Firecrackers fly as Taiwanese celebrate pared back festival

 

蜂炮開炸，台灣人縮小規模過節

【摘要2021.4.22.自由】◎管淑平

Firecrackers lit up the skies on Friday night as Taiwanese celebrated a cacophonous traditional festival in the island’s south.

鞭炮照亮週五夜晚的夜空，台灣人在刺耳嘈雜聲中慶祝這個島嶼南部的一項傳統慶典活動。

The Beehive Fireworks Festival in Yanshui is renowned for its noisy and fiery atmosphere. The event had been in doubt due to government worries about COVID-19.

鹽水蜂炮以其響亮鞭炮聲和熱血沸騰的氛圍著稱。由於政府擔心新冠疫情，這場活動能否進行原本還有疑慮。

But the Tainan government allowed it to go ahead, albeit with fewer revellers permitted to attend.

但台南市政府批准如期舉行，只是獲准參加的人數較少。

"Many people supported the festival to be continued this year and we cannot stop holding the festival," said resident Ah Hsien, 18. "We especially need to have it now during the prevention of the epidemic. This is a culture to eliminate the plague." （Reuters）

「許多人支持今年繼續舉辦這項慶典，認為我們不能停辦」，18歲的居民阿謝說，「現在防疫期間尤其需要舉辦，這是消除瘟疫的文化。」（路透）

新聞辭典

pare back：片語，（顯著地）減少。例句：The budget for the coming year has been pared back by a third.（來年的預算被大砍3分之1。）

albeit：副詞或連接詞，儘管、雖然。例句：We are making progress, albeit slowly.（我們正在進步，儘管很慢。）

go ahead：片語，開始進行，（允許他人）做某事。例句：They’ve permission to go ahead with the plan.（他們獲准開始進行該項計畫。）