意大利的二月注定不会平静，尽管新年的钟声尚有回音，不甘平淡的意大利人却早早地开始了自己的第二轮狂欢。从一月末到二月中旬，各类拥有独特文化传统的狂欢节在意大利各地拉开序幕，威尼斯狂欢节正是其中极其著名的一个。
Italy will slough off the winter gloom and burst into life in February. Although the 2016 New Year Celebrations had just ended, Italian people started their second national party in a row. From the end of January to the middle of February, marvelous carnivals are caught eyes from all over the world, among which the Venice Carnival is a well-known one.
“水上都市”威尼斯向来以独特的风景与人文风貌而闻名于世，而那里最具代表性的文化符号便是形形色色的面具。在为期十天的狂欢节期间，威尼斯将化身面具的世界，当你穿过衣着绚烂的人群，若只身着寻常的服饰不免显得格格不入，难以融入节日的氛围。那么，如何才能淋漓尽致地体验这场狂欢呢？
During the period of Carnival, the City of Water will attract thousands of people to join the parade of masks. With all the splendid masks and fancy customs, what would be the best way to fit in?
尽管威尼斯狂欢节从1月23日便已开始，但你若时间较紧，大可放弃初期的一些小活动；前往威尼斯的最佳时期莫过于节日期间的周末，尤其是最后一周的周末。在诸多日子中，1月31日在圣马可广场将举行“天使飞行”（意The Volo dell’Angelo,英 flight of the angel）表演，一位女士将吊着钢丝从天而降，为所有人展示自己的华丽装饰；而当狂欢节接近尾声时，街上除了处处可见的面具舞会之外，还将加入许多艺文表演，以及专门为儿童设计的嘉年华活动。
The Carnival began in January 23rd, but if it’s excitement you want, aim for the weekends, and the final weekend in particular. The Volo dell’Angelo ("flight of the angel"), when a beauty pageant winner gets to ride a zipwire from the campanile in St Mark’s square, takes place on January 31. The grand finale for the festival best takes place on February 9th, and It will also host events for the Kids' Carnival.
如果你希望尽情享受威尼斯狂欢节的气氛与欢乐，怎么能不试试那里的服装？至少戴个面具也不枉来此一游了。威尼斯拥有许多非常精致的服装可供选择，其中包括了不少独具特色却不乏性价比的衣服。当然，你若想在狂欢节中出类拔萃也不得不花费一番心思，化妆和穿上那些传统衣服可都是需要好几个人帮忙的。
There’s little point in experiencing Carnival as a mere on-looker; without a mask, at the very least, you’re not getting the full benefit. While there will be a lot of people in very fancy costumes, some interesting and original costumes are very inexpensive and not elaborate at all. However, if you want to make it very serious, It takes countless undergarments, piles of makeup and several helpers to help Venetian women get ready for this extravagant carnival of the season.
威尼斯的大街小巷遍布琳琅满目的售卖面具的商店，狂欢节期间，每个人都能戴着属于自己的面具，那么这些面具到底都有哪些区别，大家又该怎么选择面具呢？比较典型的面具共有八种，每种都拥有不同的含义与起源，如上图所示，依次排列的面具分别为：Bauta（男性佩戴）, Colombina（喜剧人物），Medico della peste（瘟疫大夫），Moretta（沉默的女性），Volto（标志性），Pantalone（父亲形象），Arlecchino（丑角仆人），Zanni（愚蠢形象）。
Several distinct styles of mask are worn in the Venice Carnival, some with identifying names. People with different occupations wore different masks. Typical masks include Bauta (normally for man), Colombina (a stock character), Medico della peste (The Plague Doctor), Moretta (a mute servant woman), Volto (iconic modern Venetian mask), Pantalone (father figure in Italian), Arlecchino (noble savage), Zanni (stupid character).
参加大赛，你只需喝着葡萄酒，走上圣马可广场的舞台展示你的面具便，每天两次的着装大赛完全免费。只要你敢让自己足够“出丑”，你就能获胜。威尼斯狂欢节戴面具的含义正在于此，既然精心打扮了一番又何乐而不为呢？
Toss back a glass of wine and parade your costume on stage at the Gran Teatro of Piazza San Marco. It’s completely free to enter and the costume contest takes place twice daily. Winners are awarded daily prizes and if you make a fool of yourself…well, that’s what the mask is for!
在十天狂欢节中，威尼斯会举办无数场大大小小活动，这些活动也将带着你一起回顾威尼斯神秘的过去。当你走进大街小巷，在流动的戏剧舞台前观光，你会发现威尼斯有着超乎想象的内涵。
Throughout the 10-day long Venice Carnival, a number of special events and tours take place that offer you a look into Venice’s mysterious past. You’ll learn some of Venice’s secrets as you weave through the maze of hidden passageways and picturesque canals on the unique Secrets of Venice Walking Theater Show.
狂欢节在意大利语中有“告别肉类”的含义，因此狂欢节期间的威尼斯极难见到肉类的身影。威尼斯将会威尼斯最具有特色的食物无疑要数Fritelle（一种油炸面包），几乎所有甜品店都会烘培出这种地道的食物。鉴于这种甜品是狂欢节中的特色食品，节日一过就难以尝到，狂欢节是一尝美味无疑是明智之选。
To compliment the savory dishes often eaten during the Carnival period, Venetians invented the sweet treat called fritelle. It’s a fried ball of pastry dough and often filled with cream or nutella and sprinkled with powder sugar. You’ll find fritelle exclusively during Carnival, so be sure to taste this unique Italian treat!
以上便是威尼斯狂欢节一些值得体验物事，其实参加威尼斯狂欢节并没有固定的要去的宴会，也并非有高额的消费才能享受，因为狂欢节的真谛便在于享受自我，寻找快乐，就算你只是身着普通的服装，谁说又不能体验那里的快乐呢？
The ways to have fun during the carnival vary widely. Many people spend weeks or months making their own costume, and it shows. Others hire period costumes and spend money on accessories to turn them into carnival outfits. In the end, it's carnival time, and the only thing people are bothered about is having a good time! It's really a personal choice as to how much time and money you spend on a costume, and you'll find that you're not treated any differently.
