While not an official holiday, the traditional October 31 Halloween celebration is much beloved by children in the United States, for whom the day is a chance to don costumes — often depicting ghosts, goblins and other "supernatural" creatures — and to collect candy and other treats from adults.[qh]
      传统的10月31日万圣节虽然不是官方节日，却深受美国儿童的喜爱，因为这一天他们可以穿上奇装异服——通常装扮成鬼怪、妖魔和其他“超自然”生灵——向大人们索要糖果或其他食物。[qh]
      Plenty of adults also celebrate the occasion by attending costume parties, although their garb often depicts celebrities, political candidates or other public figures.[qh]
      许多成年人则通过参加化妆舞会庆祝万圣节，只不过他们通常装扮成名人、政党候选人或其他公众人物。[qh]
      The National Retail Federation expects strong spending on Halloween decorations, candy and costumes in 2011 despite a tentative economic outlook. "Halloween sales may be a bright spot for retailers this year" since the holiday is a way to forget daily stresses and "just have a little fun," says the NRF's Tracy Mullin.[qh]
      尽管目前经济前景尚不明朗，但全美零售联盟仍然预期2011年民众会大量购买万圣节饰品、糖果和服装。全美零售联盟的特蕾西·穆林表示，“万圣节期间的购买热潮对零售商来说可能是一个销售亮点，”因为节日可以使人们暂时忘却日常压力，“享受一些乐趣。”[qh]
      Most Americans consider Halloween a festive occasion, but its roots long predate the United States and its meaning has changed greatly over time. Even today, many other nations observe their own versions of this festival.[qh]
      尽管多数美国人将万圣节视为传统节日，但它的起源却远远早于美国的历史，而且意义也随着时间发生了很大变化。即使是今天，其他许多国家庆祝万圣节的方式也各不相同。[qh]
      Throughout history, many agrarian cultures have celebrated end-of-harvest festivals. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on the evening of October 31. It featured the wearing of masks and other ceremonies to ward off the spirits of those who had died during the preceding year, which were believed to revisit the earth on that one night.[qh]
      回顾历史，许多农耕文化都有庆祝丰收节的传统。古凯尔特人在每年10月31日的晚上庆祝夏末节，他们戴上奇异的面具，并且举办各种仪式，驱赶当年死者的灵魂，据说这些灵魂会在当天晚上造访人世。[qh]

      Under the Romans, the holiday more closely came to resemble a harvest festival. As Christianity spread across Europe, folk beliefs often were adapted and incorporated, in their new forms, into such Christian occasions as All Saints' Day (November 1). The evening immediately preceding All Saints' Day was known originally as "All Hallows Eve" ("hallowed" means "sanctified" or "holy"), and it is from this title that Halloween derives its name.[qh]
       在罗马帝国，万圣节更接近丰收节。随着基督教在欧洲广为传播，民间信仰通常以新的形式与基督教节日结合在一起，例如与[11月1日]基督教诸圣节融为一体。诸圣节的前一夜原本被称做“万圣夜”（“hallowed”意为“神圣的”或“圣洁的”），万圣节便来源于此。[qh]
      Halloween came to English North America via different immigrant groups. The New England Puritans disapproved, but the observance took hold in a number of Southern colonies and was spread broadly by mid-19th century Irish immigrants. In the United States, Halloween evolved into a holiday celebrated primarily by children.[qh]
      一批批的移民将万圣节带到了北美的英国殖民地。尽管新英格兰清教徒不喜欢这个节日，但它却在许多南方殖民地生根，并由19世纪中期的爱尔兰移民广泛传播。在美国，万圣节演变成了一个主要由儿童庆祝的节日。[qh]
      Today, the most prevalent Halloween customs are costumes and "trick-or-treat." While an estimated 41 million American youngsters dress up as "spooky" or supernatural characters — ghosts, witches, skeletons and the like — the purpose is not to promote the occult, but to collect candy.[qh]
      现在，万圣节最流行的风俗是穿上奇装异服玩“不给糖就捣乱”的游戏。约有4100万美国小孩装扮成“幽灵”或超自然角色——鬼怪、女巫、骷髅等等，乔装的目的不是因为推崇鬼怪，而是为了索要糖果。[qh]
      The costumed children, usually accompanied by their parents (who often wait discreetly in the background) appear at their neighbors' doors shouting "Trick or treat!" The neighbors, feigning fear of such scary ghosts, vampires and zombies, quickly distribute the treats, so as to avoid any possible "trick."[qh]
      穿着奇异服装的儿童通常在父母的陪伴下出现在邻居的门前，高喊“不给糖就捣乱！”而他们的父母则小心地站在孩子身后等待。邻居假装害怕这些恐怖的鬼魂、吸血鬼和僵尸，很快把糖果分给他们，以避免可能招惹他们“捣乱”。[qh]
      Another custom is the decoration of a pumpkin by scooping out the inside, carving out a face and illuminating the result with a candle. Today, these "jack-o'-lanterns" are purely decorative, but they originated long ago in Britain, where turnips were used, and the "jacks" were believed to ward off evil spirits.[qh]
      万圣节的另一个风俗是装饰南瓜。把南瓜掏空，在外面刻出一张脸，然后在瓜中插上一支蜡烛，一个南瓜灯就大功告成了。南瓜灯也叫“杰克灯”，今天的杰克灯纯粹是为了装饰，但它起源于很久以前的英国，那时使用的不是南瓜而是萝卜，“杰克”据说能驱赶幽灵。[qh]
      Many youth forgo their candy in favor of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, collecting not sweets, but money, in small boxes distributed by the United Nations Children's Fund. American children have collected more than US$132 million in this fashion, with the proceeds funding education, immunization and other programs in the developing world. Additional information about this tradition that started in 1950 is available on the UNICEF Web site.[qh]
      许多青少年通过“不给糖就捣乱”为联合国儿童基金会筹集善款，他们不再索要糖果，而是拿着由联合国儿童基金会分发的爱心箱向邻居收集捐款。美国儿童已通过这种方式收集了超过1.32亿美元的捐款，用于资助发展中国家的教育、免疫和其他儿童计划。这一传统起源于1950年，更多信息见联合国儿童基金会网站。[qh]
      Some communities host festive Halloween parades. Anoka, Minnesota, population 18,000, has proclaimed itself "Halloween Capital of the World," leading up to the big day with two weeks of activities including a "haunted house" and pumpkin-carving contest. New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood hosts a particularly raucous annual affair. The U.S. Census Bureau also publishes a fact sheet on Halloween.[qh]
       一些社区还会举办欢快的万圣节游行。人口18000人的明尼苏达州安诺卡市宣称自己是“世界万圣节之都”，举办为期两周的活动以庆祝这个盛大的节日，包括“鬼屋”和刻南瓜大赛。纽约市格林威治村也会举办热闹非凡的万圣节庆祝活动。美国人口普查局还发布了一份万圣节介绍资料。