多大年龄就不可以玩“不给糖就捣蛋”了?

多大年龄就不可以玩“不给糖就捣蛋”了?

I think I was in about seventh grade when my friends and I decided we were too old to go trick-or-treating. Newly minted teenagers, we decided to have a Halloween party instead. So we decorated someone's basement with black streamers, played creepy music and told ghost stories until we got bored, which was relatively quickly.

我想我大概在七年级的时候，我和我的朋友们决定我们长大了，不能玩“不给糖就捣蛋”的游戏了。我们决定举办一个万圣节派对。所以我们用黑色的饰带装饰某人的地下室，播放恐怖的音乐，讲鬼故事，直到我们觉得无聊为止，这相对来说比较快。

Deciding we weren't too old after all, we hit the streets and got a stash of candy instead. We realized everyone is the right age for free candy.

我们觉得自己还不算太老，于是上街买了一堆糖果。我们意识到每个人都是免费糖果的合适年龄。

Some etiquette experts say the age shouldn't matter as long as the trick-or-treater is polite. (Photo: SeventyFour/Shutterstock)

But it's a question that often comes up this time of year as people prepare to hand out goodies and the kids come knocking. At what age should the "big kids" stop ringing doorbells?

但这个问题在每年的这个时候经常出现，因为人们准备分发糖果，而孩子们会来敲门。“大孩子”应该在什么年龄停止按门铃?

Recently, the city of Chesapeake, Virginia, made headlines for a law that says anyone over the age of 14 who goes trick-or-treating could be guilty of a possible Class 4 misdemeanor, which could include up to a $250 fine. Anyone who trick or treats after 8 p.m. also could be guilty of the same crime.

最近，弗吉尼亚州的切萨皮克市因为一项法律而成为头条新闻，该法律规定，任何14岁以上的人玩“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏都有可能触犯4级轻罪，其中可能包括高达250美元的罚款。任何在晚上8点以后恶作剧或款待的人也可能犯同样的罪。

As CNN points out, the ordinance is actually nothing new. It's been in effect since 1970, but back then it said kids over 12 who were out asking for candy on Halloween could face jail time.

正如美国有线电视新闻网所指出的，该法令实际上并不是什么新鲜事。该法案自1970年起生效，但当时规定，12岁以上的孩子在万圣节索要糖果将面临牢狱之灾。

The city drew national scrutiny for putting an age limit on Halloween fun. Although city administrators were quick to point out that the law was never enforced and was created after a violent Halloween night in a nearby city, it was put in place to give police an option if needed. They explained with a note online:

由于对万圣节的乐趣设置了年龄限制，该市受到了全国的关注。尽管市政官员很快指出，这项法律从未实施过，是在附近一个城市的万圣节暴力夜之后制定的，但它的实施是为了让警察在需要的时候有一个选择。他们在网上解释道:

While we appreciate all of the concern and attention we received from around the country last year, we’d like to assure everyone that, in fact, we do NOT arrest teens for trick-or-treating and never have ... The City of Chesapeake wishes everyone a safe, fun, and candy-filled Halloween!

虽然我们感谢去年全国各地对我们的关心和关注，但我们想向大家保证，事实上，我们不会以“不给糖就捣蛋”的名义逮捕青少年，我们也从来没有……切萨皮克市祝愿每个人有一个安全、有趣、充满糖果的万圣节!

Chesapeake isn't the only town making headlines for Halloween rules. A town in New Brunswick, Canada, forbids kids older than 16 from trick-or-treating. The Bathurst law was amended in recent years; previously, the cut-off age for Halloween was 14.

切萨皮克并不是唯一一个因万圣节规则而成为头条新闻的城镇。加拿大新不伦瑞克的一个小镇禁止16岁以上的孩子玩“不给糖就捣蛋”的游戏。巴瑟斯特法近年来进行了修订;此前，万圣节的法定年龄是14岁。

Which side are you on?

你站在哪一边?

Older kids should be polite and choose a costume that isn't too scary, experts suggest. (Photo: SeventyFour/Shutterstock)

Some people aren't pleased when the big kids come to the door, especially when they're in scary costumes or rude. Others think they'd rather have them going door-to-door than causing other kinds of mischief.

有些人不喜欢大孩子来敲门，特别是当他们穿着可怕或粗鲁的服装时候。另一些人则认为，他们宁愿让孩子们挨家挨户地敲门，也不愿让孩子们干其他的坏事。

In an ongoing unofficial Today poll, 42% of voters said kids are never too old to trick or treat, while 21% said age 15-16 is the cut-off point and 17% said age 17-18 is the right time to stop. A poll by FiveThirtyEight found most people think kids should stop trick-or-treating somewhere between ages of 12 and 15.

在今日进行的一项非官方民意调查中，42%的选民说孩子们永远不会大到不给糖就捣蛋的年龄，21%的人说15-16岁是临界点，17%的人说17-18岁是停止这种行为的正确年龄。FiveThirtyEight的一项民意调查发现，大多数人认为孩子应该在12到15岁之间停止玩“不给糖就捣蛋”的游戏。

Many parents and candy-givers often have strong opinions on the subject, and it might just be whether you have kids or how well-behaved the older kids are when they come to your house.

很多父母和送糖果的人在这个问题上往往有很强的观点，可能只是你是否有孩子，或者大一点的孩子来你家时表现如何。

"If a 17-year-old wants to dress up with their friends and trade candy at the end of the night, I think that's great," etiquette expert Catherine Newman of Real Simple magazine, told Today. "Little kids die of happiness when they see big kids dressed up. It validates their excitement."

《Real Simple》杂志礼仪专家凯瑟琳·纽曼在接受《今日》采访时说:“如果一个17岁的孩子想要和朋友一起盛装打扮，并在晚上交换糖果，我觉得这很好。”“当看到大孩子们盛装打扮时，小孩子们高兴得要死。这证明了他们的兴奋。”

Newman suggests that older kids be polite, don't ring the doorbell too late, and don't dress up in a costume that's very scary because they'll be sharing the streets with little ones.

纽曼建议年龄较大的孩子要有礼貌，不要太晚按门铃，也不要穿特别吓人的服装，因为他们会和小孩一起在街上玩耍。

"The big concerns I have are that younger kids get priority," Lizzie Post, etiquette expert and co-president at the Emily Post Institute, tells Time. "You want to make sure younger kids are getting the chance and the opportunity, but I don't want to discourage teens from enjoying this as long they’re behaving well."

“我最担心的是年幼的孩子会被优先考虑，”礼仪专家、艾米莉·波斯特学院(Emily Post Institute)联合主席莉齐·波斯特(Lizzie Post)告诉《时代》(Time)杂志。“你想确保更小的孩子得到机会和机会，但我不想阻止青少年享受这一切，只要他们表现良好。”