Dozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off Saturday in a traditional "crying sumo" ritual believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.

上周六，日本数十名啼哭的婴儿举行了一场传统的“宝宝哭”相扑赛，该比赛被认为能给婴儿带来健康，这是疫情爆发四年来日本首次举行该比赛。

Pairs of toddlers wearing ceremonial sumo aprons were held up by their parents and faced each other in the sumo ring at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.

在东京浅草寺，一对穿着正式相扑围裙的幼儿被他们的父母举起，在相扑场上面对面。

Staff wearing "oni" demon masks tried to make the babies cry, with the first to bawl declared the winner by a sumo referee in an elaborate traditional uniform holding a wooden fan used to signal victory.

工作人员戴着“oni”恶魔面具，试图让这些婴儿哭出来，第一个哭出来的婴儿被一名身穿精致传统制服、手持象征胜利的木扇的相扑裁判宣布获胜。

The "crying sumo" is held at shrines and temples nationwide, to the delight of parents and onlookers.

“宝宝哭”相扑赛在日本各地的神社和寺庙举行，让父母和旁观者高兴不已。

Shigemi Fuji, chairman of the Asakusa Tourism Federation which organised the event, said some people might think it's terrible they make babies cry.

组织此次活动的浅草旅游联合会主席Shigemi Fuji说，有些人可能会认为让婴儿哭很可怕。

But in Japan, we believe babies who cry powerfully also grow up healthily. This kind of event takes place in many places in Japan, he said.

“但在日本，我们相信啼哭有力的婴儿也能健康成长。这种活动在日本很多地方都有举行。”

A total of 64 babies participated in the ritual, according to the organiser.

据主办方介绍，共有64名婴儿参加了这一仪式。

The rules vary from region to region – in some places parents want their offspring to be the first to cry, and in others, the first to weep is the loser.

不同地区的规则各不相同——一些地方，父母希望自己的孩子第一个哭，而在另一些地方，第一个哭的就是输家。