April Fools’ Day, which occurs each April 1, is a time when many people like to play tricks on people they know. They hope that their friends or relatives will enjoy their harmlesspranks so that they can laugh and reveal it was all just a joke. At that point, they might say, “April Fools,” to let the other person know it was all a prank.
How did this tradition start? There are no clear answers to this question, only good guesses andtheories. Somehistorians believe that April Fools’ Dayis linked tothe decision to change calendars in the 16th century. The switch from one calendar, known as the Julian calendar, to another, called the Gregorian calendar, fixed the date of the New Year on January 1. However, some regions in France at the time werecelebrating it at the beginning of April.According to this theory, not everyone knew about the change of calendars at first, especially those who lived in the countryside. It is said that those people who incorrectly kept celebrating the new years around the beginning of spring became known as “April Fools.”
Others believe that the roots of April Fools’ Day go back even further. It is possible, some experts believe, that April Fools’ Day is linked to an ancient Roman festival celebrated around the end of March. The celebration included people dressing up incostumesto make fun of others, such as judges and other important people. Whatever its true origins, the tradition has brought a lot of laughter over many centuries.
Words in Use
1. harmless [ ˋhɑrmlɪs ] a. 無害的；無惡意的
• My neighbor’s mean-looking dog is actually harmless.
我鄰居那隻看起來很兇的狗其實不會傷人。
2. reveal [ rɪˋvil ] vt. 揭露，透露
• The police refused to reveal any details of the recent murder.
警方拒絕透露最近那起謀殺案的任何細節。
3. theory [ ˋθiərɪ ] n. 理論
• Developing a theory and proving it are very different things.
研發一套理論和證實它是截然不同的。
4. historian [ hɪsˋtorɪən ] n. 歷史學家
• Most historians agree that early civilizations began with the building of cities.
大多數的歷史學家都同意早期的文明始於城市的興建。
5. switch [ swɪtʃ ] n. 轉換
• Cellphones are rare now because most people have made the switch to smartphones.
行動電話現在很稀少，因為大部分的人已經改用智慧型手機了。
6. fix [ fɪks ] vt. 確定（時間、日期、地點等）
• We have fixed the time for the next meeting with the professor.
我們已經確定了下次與教授開會的時間。
7. celebrate [ ˋsɛlə͵bret ] vt. 慶祝 celebration [ ͵sɛləˋbreʃən ] n. 慶祝
• We should celebrate your promotion at your favorite restaurant.
我們應該去你最喜歡的餐廳慶祝你升遷。
• Each year on New Year’s Eve, there is celebration in Times Square in New York.
每年跨年，在紐約的時代廣場都有慶祝活動。
8. incorrectly [ ͵ɪnkəˋrɛktlɪ ] adv. 不正確地，錯誤地
• The researcher analyzed the data and realized she had done the experiment incorrectly.
那位研究人員分析數據後發現她的實驗做得不正確。
9. costume [ ˋkɑstjum ] n.（節慶、戲劇、化裝舞會等的）特別服裝
• The mother made a Halloween costume for her son.
那位媽媽為她兒子製作了一套萬聖節服裝。
Practical Phrases
1. be linked to / with... 與……有關聯 • According to the investigation, the accident was linked to the dense fog. 根據調查，這場意外與濃霧有關。
2. be known as... 以……知名∕為人所知，被稱為…… • Morris Chang is known as the Father of Taiwan’s semiconductors. 張忠謀被譽為臺灣半導體之父。
3. according to... 根據…… • According to the victim, the robber is a left-handed man. 根據受害者的說法，竊賊是一名左撇子的男子。
4. dress up in... 穿上……盛裝打扮 • Cosplay is dressing up incostumes to mimic the characters from anime and manga. 角色扮演是穿上特別的服裝模仿動漫角色。 ＊manga [ `mAGgJ ] n. 日本漫畫
5. make fun of… 取笑∕嘲笑…… • Holly’s classmates often make fun of her hairstyle. 荷莉的同學經常嘲笑她的髮型。
