【一起听英语】彭斯之夜

彭斯之夜（元月25日，苏格兰人民纪念苏格兰诗人罗伯特—彭斯诞辰的节日）

Dan: Hello and welcome to this week's 6 minute English. I’m Dan Walker Smith

and today I’m joined by Kate.

Kate: Hi Dan.

Dan: Now Kate, you're from Scotland. Does that mean you'll be celebrating Burns

Night this week?

Kate: Well as a matter of fact I will be. I'll be going to a friend's house where we're

going to be eating some haggis, drinking some whisky and reciting some

Scottish poetry.

Dan: OK, well to explain, Burns Night is the annual celebration of the Scottish poet

Robert Burns, who was born just over 250 years ago. Each year on Burns

birthday, the 25th January, Scottish people across the world gather for a

traditional Scottish meal with poetry and sometimes dancing.

Kate: In fact, although it’s a particularly Scottish event, it is celebrated¹ by people of

Scottish ancestry² all over the world. These are people whose family originally

came from Scotland, but who now live in other countries, such as Australia or

Canada.

Dan: So Kate, this week's question for you is:

How many people worldwide claim Scotland as their ancestral home? Is it:

a) 5 to 10 million 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 2 of 5

b) 10 to 20 million

c) 30 to 40 million

Kate: Well I have to say I have absolutely no idea. But I reckon the numbers are

going to be quite high, so I'm going to go for c, 30 to 40 million.

Dan: OK, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme.

Kate: Well, Robert Burns is one of the most recognised figures in Scottish literature,

even appearing on some Scottish money and stamps. So now we're going to

hear from a director from Scotland's tourist board summing up Burns'

influence on Scotland. She mentions that he's an iconic person. Can you

explain what she means by this Dan?

Dan: Well an icon³ is a symbol that represents a cultural group, so in this context

iconic means that Burns has become a symbol of Scotland.

Let's have a listen. How does she describe Burns' influence on the perception

of Scotland?

Extract 1

He's obviously an iconic figure. He's recognised across the world, and he's part of what

we think visitors think of when we say 'well what does Scotland mean to you?' So he's an

absolutely essential part of the 'what is Scotland, the brand?'

Kate: Well, brand usually means a company’s or business’s image, so here she’s

saying that Robert Burns has become an essential part of Scotland’s image

overseas. And you can certainly see this if you ever go to Scotland; there are

pictures of Burns just about everywhere. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 3 of 5

Dan: And Burns Night, of course, has become an important tradition for Scottish

communities across the world, and there are certain ceremonies associated with

the meal.

Here’s Scottish comedian⁴ Fred MacAulay talking about the origins of Burns

Night. He mentions drinking a toast. This means to raise your glass and drink

in honour to someone.

Kate: And a dram is a Scottish word meaning a small drink, usually of whisky or

another strong spirit. So have a listen to the next extract. Can you tell me when

the first Burns Supper was held?

Extract 2

One event which is exported internationally and which undoubtedly⁵ contributes to our

economy is the aforementioned Burns Supper, the first of which was held in 1801 on the

fifth anniversary of Burns' death. A toast was made to the memory of Burns, which was

followed by a dram, followed by more toasts, and more drams, and more drams, and the

traditions of Burns Suppers began.

Kate: Well lots of drinking going on there. So the custom of Burns Supper is over

200 years old, and is a vital part of Scottish tradition.

Dan: As well as toasts and drams, another central part of the Burns Supper is the

haggis, the traditional Scottish dish made from sheep intestines⁶, spices and

oats.

Kate: Now that may not sound terribly appetising to people around the world, but

believe me, it's a real Scottish delicacy⁷. So here’s Edinburgh haggis maker⁸

James McSween guiding us through the process of making a Burns Night

haggis. Have a listen; how long does it take to cook the haggis?

Extract 3 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 4 of 5

This is the first cook area. This is where we take the raw lamb lungs and the raw beef fat

and we cook them in these boilers⁹, and then they get lifted into the mixer-grinder. We

add the seasoning¹⁰, the oatmeal, and the gravy¹¹, which we then fill into the casing. And

then they go through the cooker, which then steams them for about an hour. And then

they come out warm-reekin', rich.

Kate: So he said that once the haggises have cooked for an hour, they come out

‘warm-reekin', rich’, which is a quote from Burns' poem 'Ode to a Haggis',

written in the local Scots dialect. It means that the haggis is warm, steaming

and rich – just the thing for a cold January night.

Dan: You also heard the words seasoning, oatmeal, and gravy. Seasoning is the

term for flavourings such as herbs, spices, salt and pepper.

Kate: And oatmeal is ground oats, the same ingredient used to make the Scottish

breakfast, porridge.

Dan: And gravy is a thick sauce made from meat stock and vegetables.

OK we’re almost out of time, so let’s go over some of the vocabulary we’ve

come across today:

icon and iconic

 brand

 toast

 a dram

 haggis

seasoning

oatmeal

gravy 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010

Page 5 of 5

Dan: And there’s just time for today's question. I asked you Kate how many people

worldwide claim Scotland as their ancestral home? Is it:

a) 5 to 10 million

b) 10 to 20 million

c) 30 to 40 million

Kate: And I said c, 30 to 40 million.

Dan: And you're spot on; that's exactly right. There are 30 to 40 million who claim

Scotland as their ancestral home, so plenty of people I imagine who'll be

enjoying a Burns Supper this week.

Kate: Absolutely. It's incredible to think how many Scottish people there are around

the world. But they're all very proud of their ancestry, I'm sure, and will be

eating lots of haggis.

Dan: So from all of us here at BBC Learning English, thank you so much indeed for

listening, have a very Happy Burns Night, and goodbye!

Kate: Goodbye!

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

3 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

4 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

5 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

6 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

7 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

8 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

9 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

10 seasoning   

n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物

参考例句：

• Salt is the most common seasoning.盐是最常用的调味品。
• This sauce uses mushroom as its seasoning.这酱油用蘑菇作调料。

11 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。