Ice, ice baby: Japanese men wearing onlypants and bandanas hug giant blocks of ice in a freezing pool to cleanse theirsouls

日本人只穿戴头巾和腰带，怀抱冰块，洁净灵魂

Hugging a giant block of ice may seem a bizarre way to bring good fortune toyour new year, but at least these men from Japan can console themselves withthe thought that it can't get much worse.

怀抱冰块带来新年的好运看起来或许有点奇怪，但是对于这些日本人来说他们认为这总不会坏到哪里去。

In in Tokyo yesterday around 100 peopletook part in the ancient Shinto festival of Kanchu Misogi,a winter purification ritual that is supposed to cleanse the body and soul andbring them closer to mystical spirits which they believe can bring them success.

在昨天的东京，大约有100人参加了日本神道教的节日，这是一种冬季的灵魂净化仪式，用以净化自己的身体和心灵，让自己更加亲近他们认为能给他们带来成功的神秘圣灵。

In temperatures of just 40F (6C) these men stripped down to loincloths andheadbands before taking a dip in the freezing water of the pool at TeppozuInari Shinto shrine while crouching down in order to pray.

在气温达到6度的天气下，这些男人只戴腰布和头巾，然后沉浸在Teppozu Inari神道庙冰冷的池水中以示祈祷。

The ritual is celebrated across Japan and usually involved participants washingthemselves with cold water, but can also involve being covered in snow.

这种仪式全日本都有，通常是这些参加者用冷水洗自己的身体，有的还覆盖在雪中。

Shinto is less of a religion and more of away of life, and followers perform many rituals designed to please kame -meaning spirits or powers. This particular shrine is dedicated to Inari, one ofthe most important kame who brings success, prosperity andfertility.

日本神道教更多的是一种生活方式，而非宗教，追随者通过这些仪式来取悦kame——意思是圣灵或者力量。这个特殊的神殿是为Inari而建的，他是最重要的kame之一，可以带来成功，繁荣和生育。

Despite their obvious suffering in these pictures, followers of Shinto believethat the spirits want humans to be happy and are willing to help them if theyare treated correctly.

虽然照片中的人看起来被冻得受不了了，但他们认为圣灵想让人类幸福，并且如果圣灵被正确对待的话，圣灵就愿意帮助他们。

Shinto has no God or Gods, no founder, no central commandments and allowspeople to follow other religions. Instead it teaches ethical principles and a love of oneself.

日本神道教没有上帝也没有神灵，也没有创建者和戒律，它允许追随者信仰其他宗教。相反，它教授道德原则和自爱。

Shinto, which translates as 'way of thespirits', is intricately linked with the geography of Japan, and so is rarelypracticed outside of the country.

Shinto（日本神道教）可以翻译成“精神的方式”，与日本存在紧密的关系，其他国家几乎没有这种传统。

Purity is at the heart of Shinto'sunderstanding of good and evil. Pollution - tsumi - can be physical, moral orspiritual.

纯净是日本神道教善恶观念的核心。而污染（tsumi）可是是身体上的，道德上的或者精神上的。

Tsumi means much the same as the English word 'sin', but it differs from sin inthat it includes things which are beyond the control of individual human beingsand are thought of as being caused by evil spirits.

Tsumi相当于英文中的'sin'（罪孽），但与sin又有所不同，因为Tsumi还包含着超脱于个人控制之外的事物，而且这些事物是恶灵所引发的。

In ancient Shinto, tsumi also includeddisease, disaster and error. Anything connected with death or the dead isconsidered particularly polluting.

在古代日本神道教中，tsumi还包含了疾病，灾难以及过失。任何与死亡和死人相关的事物都被认为是受到污染的。

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JackSprat, London, 10 hours ago

Ah so. Very strange, the Japanese.

日本人就是奇怪。

stuckinazoo,bucks., United Kingdom, 10 hours ago

They look like sumo wrestlers who've beenon a crash diet.

他们看起来像节食中的相扑运动员啊。

McIver3,San Diego, 9 hours ago

Notice not one fat slob in the lot.Japanese people are some of the healthiest in the world!

里面没有一人是肥胖的。日本人是世界上最健康的人类之一。

Cantwait for, world war three, 5 hours ago

are you kidding? most of them are pudgy anduntoned

你是在开玩笑吧，他们中的好多人都是那么的矮胖啊。

英国网友评论：日本人只穿戴头巾和腰带，怀抱冰块，洁净灵魂