VOA文化艺术2023--Stonehenge Welcomes 8,000 for Summer Solstice

Stonehenge Welcomes 8,000 for Summer Solstice

Around 8,000 people gathered Wednesday around prehistoric¹ Stonehenge in Britain to observe the summer solstice.

Many wore colorful clothing and even antlers. They stayed overnight to greet the sunrise on June 21. It is the day with the most daylight in the Northern Hemisphere³. The crowd greeted the morning sun shining into the heart of Stonehenge with drumming, chanting and cheering.

Nichola Tasker is director of Stonehenge at English Heritage⁴, a non-profit group that oversees⁵ many historic² places in Britain. Tasker said: "Stonehenge continues to captivate and to bring people together to celebrate the seasons, just as it has done for thousands of years." She added, "There was a wonderful atmosphere from sunset to sunrise, and everybody enjoyed a very atmospheric⁶ morning."

In addition to the 8,000 people present, English Heritage said that about 154,000 others watched on its live stream video.

Summer solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice happened at 14:58 UTC on June 21 when "the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky," said the Old Farmer's Almanac. The day also marks the start of summer in Earth's northern half. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's the opposite: the June solstice marks the start of winter when "the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky."

In China, the summer solstice is called Xiazhi. Beijing Tourism says it is a time when people celebrate the wheat harvest and pray for peace. And people eat vegetables, cold noodles and what is commonly known as "summer solstice cake."

Northern European countries like Sweden and Finland celebrate the summer solstice by singing and dancing around the midsummer pole. In Ukraine, people traditionally gather to celebrate Ivan Kupala Night in Khortytsya, an important historical area on the Dnieper River.

The day is also known as the "International Day of Yoga."

On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led diplomats⁷ and others for a morning yoga session at the United Nations. In 2014, Modi told world leaders at the U.N., "Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."

At Stonehenge, for just one night of the year, people are permitted to spend time inside the stone circle that is believed to have been built between 5,000 to 3,500 years ago.

The purpose of the stone circle is still hotly debated. English Heritage notes several explanations. They include Stonehenge being a coronation place, or crowning place, for Danish kings. Other explanations are that the place was a temple, a center for healing, or a structure for astronomy⁸ used to predict eclipses⁹ and other solar events.

The organization said the most generally accepted explanation "is that of a prehistoric temple aligned¹⁰ with the movements of the sun."

The stones are said to line up with the sun at both the summer and winter solstices.

Words in This Story

antler –n. bone-like structures on the heads of deer that are not permanent

captivate –v. to capture the interest or attention of a person

aligned –adj. being in lined up with; being in the correct position or in agreement with

1 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

2 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

3 hemisphere   

n.半球，半球地图

参考例句：

• This animal is to be found only in the Southern Hemisphere.这种动物只有在南半球才能找到。
• In most people,the left hemisphere is bigger than the right.多数人的左脑比右脑大。

4 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

5 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

6 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

7 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 astronomy   

n.天文学

参考例句：

• Mathematics is connected with astronomy.数学与天文学有联系。
• Astronomy is an abstract subject.天文学是一门深奥的学科。

9 eclipses   

（日、月）食( eclipse的名词复数 )； 消失，黯然失色

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。
• The moon eclipses the sun. 月亮遮住太阳。

10 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。