First, imagine yourself, along with thousands of others, running for your life towards a bullring 852 meters ahead! You hear the heavy breath of 600-kilogram bulls running alongside you and feel their raw power and strange beauty. You are part of a noisy crowd, experiencing something that is more like a dream than reality.

　　Although all this might seem like a scene from a Hollywood action movie, it's not. It describes1 what has become known"as the running of the bulls,"the most famous part of the Spanish festival known as San Fermin.

　　Held every July for nine days in the ancient city of Pamplona, the San Fermin Festival draws hundreds of thousands to what is considered2"the biggest party in Europe."Yet the origins3 of this popular festival reflect4 ancient and local traditions. As such, the festival is a celebration of Spain's nine-century-old obsession5 with bullfighting and death itself.




燃烧的生命：西班牙奔牛节上的狂欢
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　　首先，想像一下你跟着数以千计的人，奔向前方852米外的斗牛场！重达600公斤的公牛在你身旁奔驰，你可以听到它们浓重的鼻息，感受到它们的蛮力与奇特的美。你置身于嘈杂的人群之中，体验到某种更像是梦境，而非现实中的场景。

　　虽然，这可能像是一部好莱坞动作片，但事实却并非如此。以上的描述是著名的"奔牛"，是被称为"圣佛明"的西班牙庆典中最著名的活动。

　　每年7月连续9天，在旁普罗纳这座古城，圣佛明节吸引了上万人来此，参与这被认为是"欧洲最大聚会"的庆典。不过这广受欢迎的节日却反映出当地古老的传统。其实，这个节日也是庆祝西班牙9个世纪以来对斗牛和死亡的着迷。