Día de los Muertos: A Celebration of Memory in Mexico

墨西哥亡灵节：一场关于记忆的庆典

课文音频

可先听下面的整段朗读；需要逐句点读时，请打开阅读器，体验会更顺手。

课文

In early November, Mexican families build colorful altars called ofrendas to welcome the spirits of loved ones.

十一月初，墨西哥家庭会搭建色彩缤纷的祭坛（亡灵节祭坛），迎接逝去亲人的灵魂。
These altars hold marigold flowers, sugar skulls, photographs, favorite foods, and candles that guide souls home.

祭坛上摆放着万寿菊、糖骷髅、照片、逝者生前喜爱的食物以及指引灵魂归家的蜡烛。
Unlike somber Western funerals, this holiday blends joy, music, storytelling, and humor to honor life and death alike.

与西方庄重的葬礼不同，这一节日融合了欢乐、音乐、故事讲述和幽默，既纪念生命，也直面死亡。
Children dress as skeletons and parade through streets while adults share pan de muerto, a sweet bread shaped like bones.

孩子们装扮成骷髅游行街头，而成年人则分享‘亡灵面包’——一种形似骨头的甜面包。
Families visit cemeteries at night, cleaning graves and staying awake to share meals and memories with the departed.

家人夜间前往墓地，清扫坟墓，并彻夜守候，与逝者共享餐食与回忆。
The belief is that souls return only once a year—so preparation begins weeks in advance with great care and love.

人们相信灵魂每年只归来一次，因此数周前便开始精心筹备，倾注深情与敬意。
Artists paint calaveras—playful skeleton figures—to remind people that death is part of life’s natural rhythm.

艺术家绘制‘卡瓦莱拉’（俏皮骷髅形象），提醒人们死亡本就是生命自然节律的一部分。
Schools teach students about ancestral roots, encouraging respect for Indigenous traditions blended with Catholic customs.

学校向学生讲授祖先根源，鼓励尊重融合了天主教习俗的原住民传统。