听播客学英语 162 Kinder Scout

 　　I am recording¹ the podcast today outdoors, that means outside, in my garden. So do not be surprised if you hear the sound of traffic, or birds singing, or children playing. And today’s podcast is about the outdoors – the hills and the open countryside, and how important they are to people who live in cities.

　　At one time, several centuries ago, a lot of the land in England was “common land”. That means that it was land that anyone could walk on. Some common land was used for grazing² sheep or cattle, but a lot of it was simply empty, unused land. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, Parliament passed new laws which “enclosed” a lot of the common land. That means that the land became private property, owned by a landowner. In some areas, like the Pennine hills in the north of England, the new landowners wanted to use the land for hunting and shooting. They built fences to stop ordinary people from entering the land; they blocked ancient footpaths³; they employed gamekeepers with sticks and guns so that the landowners and their rich friends could shoot grouse⁴, pheasants and other birds in peace.

　　But not everyone was happy with this. Some people saw the Pennine hills as places where ordinary people could enjoy fresh air and the countryside after a week working in factories in the dirty industrial cities. Seventy-five years ago this week, a group led by a young man called Benny Rothman organised a mass trespass⁵. (To “trespass” means to go onto private land without permission). The trespass took place at Kinder Scout⁶, which is the highest point in the Peak District in Derbyshire. Kinder Scout was owned by the Duke of Devonshire, who refused to let people walk there. About 400 people took part in the trespass. They fought a brief battle with gamekeepers, and then walked to the summit⁷, where they held a meeting. When the trespassers returned to the village where they had started, the police arrested five of their leaders. They were later sent to prison.

　　Many people were shocked that these young men had been so harshly⁸ punished. The trespass started a change in public and political opinion. Since 1932, there have been many changes. It is now possible to walk freely in many places that were once closed. Kinder Scout itself is now owned by the National Trust. You can walk and picnic there and enjoy the views without any danger of being arrested or sent to prison. Thanks to Benny Rothman and the mass trespass of 24 April 1932.

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 grazing   

n. 放牧, 牧草 动词graze的现在分词

参考例句：

• There were cows grazing beside the river. 有些牛在河边吃草。
• Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。

3 footpaths   

人行小径，人行道( footpath的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are a lot of winding footpaths in the col. 山坳里尽是些曲曲弯弯的羊肠小道。
• There are many footpaths that wind through the village. 有许多小径穿过村子。

4 grouse   

n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦

参考例句：

• They're shooting grouse up on the moors.他们在荒野射猎松鸡。
• If you don't agree with me,please forget my grouse.如果你的看法不同，请不必介意我的牢骚之言。

5 trespass   

n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地

参考例句：

• The fishing boat was seized for its trespass into restricted waters.渔船因非法侵入受限制水域而被扣押。
• The court sentenced him to a fine for trespass.法庭以侵害罪对他判以罚款。

6 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

7 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

8 harshly   

ad.严厉地；苛刻地

参考例句：

• The grit beneath her soles grated harshly on the wooden deck. 粘在她鞋底的沙砾蹭在木甲板上发出刺耳的声音。
• We should not judge the young writers too harshly. 我们不应当对青年作家太苛求。