圣誕節(jié)就要到了，仔細(xì)觀察裝飾好的圣誕樹，你有沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)隱藏在樹枝深處的一顆“腌黃瓜”？為什么人們要在圣誕樹上掛腌黃瓜狀飾品呢？這個傳統(tǒng)的來歷其實有好幾種說法。

Every year, families across the US and the UK hang up quirky little pickle-shaped ornaments when it comes time to trim their Christmas trees.

每年圣誕節(jié)，美國和英國的家庭都會在圣誕樹上掛上新奇有趣的腌黃瓜狀小飾品。

trim [tr?m]:  vt. 修剪；整理；裝點

The practice is favored by many English-speaking families, and is thought to be a centuries-old tradition brought over from Germany.

很多英語國家的家庭都喜歡在圣誕樹上掛腌黃瓜狀裝飾。據(jù)說這個傳統(tǒng)來自德國，已經(jīng)有幾百年歷史。

The tradition involves hiding the pickle ornament among the branches, and rewarding the child who finds it with the chance to open gifts first — or, alternatively, that person simply gets good luck for the year.

人們把腌黃瓜形狀的裝飾品藏在圣誕樹的樹枝里，哪個孩子首先在圣誕節(jié)找出它，就可以最先拆開禮物，或者預(yù)示著來年運氣爆棚。

The origin of the tradition, however, is a bit murky.

但這個傳統(tǒng)的起源卻不太清楚。

murky ['m??k?]:朦朧的，含糊不清的

In fact, it doesn't seem to have actually originated in Germany at all, since most Germans don't practice it.

其實這個傳統(tǒng)并非來自德國，因為大多數(shù)德國人并不會在圣誕樹上掛腌黃瓜狀飾品。

A 2016 New York Times article pointed to a YouGov poll, in which 2,057 Germans were asked about the Christmas pickle.

2016年《紐約時報》曾報道稱，輿觀調(diào)查網(wǎng)就圣誕樹掛腌黃瓜狀飾品的傳統(tǒng)，向2057位德國人展開了調(diào)查。

The survey found that 91 percent had never even heard of it.

調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，91%的受訪者從沒聽說過這個傳統(tǒng)。

Another theory is that the tradition of hanging a pickle didn't actually start in Germany, but with a German immigrant in the US.

另一種說法是，這一傳統(tǒng)并非源自德國，而是來自美國的一位德國移民。

According to a 2011 edition of Tampa Bay magazine, one legend goes that a German man named John Lower, who was born in Bavaria in 1842, moved to the US and became ill when he was in prison during the Civil War.

根據(jù)2011年《坦帕灣》雜志的一篇報道，有一種說法是，1842年出生在德國巴伐利亞約翰-洛厄來到美國后生病了，當(dāng)時正處于美國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)時期，他被囚禁在監(jiān)獄里。

He convinced a guard to give him a pickle as a last meal, but he ended up surviving.  After being released, he honored that pickle by starting his own family tradition of hiding a pickle in his Christmas tree for the kids — saying whoever found it would have the same good fortune he did.

他說服一名看守給了他一顆腌黃瓜作為最后的一餐，但他最終活了下來。在被釋放后，為了紀(jì)念這顆腌黃瓜，他開始在家中過圣誕節(jié)時在圣誕樹里藏一顆腌黃瓜給孩子們尋找，還說誰找到就會有和他一樣的好運。

Of course, that story is also unconfirmed, and could just be a tale that popped up to explain the pickles later on.

當(dāng)然，這個說法也未經(jīng)證實，僅能作為解釋圣誕樹掛腌黃瓜狀飾品這種傳統(tǒng)的一個傳說故事。

According to Wide Open Country, the whole pickle game was most likely a marketing ploy to sell German glass ornaments to Americans.

根據(jù)《開闊的國家》報道，這一傳統(tǒng)很可能是把德國的玻璃飾品賣到美國的一種銷售策略。

ploy [pl??]: n.策略；活動

It was said to be concocted by F.W. Woolworth when the store began importing the ornaments in 1880. Each one would come with a card that told the story of the tradition.

據(jù)稱，這一傳統(tǒng)是伍爾沃斯公司創(chuàng)造出來的。在1880年，這家商店開始進口飾品。每件飾品都附帶有一張卡片，講述這個圣誕傳統(tǒng)的故事。

Whether the tradition is real or manufactured, pickle ornaments have become quite ubiquitous.

不管這個傳統(tǒng)來自真實事件，還是被杜撰的，在圣誕樹掛腌黃瓜狀飾品已經(jīng)非常流行。

ubiquitous [ju?'b?kw?t?s]: adj.普遍存在的；無所不在的

While whimsical foodie ornaments shaped like avocado toast, hot sauce, pancakes, and ramen have become popular in recent years, pickle ornaments aren't just a fad.

盡管近年來開始流行在圣誕樹上掛新奇的食物狀飾品，比如形似牛油果吐司、辣醬、薄烤餅和拉面的裝飾品，但在圣誕樹掛腌黃瓜狀飾品一直流傳至今。

whimsical ['w?mz?k(?)l]: adj.古怪的；異想天開的

fad [f?d]: n.時尚；一時的愛好

英文來源：每日郵報

翻譯&編輯：yaning