By Rera Kobo

The great Amazon River that cuts through Brazil. Seven hundred and fifty miles upstream from the mouth of the river sits the town of Parintins. It is home to 70，000 people. Each year， at the end of June， this small town hosts the Boi Bumba Festival.

Cattle breeding is the economic backbone of the town. Over 120，000 cows fill the surrounding countryside. In fact， the “boi” of Boi Bumba means“Ox.” The festival is held to celebrate the story of an ox that was 1）resurrected from the dead.

The popularity of the Boi Bumba Festival took off with the creation of this 40，000-seat stadium. It was built in 1988 especially for Boi Bumba with regional government funding. Local rivalries were transformed into a battle of giant festival floats. Teams of red and blue were formed， each spending a year to create their floats. The festival spans three days. Close to 30 floats are put on show. A panel of judges determines a winner based on presentation and performance.

The town of Parintins is divided between east and west from the church in the center of town. On the east side of town， even the traffic signs are blue. Blue homes line the streets. The telephone poles and phone booths are blue. This is home to many of the members of the blue team. Crossing over to the west side of town， the streets are lined with red houses. This is home to the members of the red team. The red team is not short of dedicated fans either.

June 27th， the day before the festival， streams of tourists arrive in town. Theyve come from all over Brazil. The 3-day festival， with its spectacular floats and feverish dance performances， is growing in popularity every year. What was once a small local event has now become a huge festival 2）encompassing all the towns in the region.

June 28th， 9 oclock， at last the festival begins. It starts with the arrival of the ox， the symbol of the festival. Forty thousand spectators pack the stands. Thirty thousand more， who couldnt get a seat， will watch on screens placed outside the stadium.

Day 2. The blue teams largest float of the festival dominates the stage. The 3）shaman stands on the top of the eagle. The 4）cobra and the 5）jaguar， 6）incarnations of the Indio， come to life spitting fire.

The final day of Boi Bumba， 9 oclock， the third day of the festival begins. This is the red teams largest float， the House of Flutes. Figures of young Indio boys playing flutes take the stage. The coming of age ceremony begins with the sacred flutes. The Goddess of the Forest， who watches over the youth， appears riding on a butterfly. The boy is beaten by the other youths of the tribe. If he can 7）withstand the pain， he will be considered an adult. When the ceremony ends， the Goddess of the Forest gives him a drink to help him recover. The water fairies and fish of the Amazon River appear. Its the float to honour the water goddess. The performers re-enact the lives of the Indio people， who have lived on the banks of the river for centuries. The Indio believe deeply in the goddess and see the river as the source of all life.

This is the final float of this years festival， the House of the Future. The Indio house slowly opens. The house of the future appears. It is a home for all peoples of the world. Finally it is transformed into the shape of the Earth. This is an appeal for a peaceful world where all peoples can live in harmony.

The 3-day festival draws to a close. In the stadium the following morning， the results of the competition are revealed. The total points awarded by the judges are broadcast to the spectators. They start with the points for each category. Finally， the grand total. Its a tie！ In the 35-year history of the battle of red and blue， this has never happened. Both teams celebrate victory. The giant festival floats are filled with the pride and passion of the people of the Amazon.

這是浩浩蕩蕩穿過巴西的亞馬遜河，在河口上游750英里處（約1200公里），有一座帕林廷斯鎮(zhèn)，鎮(zhèn)上人口七萬。在每年的六月底，這座小鎮(zhèn)會舉行彭帕牛節(jié)。

養(yǎng)牛業(yè)是該鎮(zhèn)的經(jīng)濟(jì)支柱，在小鎮(zhèn)周圍的鄉(xiāng)野有超過十二萬頭牛。事實(shí)上，“彭帕”（Boi Bumba）的“彭”（boi）指的就是牛。這個節(jié)日就是為了慶祝一頭牛死而復(fù)生的傳說設(shè)立的。

隨著這座有四萬個座位的體育館落成，彭帕牛節(jié)變得大受歡迎。這座體育館在1988年由當(dāng)?shù)卣鲑Y，是專門為彭帕牛節(jié)建造的。如此一來，小鎮(zhèn)里的競爭演變成了節(jié)日大花車的對抗。比賽的隊(duì)伍分成了紅隊(duì)和藍(lán)隊(duì)，每一隊(duì)都會花一整年的時間來制作自己的花車。彭帕牛節(jié)歷時三天，共展出近三十輛花車，評委組將根據(jù)各隊(duì)花車的外觀和表演，決定哪隊(duì)是獲勝者。

帕林廷斯鎮(zhèn)從鎮(zhèn)中心的教堂處劃分成東西兩邊。在東邊，甚至連交通指示牌也是藍(lán)色的。沿街都是涂成了藍(lán)色的房子，電話線桿和電話亭都是藍(lán)色的。這里是眾多藍(lán)隊(duì)隊(duì)員的家園。在小鎮(zhèn)的西邊，街道上分布著紅房子，這里是紅隊(duì)隊(duì)員的家，紅隊(duì)也不缺熱情的粉絲。

6月27日是節(jié)日開始的前一天，大批來自巴西各地的游客來到這個小鎮(zhèn)。這個持續(xù)三天的節(jié)日會展示非常壯觀的花車，還有激昂狂熱的舞蹈表演，正一年比一年受歡迎。它以前只不過是一個小型的地方慶典，現(xiàn)在已變成了一個大型節(jié)日，風(fēng)靡了這個地區(qū)的所有城鎮(zhèn)。

6月28日晚上九點(diǎn)，彭帕牛節(jié)的慶?；顒咏K于開始了。首先出場的是一頭象征著這個節(jié)日的牛。四萬名觀眾坐滿了看臺，另外占不到位置的三萬多人在場外看大屏幕。

第二天，藍(lán)隊(duì)最大的節(jié)日花車占據(jù)了整個舞臺，薩滿站在鷹花車的頭頂，土著印地安人化身的眼鏡蛇花車和美洲虎花車噴著火焰，活靈活現(xiàn)，非常逼真。

第三天，也就是節(jié)日最后一天，活動在晚上九點(diǎn)開始了。這是紅隊(duì)最大的花車“長笛之屋”。一群土著印地安男孩吹著長笛的塑像出現(xiàn)在舞臺上。成人禮隨著神圣的長笛聲開始了，守護(hù)這名少年的森林女神騎在一只蝴蝶上現(xiàn)身了。這位少年被部落里的其他少年鞭打。如果他能承受疼痛，就會被認(rèn)可為一名成人。在儀式結(jié)束時，森林女神給了他一瓶藥水，幫助他恢復(fù)身體。亞馬遜河的水精靈和魚神也出現(xiàn)了，這輛花車正是向水之女神致意的。表演者再現(xiàn)土著印地安人的生活，他們已經(jīng)在這條河的河岸上生活了好幾個世紀(jì)。土著印地安人非常相信這水之女神，把亞馬遜河視為所有生命的源泉。

這是今年節(jié)日表演的最后一輛花車——未來之屋。這座土著印地安人的房子正緩慢地開啟，未來之屋出現(xiàn)了。它是全世界人們的家園，最后未來之屋變成了地球的形狀。它呼吁世界和平，希望全世界人民都能和平共處。

持續(xù)了三天的節(jié)日已經(jīng)接近尾聲了，接下來的次日上午將在體育館里揭曉這次比賽的結(jié)果。評委的評分正通過廣播向觀眾宣布，從每個分類的分?jǐn)?shù)開始播報，然后是最后總分。兩隊(duì)的比分相同！在紅藍(lán)兩隊(duì)對抗的35年歷史中，從來沒有出現(xiàn)過這種情況。兩支隊(duì)伍都在慶祝自己的勝利。巨大的節(jié)日花車?yán)锍錆M著亞馬遜人的驕傲和熱情。翻譯：丁一