8-4 8月5日——格拉斯米尔灯草节（在线收听）

August 5 -- Grasmere Rushbearing

The floors of old stone churches can get pretty cold, a fact well known among churchgoers obliged to kneel upon them. Several centuries ago, the sensible Britons hit upon a solution: They could insulate¹ the chilly floors with coatings² of fresh cut rushes³, straw, or hay. By the early nineteenth century, rushbearings and haystrewings had become lively annual rituals⁴ throughout northwestern England. At such an event, a team of costumed men would pull the heavily laden “rushcarts.” These were adorned with dazzling silver ornaments and had ropes ingeniously⁵ braided⁶ from rushes. Morris dancers capered⁷ down the street, heralding⁸ the cart’s approach.

The region’s best known and longest lived rushbearing is the one at Grasmere, Cumbria, held in honor of Saint Oswald, a seventh century king of Northumbria⁹. At the festival, girls in green pinafores¹⁰ carry the rushes on a broad, handwoven linen sheet. Other townspeople bring “bearings,” woven rush emblems in the shape of Oswald’s crown, his hand, and other designs. These are later used to decorate the altar while the rushes from the sheet are spread across the floor. After the service, with its Rushbearing Hymn¹¹, parishioners¹² line up for slices of “Saint Oswald’s gingerbread¹³,” a sort of gingery shortbread.

注释：

1. insulate [5insjuleit] vt. 隔离，[物]使绝缘

2. coating [5kEutiN] n. 涂层，外层，覆盖层

3. rush [rQF] n. 灯心草，类似灯心草的植物

4. ritual [5ritjuEl] n. 仪式

5. ingeniously [in5dVi:njEsli] ad. (机器等)制作精巧地

6. braid [breid] vt. 编结，编织

7. caper [5keipE] vi. 跳跳蹦蹦，雀跃

8. herald [5herEld] vt. 宣布，报告……的消息

9. Northumbria [nC:5WQmbriE] [英史] 诺森布里亚(中世纪早期七国时代的七国之一，位于今英格兰东岸亨伯湾和苏格兰东岸福思湾之间)

10. pinafore [5pinEfC:] n. [主英] 围裙，围身布

11. hymn [him] n. 赞歌，颂歌

12. parishioner [pE5riFEnE] n. 一教区中的居民

13. gingerbread [5dVIndVEbred] n. 姜饼

8月5日 —— 格拉斯米尔灯草节

古老的石结构教堂的地面会变得相当冷。对这种情况，去教堂做礼拜的人深有体会，因为他们都得跪在地上。几个世纪以前，细心的英国人想出了一个解决办法：他们在地上铺一层东西来隔冷，将新收割的灯心草、稻草或干草铺在地上。到19世纪初，撒灯心草和干草已经成为英国整个西北部地区每年都要举行的一项欢快的活动。活动中，一队穿特定服装的男人会拉着码得高高的“灯心草车”。这些车都饰有耀眼的银质装饰品，还有用灯心草精巧编成的绳子。跳着莫里斯舞的人雀跃着从街的这一头到那一头，通报灯草车的到来。

在那个地区最有名、延续时间最长的撒灯心草活动，是在坎布里亚郡的格拉斯米尔村，是为纪念7世纪诺森布里亚的圣奥斯瓦德国王而举行的。在这一天，穿绿围裙的女孩子们抬着放在宽大的手织亚麻被单上的灯心草。镇里的另外一些人拿着用灯心草编的奥斯瓦德的王冠、他的手以及其他的“图案”。这些东西过后要用来装饰圣坛，而放在被单上的灯心草则撒在教堂的地上。仪式过后，伴着《灯草节颂歌》，居民们排队领取“圣奥斯瓦德姜饼”，一种姜味白脱甜酥饼。