Graduation Traditions Around the World
世界各国的毕业典礼传统
译/赵婧雯
审订/肖维青
While hearing “Pomp & Circumstance1” is traditional for graduation ceremonies in the U.S, that’s often not the case in other countries. Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting high school and university graduation traditions around the world.
美国传统的毕业典礼上会播放《威风凛凛进行曲》，而其他国家的传统则往往有所不同。让我们来看看世界各国的高中与大学毕业典礼有哪些更有趣的传统吧！
Japan
日本
Celebrations for high school level graduation include singing by the graduating students and coordinated marching.
高中毕业典礼的庆祝活动有毕业生唱歌和列队行进。
The ceremony usually lasts about an hour and takes place during the week; younger students continue with school the very next day.
毕业典礼一般在工作日举行，持续一小时左右；低年级的学生第二天继续上课。
Students wear their school uniforms rather than caps and gowns.
毕业生不穿戴方帽长袍，而是身穿校服。
Ceremonies usually take place in March, just before the beginning of a new school year.
毕业典礼通常在三月举行，刚好就在新学年开始之前。
Philippines
菲律宾
At many high schools, as graduates exit the stage, they are adorned with a lei.
在许多高中，毕业生在走下台之际会戴上花环。
Ceremonies usually take place in March or April.
毕业典礼通常在三月或四月举行。
Graduation ceremonies are common for lower educational levels, including elementary school.
毕业典礼在中小学教育阶段很常见。
Standard attire, according to recent trends, includes graduation gowns and mortarboards2. Students are encouraged to wear only their school uniforms under their gowns.
根据最近的流行趋势，标准着装是学位袍和学位帽。学校鼓励学生在学位袍里面只穿校服。
Sweden
瑞典
High school students wearing seacaptain-style hats meet at school. They begin singing and chanting as they make their way out of the school as a group.
高中毕业生会戴着船长式的帽子来到学校。他们成群结队离开学校时，开始唱歌和吟诵。
Outside of the school, their families are gathered, holding signs for each student, often with gigantic, embarrassing childhood pictures of the graduates. Family and friends present the graduates with small gifts tied to ribbon and place the ribbons around the graduates’ necks.
毕业生的家人聚集在学校外面，为每位学生举一块牌子，这些牌子上通常会贴着一张巨大的学生童年囧照。家人和朋友会给毕业生送上系着丝带的小礼物，再把丝带套在毕业生的脖子上。
The graduates then pile into pickup truck beds and parade floats, driving around town, waving and celebrating the day with the community.
然后，毕业生挤进皮卡车斗和游行花车里，绕着镇子游行。他们挥手致意，与社区的居民共同庆祝这一天。
Argentina
阿根廷
New grads in Argentina are pelted3 with ketchup, syrup and other sticky foods – basically anything that can be thrown at them.
在阿根廷，人们会往毕业生身上扔各种黏糊糊的东西，比如番茄酱和糖浆——基本上只要是能往他们身上扔的就行。
Germany
德国
Elaborate ceremonies are unusual at any level, and high-school-level students are required to take a final exam, Abitur4, which is increasingly needed not only for university admission but for apprenticeships.
在学校教育的任何阶段精心安排的毕业典礼都不常见。高中生要参加毕业考试，越来越多的大学入学和实习岗位都要求学生参加高中毕业考试。
China
中国
College graduates in China are subject to few established traditions, and today’s graduates are mostly allowed to celebrate as they wish.
中国的大学毕业几乎并不遵循固定的传统，现在的毕业生大都是随心所欲地庆祝。
In recent years, that’s included female grads eschewing5 graduation gowns and caps and opting for rented wedding dresses.
近年来，有些女毕业生选择不穿学位袍，不戴学位帽，而是去租婚纱穿。
Parents typically don’t attend graduation ceremonies, so the day is more about celebrating with classmates.
父母一般不会参加毕业典礼，所以毕业生在这一天更多地是和同学一起庆祝。
Norway
挪威
Norwegian high school students spend roughly the last month of their last school year partying with their friends. The russefeiring6 sees students don colored overalls and hop on buses or vans with their friends. It’s not just a month of drinking, as groups of students compete against each other for such superlatives as “best sound system” and “bus of the year.”
挪威高中生在最后一学年的最后一个月里差不多都是与朋友开派对庆祝。在拉斯节期间，他们穿上彩色工装，和朋友一起跳上大巴或货车。这一个月里，他们不仅一同饮酒庆祝，而且还为赢得“最佳音响系统”和“年度最佳大巴”等这类顶级殊荣而角逐。
（译者单位：上海外国语大学）
注释：
1. 又译作《威风堂堂进行曲》。
2. mortarboard 学位帽。
3. pelt 向……投掷。
4. 德语词汇，指“高中毕业考试”。
5. eschew 避开，避免。
6. 拉斯节，庆祝活动从4月20日左右开始，持续至5月17日。