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Mayor Wants Trick-Or-Treaters to Stay Home (2001/10/29)

今年的鬼節靜悄悄(2001/10/29)

Neighborhood children engage in door-to-door trick-or-treating.

The mayor of Fort Worth urged children to skip Halloween trick-or-treating this year in the wake of the anthrax scare and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mayor Kenneth Barr told the city council there were no specific threats in this north Texas city about 35 miles (56 km) west of Dallas and that he was not banning trick-or-treating, but that he wanted parents to be cautious.

Barr said parents should take children to neighborhood, church or private parties instead of going door-to-door for candy.

``If the decision of parents is to allow their children to engage in door-to-door trick-or-treating, we advise parents to direct their children to the homes of trusted neighbors and friends,'' the mayor said in a statement.

Ahead of Halloween on Oct. 31, the tradition of trick-or-treating has come under question nationwide because of safety fears. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee urged parents to find alternatives, saying he was concerned that a flood of false anthrax alarms could ensue as nervous parents survey their children's' candy.

(Agencies)

鑒于9·11恐怖事件的發生和最近鬧得沸沸揚揚的炭疽恐慌，位于美國得克薩斯州北部，距達拉斯市西部35英里的沃思堡市的市長肯尼思·巴爾建議該市的孩子們在今年的萬圣節中放棄傳統的"trick-or-treating"① 活動。

巴爾在對市議會的講話中說，目前該市還沒有發現具體的恐怖威脅事件，他不是要禁止孩子們出去trick-or-treat，他只是要警告家長們提高警惕。

巴爾說家長們最好領著孩子們到鄰居或親戚家去，或者是參加教堂活動和私人聚會，而不要像往常一樣讓孩子們獨自出去挨家挨戶的要糖吃了。

這位市長在一次講話中談道："如果家長們允許孩子們出去玩trick-or-treat的話，我們建議家長們引導孩子們到可以信任的鄰居和朋友家里去要糖果。"

10月31日的萬圣節即將到來，但是處于安全考慮，萬圣節的傳統活動trick-or-treat能否還能舉行已經成了問題。阿肯色州政府的麥克·赫卡比建議家長們選擇其它的慶祝方式。他擔心神經緊張的家長在檢查孩子們得到的糖果時，會因為誤認炭疽病菌而造成"炭疽恐慌"。

①孩子們在萬圣節這天的晚上挨家挨戶要糖的習俗，據說起源于愛爾蘭。從前,愛爾蘭異教徒們相信萬圣節這天,鬼魂會群集于居家附近，并接受設宴款待。因而，在"宴會"結束后，村民們就自己扮成鬼魂精靈，游走村外，引導鬼魂離開，避邪免災。人們手提燈籠，嘴里說著："Trick-or-Treat"（大意是：接受我的惡作劇還是給我糖果）。于此同時，村民們也都注意在屋前院后的擺布些水果及其他食品，喂足鬼魂而不至于讓它們傷害人類和動物或者掠奪其他收成。后來這習俗一直延續下來，就成了孩子們取笑不慷慨之家的玩笑。

(中國日報網站譯)

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