愚人節的由來

　　While popular in the U.S., the April Fool's Day tradition is even more prevalent in European countries, such as France and Great Britain. Although the roots of the traditional trickings are unclear, the French and the British both have claims on the origin of the celebration.

　　One theory holds that the first April Fool's Day was on April 1 of the year when King of France instituted the new calendar. This new system placed the day that had formerly been the first day of a new year on April 1. Many people were reluctant to adjust to the new calendar and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on what had become the first day of April. Thus, they become the first April fools. Others began to give gag gifts on the day to mock the foolishness of those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1.

　　An English story about the day, however, holds that it began sometime during the 1200s. At the time, King John of England was in the habit of making a road out of nearly every path he walked regularly. The citizens of one particular farm village were aware of this. To avoid having their green meadows and pastures disturbed with one of the king's roads, they built a fence that prevented the king from walking through their countryside. The king sent a group of messengers to inform the villagers that they must remove the barrier. Upon hearing that the king was planning to do this, however, the villagers developed a plan of their own. When community of lunatics, with people behaving in a bizarre manner, throwing things and running around wildly. The messengers, alarmed at what they had found, reported to King John that these people were so mad as to be beyond punishment. So, the villagers saved their farmland by tricking the King.In Great Britain, tradition only allows April Fool's tricks from midnight to noon on April 1. Those who try to play tricks in the afternoon become the fools themselves.

　　愚人節的習俗在美國是很流行的,在歐洲國家如法國和英國就更是如此了. 雖然這種愚弄人習俗的起源不甚清楚,但法國人和英國人卻都聲稱這種慶祝活動是由他們開始的.

　　有一種說法是,第一個愚人節始于法國新歷法實行那年的4月1日,在這一天法國 國王宣布實行新歷法.這種新歷法將過去的新的一年第一天定在4月1日.很多人卻不愿意按新的歷法行事,還繼續在 根據新的歷法已經是4月的第一天慶祝新年,于是他們就成了第一批愚人.另一些人開始在這一天送惡作劇的禮物來 取笑那些繼續在4月1日慶祝新年的人.

　　關于這一天,英國的一個故事則說它是始于13世紀的某一天.那時,英格蘭的 約翰國王習慣于將他經常走的幾乎每一條小道都修成一條路.有一個鄉村的居民知道了這個情況.為了保護他們 綠色的草地和牧場免受國王修路所造成的破壞,他們修了一道籬笆來阻擋國王在他們的鄉間穿行.國王派了一隊 使者去通報村民們必須拆除障礙.在聽到國王打算這么做時,村民們也想出了自己的辦法.當使者到達時,他們 看到這兒的人像一群瘋子似的,樣子怪誕,亂扔東西,四下瘋跑.使者們驚訝于他們看到的情景,向約翰國王報告說, 這些人瘋得厲害根本沒法處罰.村民們就這樣騙過了國王,保護了自己的農田.在英國,按習俗在4月1日只允許從半夜 到中午的這段時間可以搞愚人的惡作劇,到下午還這么做的人就成了愚人了.

　　April Fools' Day is a day to play jokes on others, No one knows how this holiday began but people think it first started in France.

　　In the 16 th century, people celebrated New Year's Day from March 25 to April 1. In the mid—1560s King Charles IX changed it from March 25 to January 1. But some people still celebrated in on April 1, so others called them April Fools.

　　Each country celebrates April Fools' Day differently. In France, people call the April Fools “April Fish”. They tape a paper fish to their friends' backs to fool them. When he or she finds this , they shout “April Fish!”

　　In England, people play jokes only in the morning. You are a “noodle” if someone fools you. In Scotland, April Fools' Day is 48 hours long. They call an April Fool “April Gowk”. Gowk is another name for a cuckoo bird.

　　In the America, people play small jokes on their friends and any other people on the first of Aprol. They may point down to your shoe and say, “ Your shoelace is untied.” If you believe them and look down to see, you are an April Fool then.