Diwali: The Festival of Lights Across India and Beyond

课文

1. Diwali lasts five days and celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.

   排灯节持续五天，庆祝光明战胜黑暗、知识战胜愚昧、善良战胜邪恶。

2. Families clean homes thoroughly, draw rangoli patterns at entrances, and light rows of oil lamps called diyas after sunset.

   家家户户彻底打扫房屋，在门口绘制拉戈利图案，并在日落后点亮一排排油灯（迪亚斯）。

3. Hindus remember Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, while Sikhs honor Guru Hargobind’s release from prison.

   印度教徒纪念罗摩战胜魔王罗波那后重返阿约提亚，锡克教徒则纪念古鲁哈尔戈宾德获释出狱。

4. Fireworks fill the sky, sweets like laddoos and jalebis are shared widely, and new clothes are worn to mark fresh beginnings.

   焰火照亮夜空，乳酪球和贾莱比等甜点广为分享，人们穿上新衣，象征崭新开始。

5. In Leicester, UK, over 80,000 people gather annually for Europe’s largest Diwali celebration outside Asia.

   英国莱斯特市每年聚集逾八万人，举办欧洲规模最大的亚洲以外排灯节庆典。

6. Businesses close accounts and start new ledgers, believing Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, visits homes filled with light and cleanliness.

   商家结清旧账、启用新账簿，相信财富女神拉克希米会眷顾灯火通明、洁净明亮的居所。

7. Children receive gifts and play traditional games, while elders tell stories linking moral choices to cosmic balance.

   孩子们收到礼物、玩传统游戏，长辈则讲述故事，将道德选择与宇宙平衡相联系。

8. Interfaith communities now host joint Diwali-Iftar events, blending Indian sweets with Middle Eastern hospitality traditions.

   跨信仰社区如今联合举办排灯节-开斋活动，融合印度甜点与中东待客传统。