Ghostly goings on, children trick-or-treating and people celebrating one of the oldest festivals in the world are planned as Halloween fast approaches.

　　随着万圣节快速临近，孩子们“不给糖就捣蛋”、以及大人们对这一世界上最古老节日的庆祝活动也像幽灵一样幽幽地进行着。

　　Statisticians at Britain’s Office for National Statistics have been looking through their records to discover what the festival will mean for many people.

　　而英国国家统计局的统计学家们则一直在通过查看他们的记录来揭示万圣节对许多英国人来说究竟意味着什么。

　　ONS said Friday records show that in the last census 1,276 people in Britain listed their religion as witchcraft, with 11,766 describing themselves as Wicca followers, and 502 members of occults.

　　上周五，英国国家统计局表示说，记录显示在上一次人口普查中，英国有1276人将魔法列为他们的宗教信仰、11766人说自己是现代巫术的信奉者、还有502人说自己是邪教成员。

　　Halloween, celebrated on Oct. 31, means different things to different people. Members of the Gaelic community believed it is the time when the walls between world of the living and the next became thin and porous, allowing spirits to pass through, coming back to life on the day of Halloween and even causing damage to crops.

　　每年10月31日的万圣节对于不同的人来说有不同的意义。盖尔人认为这一天人间界和亡灵界之间的界壁变薄、充满很多孔洞，使得鬼神可以从中穿过，可以在万圣节当天重返人间界、甚至给人界的庄稼造成破坏。

　　Gaels would even set places were set at the dinner table to appease and welcome the spirits. They would also offer food and drink, and light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits.

　　盖尔人甚至还会在餐桌上给鬼神留一个位置，以此来安抚、欢迎它们。他们还会准备美食佳酿、点燃篝火来抵御鬼神。

　　For generations many children in Britain have enjoyed, or been scared, by Halloween games.

　　长久以来，英国小孩们都非常喜欢(或者非常害怕)万圣节的游戏。

　　ONS said more than 500 couples are expected to choose Halloween to marry.

　　据英国国家统计局表示说，有超过500对新人希望选择在万圣节这一天举行婚礼。

　　And on the day there were over 9,500 Halloween weddings in England and Wales between 1995 and 2013, an average of 510 each year.

　　而在1995年到2013年期间，英格兰和威尔士两地选择在万圣节这一天举行婚礼的夫妻达到了9500对，平均每年510对新人。

　　Theologians, philosophers and psychologists have expressed mixed feelings over whether Halloween should be celebrated.

　　在到底要不要庆祝万圣节这一问题上，神学家、哲学家和心理学家们的看法都各有不同。

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