maypole 的词源

也称为 May-pole，意为“为五一节庆祝者跳舞而装饰有花朵和缎带的高竖条杆”，最早见于1550年代，但肯定更古老，因为首次提及是在禁止它们的法令中，并且从14世纪中期的威尔士诗歌中可以找到此类竖杆的描述，尽管不是以此名称。参见 May Day。

It was usually cut and set up afresh on May-day morning, drawn by a long procession of oxen, decorated, as were also the pole itself and the wagon, with flowers and ribbons; but in some cases a pole once set up was left from year to year, as notably the famous pole of the parish of St. Andrew Undershaft in London, which was cut down in in reign of Edward VI. [Century Dictionary]

通常在五一节早晨切割并重新竖起，由一队牛拉动，装饰着花朵和缎带，竖杆本身和马车也一样装饰；但在某些情况下，一旦竖起的竖杆会年复一年地保留，特别是位于伦敦圣安德鲁教区的著名竖杆，直到爱德华六世统治时被砍倒。[世纪词典]