The_Venice_Carnival_狂欢节

1、The origins of carnival are ancient. Festivals similar to carnival were held before the Christian era. They celebrated the return of spring after winter. In the Roman period the date of the festival was decided by the Christian calendar. People wanted to enjoy themselves because carnival was followe

2、d by forty days without meat. When the new world was discovered, the Spanish and Portuguese settlers brought carnival with them. But in the New Word, many elements of African culture, such as music and costume were added to the festival by people of African origin. Today, carnival has become a truly

3、 international festivalThe Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice, Italy, as well as being one of the oldest. 威尼斯狂欢节是世界上最古老最著名的狂欢节之一It began in the 15th century, but the tradition can be traced back to the beginning of the 14th Century.它开始于15世纪，但它的传统可追溯到14世纪初

4、 In Venice the carnival is celebrated for five days in February. It begins on Thursday with a ceremony which is known as the volo della colombina-the flight of the dove. A young woman dressed as a dove climb to the top of the bell tower in St Marks Square, and flies to the ground. In fact, they use

5、ropes to control her flight. The event is watches by thousands of masked people in the square. When the dove lands, two big guns are fire. It is the signal for the celebrations to begin.Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival .It can be made in leather or with the original

6、glass technique. 它用羽毛或者最原始的玻璃工艺制成。Bauta is the whole face, with a stubborn chin line, no mouth, and lots of gilding. 包塔是一种有着坚固颏 线的整张面具，没有嘴巴，上面涂满金粉。The streets of Venice Carnival were full of people in masks, and no differentiation could be made between nobility and the common people. 节日期间，满大街都是戴面具的人

7、，没有贵族和平民的分野Generally, the costume worn was a cloak with a long-nosed mask. Also popular were masked couples, where a man and a woman would dress as elegant characters. 人们通常身披斗篷，戴长鼻面具。同样流行的是，夫妻同戴面具，扮作行为优雅的人。Today, approximately 30,000 visitors come to Venice each day for Carnivals. 现在，每天有近30,000游客去往威尼斯共度狂欢节One of the most important events