Experts call for a civilized way to commemorate "ghost fest

时间：2007-08-30 00:55:53

（单词翻译:单击）

Chinanews, Beijing, Aug 28 – According to the lunar calendar, yesterday (August 27) was the traditional Zhongyuan Festival, also called the ghost festival. According to the folk traditions in Beijing, on this day people should burn funerary banknotes for use by the deceased in the netherworld or release a candle-lit paper boat into the river as a way to commemorate1 the dead.

 

In Beijing, Houhai is always regarded as “a piece of precious land” according to Chinese tradition. On Monday, many people came to Houhai to burn funerary notes when night fell. Among them, a middle-aged2 woman burned a pile of such notes at a crossroads in Houhai. The notes released some smoke when being burned. Seeing that the fire had burned out, she left the scene. The ashes behind her were soon blown away by wind. In fact, the same scene could be seen again and again these days. A street cleaner told this reporter that they had had to clear away a large amount of paper ashes by the riverside.

 

Burning funerary notes will lead to several bad consequences: it pollutes the environment and will easily start a fire. In addition, the paper ashes will also make the road dirty. Considering this, just before this traditional festival arrived, Beijing municipal3 government had warned local residents to try their best not to pollute the environment when they burned funerary notes.

 

Some people think that China should keep its tradition of burning such notes to commemorate the dead. According to them, it is a very important activity in the ghost festival. It’s a typical Chinese way to commemorate the dead. Although some people suggest that China might also use flowers to commemorate the dead as Westerners do, for, to these people, placing flowers in front of the graveyard4 is a tradition observed in the West. It’s not a typical way for the Chinese to express their feelings. As to the problem that burning notes might easily start a fire, Mr. Zhao, a person working in a state-owned company in Beijing, said such risks could be easily avoided. He said the government could designate5 a certain area for notes burning.

 

Holding a ceremony in memory of the dead is a kind of tradition. With the progress of the economy and society, many people have developed an even stronger nostalgic sentiment6. They want to remember their past, and things and people related with their past experiences, said Xia Xueluan, a sociologist7 at Peking University.

 

Beijing municipal government is devoting great efforts to preserving Chinese traditions and customs. It wants to enact8 some regulations to encourage more people to respect traditions and to raise the social position of old customs. Local government hopes that while observing traditional customs, Chinese people can also observe them in a more environmental-friendly way.

 
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1 commemorate xbEyN     
vt.纪念，庆祝
参考例句：
  • This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
  • We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。
2 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
3 municipal vjAyD     
adj.市的，市政的；n.政府证券
参考例句：
  • The municipal authorities have kept the roads up well.市政当局把道路保养得不错。
  • The city is planning to build a municipal library.该市正计划建一座市立图书馆。
4 graveyard 9rFztV     
n.坟场
参考例句：
  • All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
  • Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。
5 designate CwFxU     
v.指明，标明，指出，指派，指定
参考例句：
  • Will you designate the flowers you wish?你能说出你想要的花吗？
  • There are efforts under way to designate the bridge a historic landmark.人们正在努力将这座桥定为历史遗迹。
6 sentiment MD0zR     
n.感情，情趣，意见，观点，多愁善感
参考例句：
  • He has illustrated this sentiment thoroughly in a drama.他在一出戏剧里充分地表现了这种感情。
  • Should sentiment be controlled by reason?感情应受理智的控制吗？
7 sociologist 2wSwo     
n.研究社会学的人，社会学家
参考例句：
  • His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
  • Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。
8 enact tjEz0     
vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演
参考例句：
  • The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
  • For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

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