【漢譯英】

　　傣族的潑水節(jié)是在四月十三至十五號，這三天也是他們族的新年節(jié)日。傣族的節(jié)慶活動一共分三個層次，一天一個花樣兒。第一天，大家清掃各家房屋，清理四周環(huán)境。第二天，人們傾巢而出，涌向各個大街小巷，用或鍋或桶，盛滿水，互相潑水嬉鬧。傣族人認為這些純水能為他們帶來好運。最后一天，人們便劃龍舟，放高升，不亦樂乎。

　　關(guān)于潑水節(jié)的來歷，民間流傳著一個故事。很久很久以前，一個魔王覬覦景洪這塊肥沃多產(chǎn)的土地，便霸占了該地，還強迫七位美麗的傣族姑娘做他的“夫人”。當?shù)乩习傩蘸尥噶怂�，這些姑娘們也想盡辦法要除掉它。

　　一天，“七夫人”想了個主意。她用美酒灌醉他，甜言蜜語地奉承他，終于套出了他的死穴：原來只有用這魔頭自己的一縷頭發(fā)勒住他的脖子，才能將其置于死地。

　　很快魔王就醉醺醺地唾去了。七姑娘便如法炮制，勒住魔頭的脖子，魔王的頭果然就骨溜溜滾到了地上。這個魔頭本是個火魔，所以它頭滾到哪兒，哪兒就燃起熊熊大火。七位“夫人”和眾人一起奮力朝火上潑水，最終火熄滅了。以后幾百年里，傣族人民每年都要歡慶斬除妖魔，慶祝“潑水節(jié)”。

　　【參考譯文】

　　The Water-Splashing Festival The Water-Splashing Festival is on April 13-15, when the Dai people celebrate their New Year's Day. The celebrations change on each day. The first day is for cleaning up the houses and neighborhood. The next day everyone goes out to the streets and splashes water to each other with their pans, pails and buckets. The clean water is believed to be the best blessing. And on the third day people have fun by taking dragon boats and setting off firecrackers.

　　As to where the Water-Splashing Festival comes from, there is a folk legend. A long time ago, a demon king impressed by the fertility of the Jinghong area in Yunnan, appropriated it and forced seven beautiful Dai maidens to be his wives. The people hated the demon, and the ladies tried to find out ways to get rid of him.

　　One day, one of them hit upon an idea. She plied him with alcohol and showered him with flatter. At last she got to know a secret: the only thing that could kill him was to tie a piece of hair from his own head around his neck.

　　Soon he was snoring in drunken slumber. The lady did as she had found out about, and the demon's head dropped to the floor, rolling. As he was a "fire demon", whatever the rolling head touched burst into flame. The seven wives and all the people splashed water over the fire and managed to extinguish it. Since then, the Dai people have been celebrating the "Water-Splashing Festival".