英语沙龙：2月27日三便士纪念日

February 27 Threepenny Day

A number of English gentlepersons managed to create a holiday by means of wrought¹ bequests³ in their wills. One of these was Provost Bost, administrator⁴ of the public school, Eton. Upon his death in 1504, it was revealed that Bost had willed a sum of money that was earmarked to provide tuppence a year in perpetuity for each of Eton’s “collegers.” (Collegers are boarding students whose families live far away；the remainders are town boys or “oppidans.”) The money was to ensure that the boys would get enough to eat. At the time of Bost’s death, tuppence bought nearly half a sheep, and it was an Eton tradition, dating back to the reign⁵ of Henry VI, that collegers were to be fed no meat except mutton.

Provost Lupton, Bost’s successor, added his own posthumous⁶ bequest² to the original charity so that the annual dole⁷ would amount to thruppence. Every February 27, the collegers gather――a dignified⁸ cadre of jackets, vests, and ties――in College Hall for the Threepenny Ceremony. Each boy in turn plucks his threepence from the crown of a tall silk hat. As consideration for the gift, each boy must recite a prayer for Bost’s soul.

2月27日三便士纪念日

有几个英国人通过立遗嘱创造了一个节日。在遗嘱中他们精心安排了遗赠。其中一人是伊顿公学的主管, 博斯特院长。1504年博斯特死后, 有人发现他立下了遗嘱, 将一笔钱专门拨出来, 永久供给伊顿公学受资助的学生用, 每个人一年两便士。（受资助的是家住很远的住校生, 其余的则是家住城里的男生或“走读生”。）这笔钱用来保证他们能够吃饱。在博斯特去世的那个时代, 两便士几乎可以买到半头羊。在伊顿公学有一个传统可以追溯到亨利六世朝代, 那就是住校生除了羊肉不供给其他的肉食。

博斯特的继任者, 卢普顿院长, 在原有的捐赠中又加上了自己的一份遗赠, 使每年的钱变成了三便士。每年２月２７日, 受资助的住校生都集合起来--庄重地排成队, 身穿外衣和背心, 打着领带--在学院礼堂里举行三便士典礼。每个学生依次从高丝绸帽的帽顶取出他的三便士。每人都必须背诵一段祷词, 以此告慰博斯特的英灵。

1 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

2 bequest   

n.遗赠；遗产，遗物

参考例句：

• In his will he made a substantial bequest to his wife.在遗嘱里他给妻子留下了一大笔遗产。
• The library has received a generous bequest from a local businessman.图书馆从当地一位商人那里得到了一大笔遗赠。

3 bequests   

n.遗赠( bequest的名词复数 )；遗产，遗赠物

参考例句：

• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He left bequests of money to all his friends. 他留下一些钱遗赠给他所有的朋友。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

5 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

6 posthumous   

adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的

参考例句：

• He received a posthumous award for bravery.他表现勇敢，死后受到了嘉奖。
• The legendary actor received a posthumous achievement award.这位传奇男星在过世后获得终身成就奖的肯定。

7 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

8 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。