A Fascinating Country with a Tumultuous Past(b)|迷人的匈牙利

A Fascinating Country with a Tumultuous Past

by William Ryan

Hungary is an increasingly popular travel destination known for more than just goulash.

　　Hungarians love to celebrate, and Budapest likes to call itself the Festival City. Budapest artfully combines centuries-old tradition with the sophistication of a modern metropolis. Regional festivals and events combine with various national holidays to complement the mostly Christian holiday calendar. There is never a shortage of events to take in.

　　The Budapest Spring Festival is the most important cultural event of the year and draws in the best artists from around the world. Venues all over town host over 200 events, including chamber and orchestral concerts, jazz gigs, contemporary dance performances, and film screenings. The Budapest International Wine Festival held in September is another top draw in Hungary. However, the country's biggest jazz festival doesn't take place in Budapest but in the country's second biggest city. The Debrecen Jazz Days attracts top musicians from around the globe each December.

　　Hungary also has its share of special and unusual festivals. Each May, Hungarians usher in the summer season with the Balaton Festival, an odd mix of classical music concerts and local and international pop and rock acts, along with plenty of jugglers and street performers of every persuasion. It takes place in Keszthely on Lake Balaton, Hungary's largest lake. July marks the celebration of the Winged Dragon International Street Theater Festival. The normally quiet little town of Nyirbator is taken over by fire-eaters, chainsaw jugglers, assorted clowns, puppeteers, and musicians playing strange instruments for a whole week.

　　Hungary's Busojaras Carnival is an alcohol-fueled, six-day party usually held in February. Parades, spectacular costumes, traditional hairy masks, and, of course, dancing into the night are what it's all about. Fireworks annually light up the night on the banks of the Danube on August 20 to honor the first king of Hungary. St. Stephen's Day is an important national holiday that also commemorates the formation of the Hungarian state. All these festivals definitely make Budapest and Hungary the places to be for a great time.

 

迷人的匈牙利

　　匈牙利人热爱庆祝，而布达佩斯的居民们也喜欢称呼该市为节日之城。布达佩斯巧妙地结合了好几个世纪以来的传统与现代大都市的细致。地方性的节庆和活动结合了许多国定假日，其目的就是要和大部份的基督教节日相辅相成。这些供人们观赏的活动从来没有缺少过。

　　布达佩斯的春节是一年当中最重要的文化活动，并吸引了来自世界各地最优秀的艺术家前来参与。该市各地举办了两百多场的活动，其中包括了室内管弦音乐会、爵士演奏会、现代舞蹈表演以及电影欣赏。在九月举行的布达佩斯国际葡萄酒节则是匈牙利另一项相当吸引人的活动。然而，该国最大的爵士音乐节并不在布达佩斯举行，而是在匈牙利的第二大城市。每年十二月的德布勒森爵士音乐节都吸引了来自全球各地的顶尖乐手。

　　匈牙利也有许多特殊以及不寻常的节日。每年五月，匈牙利人会以巴拉顿艺术节来迎接夏天的到来，古典音乐会和当地以及国际的流行乐和摇滚音乐表演形成一个奇怪的组合，并且还伴随着许多杂耍艺人和各式各样的街头艺人。巴拉顿艺术节在匈牙利最大湖巴拉顿湖沿岸的凯斯特凯伊市举行。七月所举办的是翼龙国际街头剧场节。平时寂静的小镇尼尔巴托，在这一整个星期都被吞火人、电锯杂耍艺人、各式各样的小丑、木偶艺人和弹奏奇怪乐器的音乐家所占据。

　　匈牙利的莫哈奇面具嘉年华会（又名狂欢节）是为期六天的饮酒狂欢派对，通常在每年二月举行。这项节庆中的活动包括了游行活动、壮观的服装、传统的长毛面具以及想当然尔的，要跳舞到深夜。每年八月二十日晚上，人们会在多瑙河畔施放烟火照亮夜空，目的是为了纪念匈牙利的第一位国王。圣史蒂芬日是一个很重要的国定假日，也是纪念匈牙利国家建国的日子。以上所有节日绝对会让大家在布达佩斯和匈牙利玩得很开心。