5-6 5月8日—欢庆舞节

May 8 -- the Furry¹ Dance

　　

     Nothing whatsoever² to do with fur, the name of the Furry Dance -- as practiced every May in Helston¹, Cornwall²-- is likely derived³ from the old Cornish³ word "fer," meaning "rejoicing."

 

　　To do "the Furry," hundreds of local couples line up on the sidewalk, one behind the other in orderly fashion. As the town band plays a traditional tune⁴, the dancers form a graceful⁵ human stream that winds up and down the streets and flows around corners -- even through the front doors of shops and out the back; the dancers'footsteps are said to bring good luck. This spectacle transpires⁴ four times during the day, with well over a thousand Helstonians participating and several thousand out of towners gathered in the gaily⁷⁵ decorated streets to watch. The first dance, beginning at 7 a.m., is for young couples only. The midmorning dance is for schoolchildren. The formal noon processional is the main event, with the men in top hats and frock coats⁶, the women in gowns⁷. Out of towners can at last join in the final dance just before dusk.

 

In 1790 Gentleman's Magazine reported on the rite⁸⁸: "They assemble and dance hand in hand round the streets... and thus continue... In the afternoon, the local gentry⁹⁹ go to some farm house and have tea, sillabub¹⁰ and other refreshments¹⁰ and then return in a... dance to the town and dance throughout the streets till dark. "

 

注释:

1.Helston 赫尔斯顿（英国康沃尔郡一教区城镇）

2.Cornwall [5kR:nwR:l] 康沃尔郡（英国英格兰郡名）

3.Cornish [5kC:niF] a.（18世纪末以前康沃尔郡的）古凯尔特语的

4.transpire⁶ [trAns5paiE] vi.〈口〉发生

5.gaily [5^eili] ad. 花哨地，艳丽地，喜气洋洋地

6.frock coat（19世纪双排纽扣、长及膝部的）男礼服大衣

7.gown [^aun] n.（雅致的）女裙服，女礼服

8.rite [raIt] n.（宗教等的）仪式

9.gentry [5dVentri] n. 出身高贵的人们，贵族们，绅士们

10.sillabub [5silEbQb] n. 乳酒冻（一种用牛奶或奶油加酒、蛋等拌制的甜食）

 

5月8日-欢庆舞节

　　

在康沃尔郡赫尔斯顿镇，每年的5月都庆祝“欢庆舞节”。欢庆舞节这个名字中的furry一词其实和fur毫无关系。它很可能是来源于古凯尔特语中的一个词fer，是“欢庆”的意思。

　　为了跳“欢庆舞”，数以百计的当地民众结成舞伴，一对一对整齐地排在人行道上。当镇上的乐队奏起传统乐曲时，跳舞的人就形成了一股缓缓流动的人流。这人流沿着街道到处流动，流过角角落落——甚至从商店的前门流进，后门流出；据说跳舞人的脚步声能带来好运。这一天会出现4次这样的奇观，有远远超过千名的赫尔斯顿人参加，还有数千外地人聚集在装饰一新的大街上观看。第一拨跳舞的是一对对年轻人，上午7点钟开始。到10点钟左右，是小学生们跳舞的时间。中午的正式队伍是主要的节目。男士们头戴高顶大礼帽，身穿礼服大衣，女士们也身穿礼服。快到黄昏时，外地人才终于可以加入到最后的跳舞行列了。

    1790年的《绅士杂志》报道了这一仪式：“他们排着队，手牵着手沿街跳舞……他们一直跳……下午，当地的绅士淑女走进一家农庄住宅，在那里喝茶，吃乳酒冻以及其他点心，然后跳着……回到镇上，跳遍条条街道，一直到夜幕降临。”

 

1 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

2 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

3 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

5 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

6 transpire   

v.(使)蒸发，(使)排出 ；泄露，公开

参考例句：

• We do not know what may transpire when we have a new boss.当新老板来后，我们不知会有什么发生。
• When lack of water,commonly plants would transpire as a way for cool.在缺乏水分时，植物一般用蒸发作为降温的手段。

7 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

8 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

9 gentry   

n.绅士阶级，上层阶级

参考例句：

• Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。
• Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首，不居贵族之末。

10 refreshments   

n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待

参考例句：

• We have to make a small charge for refreshments. 我们得收取少量茶点费。
• Light refreshments will be served during the break. 中间休息时有点心供应。