13:13 我也相信某些时刻的异动，是亲人来向我们告别。

👻👻😈😈来啦来啦！

21:46 想起来看的招魂，刚开始也是狗狗🐶不愿意进去

28:15 我也是会扮鬼👻捉弄朋友的人🫣🫣

【转录2/16】【3:19-6:06】 Nothing really special, except burning the joss paper and incense. How about yours? Pretty much the same for my family, but I also heard some of my friends would say during those days, when they have family meals and public performances, certain seats are kept empty for the ghosts, inviting them to join in the festivals. Wow! Yeah, it's a little bit creepy to me. I mean, if we talk about this kind of thing, it's gonna be a bit creepy. However, if we are there and if we lost someone we loved, then it's another story. That's true. Another tradition of that day, of that festival is the floating lanterns. 就是会在水上放些灯笼, 我不知道你有没有看过? 这个的话,其实我是在其他的地方,我当时是在那个西双版纳旅游的时候,然后它那里有一个活动,但是它不是关于这个鬼节之类的,我们也是把我们的那个灯笼,然后里面有放蜡烛,就放在水上让它飘,那我们就送去我们的祝福,所以可能形式比较相似,但是意义不太一样。 During the ghost festival, when I learned about this, I found it very mesmerizing to see bodies of water are filled with floating lanterns, gently released to guide the spirits back to the world of the dead. It's pretty beautiful, but at the same time, it's pretty haunting. It is a way to ensure that the spirits find their way and are well taken care of. So this is the meaning of the floating lanterns. And I think it's quite different from what you learned or saw in 西双版纳. Yeah, I think so. I think this ceremony is really heartwarming because today's topic is kind of creepy, but also very sad. We are talking about the dead, right? And sometimes the people who are still alive don't have any way to express their sadness, how much they miss the dead. That's a very good way to convey their feelings. And actually, I want to share another story with our audience. Just now, we said people actually will leave some seats for the ghosts and inviting them to join the festivals. I heard from my friend, a family lost a kid who was still very young. However, after that, they will still keep a seat for the kid when they have meals. They will put an incense burner on the table, pretending that the kid was still with them.

【转录3/16】【6:09-8:54】 Then they will say,弟弟吃饭啦,我们一起吃饭啦something like that. Yeah, so just now when you talk about that, and it reminds me of this story, and suddenly I felt a bit sad. Wow, that's pretty sad. For us, certainly is a day to honor and remember the dead, especially the ones that we cared so much about. But talking about this festival, it's got a spooky twist because we are not just honoring ancestors or the dead loved ones. We also making sure the wandering spirits that we probably don't know won't cause any trouble on the ghost festival. I know, make sure they go home. Their home, not our home. Yeah, exactly. So actually on that day, besides not going out at night, do you know any other taboos?有什么禁忌吗? Well, actually in my family, I've never had any taboos on those days because usually I don't even know the day is the day. So I was told from some of my friends, like there are a few taboos on that day or even the whole month. For example, people avoid swimming because it's believed that water ghosts might try to drown them. 就是水鬼的话，会尝试把你拉下水，所以不要去游泳 And another one is staying out late at night and whistling are also big no-nos since they can attract spirits. 所以就是你出夜街的时候也不要吹口哨，不然就是招魂。 对，不要出夜街也不要吹口哨,口哨不好,会变成招魂 Yeah. So Wing, do you go out on that day? I don't even know. Well, this year I know thanks to this episode, but usually I don't even know that day is the ghost festival, usually. So have you ever experienced anything supernatural yourself? Well, you know, I'm not really a superstitious person. I study engineering, all about watching documentaries and reading scientific reports, but there is one night. And ever since that night, I've become a lot more open to the idea of the unexplained or the supernatural, but it definitely gives me chills. Oh my gosh. So what is that? About a year ago, right after the lockdown of the pandemic, my apartment was covered in mold and needed repainting. So I moved into a hotel for a few days. And one night, I was deep asleep.

【转录4/16】【8:56-12:40】 when suddenly I was jotted awake by this strange rumbling noise. 所以就是一年前疫情刚开放的时候，你的房子就长了霉菌是吧? 所以要重新再刷一遍，那去了酒店之后，然后有一天晚上，你竟然被一些声音给吵醒？所以是酒店在装修吗? No, it wasn't outside. It felt like it was right there in the room with me. The acoustics were too clear for it to be coming from the hallway. I was alone in the room, in the hotel room. Nobody around me. Oh my gosh.所以那个声音不是来自外面，其实是在房间里面，而且你可以非常确定不是在走廊那里传来。我突然间想到一个很恐怖的一个故事，我不知道该不该跟我们的听众分享，我怕你们睡不着，因为晚上12点钟在听这个播客的时候。 你可以试着讲一讲，看一下，对反正我们是白天在录的，所以无所谓。对于我来说，你讲一下看一下。 就是我曾经听过一个非常恐怖的鬼故事，就是肯定不是真的，大家不要担心。他们就说在房间里面突然间听到有一些声音，但是绝对不是脚步声，好像在上楼梯那样子，那听到咚咚咚，然后那个人的话就非常害怕，但他又想知道是什么东西，所以他就蹲下到床底下，然后去看一下，发现是一个人的头在那里咚咚咚。Okay, I hope it's not the same one. So what happened next, Wing? No, it's not the same. Thank God. I didn't call you at that night. You're not helping. So what happened next? Well, I was half awake when I heard that my heart was pounding. I was trying to make sense of what I was hearing. The noise was so distinct, so unsettling. When I finally managed to fully wake up and listen carefully, the noise had completely stopped. It was as if whatever had been making it just vanished into thin air. Wow, that sounds really creepy.就是你半梦半醒的时候，你可以听到那个声音，那你当时应该非常害怕吧。 对呀，肯定很害怕呀。就心就扑通扑通跳嘛。 但当你醒过来之后，那个声音又消失了。 对呀，很诡异，对不对。 非常诡异。 So what's next? I managed myself to fall back asleep. Seriously? Yeah. 心真大。 对,心真大。Then early the next morning, my phone rang, and it was my mom. She called me to tell me that my grandpa had passed away the night before. Oh no. 所以早上就收到了噩耗就说, 妈妈,告诉你爷爷去世了。I'm so sorry for your loss. Yeah. But for me, to this day, I can't shake the feeling that the rumbling noise in my hotel room wasn't just a random sound. I still believe it was my grandpa's spirits coming to say goodbye, making one last connection before departing for me. That's really sad. Yeah. 直到今天我依然会觉得说, 那个隆隆的声音, 就我在酒店那个声音, 其实是我爷爷过来跟我说再见的。我是一个原本是不太信这些事情的人,但是因为那个晚上对我来说是最后一次告别嘛,我因为我没有办法见到他最后一面,来得比较突然。 但是我就觉得说, 我就坚信那个是他来给我告别的一个方式。 所以我后来想起那个声音, 我并不觉得很害怕。

【转录5/16】【12:42-15:07】 So you must have a really close relationship with your granddad, right? 你跟你爷爷的关系非常亲近。 对呀,就小时候就在他家待的时间比较多。I spent a lot of time with him when I was very little. But since I went to high school, then university in another city, we haven't talked that much. But he was a person who read a lot, so he had a lot of stories to tell me when I was little. Actually, you remind me of my grandpa, who passed away like 10 years ago. I remember one night, I was asleep. Usually after I fell asleep, nobody could wake me up. Usually I would mute my phone, just to make sure I have a good sleep. However, that night, suddenly, I was awake, and saw the phone ringing. Then I picked up the call. It was from my dad. He told me that my grandpa passed away at that time. 所以就是那天晚上的话, 就是我也是收到一个电话, 就是半夜的时候, 我就爸爸告诉我, 就说爷爷去世了。So probably it was my grandpa who woke me up, and told me about this news. Yeah, sometimes I feel like when you are very close to someone, and that person leaves this world, somehow we would know. I mean, not by calling, telling, news, that kind of knowing. You just can sense it. It's very strange feeling, very eerie. But for me, it's also very magical that we can sense that. I always think if there are ghosts in the world, just like human, because they used to be human beings, that means some of them are good people, good ghosts. Some of them are bad ghosts, bad people. So this is kind of way, when I, especially when I was little, and after some horror movies, ghost movies, this is the way to comfort myself. There are good ghosts and bad ghosts, just like human beings. So when it's about our family, close people, we wouldn't feel scared. We even feel heartwarming, right? But what if somebody or something that we don't know? Have you thought about that? If it's some weird, eerie, haunting, spooky things happen in your life, and it's probably something or someone that you don't know, how would you feel? Of course, I'm gonna feel scary, right?

【转录6/16】【15:09-18:11】 Actually, it reminds me of something. I don't think I'm that kind of person who is very sensitive to the supernatural world or supernatural things. However, I did witness something. When I was in Indonesia, again, you know, the Southeast Asian countries are very famous for these kind of creepy things, right? Yeah, very spooky. Yeah, spooky. Yeah. Yeah. I remember once when I was in Indonesia, I was walking with my dog, Goji, the Tibetan Mastiff. Some of you may have known him before since we talked about him in the... Octopus. Yeah, the octopus, the exotic pet episode.那时候我和我的藏獒狗狗Gozi在路上走,我在遛它嘛。And we were waiting in the crossroad. There were so many cars passing by. Suddenly, Goji was crazy. He was jumping, trying to rush into our car. I was very scared because he never reacted like that before. 就是我们在那个十字路口那里去等，因为很多车 突然间我那只藏獒宝宝就好像疯了一样，然后要冲向一台车，我就吓到了。因为它非常壮，我怕我拉不住它，所以我很害怕。 大家可能不知道那只虽然是藏獒，但是它应该是住着一个拉布拉多的灵魂在里面，是一个非常友善的一只狗宝宝，对吧？ 对对对。He's, of course, not as fierce as his name. And suddenly, the creepiest things came. A car slowly stopped. The man on the driving seat slowly rolled down the window. And he showed a ring on his hand and slightly swinging towards us. And my Tibetan Mastiff was crazy about that.就那时候的话，就有一台车慢慢停下来，然后车上那个男人，他摇向那个车窗，向我们展示他手中的那个戒指，然后那只藏獒宝宝就好像疯了一样。Then later, my friend told me that maybe that man kept a spirit in his ring.那时候我的朋友就告诉我，他说，可能那个戒指里面，他是养了什么东西，所以我那只藏獒宝宝非常的敏感，然后就可以感受得到。 I have a story about a dog. This is not my dog. My dog is useless. She can only eat and run around. She cannot smell or sense anything. She's just a happy puppy. But my friend told me a story about her dog. The story itself was very spine-tingling. Why is that? It was actually a story between her father and their dog. So one night, this usually silent dog suddenly started barking like crazy. Here's the eerie part. It wasn't just barking aimlessly. That dog was fixated on the kitchen, barking relentlessly at something.就是我朋友家他们的狗，平常这只狗是很安静的，不会吠也不怎么动。

【转录7/16】【18:12-21:45】 我见过那只狗狗，就很听话很乖的一只小狗。然后突然有个晚上，那只狗就一直吠一直吠，而且不是漫无目的地满屋吠，而是朝着一个地方吠，对着那个厨房一直吠 There must be something there Yeah, so her father, at first thinking the dog was just acting up, went into the kitchen to check it out. He looked around, but there was absolutely nothing there. Nothing. He tried everything to calm the dog down, but it just wouldn't stop. 所以一开始只是那个狗狗很无聊是吧，想吸引人的注意力对吧？然后那个爸爸他就去了厨房那里去看，但什么都没有看到。反正就是怎么都没有办法让他安静下来，狗狗还是不停地吠。 对。So that's when he felt it, a cold chill creeping up his spine, like the air itself had turned icy. Realizing something was seriously off, he did the only thing he could think of. Can you guess what? I don't know. Probably just trying to catch the dog's attention. Calm the dog down and then went back to sleep? No, he opened the apartment door. The dog still barking, but darting from the kitchen and out into the hallway, as if chasing something invisible. Her father, now thoroughly spooked, called the dog back and shut the door. And then silence. The dog stopped barking immediately. 然后所以那个爸爸真的很勇敢诶，他知道就肯定是有什么不对劲的地方，但是一般人就说，哎算了算了，我们就不要管了，然后就回去睡觉吧。但他既然打开了那个公寓的门，然后那只狗狗原来不是在吠家里面那个厨房的那个方向，而是他好像在追什么东西，马上就冲到那个走廊里面。 对，那只狗就会从厨房一直吠一直吠，就好像赶着什么东西从厨房一直飞到走廊。 哦。 对。然后那个狗一直追着嘛，然后追到走廊就看到有点远了，他爸爸就把那个狗给喊回来然后关上门，然后那只狗就安静了啊。 所以其实就是他家里面有什么东西。 对。 然后那只狗就尝试把他赶出去，然后赶出去之后关上门了，没事了，然后就是狗就安静下来了。Oh my gosh. Now I have the goosebump. I'm not so sure if the AC is too cold.我现在都已经起鸡皮疙瘩了，不知道是不是空调太猛了现在。 对啊，不仅这一个故事，我还听过挺多。I have a friend, she told me a story about a dog, their dog. Whenever their family want to buy a place, like a house or apartment, they will bring their dog there. Just let the dog walk around, sniff around. If their dog bark, they wouldn't buy that place. If the dog like that place, they will immediately buy that place. They really believe the dogs can hear and see something that we cannot see. Yes.我突然间想到一个就是那只狗狗就好像那个风水大师一样，就是去哪里买房子都要把它带上。然后如果那个狗狗说哎他那个很安静，她很喜欢这个地方，就说可以买可以买，这个地方干净。 对啊。就是我觉得狗还有这个功用。But unfortunately, my dog doesn't work like that.

【转录8/16】【21:48-25:04】 Yes. I mean, not every dog has that kind of ability, right? Yes. So do you know that not only we celebrate the Ghost Festival here, actually a lot of places like Malaysia and Singapore and probably Indonesia honor their ancestors on the exact same day, on the 5th too. Yes. In this country, usually the Chinese will celebrate this festival. Also burning the joss paper or the incense, stuff like that. However, I know other countries have different celebrations. Have you ever experienced their traditions? Oh, definitely. For instance, Halloween. Oh yeah, Halloween. 就万圣节，最经典的鬼节，or Samhain, originated in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is celebrated on October the 31st and November the 1st. 那就是我们最熟悉的万圣节啦，它起源于爱尔兰、苏格兰还有威尔士。它一般庆祝时间就是在 10月31号和11月1号。 It's all about marking the start of winter and the end of the harvest season. People believe that the line between the living and the dead is the thinnest during this time. So they leave food and drink outside to appease the spirits. They also light bonfires, wear scary costumes, which we are very familiar with. And back in the day, even offered animal sacrifices. It's a bit like our Ghost Festival where we offer food to hungry ghosts to keep them appeased and away from mischief. 所以万圣节我们非常熟悉。但是可能很多听众朋友，包括我自己，我也不知道为什么它会有这个节日。那其实这个节日，它主要是为了标志冬天的开始，还有收获季节的结束。就是我们大丰收了，然后就要进入冬天了嘛。那时候当地的人就觉得生者跟死者之间的界线在那个时候是最模糊的，所以他们就会在房子外面，然后放置一些食物还有饮料，然后来安抚一下那些灵魂。那有时候的话，他们还会点燃篝火，穿上一些非常可怕的服装，就好像我们现在那样子。那甚至在古的时候的话，他们还会进行一个动物的祭祀。那这个其实整一个，就有点像我们的鬼节，好像我们会给那些恶鬼供奉食物一样，就希望他们，那你安分守纪了，就不要来搞我们了，不要搞恶作剧了。 对。I think a lot of people probably sort of experience Halloween here, right? Have you ever celebrated Halloween, ever? Yeah, when I was still young. I mean, I remember once during the Halloween, I went to 长隆那个游乐园。 我们不是打广告,做个 disclaimer。 我希望可以打到广告。And at that time, they have a very big celebration, right? And they decorated the whole theme park into the Halloween version. They have a lot of haunted houses and a lot of creepy displays.

【转录9/16】【25:06-27:45】 I remember at that time, I went to the haunted houses. You know, usually I'm a faint-hearted.就是我是一个胆小鬼嘛.My friend was holding my hand, trying to calm me down. Suddenly, a ghost popped up. I was screaming and immediately let go my friend's hand and ran out of the haunted houses. 就那时候的话,我朋友就是拖着我的手，然后就说不用害怕,我在我在，但是突然间那个鬼突然出现的时候，我就马上吓死了,尖叫一声，然后直奔那个出口。How about you? Well, I went to a haunted house as well during Halloween. But it was in the United States. I don't think I've ever been to haunted houses here. But I think usually it wouldn't take you an hour to just walk through the whole house, right? I think it's usually like 10 to 15 minutes, something like that. Yeah, very short. But that one I went to took me at least one hour to just finish the whole thing. Damn, you're really brave. Well, I was freaking out the whole time. My friends were laughing at me because I was freaking out. So in the States, haunted houses are very popular. They are everywhere and some of them are open year-round. Oh my god. 我印象最深刻的万圣节经历也是在一个鬼屋，但是是在美国那边，那鬼屋这个文化在美国是非常受欢迎的。很多地方都有,而且有些是全年都开放。During Halloween, of course, that is the peak time for haunted houses. My friend took me there to quote unquote celebrate Halloween. But that was my first time to go to a haunted house. I was terrified. So I walked at a snail pace. 就是我很害怕，我就以蜗牛的速度在行走。就我一直很担心前面有个什么东西，所以我走得非常慢。So practically, I caused a traffic jam behind me. Every time, they only allow like seven people as a group to walk in. They wouldn't let everybody all at once to enter the haunted house. They want to keep the experience as scary as possible. So, you know, just like what you said, a lot of, you know, people jumping in front of me, right? So that is the typical haunted house thing. All the actors quickly noticed how scared I was and zeroed in on me, like chasing me relentlessly in it. But the road inside is not straightforward. There are so many turning and, you know, the path was very winding.

【转录10/16】【27:46-30:50】 So they were chasing me around, like basically circling around me. You know what my friends did? Laugh? Yeah, they were laughing at me. Oh my god. I feel so sad.就是你就成为那个焦点，不仅是那些扮鬼的那些人，就知道你这个胆小鬼来了，所以我一定要好好捉弄一下她。而且你的朋友也很坏，就是都不帮你，对吧，然后他还笑你呢。 全程在笑，他笑的可开心了他们。 绝交，不要再跟他们做朋友了。 So I still need to keep walking. I was freaking out inside me, but I'm still very curious about everything. So I try to tell myself those are real people. No need to be scared. Those are real people. They're just actors. That's what I've been telling myself the whole time. Does it help? Well, the design of the haunted house doesn't help. Like they have so many different themes in one haunted house. For example, in one part, they used smoke and lasers to create the illusion of a river, making it seem like you were walking into a wetland. So half of you were in the river. So I couldn't see the bottom. And of course, of course, out of nowhere, hands would grab your feet from below the fake water surface.就是那个地方的设计是专门特意设计的很恐怖，就很多装置跟很用心的设计。其中一个部分，他们是用那种烟幕跟激光营造出一种河流的感觉，就是有种你走在湿地，你下半身都在水里的感觉，你见不到底。当然在这种情况下 就毫无疑问的，就有只手在下面抓你。 好可怕。 就很经典，但是真的很恐怖。 我应该会被吓死，我可能当场就 pass out or pass away。Oh no. It's not only that. There was another part where we had to wear 3D glasses.就是有一个地方，有一个房间，它是要求你戴着3D眼镜的。In normal haunted houses, everything is real Like the real trees are real people, real actors But if they use the 3D technology, you can pretty much fake anything. Like fake monsters or fake anything. When we wear 3D glasses, everything became vivid in front of our eyes. So that was very scary. As I mentioned before, that place was massive. It took us a good hour to just get through it. And I was screaming my head off the whole time while my friends couldn't stop laughing during the whole time. 赶紧绝交吧,就是你都已经怕死了,然后一路尖叫,你的朋友就一直在笑你,真的是. Yeah, but after that, it was a good memory, a mix of terror and pure fun.就是事后我还是蛮好玩的，挺搞笑的，但是当时我就真的恨死我那些朋友，恨死他们。 一点都不帮忙。 对啊。 是啊，所以我之前去玩玩那个鬼屋之后，我到现在我都没有再去过了，太吓人了。 是啊，要不我们今年试一下。

【转录11/16】【30:54-34:42】 我不行啊，我人会没的 相互支持一下 我们两个都这么胆小，还怎么相互支持。 我们今天把那些演员给吓回去，我的目的就是进去吓他们，倒过来。 我可能最多只能用我的那个高分贝音量，然后把他们给吓死，我没有办法能够吓他们的。 So except Halloween Are there any traditions in other countries? Yes, I actually searched a little bit, and I found so many countries celebrate ghost festivals. Of course, in different ways with different traditions. For example, Japan has Oben. It's very similar to our ghost festival. It's believed that ancestor spirits visit the earth and it happens in July or August, just like our ghost festival. People hang lanterns outside their homes and throw paper lanterns of water. 那在日本的话,其实它也有一个叫Oben,Oben就是像我们的盂兰盆节,那跟我们鬼节就很相似.因为他们也是相信,那些祖先的灵魂的话会在这个时候回到人间,就是那鬼门关开,通常它也是在七月或者是八月份举行.那人们的话,会在那个家门口挂上那个灯笼,而且在水上的话,会飘那个纸灯笼,就像跟我们那些传统都一样. And also very very special, in Japan, there is a dance, an ancient folk dance called Bon Odori. 最不一样的话，就是他们会跳那个盆踊舞，那个盆踊舞的话，是他们一种比较传统的一个民间舞蹈。（盆踊舞音乐）其实我觉得他那个舞蹈那些动作的话，就好像给那些仙人带路，然后把他们就是带回那个阴间那样子，就是一直在给他们指方向。 Yeah, I think so too. And also not only that. Like for example in Kyoto, they also have the Gozan no Okuribi festival, where they light huge bonfires to guide the spirits back to the underworld. Just like the dance in Kyoto. 就是在京都,也会有一个叫做五山送火节,他们会点一个很大的篝火,然后也是要引导灵魂回到阴间。 Yeah, basically I think the ghost festival traditions in Japan is kind of similar to ours, right? How about in other countries? Well, Korea has a quite a different one. They celebrate Chuseok秋夕节. It's more like Thanksgiving. It happens in September or October. And it's primarily a harvest festival, thanking ancestors for a good harvest. So they would visit graves, clean them up and hold memorial services. Actually much like our visits to cemeteries in Tomb Sweeping Festival. 对，从它那个节日里面的话，其实也是感觉到它融入了不同元素。像我们刚才所说的那个万圣节，其实也是说在丰收的时候，然后去庆祝嘛，还有他现在的话，这个也是跟我们的清明节很像，就是去扫墓，给我们的祖先扫墓，然后感谢他们，就是祈求他们的庇佑那样子。 是的。So all the things, animals or food are usually used as offerings to the ghost or ancestors, right? But in Nepal, they have Gai Jatra or the festival of the cows.

【转录12/16】【34:45-38:45】 尼泊尔的鬼节也叫牛节。It's celebrated to honor those who passed away in the last year. They have processions of cows or children dressed as cows. Because they believe souls need a cow's tail to reach heaven, much like our belief in guiding spirits with lanterns. 所以像尼泊尔这个牛节的话,为什么叫牛节呢?这是因为他们会举行牛的游行去纪念过去一年里去世的亲人,或者是他们除了用牛的话,他们也会让他们孩子们打扮成牛一样,主要是因为他们相信灵魂需要牛的尾巴,才能带领那些亡灵走向天堂,就好像我们中国的那样子,用那些灯笼去引导灵魂一样。 So far, the ghost festivals we have mentioned only last for one day. But in Cambodia, it's a 15-day festival. Wow, 15 days. And it's called Pchum Ben. It usually happens between September and October. That is the time they believe the gates of hell open. So the way they help ancestral souls atone is to offer food to monks in pagodas. And sometimes toss rice balls in graveyards and temples. For me, it's a little bit like zongzi in Dragon Boat Festival for Qu Yuan. Yeah, that's kind of true.就是在柬埔寨的话,他们鬼节叫亡人节。那最重要是，他们是为期15天，通常会在9月和10月的时候举行。因为那时候，他们也觉得是鬼门关开嘛。那但是他们的庆祝方式的话，有一点点不太一样，就是他们会为了帮助先人的灵魂赎罪，他们就会在佛堂里面向那些僧侣的话，提供食物。有时候还会在墓地还有寺庙里面，去投掷那个米团。所以比较特别一点。 对，就有点跟我们的端午节有点像。就一开始粽子是要投进河里面嘛，就让河里面的生物不要吃屈原的躯体，就用粽子去引导他们去别的地方。我觉得米团也是有一点点像这样子，我个人觉得。 对。 And also, it is not the only country， which celebrates ghost festival for 15 days. Actually in India, they also celebrate it around the same time and also lasts 15 or 16 days. It's called Pitru Paksha. During this festival, they honor three generations of ancestors. People perform rituals like Shraddha to worship the dead, preparing specific foods and offering clothes. This is a special part of Indian ghost festival. They also feed cows, crows, and dogs as part of the rituals. The abstinence from celebrations during this period is akin to our more somber observances during the ghost festival. 那在印度的话，他们那个祭祖的节日，就叫做Pitru Paksha。通常会在9月和10月的时候庆祝，而且它跟柬埔寨一样，也是为期15到16天的。那通常他们会祭拜三代的祖先，那跟我们不太一样，我们是拜所有的祖先，那他们是拜三代。 你为什么发那个Pitru Paksha这么标准呢? 我可能在印度待过吧,然后大家会进行类似那个Shraddha的仪式来敬奉那个逝者。那最特别的一点，就是他们还会喂养那个牛啊、乌鸦和狗，作为仪式的一部分。

【转录13/16】【38:37-42:22】 那同样的话，那在这个期间的话，和我们鬼节一样，都要保持一个非常肃穆的氛围，就是来尊重那些先人、尊重逝者。 就避免进行一些庆祝活动，那通常像我们结婚不会挑7月份结婚的，对吧 嗯，对，我们有很多那种传统嘛，反正就是要保持一个敬畏之心，嗯 是的。And I think besides Halloween and our ghost festival, another famous ghost festival, I think, is in Mexico. It's called Day of the Dead or Diá de Los Muertos.大家就将就着听我发这些不太标准的西文吧。Why is famous? Because of a movie “Coco” 《寻梦环游记》 是的,我记得当时那个电影好火,就我身边很多人都去看。 对，我也看了 我还看哭了 嗯，我也是 So actually is a Ghost Festival celebrated on November the 2nd. Instead of the somber vibe, it's actually more vibrant and joyful. We can learn that from the movie “Coco”,right? Yes. So there were a lot of parades, dances and parties. It's more celebratory compared to our Ghost Festival. 那刚才我们提到，就是墨西哥有一个非常著名的节日，就是叫亡灵节。那我们很多人了解这一个节日，就是通过皮克斯的一部电影叫《寻梦环游记》来熟悉的，它每一年的话，10月2号的时候会庆祝，那对比我们东亚这一边，比较肃穆的一个氛围的话，那这个节日反而充满了活力，还有欢乐。他们会举行一些游行、舞蹈、还有派对。所以的话，它非常具有这个庆祝性。 对啊，就看那个电影，我们也略知一二。就他们是很开心、很欢快的一个氛围。包括那个电影，它不是下到那个亡灵的世界吗？也是各种欢乐的。 是，我其实我觉得这部电影的话，非常有意义。因为我个人觉得，在我们整个成长过程的话，其实我们很少会进行一个死亡教育。其实我们知道死亡是什么，但是我们不知道死亡之后人会去哪里。那当然如果是有宗教信仰的话，我们就会说什么，上天堂下地狱。但是对于我个人来说的话，其实我不知道他们会是怎么样，他们会过怎么样的日子。所以我觉得这部寻梦环游记的话，其实它打开了我的世界，我之前是没有任何的概念，但是现在我会有一个概念就是，那其实我们的先人或者是我们去世的亲人，他们走了之后，他们会去到一个非常开心的一个地方，他们其实也会过着他们新的生活，对吧，在其他另外一个世界。那我这里的话想提一下自己的一个亲身经历。So actually last year, there was something heartbreaking happened. I lost my nephew last year. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had a sister. All of us were very clueless because we didn't know how to explain his death to his sister. Then suddenly we thought about this movie. Then we watched the movie with her, telling her that actually your brother went to a paradise, went to a place with happiness, joy and without pain. That's why I really love this movie. And I think it's a really good death education movie for the kids. I'm sorry to hear that. For your loss. I think it's okay. Because I think Nobody actually taught us where our ancestors went, right? We all knew they were buried under the ground. And they were worshipped in the temples or something.

【转录14/16】【42:27-45:03】 But I think this movie actually depicted a very beautiful scene about the life after death. Yeah, after life .Yeah, actually talking about this. Well, it's not during the Ghost Festival but during the Tomb Sweeping Festival. So we went to the graveyard. And every time almost since I was little, I would tell my family that. For example, my grandma was in another world. We should keep her updated with our world. So we are not only burning joss paper, fake money to her, but we also needed to offer modern day food, not just goose and roasted pork. We should offer something new like pizza, deep fried chicken, all sort of things. So she could try something new as well. It's just my way to deal with the death, I think. I think you have a really good point. Who knows? Probably she would meet some, you know, foreigners in the paradise, right? Yeah, probably. Okay, Wing, so after talking about so many creepy and sad things. Back to our topic. Do you have any speaking tips for our test? Yes, in IELTS Part 2, there's a topic about this. Describe a festival in your country, you should say when the festival occurs, what you did during it, what you like or dislike about it and explain why this festival is important. Okay, so which festival will you pick? Of course, ghost Festival. Since we talked all about it today. Wow, I think probably you will impress the examiner. Yes, just think outside the box. To surprise the examiner. Give them something new. Yeah, that's true. Just go ahead. Here is the example. A really important festival in my country is the Ghost Festival, held on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, usually around August. It's a time when we honor our ancestors and appease wandering ghosts who are believed to be relentlessly creeping up from the afterlife.(ancestors 祖先;appease 安抚、慰借;relentless 不懈地,持续不断地;creeping up 悄悄接近; afterlife 就在我们的生命之后嘛,所以就是来世来生)

【转录15/16】【45:05-47:56】 During the festival, my family sets up an altar with offerings like food, incense and joss paper, which we burn to send to the spirits. We also enjoy mesmerizing scenes that the bodies of water are filled with floating lanterns, gently released to guide the spirits back to the world of the dead.(altar 祭坛;mesmerizing 迷人的) 当你希望用英语来讲鬼故事的时候,其实这一期的单词会帮到你不少. 对啊. 对的. 我们可能有点渐走偏锋啊. 是的. So back to the sample. The somber tone of certain observances, like abstinence from certain activities, highlights the taboos we respect during this time. The eerie atmosphere, with spine-tingling tales and haunting melodies make the festival unique.(somber 阴沉的,严肃的;abstinence 节制,禁欲; eerie 怪异的,诡异的; spine-tingling 令人毛骨悚然的;haunting 营绕心头的,或者是令人难忘的; 对,像 spine-tingling 就是一个组合词,就 tingle 就是刺痛嘛,然后 spine 就是我们的脊椎,然后所以那个感觉是从脊椎发出来那种刺痛冷的感觉,所以叫 spine-tingling 就变成是令人毛骨悚然的.然后还有就是 haunting 也是我们常用,就讲鬼故事的过程当中,是常用的一个词 haunting haunting) So in short, the Ghost Festival is a special event that strengthens family bonds and cultural continuity, with its eerie and mesmerizing traditions that keep our heritage alive. Yeah, I agree. Any other questions? Yes. In part 1 and part 3, there are a few questions about festival. First one, are there any festivals at this time of year? How do people usually celebrate it? Yes, of course. At this time of year, we celebrate the Ghost Festival, right? Yes. It falls on 15th day of the 7th lunar month, usually in August. People honor their ancestors and appease wandering spirits, believed to visit the living world. Celebrations involve setting up an altar with offerings, like food, incense and joss paper, which are burned to send to the spirits. And another question is Are any old traditions related to particular times of year in your country disappearing? So what do you think?

【转录16/16】【47:57-49:57】 Some old traditions like those of Ghost Festivals are disappearing. Younger generations often find these rituals outdated and don't participate as much. Busy modern lifestyles, Urban living and environmental concerns about burning joss paper contributes to this decline. However, I think, we can make some changes to make the younger generation more engaging about this festival. For example, we can use more environmental-friendly alternatives instead of burning joss papers. We can use digital offerings. I think preserving these traditions is vital for maintaining our cultural heritage and identity. Yeah, I totally agree. Because for us, we have to be in awe of our ancestors, traditions and this kind of festivals. Yeah, 保持一个敬畏之心. 对的,对的.So I think that's all for today after so many stories about ghosts. We wish you a good sleep at night. Yes, hope you can sleep tight. Yeah, and 那朋友们也欢迎你们跟我们分享一下你们经历过的什么,比较creepy 比较令人毛骨悚然也好,或者是你自己亲身经历的鬼故事,也欢迎跟我们分享.你可以在我们的同名 “尬聊英语Gossip English”小红书和微博上面留言,也欢迎你们在我们的小宇宙、喜马拉雅、苹果博客，还有QQ音乐那里，然后跟我们留言互动。然后最重要最重要最重要的一点就是一键三连，就是点赞、转发还有收藏。对的。对,所以大家睡个安稳觉吧。嗯,have a good sleep. Have a nice weekend. OK, thank you. Bye.

我突然想起来一个听过的恐怖故事，有一个人得罪了在河里淹死的一个女鬼鬼魂，然后他就请法师帮忙，法师跟他说晚上躲到床底下，让那个鬼看不见你，等过了今晚就平安无事了。可是那个法师是个半桶水，他不知道那个女鬼是在水里倒立着挂掉的……然后晚上那个人躲在床底下，那个鬼是头碰地倒立着进他的房间……

【转录1/16】【0:00-3:16】 Hello everyone, it's Gossip English time! 尬聊英语时间又到啦! This is Wing. This is Yao. Let's learn English through gossip. Hey Yao, do you know what day it is this Sunday? August 18th. Is it your birthday? Hell no! It's the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. So you know, the Chinese Ghost Festival. The gates of the underworld open and the spirits of the dead visit the living. Yeah, I know. Because usually on that day, my family don't allow me to go outside, you know. They say stay at home. So why you mention this? Because it is coming and I think it's a good topic to talk about. Wait, but do you think our audience will get scared or tuned out? They might get a little spooked. But let's see if we can keep them hooked. Yeah, why not, right? That sounds a bit fun and we never talk about this kind of topics before. Yeah, so be ready, everybody. Be ready for the ghost stories. Yeah, we have a lot to share. Yeah, so the Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival.道教叫中元节, 然后佛教是叫盂兰盆节。 嗯,就是我们广东人用粤语来说的盂兰节。 Yes, and it is a time when people go to great lengths to appease the spirits. It's quite a sight. Have you ever seen anything about it? Yes, of course. Even in my family, on that day, we will burn the joss paper.就会烧那些纸。How about yours? Yeah, just like the fake banknotes, sometimes called hell money.就是冥币的假钞。通常面值都比较高。 对,都是以亿为单位的。很大一张。 对,好多个零。And also, we burn cutouts of cars, televisions, watches and even houses in a metal bin or a heap. 就是我们除了冥币之外, 也会烧一些像车啊、电视机啊、手机、手表。 甚至一个房子都会烧。 那可能会在一个金属的篮子里面, 也可能就直接在地上烧。 我们好像那个盆的话, 好像叫聚宝盆是吧? 对。就是我们会烧在那个聚宝盆里面, 然后现在的话, 随着时代的发展的话, 除了刚才你提到那些, 还有非常多新型的东西。所以这也是为我们的那些先人们送去一些祝福还有送去一些关爱。 是啊。 So it's actually like sending care packages to the afterlife, just like what you said. People also offer special food at altars and burn incense in homes, shops and even on the streets.就是其实我们也会供奉一些食物嘛, 在家里、商店里甚至在街道上,到那一天, 你可能都会看到很多人在那里烧香、烧纸。 对的。 So are there any traditions at your home? Like anything that you need to pay attention to?