日本舉辦"嬰兒啼哭大賽"

Japan's traditional Nakizumo, or crying sumo, festival took place Sunday as babies competed to bawl the loudest in the arms of sumo wrestlers as a prayer to the gods for good health.

Parents pray at the annual event at the Sensoji temple in the Tokyo district of Asakusa for their children to grow up in good health as young sumo wrestlers hold their babies high in pairs so that their cries are closer to heaven.

The baby with the loudest howls is declared the winner by the sumo judge.

The babies' cries during the 400-year-old festival, which is celebrated across Japan, are supposed to drive away evil spirits.

The festival does not always pass off as the parents and adults expect, with some babies refusing to cry on the open-air stage at the Asakusa temple.

The judge repeats "nake, nake (cry, cry)" into the microphone, while the sturdy sumo wrestlers attempt to evoke tears with deep growls and wild grimaces.

To the amusement of the crowds, some of the babies start to laugh, while others remain completely silent.

日本傳統的“嬰兒啼哭大賽”於上週日舉行，參賽嬰兒在相撲手的懷中比賽啼哭，以向神靈祈求健康。

這項一年一度的比賽在日本東京淺草區的淺草寺外舉行，家長們帶孩子前來參賽的目的就是爲了祈求孩子能夠健康成長。參賽的嬰兒們兩個一組進行“PK”，年輕的相撲手把他們高高地舉起來，這樣他們的哭聲離天上的神靈能更近些。

哭聲最響亮的嬰兒被評委宣佈爲比賽冠軍。

日本的“嬰兒啼哭大賽”已有四百年曆史，每年在全國各地都會舉行。人們認爲，孩子的啼哭聲能夠驅走妖魔鬼怪。

當天的比賽在淺草寺外的露天舞臺舉行，但比賽過程總是不能如家長和大人們所期待的那麼順利，這主要是因爲有些寶寶“拒絕”哭泣。

評委對着話筒不停地說“哭一個，哭一個” ，與此同時，強壯的相撲手也試圖通過大聲吼叫和扮恐怖的鬼臉把孩子嚇哭。

可是有些孩子見狀竟然笑了起來，而有些孩子則仍然沒有任何動靜，這可把觀賽的人們給樂壞了。