It's summer, so it's a great time to be outdoors. One way of letting your hair down and enjoying the fresh air is to attend a music festival, where you can enjoy seeing your favourite musicians perform. But it's not just about the music – there are other activities to enjoy. And of course, it's a chance to spend time with your friends.

现在是夏天，正是户外活动的好时机。 放松心情、享受新鲜空气的一种方法是参加音乐节，在那里您可以欣赏您最喜欢的音乐家的表演。 但这不仅仅是音乐——还有其他活动可供享受。 当然，这是与朋友共度时光的机会。

People have always enjoyed communal gatherings – even in prehistoric times, people would come together, have feasts and celebrate – and part of the occasion involved playing or listening to music. So, music festivals are nothing new. But they have evolved, and in recent times, one of the most famous music festivals was Woodstock in the USA in 1969. This al fresco event was one of the largest ever to be staged and promised 'three days of peace and music'. It attracted a large 'hippie' crowd. And in 1970, the Glastonbury festival began on a farm in the UK and now spreads across 900 acres of land. It has become a highlight in a festival goers' music calendar, attracting major headline acts and large crowds who camp out for the weekend. Although they often have to endure rain and mud!

人们一直喜欢公共聚会——即使在史前时代，人们也会聚在一起，举办盛宴和庆祝——其中一部分活动涉及演奏或听音乐。 所以，音乐节并不是什么新鲜事。 但它们已经发生了演变，最近，最著名的音乐节之一是 1969 年在美国举行的伍德斯托克音乐节。这一户外活动是有史以来规模最大的音乐节之一，并承诺“三天的和平与音乐”。 它吸引了大批“嬉皮士”人群。 1970 年，格拉斯顿伯里音乐节始于英国的一个农场，目前已覆盖 900 英亩的土地。 它已成为音乐节观众音乐日历上的一大亮点，吸引了各大头条表演和周末露营的大量人群。 虽然他们常常要忍受风雨、泥泞！

Other festivals that have become huge include the Danube Island Festival in Austria, the Mawazine Festival in Morocco, the Isle of Wight Festival in the UK, and Coachella in the USA – a music and arts festival that features every genre of music. But from the mainstream to the niche, there seems to be a festival for everyone taking place around the world. And festivals have become big business too. According to research by Festicket in 2018, the music festival industry was worth $3bn (£2.28bn) globally, and it has continued to grow. Many events have become commercialised. Ticket prices are high and corporations and social media influencers cash in on festival themes.

其他规模庞大的节日包括奥地利的多瑙河岛音乐节、摩洛哥的马瓦津音乐节、英国的怀特岛音乐节和美国的科切拉音乐节——一个涵盖各种音乐流派的音乐和艺术节。 但从主流到小众，世界各地似乎都有一个适合每个人的节日。 节日也已成为一项大生意。 根据 Festicket 2018 年的研究，全球音乐节产业价值 30 亿美元（22.8 亿英镑），并且还在持续增长。 许多活动已经商业化。 票价很高，企业和社交媒体影响者通过节日主题获利。

Despite all of this, for many hedonistic young people, attending a festival has become a rite of passage and a shared experience that can't be missed. Writing for BBC Culture, Arwa Haider says "for any generation, they're unlike any other place on earth: a site liberated from everyday rules, where we might bond with strangers and stumble across new sounds and sensations."

尽管如此，对于很多享乐主义的年轻人来说，参加节日已经成为一种仪式，一种不容错过的共同经历。 阿瓦·海德尔（Arwa Haider）为 BBC 文化撰稿，表示“对于任何一代人来说，这里都不同于地球上的任何其他地方：一个从日常规则中解放出来的地方，我们可能会与陌生人建立联系，并偶然发现新的声音和感觉。”

词汇表

festival （音乐、戏剧等的）会演，节
musician 音乐家
communal 公共的，集体的
feast 宴会，盛宴
Woodstock （美国）伍德斯托克音乐节
al fresco 露天的，在户外的
stage 上演，举办
hippie 嬉皮士
Glastonbury （英国）格拉斯顿伯里音乐节
festival goer 音乐节观众
headline act 主打阵容；主打乐队，主打歌手
Danube Island Festival （奥地利）多瑙河岛音乐节
Mawazine （摩洛哥）世界韵律音乐节
Coachella （美国）科切拉音乐节
genre 类型，风格
mainstream 主流的
niche 小众的，适合特定人群的
big business 大生意，大型产业
commercialised 被商业化了
corporation 公司，企业
influencer 网络明星，网络红人
hedonistic 享乐主义的，追求乐趣的
a rite of passage （人生进入新阶段时）必须体验的事情
sensation 感觉