第1868期:Stonehenge Welcomes 8,000 for Summer Solstice

Around 8,000 people gathered Wednesday around prehistoric Stonehenge in Britain to observe the summer solstice. Many wore colorful clothing and even antlers. They stayed overnight to greet the sunrise on June 21. It is the day with the most daylight in the Northern Hemisphere. The crowd greeted the morning sun shining into the heart of Stonehenge with drumming, chanting and cheering. Nichola Tasker is director of Stonehenge at English Heritage, a non-profit group that oversees many historic places in Britain. Tasker said: “Stonehenge continues to captivate and to bring people together to celebrate the seasons, just as it has done for thousands of years.” She added, “There was a wonderful atmosphere from sunset to sunrise, and everybody enjoyed a very atmospheric morning.”

周三，大约 8,000 人聚集在英国史前巨石阵周围庆祝夏至。许多人穿着色彩缤纷的衣服，甚至戴着鹿角。他们过夜，迎接6月21日的日出。这是北半球日照时间最长的一天。人群用鼓声、口号和欢呼声迎接清晨的阳光照进巨石阵的中心。尼古拉·塔斯克是英国遗产委员会巨石阵的主任，该组织是一个非营利组织，负责管理英国许多历史古迹。塔斯克说：“巨石阵继续吸引着人们，让人们聚集在一起庆祝这个季节，就像它几千年来所做的那样。” 她补充道，“从日落到日出，气氛都非常美妙，每个人都度过了一个非常有气氛的早晨。”

In addition to the 8,000 people present, English Heritage said that about 154,000 others watched on its live stream video.In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice happened at 14:58 UTC on June 21 when “the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky,” said the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The day also marks the start of summer in Earth’s northern half. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the June solstice marks the start of winter when “the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.” In China, the summer solstice is called Xiazhi. Beijing Tourism says it is a time when people celebrate the wheat harvest and pray for peace. And people eat vegetables, cold noodles and what is commonly known as “summer solstice cake.”

英国遗产协会表示，除了在场的 8,000 人之外，还有大约 154,000 人观看了其直播视频。在北半球，夏至发生在世界标准时间 6 月 21 日 14:58，《老农年鉴》称，此时“太阳沿着天空中最北的路径运行”。 这一天也标志着地球北半部夏季的开始。 在南半球，情况恰恰相反：六月至日标志着冬季的开始，此时“太阳处于天空中的最低点”。在中国，夏至被称为夏至。 北京旅游局表示，这是人们庆祝麦收、祈求平安的时刻。 人们吃蔬菜、冷面和俗称的“夏至糕”。

Northern European countries like Sweden and Finland celebrate the summer solstice by singing and dancing around the midsummer pole. In Ukraine, people traditionally gather to celebrate Ivan Kupala Night in Khortytsya, an important historical area on the Dnieper River.The day is also known as the “International Day of Yoga.” On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led diplomats and others for a morning yoga session at the United Nations. In 2014, Modi told world leaders at the U.N., “Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.” At Stonehenge, for just one night of the year, people are permitted to spend time inside the stone circle that is believed to have been built between 5,000 to 3,500 years ago.

瑞典和芬兰等北欧国家通过围绕仲夏柱载歌载舞来庆祝夏至。 在乌克兰，人们传统上聚集在第聂伯河上重要的历史地区霍尔蒂齐亚庆祝伊万·库帕拉之夜。这一天也被称为“国际瑜伽日”。周三，印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪带领外交官和其他人在联合国参加晨间瑜伽课程。 2014年，莫迪在联合国对世界领导人说：“瑜伽不仅仅是锻炼；它是一种运动。” 这是一种发现与自己、世界和自然融为一体的感觉的方式。”在巨石阵，一年中只有一个晚上，人们可以在石圈内消磨时光，据信该石圈建于 5,000 至 3,500 年前。

The purpose of the stone circle is still hotly debated. English Heritage notes several explanations. They include Stonehenge being a coronation place, or crowning place, for Danish kings. Other explanations are that the place was a temple, a center for healing, or a structure for astronomy used to predict eclipses and other solar events. The organization said the most generally accepted explanation “is that of a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun.” The stones are said to line up with the sun at both the summer and winter solstices.

石圈的用途至今仍存在激烈争论。 英国遗产记录了几种解释。 其中包括巨石阵是丹麦国王的加冕地或加冕地。 其他解释是，这个地方是一座寺庙、一个治疗中心，或者是一个用于预测日食和其他太阳事件的天文学结构。该组织表示，最普遍接受的解释是“史前神庙与太阳的运动一致”。据说，这些石头在夏至和冬至时都会与太阳对齐。