St. Swithin’s Day / 圣斯威辛节

St. Swithin’s Day, 15th July, is a special day in the U.K.

圣斯威辛节，7月15号，在英国是一个特别的日子。

Swithin was a man born on or around the year 800.

斯威辛是个大约在800年左右出生的男人。

He was a religious man who became the Bishop of Winchester.

他是一位宗教人士，后来成为温彻斯特的主教。

Winchester is a city in the South East of England.

温彻斯特是英格兰东南部的一个城市。

Unlike previous bishops, he asked that he be buried outside and not inside the Winchester Cathedral.

跟以前的主教不同，他请求埋葬在外面，而不是在温彻斯特大教堂里。

He only wanted a simple tomb outside the cathedral where the rain from heaven can fall upon his grave.

他只想要一个简单的坟墓，放在大教堂外面，让天上的雨水洒在他的坟墓上。

Although the church authorities initially granted his request, sometime later his body was later moved inside the cathedral.

虽然教会当局最初批准了他的请求，但过了一段时间，他的尸体被移到了大教堂里面。

A legend says that immediately after his remains were move inside there was a great storm which lasted for many weeks.

传说在他的遗体被移入后，立刻就发生了一场持续了数周的大风暴。

The day that Swithin’s remains were moved inside the cathedral is now known as St. Swithin’s day.

斯威辛遗体被移入大教堂的那一天现在被圣称为斯威辛节。

Sometime after this storm, an old poem written about this incident states:

在这场风暴之后不久，有首关于这个事件的古老诗歌说：

St. Swithin’s Day, if it does rain

Full forty days, it will remain.

St. Swithin’s Day, if it be fair

For forty days, t’will rain no more.

If it rains on St. Swithin’s Day, then the rain will continue for forty days.

如果圣斯威辛节下雨，那么雨就会持续四十天。

However, if it doesn’t rain on St. Swithin’s day, then it will not rain for forty days.

不过，如果圣斯威辛节不下雨，那就会连续四十天不下雨。

Although this is an interesting legend, British people do not take this prediction seriously.

虽然这是个有趣的传说，但英国人并不太当回事这项预测。

Since official weather began in 1861, there has not been any instance of forty continuously dry days or forty continuously rainy days following St. Swithin’s Day.

自从1861年正式记录天气以来，圣斯威辛节之后没有出现过连续四十天干燥或连续四十天下雨的情况。