世界上最壯觀的森巴大賽於本月 22日在里約熱內盧的森巴大道（Sambadrome）展開，開幕重頭戲是穿著絢麗服裝的著名森巴學校遊行入場。里約熱內盧是嘉年華會的全球首都。20日晚上，當嘉年華之王莫摩被授予市鑰之時，這個巴西沿海城市的盛會正式展開。而森巴大賽更是活動高潮所在。

森巴大道表演，開場是沙克勒門特森巴學校，是來自較富裕的里約城南區唯一參加表演的學校。接著進場的 6個森巴學校中，有比較傳統的曼古艾拉和波特拉兩個學校，也有爭議性較大的葛蘭德里歐學校，他們今年的主題是「親愛的，用個保險套」。

結果，葛蘭德里歐學校的表演主題惹毛了天主教團體，這也讓指導老師 Joaosinho Trinta在比賽結束，得獎名單未公佈前，就遭到校方開除的處置。葛蘭德里歐學校發言人表示：「巴西是天主教國家，Joaosinho Trinta對性的看法，太超過了！」巴西是全世界最大的天主教國家，諷刺的是，巴西政府也正在推行「安全性行為」活動。

A Rio de Janeiro samba school on Wednesday sacked its Carnival artistic director whose pro-condom parade had upset the Catholic church and whose Kama Sutra float had been censored as too steamy even for Rio's annual Bacchanalia.

Academicos do Grande Rio school fired Joaosinho Trinta -- a popular but controversial Carnival figure -- just before the winner of this year's world-famous Carnival was named in an event that formally closed five days of pre-Lenten jamborees. Beija Flor (Humming Bird) won the crown among 14 top league samba schools for the second year running, while the judges, who evaluate the schools' sambas, costumes, creativity and all-round enthusiasm, gave Grande Rio a lowly 10th place.

"The conflict that Joaosinho Trinta developed with the church has affected the community. We are a Catholic country and he really exaggerated on sex," a Grande Rio spokesman said. Brazil is the world's biggest Roman Catholic country.

Trinta, 70, brought the theme "Let's Put On a Condom, My Love" to the Sambadrome parade avenue, center of the globally televised party. The Vatican is strictly opposed to the use of contraceptives.

Following a legal complaint by Rio's archbishop, a float with giant figures of Adam and Eve involved in a sexual act had to be partially covered with a cloth, while a float with Styrofoam statues depicting Kama Sutra sexual positions was wrapped in black plastic.

Although few things are banned in Rio's Carnival and practically nude dancers shake their hips in provocative samba moves galore, the use of religious images is prohibited in the festival considered "pagan" by the church.

Contacted by Reuters before Carnival, Trinta said the church's stance on condoms was "very hypocritical, medieval and very wrong," and added that the ancient Indian sex guide of Kama Sutra was science and not pornography.

Although Carnival ended officially on Ash Wednesday, at least one boisterous street procession will parade on Thursday in the city center, and six winning samba schools will deliver another magical show at the Sambadrome on Saturday night.

Heavy policing has kept Rio's notoriously high crime at moderate levels during Carnival, but some tourists were still mugged. In the most absurd case, two policemen robbed $5,000 from an Israeli tourist, but were identified and arrested.

擔心擦槍走火，

政府大發保險套

22日晚間，待市鑰授與嘉年華國王莫摩後，世界嘉年華之都里約熱內盧的各項慶祝活動於焉展開。這項封齋期之前的狂歡盛會，傳統上由一支1918年成立的銅管樂隊帶領成千上萬群眾揭開序幕，今年也不例外。當天晚上的重頭戲則是森巴大遊行。

不只里約，巴西東北部的奧林達和雷西夫、亞馬遜地區的瑪瑙斯，及拉丁美洲的大都會聖保羅市， 20日都舉行了森巴大遊行，連薩爾瓦多市也熱鬧滾滾。過去一個禮拜，整個拉丁美洲陷入了嘉年華瘋狂中。在鄰近加勒比海的千里達及托巴哥共和國，參加嘉年華的人們也戴上傳統面具，街頭巷尾宛如一場化妝舞會。

今年，巴西政府特地以「安全的性行為」做為整個嘉年華的主軸。巴西衛生部長寇斯塔說：「嘉年華期間大家肌膚相親，打扮又清涼性感，容易引發更為熱情如火的性愛關係。」事實上，早在 2月初，巴西政府就舉辦了發送1千萬個保險套的活動，希望能夠引起不相信保險套能防堵愛滋傳染的巴西人加以注意。在巴西，有1千4百萬的人口不相信保險套能防治愛滋的功能。然而，巴西政府的舉動，卻引發巴西天主教會的不滿。教會擔心，發送保險套易引發雜交。

Brazilians forgot their troubles on Sunday night as Rio de Janeiro's annual Carnival exploded into an extravaganza of flesh, fantasy and unrelenting drumming and dancing, as the parade of Samba schools lasted almost to dawn.

At least 70,000 people packed the Sambodromo, a wide avenue lined with viewing stands and bleachers, and millions more watched on television across the Latin American nation and the world as seven schools marched along the route for more than hour each, hoping to win the champion's crown.

Seven more will parade on Monday night.

Dancers in plumed headdresses and minuscule bikinis, or dressed up in elaborate costumes as insects, flowers, Arab sheiks or Roman Centurions, gyrated.

A political scandal that has the government on the defensive, endemic street violence and a host of other problems afflicting the country were swept aside as those who were not able to get seats for the main show joined beer-fueled street parties and parades throughout the famed seaside city.

In the Sambodromo, especially popular was the Aprichosos de Pilares school, which honored Xuxa, a beloved presenter of children's shows on television, and the controversial Academicos de Grande Rio, which promoted safe sex and condoms.

Each school has a theme which it develops in an allegorical performance, complete with fantastic floats.

"I just love Xuxa so much; she is a great woman, so I wanted to dance for her," said Talita, a dancer on a float as she stood glistening with sweat at the end of her parade. The 18-year-old law student from southern Santa Catarina state said it was her first time in the Carnival parade, but she would be back next year.

Xuxa herself arrived by helicopter to take her place as the school's queen atop a glittering float.

Each school has as many as 4,000 participants, marshaled by anxious looking officials, and includes a drum corps of at least 300 percussionists.

They are marked on a number of points, including music, costumes, their precision and their all-round enthusiasm.

The Grande Rio performance was eagerly awaited.

Designed by top "carnavalesco" or choreographer Joaosinho Trinta, it ran into criticism before Carnival from the Roman Catholic church because of its theme promoting condom use. Censors also objected to one its floats, which featured a huge model of a couple enjoying a tryst in a Kama Sutra position.

They were modestly covered with a gold cloth on the orders of authorities.

Some of the dancers were dressed in sadomasochistic gear, their performance leaving little to the imagination.

One of the most spectacular floats was that of Salgueira. Its theme was developing ethanol as an alternative fuel, but it was anything but boring. The float featured a complete go-cart track, with riders driving carts around it.

Sao Clemente, which opened the parade, had a float with a model of Uncle Sam with his trousers around his ankles and his genitals exposed -- a comment on strains between Brazil and the United States.

Among the dancers in Grande Rio was Keiko Lee, a Japanese woman who moved to Sao Paulo from the United States last year. Costumed as a yellow, gold and orange flower, she panted with fatigue at the end the parade but said it was thrilling.

The samba schools are based in local communities and function like social clubs, with members working all year round to plan their presentation, construct the floats and make the costumes. All have ranks of eager supporters, like soccer teams. In recent years, however, it has become popular for richer Brazilians and some foreigners to pay a fee of anything from $100 upwards to join the school for the parade.

油膩星期二 紐奧良也瘋狂

對美國南方路易西安那州紐奧良的居民而言，今年的 2月24日，是一年一度的Mardi Gras Day。曾為法國殖民地的紐奧良，至今仍深深帶有法國文化的色彩，而Mardi Gras Day正是其中一個重點。在法文裡頭，Mardi Gras其實是「油膩的星期二」（Fat Tuesday），它是大齋期開始的前一天，也就是狂歡節的最後一天。每年到了復活節的前47天，紐奧良當地居民就會大肆慶祝，並用紫色、綠色和金色這3種傳統色彩裝扮整個嘉年華；其中，金色代表權力、綠色代表信仰、紫色代表正義。

在紐奧良 Mardi Gras慶典期間，舉行了各種大小的舞會和花車遊行，在花車上的人會向群眾撒彩色珠鍊、彩色錢幣和許多小的紀念品，尤其是站在紐奧良的法語區（French Quarter），更能感受這個嘉年華的氣氛。在各種酒吧林立的法語區，經常有許多醉眼迷濛的人，為了得到最多的珠鍊，會當眾脫衣。當然，也會有那種想要一飽眼福的人，要求身旁的狂歡者「露點」看看，此時，只要你大聲說出「Flash」這個單字，多半可以得到回應。不過，既然對方願意配合露點演出，你也要準備珠鍊做為「回禮」才行。這可以算是當地某種風俗吧！

只是，肉慾再加上酒精所營造出來的氣氛，也使得紐奧良警方不敢大意，深怕 Mardi Gras嘉年華陷入失控的局面。今年Mardi Gras嘉年華正因為有年輕女性從高處摔下致死，而使街頭氣氛降溫不少。

談到大吃大喝的 Mardi Gras嘉年華，就不能不提一種特別的應景食物，那就是類似肉桂捲的麵包「國王糕」?唻 Kings Cake?啀。紐奧良的居民為選出隔年要負責提供這項糕點的人，會把國王糕圍成圓形排在烤盤上，弄成有點像皇冠的形狀，並在完成的糕點上裝飾彩色糖霜，其中，會特地在一個國王糕裡頭包上一小小的人形，吃到的人就得負責來年的國王糕派對啦！

Mild temperatures and clear skies brought revelers out in droves Tuesday for the city's annual spectacle of decadence and alcohol-fueled debauchery — Mardi Gras.

Clarinetist Pete Fountain kicked off the stream of Fat Tuesday parades with his annual "Half-Fast Walking Club," which stopped frequently at watering holes along the way to the French Quarter. Actor John Goodman came along.

Revelers marching or riding on floats in other parades soon showered the crowds with beads, cups and doubloons. Some lucky spectators caught one coveted Carnival throw — the hand-painted coconuts offered annually by Zulu, the city's only predominately black carnival club.

Rex, the King of Carnival, followed with more elaborate single-and-double-decker floats and regally-themed throws. Rex stood before city officials who gathered in the downtown reviewing stands and declared a day of rest and celebration.

In true New Orleans style, inhibitions worn down by five straight days of partying lent the crowds a decidedly risqu aura. Clothes were scant as many opted for adventurous costumes of leather, feather boas or simply body paint. Many indulged in the more recent tradition of baring flesh for beads and other thrown booty.

In contrast, a more family-friendly environment reigned along the uptown and suburban parade routes, where spectators barbecued and children perched atop ladders shouted, "Throw me something mister!" at passing floats. Their parents filled duffel bags with spears, Frisbees and other parade loot.

ELABORATE PARADES

Carnival celebrations traditionally begin on Twelfth Night, Jan. 6, and continue through Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday," the last day before the Christian season of Lent begins.

In the weeks leading to the final Tuesday blowout, Carnival clubs or "krewes" hold increasingly elaborate parades, many featuring celebrity riders. This year, actor Jason Alexander reigned as king of Endymion, while actor Nicholas Cage held court as king of Bacchus, one of the city's largest krewes.

The five days leading up to Mardi Gras are a major economic engine for New Orleans, reeling in an estimated $1 billion. Some one million visitors were expected for the long Mardi Gras weekend this year, but the hotel industry expects an overall decline in occupancy when receipts are tallied. The rescheduled NFL Super Bowl, which was held on Feb. 3, cut into parade schedules.