看似瘋狂而奇怪的儀式對特定文化的追隨者來說卻似乎是完美的。但世界各地的所有儀式都有一個共同點：每一個儀式都完美地表達了當地的文化。

In a world with so many countries， religions， tribes and customs， it is impossible for everyone to like everything. While we have come a long way since civilization began， some communities are stuck with age-old traditions.

Famadihana（法馬迪哈納）——Dance with the dead

A funeral tradition followed by the Malagasy tribe in Madagascar， people dance with dead bodies as part of the Famadihana custom. After bringing bodies of ancestors from their burial place， they re-wrap them in fresh cloth and dance around the tomb to live music. The ritual is followed once in seven years， but has been in the decline of late.

Egypt——Don't ask for salt when at a host's place

Egyptians get offended easily if you ask for salt. So， if you are invited over for dinner and want to add more salt to your dish， dare not touch the saltshaker because Egyptians feel it is equivalent to insulting the host.

Venezuela（委內瑞拉）——Don't show up on time

Venezuelans are just like Indians！ Reaching on time is considered rude in Venezuela and it is recommended to reach at least 15 minutes later than the scheduled time. Guests who reach on time are looked down upon as being too eager and greedy. Well， Venezuelans should take some cue from Indians！

India——Throw the baby for good luck

This custom is mostly followed in Karnataka（卡納塔卡） where newborn babies are thrown off the 50-feet high above Sri Santeswar temple. The babies are obviously caught by the family in a cloth. Couples who are blessed with a baby after take a vow at the temple follow this 500-year-old tradition，which is believed to bring good luck to the babies.

Turkey—— Watch camel wrestling

You would have heard of bull fighting， but camel fighting？ Not so much. People in Turkey look forward to the event where two male camels fight it out with each other. This event is organised during mating season and the camels have a natural instinct to fight off the other male.

Scotland——Just blacken the bride

Having some fun before the wedding is great， but this prewedding custom in Scotland doesn't seem to have a lot of fun for the bride. The custom involves throwing eggs， spoilt milk and， basically， all things disgusting at her. The 'blackened bride' is then taken around the town. The custom is a metaphor（隱喻） for the tough life that the bride might have to go through after the wedding. The tradition prepares her for the new chapter as after going through this， all marital（婚姻的） problems will look tiny！

Reading check

1. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word“ritual”？

A. Manner.? ? ?B.Tradition.? ? ? C. Culture.? ? ?D. Belief.

2. In which country or area will you be considered rude if you ask for salt？

A. Egypt.? ? ? B. Venezuela.? ? ?C.Turkey.? ? ? D.Scotland.

3. Which tradition may seem dangerous according to the text？

A. Dancing with the dead in Famadihana .

B. Showing up on time in Venezuela.

C. Throwing the baby for good luck in India.

D. Watching camel wrestling in Turkey.

4. Which tradition is connected with marriage？

A. Showing up on time in Venezuela.

B. Throwing the baby for good luck C.in India.

C. Watching camel wrestling in Turkey.

D. Blackening the bride in Scotland.

Language study

Difficult sentence

While we have come a long way since civilization began， some communities are stuck with age-old traditions.

【翻譯】______________________________________________________________________

【點石成金】本句中，while引導的是一個讓步狀語從句，意為“盡管”，常放在主句之前。