Take Away English-The Highland Games 苏格兰高原运动

Highland1 games" src="/upimg/allimg/071027/1400501.jpg" width="203" /> Tossing the caber is a major part of any Highland games

For many foreign people the classic image of summer sport in the UK is that of English gentlemen dressed in white flannels² playing cricket all day in the village park.

However, if you travel north of the border, to Scotland, you may find a very different kind of sporting entertainment – enormous men wearing kilts trying to throw tree trunks high into the air, or beautiful girls dancing gracefully³ on top of swords, all accompanied by the haunting music of the bagpipes⁴.

This is the Highland games, a celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture which takes place every summer in the north of Scotland. Although many Highland games take place around Scotland each summer, they all share certain common characteristics.

At the heart of any Highland games are the heavy events. These traditional sports are designed to let competitors show off their physical prowess and require great strength.

The most emblematic⁵ of the heavy events is known as ‘tossing the caber’ – in this event a strong man throws a tree trunk (or caber), which is around 5.5 meters in length and weighs 55kg, into the air. In order to win the caber must turn over in the air and land at a good angle to the thrower.

If burly men throwing giant pieces of wood around are not your cup of tea, then perhaps the musical aspect of the Highland games would be more to your taste.

Music and dance form an enormous part of Scottish and Celtic culture, and traditional Scottish music is immediately identifiable because of its use of traditional instruments such as the bagpipes, drums and fiddle⁶.

Highland dancing is a competitive event in which kilted dancers try to outdo each other in terms of grace and technical achievement.

And if that isn’t enough, you can enjoy the sight of mock battles as historical societies recreate famous battles from Scotland’s history. If you enjoyed ‘Braveheart’ at the cinema, you’ll love the Highland games in real life.

GLOSSARY 词汇表
white flannel (一般是法兰绒质地的)白色球衣 kilts 苏格兰方格呢短裙 swords 剑 bagpipes 风笛 common characteristics 风格相似 physical prowess 体力 tossing 抖动, 摇动 not your cup of tea 不是你的喜好 fiddle 小提琴 technical achievement 技术成绩	cricket 曲棍球 tree trunks 树干 haunting music 不易忘怀的旋律 Celtic 凯尔特人的 heavy events 大力士比赛 emblematic 象征(性), 有代表性的 burly 魁梧的, 结实的 identifiable 可以确认的 outdo each other 互相赶超 mock 模仿

 

1 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。

2 flannels   

法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Erik had been seen in flannels and an imitation Panama hat. 人们看到埃里克身穿法兰绒裤，头戴仿制巴拿马草帽。
• He is wearing flannels and a blue jacket. 他穿着一条法兰绒裤子和一件蓝夹克。

3 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

4 bagpipes   

n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Yes, and I'm also learning to play the bagpipes. 是的，我也想学习吹风笛。 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away. 于是醋溜先生拿过了风笛，风笛手牵走了奶牛。 来自互联网

5 emblematic   

adj.象征的，可当标志的；象征性

参考例句：

• The violence is emblematic of what is happening in our inner cities. 这种暴力行为正标示了我们市中心贫民区的状况。
• Whiteness is emblematic of purity. 白色是纯洁的象征。 来自辞典例句

6 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。