英国特有的节日和文化活动有哪些？
The Uniqueness of The UK: How to Enjoy British Festivals and Cultural Events
AF Education
专属博客 Liam Carrigan
英国人很喜欢把自己视为全球事务中很重要的一员。虽然大英帝国已经成为了一个日渐褪色的记忆，但是其中一个能够使英国在国际舞台继续刷存在感的方法就是举办各种文化和创意的节日了。所谓的“英国范”这个标签我其实并不感冒，它会让我联想起一种傲慢的自我形象，以及高高在上的错觉。
The UK likes to think of itself as a big player in global affairs. Whilst the notion of a British Empire is but a fading memory these days, one way in which Britain continues to maintain a big international presence is through its various cultural and creative festivals. The term “quintessentially British” is in all honesty a tag that I personally loathe, it conjures up images of arrogant self-entitlement, false notions of supremacy and so on.
但是让我们试着看看事情的积极一面。在英国也仍然有一些节日和活动是可以不贴上“英国范”这个标签，并且是雅俗共享的。
But let’s try and stay positive here. There are a few festivals and events that you will come across during your time studying in the UK that despite being correctly categorized as “quintessentially British” are actually quite enjoyable.
下面是5个我认为你在英国最值得一看的庆典或节日：
Here is my own personal top 5 of events and festivals that you must experience while you are in the UK.
1）爱丁堡音乐节
这个和国际电影及艺术节同时举行的节日，每年八月都会在苏格兰的首府爱丁堡举行。每个定期参加艺术节的人都会告诉你这是“玩真的”艺术节。
1) The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Running alongside the Edinburgh International Film and Arts Festival, which runs throughout August every year in Scotland’s capital city, regular visitors to Edinburgh will tell you that, for all the main festival has scores of enjoyable shows and attractions to take in during its 2 week run, the Fringe is “where it’s really at” so to speak.
整个爱丁堡电影及艺术节的商业气息并不浓厚，预算也很低，你看一个节目十分钟就能知道她的真正魅力是什么。
The Fringe lacks the commercialism and corporate interests of the more mainstream Edinburgh Film and Arts Festival, and it is this low budget, thrown together in ten minutes kind of feel that gives Fringe shows their charm.
你可能不会看到某些突破自我的单口相声演员有机会角逐节日当中最主要的大奖毕雷奖的奖项，但是你可能会偶然发现他们的表演比一些主要的表演节目都更像电视上的喜剧表演。你还会发现很多令人回味的剧场演出就像是让你沉浸其中的街头艺术一样。
None of the comedians you’ll see pushing the envelope of stand-up comedy here are likely to be contenders for the main festival’s Perrier Award, but chances are you may find them a lot more entertaining than the main festival’s more “TV friendly” comedians. You’ll also find lots of evocative theatre productions as well as some highly immersive street art to enjoy while you’re there too.
2）盖伊·福克斯之夜 （篝火节之夜）
任何有看过2005年的由经典漫画改编的电影《V字仇杀队》的朋友一定很熟悉盖伊·福克斯这个人物。他是人民群众的英雄、当权者眼中的恶棍，是策划炸毁议会的失败者。他是英国很多评论员之间喜欢恶搞的对象，称他为“议会当中最后一位诚实的人”。（译者注：1603年，詹姆士一世继承了英格兰王位，由于他偏向基督教中的新教，不再重视原本势力强大的天主教。以盖伊·福克斯为首的一些天主教徒便在议院的地下室囤积火药，策划在1605年11月5日时点燃火药炸掉议会，但最终整个计划失败，盖伊·福克斯被视为国家的叛徒而被捕。）
2) Guy Fawkes Night
Anyone who has ever seen the 2005 classic comic book movie “V for Vendetta” will be familiar with the character of Guy Fawkes. A hero to some, a villain to the establishment, Fawkes was the architect of an ultimately failed plot to destroy the houses of parliament. It is a local joke amongst some commentators in the UK that Fawkes can proudly claim to be “the last man to enter parliament with honest intentions.”
不管你信不信，这个判断都由你自己来下。无论怎样，每年11月5日英国都会举行盖伊·福克斯之夜来纪念福克斯被捕以及被执行判决。
Whether or not you believe that assertion is something I will leave up to you to decide. Nonetheless, Guy Fawkes night takes place every year on November 5th the anniversary of Fawkes capture and eventual execution.
当晚由各种烟火表演以及全国各地的篝火晚会组成。
The night is commemorated with organized firework shows and massive bonfires across the country.
虽然它可能远不如上海或香港的新年烟花表演盛大，但它也不失为一个好的晚会。
Whilst it may not quite live up to the spectacle of New Year firework shows in places like Shanghai or Hong Kong, Guy Fawkes Night makes for a good night out nonetheless.
3）同城足球比赛
如果你不是一个体育迷，那么你的不感冒则可以被原谅。但是如果有谁说起这个世界上少有的可以燃气激情、热情以及想象力的事情，那英国足球应记一功。
3) Local Soccer Derbies
Ok, so if you’re not a sports fan then you could be forgiven for thinking that this isn’t the sort of thing you should be into. But, with that being said, there are very few things on this earth that can stir the passion, the emotion, and the imagination like a good, British soccer game.
无论是曼联对曼城、阿森纳和托特纳姆热刺在伦敦的同城对抗、还是所有同城PK的鼻祖——凯尔特人和流浪者之间经典的格拉斯哥“老字号”比拼，一场优质的、艰苦的、载歌载舞的英国同城足球竞技是你一生当中至少要看一次的比赛！
Whether its Manchester United v Manchester City, a London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, or the grand daddy of all derbies, Celtic v Rangers, the classic Glasgow “Old Firm” match, a good, hard-fought, all singing and dancing British soccer derby is something we all need to experience at least once in our lives!
4）除夕夜
第二个进入这个名单的苏格兰节日要数她独特的除夕夜了。苏格兰除夕夜的焦点在于他们的爱丁堡街头聚会，50万参与欢庆的人们齐聚王子街观看现场音乐和娱乐表演，用他们自己的方式唱歌、跳舞和喝酒，一同迎接新一年的到来。
4) Hogmanay
The second exclusively Scottish entry on our list today is this, Scotland’s answer to New Years Eve. The focal point for Hogmanay in Scotland is the Edinburgh Street Party, where as many as 500,000 revellers will gather along Princes Street to see live music and entertainment, to sing, dance and drink their way into the New Year.
随着公共安全上升为全社会的头等大事，这几年爱丁堡的除夕夜都采用门票制了，所有门票都会在除夕夜数月以前被抢空。这些门票是免费的，但是数量有限，而且总是很快被抢完，所以如果你打算在爱丁堡过新年的话，劝你还是尽早抢票吧。
With crowd safety always a top priority, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has, for several years, been an all-ticket affair, with tickets using selling out several months in advance. The tickets are free to those who want them, but numbers are limited and they do tend to sell out fast, so if you are planning on spending new year in Edinburgh, it is advisable to get your tickets booked as early as possible.
不过即使你抢不到爱丁堡除夕夜的门票也没关系，类似的节日在苏格兰其他城市也会举行，比如阿伯丁、邓迪、因弗内斯，当然还有格拉斯哥。
Even if you can’t get a ticket for Hogmanay in Edinburgh, you’ll find similar events being held in cities across Scotland, like Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and of course Glasgow.
5）格拉斯顿伯里音乐节
对于音乐、文化和表演艺术的爱好者来说，没有什么能比格拉斯顿伯里音乐节更能体现英国精髓的了。它通常在夏天举行，并且有很典型的英国作风，总是把原本绿油油的草地变成沼泽泥浆池。无论如何，当你看完节日当中老少咸宜的音乐表演、穿插整个周末的其他表演及活动之后，可以说你在格拉斯顿伯里不是旅行，而是接受心灵的洗涤。
5) Glastonbury
For lovers of music, culture and the performing arts, there is nothing quite so essentially British as the Glastonbury Festival. This summer music festival often, in typically British style, ends with the once green fields reduced to boggy mud pools. However, with the great music to suit all tastes on show, and a host of other sideshows and events running throughout the weekend, a trip to Glastonbury isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind.
