10-7 10月26日——免租典礼日

October 26--Quit Rent Ceremony

 

Proof that the Middle Ages was a time of boisterous¹¹ wit, quit rent ceremonies entail²² the payment of symbolic³ or token³ “rents” -- instead of real money -- for pieces of real estate⁴. Medieval landlords perfected the practice as a way of “giving” land to friends or to those who had done them favors. But by demanding annual compensation in the form of peppercorns⁵ or roses or pork pies, the landlord was able to keep at least nominal⁴⁶ title to the land.

 

London has for over seven hundred years been involved in a pair of annual quit rent ceremonies. The city solicitor⁵⁷ still dutifully “pays” these to the queen’s remembrancer⁸ every October 26 at the Law Courts in the Strand⁶. One of these began in 1211 when King John granted the city some moorland⁹ near Shropshire. In exchange for the land, the king demanded the annual payment of two knives. One of these had to be sharp enough to cut through hazelwood, the other so dull that it would, King John stipulated¹⁰, “bend in green cheese.” Because of the hazelwood reference, this payment is called the Faggot¹¹ Service.

 

注释：

1. boisterous [5bCistErEs] a. 喧闹的，尽情的

2. entail [in5teil] vt. 使人承担，使成为必要

3. token [5tEukEn] a. 作为标志的，象征性的

4. real estate 不动产，房地产

5. peppercorn [5pepEkC:n] n. 胡椒粒

6. nominal [5nCminl] a. 名义上的，有名无实的

7. solicitor [sE5lisitE] n. [英]（承办案件起诉、辩护及其他法律事务的）初级律师

8. remembrancer [ri5membrEnsE] n.（英国）王室的债款收取官

9. moorland [5mJElEnd] n. [主英] 高沼地

10. stipulate⁷ [5stipjuleit] vt. 规定，（作为条件）讲定

11. faggot [5fA^Et] n. 柴把，柴捆

 

10月26日——免租典礼日

 

中世纪是喧闹、风趣的时代，“免租典礼”即为证明。这个“典礼”要求房地产使用人交付的不是金钱而是象征性的“租金”。那时有一些地主以此办法将土地“赠予”朋友或曾帮助过他们的人。但是，他们通过以索取胡椒粒、玫瑰花或者肉馅饼作为每年租金的办法，至少可以保留名义上对土地的所有权。

700多年来，伦敦每年都要举行两次免租典礼活动。每年10月26日，在斯特兰德大街的法院里，市法律官仍然尽职地向女王的债款收取官“交税”。其中的一次活动始于1211年，那年英王约翰将什罗普郡附近的一些高沼地转让给伦敦市。为此，国王要求伦敦市每年交纳两把刀子作为回报。其中一把必须非常锋利，足以砍断榛木，另一把则必须钝得会“在绿干酪中弯曲”。由于牵涉到榛木，这一活动又称为“柴捆仪式”。

 

1 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

2 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

3 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

4 nominal   

adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的

参考例句：

• The king was only the nominal head of the state. 国王只是这个国家名义上的元首。
• The charge of the box lunch was nominal.午餐盒饭收费很少。

5 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

6 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

7 stipulate   

vt.规定，（作为条件）讲定，保证

参考例句：

• International rules stipulate the number of foreign entrants.国际规则规定了外国参赛者的人数。
• Some manufacturers stipulate the price at which their goods are to be sold.有些制造商规定出售他们生产的商品的价格。