A tarantella is a fast southern Italian folk dance, and also the music written for it. It is in a quick spinning rhythm — six beats felt as two, so it keeps rolling forward and getting faster — usually played on tambourine, mandolin and accordion, with the dancers turning in pairs or in a ring.

A tarantellaTarantella is是 a fast southern Italian folk dance一種快速的義大利南部民俗舞蹈，and also the music written for it也指為這種舞寫的音樂。It is in a quick spinning rhythm它的節奏又快又打轉——six beats felt as two六拍聽起來像兩拍，so it keeps rolling forward and getting faster所以會一直往前滾動、越來越快——usually played on tambourine, mandolin and accordion通常用鈴鼓、曼陀林和手風琴演奏，with the dancers turning in pairs or in a ring舞者則成對或圍成一圈旋轉。

Classical composers liked the form too, and there are famous piano and orchestra pieces called tarantellas, all built on that same rushing, breathless feel. So in English the word points two ways: at real village dancing at weddings and festivals in the south of Italy, and at a piece on a concert programme.

Classical composers liked the form too古典作曲家也喜歡這種形式，and there are famous piano and orchestra pieces called tarantellas所以有名的鋼琴曲和管弦樂曲也叫做tarantella，all built on that same rushing, breathless feel全都建立在那種急促、喘不過氣的感覺上。So in English the word points two ways所以英文裡這個字指向兩個方向：at real village dancing at weddings and festivals in the south of Italy一個是義大利南部婚禮和節慶裡真正的村莊舞蹈，and at a piece on a concert programme另一個是音樂會節目單上的一首曲子。

The story attached to it is that people who were bitten by a spider had to dance wildly, sweating the poison out, until they collapsed. Historians do not think that is really where the dance came from, but the story stuck, and it is why people describe the tarantella as 'frenzied' or 'possessed'.

The story attached to it附在這個字上的故事是，is that people who were bitten by a spider被蜘蛛咬到的人 had to dance wildly必須瘋狂地跳舞，sweating the poison out把毒素從汗裡逼出來，until they collapsed直到累倒為止。Historians do not think that is really where the dance came from歷史學家並不認為這真的是這種舞的起源，but the story stuck但這個故事還是流傳了下來，and it is why people describe the tarantella as 'frenzied' or 'possessed'這也是為什麼大家會用『frenzied』（瘋狂）或『possessed』（像被附身）來形容tarantella。