What happens to the lanterns at the end of the festival?

A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is acheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homesand they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry aftertheir long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hungoutside each house to help the dead to find their way. All night long, peopledance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for thedead is thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky foranyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns whichhad been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water whenthe festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding thedead on their return journey to the other world. This is a moving spectacle, forcrowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away untilthey can be seen no more.

New words and expressions 生词与短语

festival n. 节日

lantern n. 灯笼

spectacle n. 景象，壮观，场面

本文参考译文

日本每年过一次“亡灵节”。这个节日是个欢乐的日子，因为在这一天，据说死去的人要回到他们的家里来，活着的人则对他们表示欢迎。因为预料到他们在经过长途旅行之后会感到饥饿，所以为他们摆放好了食品。特制的灯笼挂在各家的门外，为的是帮助亡灵看清道路。整个夜晚人们载歌载舞。一大早，人们便把为死者摆放的食品扔进河中或海里，因为人们认为活着的人吃了这些东西是不吉利的。在靠海的城镇中，头天夜里挂在大街小巷的小灯笼在节后就放在了水里。成千上万只灯笼慢慢漂向大海，指引着亡灵返回另一个世界。这是一个感人的场面，人们成群地伫立在海岸上，注视着灯笼远去，直到再也看不见为止。

(兼职编辑：张博)