the pillow. A mouse, not a fairy, takes it during the night. It leaves some money, too.

Mongolia

In Mongolia, they put the baby tooth in the meat and feed it to the young dog. Because the dog is respected and is considered a guardian angel. When the guardian angel eats it, it is said, that a strong tooth will grow.

United Kingdom

Like the American version, the child puts his baby tooth under the pillow. The fairy takes it and replaces it with a coin.

Spain

In Spain, a mouse replaces the baby tooth under the pillow with a coin during the night.

Slovenia

In Slovenia, a mouse replaces the baby tooth under the pillow with a candy during the night.