The Meaning of Carnival
Carnival today is an international, multicultural① experience②. But how did it become so? To understand what carnival is all about③， we need to look at the history of America and the meeting of two cultures — European and African.
The arrival of Europeans in America, and the opening of huge farms and plantations④ to grow cotton, fruit and vegetables, meant there was an immediate need⑤ for people to work on them⑥. This marked⑦ the beginning of the slave trade⑧. For more than two hundred years, until the beginning of the 19th century, when the trade was finally stopped, millions of people were taken by force⑨ from their homes in Africa and transported to the New World to work as slaves. Six million were taken to the Caribbean islands where? there were British and French landowners?.
[读文清障]
①multicultural/?m?lti'k?lt??r?l/adj.多元文化的；跨文化的
②experience n. 作“体验，经历”讲时，是可数名词；作“经验”讲时，是不可数名词。
③动词不定式短语 To understand ... 作目的状语。 what carnival is all about 为宾语从句。
④plantation/plɑ?n'teI?n/n.农庄；庄园
⑤an immediate need 急需
⑥The arrival ...on them.中，主语是 the arrival ... and the opening ..., 谓语是 meant, 宾语是 there be 结构，注意 there 前省略了引导宾语从句的 that。
⑦mark/mɑ?k/vt.标志(着)
⑧trade/treId/n.贸易
⑨be taken by force 被强行带走，注意其前 when 引导的非限制性定语从句，修饰先行词 the 19th century。
⑩transport/træns'p??t/vt.运输；运送
?where ...为定语从句，修饰 the Caribbean islands。
?landowner/'lænd???n?/n.地主；土地拥有者
狂欢节的意义
[第1～2段译文]
今天的狂欢节是一个国际性的、多元文化的节日。但是它是怎么变成这样的呢？为了了解狂欢节的全部意义所在，我们需要看一看美国的历史以及两种文化的混合——欧洲文化和非洲文化。
欧洲人到了美洲，开辟了栽种棉花、水果和蔬菜的大农场与大种植园，这意味着急需干活的人手。这标志着奴隶贸易的开始。200多年以来，成千上万的人被迫离开非洲老家，被运送到新大陆做奴隶，直到19世纪初期，奴隶贸易最终被禁止。600万人被带到加勒比海的岛屿去，那里有英国和法国的地主。
Naturally?， the Europeans also imported? their own festivals. So the slaves were forced to watch? as their masters? celebrated carnival with food, drink, and masked dances. In Trinidad?， the slaves began to hold their own carnival celebrations: they painted their faces white?， imitating their masters and making fun of? them?. But at the same time they were continuing their own African traditions — such as walking round a village wearing masks and singing — a custom which they thought would bring good luck.
?naturally adv.自然地，常作评注性状语。
?import/Im'p??t/vt.引进；进口
?be forced to do＝be forced into doing被迫做……
?master/'mɑ?st?/n.主人
?Trinidad/'trInIdæd/特立尼达岛
?paint ... white 把……涂白
?make fun of 取笑
?现在分词短语 imitating ... and making ... 作伴随状语。
at the same time 同时
continue ... tradition(s) 保留……传统
which they thought would bring good luck 为定语从句，修饰 a custom。其中 they thought 为插入语。
bring good luck 带来好运
