大象和泰国人民生活紧密相连。它们不但是工作能手,而且也是出色的杂技演员和竞赛选手。各种丰富多彩、惊险有趣的象戏更是泰国人民文化娱乐生活中不可缺少的节目。 在每年11月份的下旬,在素辇都要举行盛大的赛象会。赛象场的观众人山人海,市民们都穿着节日的盛装,热闹非常。这种赛象会事实上已成为泰国素辇的一个节日。由省长宣布开幕后,大队的象群就浩浩荡荡走入场中,其中有出生不久的象崽,也有傲然阔步的老象。 象群过后便是火箭舞。在一个巨型火箭的模型前,一百多个穿着艳丽服装的青年男女婆娑曼舞。人们用这种舞蹈歌唱来象征火箭临空,天上降雨,五谷丰登。 紧接着火箭舞后,表演捕捉野象。先由捕象人的妻子举行宗教仪式,为她丈夫祈求平安,因为捕象是极其危险,经常使捕象人丧命的事情。 当一群未经驯化的大象冲入广场时,观众群情激昂,一场殊死的搏斗就要开始。随之就有一群驯象浩浩荡荡地开进广场,每头驯象背上坐着两个人,一人专司驾驭,一人用绳围套野象的后腿。野象东闪西躲,千方百计避开圈套,有时发怒,回身反击,凶恶异常,这时捕象人就靠自己驾驭的驯象的保护了。待野象全部被套上圈套后,捕象人已累得满头大汗了,精疲力竭了。 Elephants and Thai people’s lives are closely linked. They are not only working maneuvers, but also excellent acrobats and contestants. A variety of colorful, breathtaking and interesting elephant play is an indispensable program in Thai people’s cultural and entertainment life. In late November of each year, there is a grand contest in Sule. As spectators race spectators crowded, the public are dressed in festival costumes, very lively. Such a race will in fact have become a festival in Thailand. After the governor announced the opening of the elephant group on the brigade on the mighty field, including the soon-to-be-born cubs, but also proudly striding elephants. After the elephant group is the rocket dance. In front of a giant rocket model, more than a hundred young men and women dressed in fancy costumes dance. People use this dance song to symbolize the rocket sky, rain in the sky, bumper harvest. Immediately after the rocket dance, performance catches wild elephants. Religious ceremonies were first held by the captive’s wife to pray for peace to her husband, because the imagery is extremely dangerous and often leads to the death of the seeker. When a group of uninformed elephants rushed into the square, the audience was so passionate that a desperate fight was about to begin. Followed by a group of majestic mighty into the square, each head tame two people sitting on the back, one specializes in control, one with rope around the hind legs. Eagles east to escape, do everything possible to avoid the trap, and sometimes angry, turn around and fight back, vicious exception, then the image of the human being by their own mastery of the protection of the tame. All the elephants to be trapped after the trap, the captors have been tired sweating profusely, exhausted.