1. As a Trick 恶作剧

The tradition of masked mischief in Venice began in the 11th century as part of the getup guaranteeing anonymity to boys, whose hobby it was to hurl eggs at young noblewomen. In and out of favor since then, Venetian masks were used to obscure the identity of those testifying in court or to enhance one’s outfit for a night on the town. In the 17th century, they were ruled decadent and relegated to Carnevale. Masks disappeared when Napoléon gave Venice to Austria—only to return in the mid-20th century with commedia dell’arte theater. Today, souvenirs like this gold-painted, triple-faced fright are sold all over Venice.
威尼斯戴面具的恶作剧传统始于11世纪，当时仅仅为了对付少年，他们的兴趣是向年轻的贵妇扔鸡蛋。从那以后，不管受不受欢迎，总之，威尼斯面具用来出堂作证或在城镇中晚上掩饰身份之用。到了17世纪，他们衰落了，仅限于狂欢节之用。当拿破仑把威尼斯赠与奥地利时面具就消失了—-20世纪中叶重返即兴戏剧剧院。今天，像这种镀金三个面孔吓人的纪念品在全威尼斯销售。

2. As a Tribal Tradition 部落传统
It’s the men who spend all day putting on their faces in the Huli tribe of Papua New Guinea. The vibrant reds, whites, and yellows—meant to mimic the colors of the bird of paradise, revered as a tribal ancestor—are achieved with a mix of ocher and mud. The men also grow their hair long, then chop it off to use in headdresses. Unlike the bird they emulate, they aren’t preening for courtship. The wigmen, as they’re known, pay for their wives in pigs and save the dress-up for a ritual dance celebrating clan pride.
巴布亚新几内亚胡利部落的男人整天带着面具。充满活力的红色，白色和黄色—模仿的是天堂鸟的颜色，其被视为部落的祖先-再混以赭石和泥浆。他们还留长发，然后剪断做成头饰。但是，并不像他们模仿的鸟儿一样，他们并不梳理来求爱。胡利人，正如他们为人所知的，用猪来支付他们的妻子，而把这个打扮留到歌颂种族骄傲的仪式舞蹈上。

3. As a Remembrance 纪念
Morbid, gorgeous, or haunting, death masks were first created in ancient Egypt and remained popular as homages to public figures in 19th-century Europe. The one below captures the Romantic poet John Keats and was made from a clay impression taken after his 1821 death, at the age of 25. (The clay imprint was used as a model for the plaster mask.) For the poor and ailing poet, death was a common theme: My spirit is too weak—mortality/Weighs heavily on me like unwilling sleep. Today, his face, like his verse, lives on in the newly reopened Keats House in London.
不正常的，华丽的，或者给人以强烈感受的死亡面模最早出自于古埃及。时至今日，作为对19世纪欧洲伟大人物的敬意，其仍然广受欢迎。以下的图片中就是浪漫主义诗人约翰济慈，通过他1821年（年仅25岁）死亡时的粘土印迹。（粘土印迹作为石膏面具的模型而用。）对于穷困潦倒的诗人来说，死亡是个永恒的主题：我的灵魂太过虚弱—死亡/深重地压在我身上，就像无法抵挡的睡意。今天，他的脸，就像他的诗歌一样，仍然存放在伦敦重新开张的济慈纪念馆里。

4. As a Celebrity Replica名人复制品
Last Halloween, the top-selling mask was candidate Barack Obama. This year, retailers predict a major spike in Michael Jackson look-alikes. In fact, Ogawa Rubber in Japan started cranking out King of Pop likenesses just days after the singer’s death. Also expected to fly off the shelves: Transformers and Star Trek rubber pull-ons. Jason and Freddy, from Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, will also get plenty of face time, predicts mask retailer Greg Banta. But for trick-or-treating, at least, good still wins out over evil: When it comes to costumes, year after year, princesses are still the bestsellers.
上次万圣节，卖得最火的面具是总统候选人巴拉克奥巴马。今年，零售商普遍看好迈克尔杰克逊面具。事实上，一代流行音乐之王一过世，日本的“小川橡胶公司”就开始赶制迈克尔杰克逊面具。同时有望脱销的是：变形金刚和星际迷途橡胶面套。黑色星期五的Jason和猛鬼街的Freddy也会很热销，面具零售商Greg Banta预测。但是对于不给糖就捣蛋的恶作剧，至少，正义仍然力压邪恶：在服装方面，年复一年，公主仍然最畅销。