3-7 3月28日 赠橘节（在线收听）

March 28: “Oranges and Lemons” Service

Generations of London children have prattled¹ the nursery rhyme that begins,

“Oranges and lemons,” say the bells of Saint Clement’s;

“You owe me five farthings²,” say the bells of Saint Martin’s.

This Church of Saint Clement Danes in the Strand³ long served the spiritual needs of London’s Danish merchant community, hence the “Danes” in its title. Historians have noted that at one time fruits, imported from Spain, used to be unloaded at a wharf on the Thames that once adjoined the old churchyard. Other researchers suggest that there was once a custom in the neighborhood of employers distributing fruit to their servants on certain occasions. Still others, however, are satisfied with the explanation that precious few words besides “lemons” rhyme with “Clement’s.” In March 1920 the first “ Oranges and Lemons” service was held. Fruit donated by the local Danes was distributed to all children in attendance. Today’ s service is performed by youngsters dressed in the red and white of the Danish flag. They recite the nursery rhyme in its entirety⁴ while playing the tune on handbells⁵. Afterwards the children line up under the ivywreathed stone doorway. Each child receives one orange and one lemon.

注释：

1. prattle [5prAtl] vt. （小孩般）天真无邪地说；咿咿呀呀地唱

2. farthing [5fB:TiN] n. 法寻（英国旧时值1/4便士的硬币或币值），该词与下文中Martin's同韵。

3. the Strand [strAnd] 斯特兰德大街（在英国伦敦的中西部，与泰晤士河平行，以其旅馆和戏院著称）

4. in its entirety全面地，整个地；作为一个整体

5. handbell [5hAndbel] n.（尤指音乐演奏时用的）手摇铃

3月28日  赠橘节

一代又一代的伦敦儿童都唱过这样一首童谣。童谣的开头是这样的：

　　“橘子和柠檬，” 圣克莱门特教堂的钟唱道；

　　“你欠我5法寻，” 圣马丁教堂的钟唱道。

坐落在斯特兰德大街的圣克莱门特丹麦人教堂长久以来一直是伦敦丹麦裔商人的精神支柱，所以教堂名中有“丹麦人”这个字眼。历史学家说，有一段时间，从西班牙进口的水果曾在泰晤士河的一个码头卸货。这个码头曾经与该教堂的旧址毗邻。还有一些研究者认为，过去有一个习俗，这一带的雇主们在某些场合会向雇工分送水果。而另一些人则确信这样的解释，没有几个词能像lemons（柠檬）那样押上Clement’s（克莱门特）的韵。1920年3月举行了第一次分发橘子和柠檬的仪式，当地丹麦人捐赠的水果被分发给所有参加活动的儿童。如今，这项仪式由穿着象征丹麦国旗的红白两色服装的儿童主持。他们全文背诵那首儿歌，并用手摇铃伴奏。然后，他们排队从装饰着常春藤花环的石头门通过。每个小孩都得到一个橘子和一个柠檬。