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在當?shù)氐木瓢珊纫槐?，在鄉(xiāng)村散步，打理花園或看電視上的體育節(jié)目——這些都是許多英國人在周末或每天輪班結束后喜歡的放松方式。

Having a drink at the local pub, going for a walk in the country, working in the garden or watching sports on the telly (television)- these are all ways in which many British people like to relax on weekends or when their daily shifts at work have ended.

這些活動告訴我們，現(xiàn)代英國人喜歡如何度過他們的空閑時間;

Such activities tell us about how modern Brits like to spend their free time;

但如果我們仔細觀察，我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)這些活動并不只是最近的發(fā)明，而是深深植根于英國幾個世紀以來的經(jīng)驗。

but if we look more closely, we can see these activities are not just recent inventions, but are deeply rooted in the British experience over centuries.

在莎士比亞時代，去酒吧喝杯麥酒、種地或看場球賽都是人們熟悉的活動?！?/p>

Going to a public house for a glass of ale and working the land or going to watch a ball game were familiar activities in Shakespeare's time. '

如果今天的英國人穿越到500年前的過去，他或她會發(fā)現(xiàn)許多熟悉的愛好和游戲，雖然粗糙，但仍能辨認出來?！?/p>

If today's British person were to be transported 500 years into the past, he or she would find many familiar pursuits and games played in rough but recognisable forms."

因為我們今天在世界各地看到的許多運動都誕生于英國，這些活動的歷史對世界各地的人們都很有吸引力。

And because many of the sports we see played throughout the world today were born in Britain, the history of such activities is of interest to people everywhere.

過去，英國是一個以農(nóng)業(yè)為主的社會，大多數(shù)人從事農(nóng)業(yè)。

In the past, Britain was a mainly agricultural society with most people involved in farming.

英國也是一個非常虔誠的社會，基督教會對人們的生活影響很大。

Britain was also a very religious society and the influence of the Christian Church on peoples' lives was very great.

這種影響在今天的體育和休閑活動中仍然很明顯。

Such influences are still evident in today's sports and leisure activities.

一個非常明顯的例子是，在英國，周日——每周每個人都去教堂的那一天——仍然是大多數(shù)人休息的日子?！?/p>

One very obvious example is how Sunday - the day of the week when everyone traditionally went to Church - is still the day that most people have off in the UK."

近年來政府改變了法律，現(xiàn)在一些商店和酒吧可以在周日營業(yè)，但這些變化是最近發(fā)生的，而且很有爭議。

In recent years the government has changed the laws and now some shops and pubs are allowed to open on Sundays, but such changes are very recent and very controversial.

足球運動

運動有季節(jié)——就像足球季一樣——也來自農(nóng)業(yè)社會的自然節(jié)奏，收獲的時間和一般的天氣會影響人們?nèi)绾味冗^時間?！?/p>

Football

The idea of sports having seasons - like the football season - also comes from the natural rhythms of an agricultural society, where the timing of harvests and the general weather affected how people spent their time."

足球是一項熱鬧的運動，在天氣涼爽潮濕的冬季和早春進行。

Football is a boisterous sport still played in winter and early spring when the weather is cool and often wet.

在冬天，惡劣的天氣使人們呆在家里，沒有那么多的農(nóng)業(yè)工作要做

In the winter, bad weather kept people in doors and there was not so much work to do on

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the farm.

過去從事繁重體力勞動的人們發(fā)現(xiàn)他們需要釋放精力，所以他們經(jīng)常聚在一起玩一些粗暴、快速的游戲，比如足球。

Men used to doing hard, physical labour found they needed to release their energies and so got together regularly to play rough, fast games like football.

有傳說說，像足球和橄欖球這樣的游戲?qū)嶋H上源自古代戰(zhàn)士踢敵人的頭來慶祝勝利的“運動”。

There are legends that suggest that games like football and rugby actually derived from the "sport" of ancient warriors celebrating victory by kicking around the decapitated head of an enemy."

關于保齡球的起源，還有一個類似的可怕故事:據(jù)說在古代，蘇格蘭戰(zhàn)士把敵人的頭骨沿草地滾動作為一種運動。

There is a similar grisly tale told about the origins of bowling: it is said that in ancient times, Scottish warriors rolled the skulls of their enemies along the grass for sport.

雖然所有的社會階層過去都參加當?shù)氐淖闱虮荣?，但在文藝復興時期，人們開始認為一些運動對貴族青年來說太粗野了。

While all social classes used to join in the local football match, during the Renaissance the idea began to emerge that some sports were too rough for aristocratic young men.

當時一位有影響力的作家形容足球“只不過是野獸般的憤怒和極端的暴力”，根本不適合紳士。

One influential writer of the era described football as "nothing but beastly fury and extreme violence" and not at all suitable for gentlemen.

在莎士比亞的時代，足球在城市和鄉(xiāng)村都有。

In Shakespeare's time, football was played in the cities as well as the countryside.

來自國外的游客有時會抱怨說，他們走在倫敦的街道上時，會被一場粗野而危險的足球比賽絆倒，而當?shù)氐淖艉蜕倘艘矔粊y飛的足球打破窗戶。

Visitors from abroad sometimes complained about stumbling into the midst of a rough and dangerous game when walking the streets of London, while local householders and merchants were troubled by having their windows broken by stray footballs.

在比賽進行到一半的時候，球員和觀眾常常喝得酩酊大醉，這就導致了更不文雅的行為。

Drinking hard went along with playing hard, and at half-time players and spectators often got very drunk, which led to even more unrefined behaviour.

今天，暴力仍然與足球聯(lián)系在一起。

Today, violence is still associated with football.

“足球流氓”，不同球隊的支持者，有時在比賽前、比賽中和比賽后發(fā)生沖突，偶爾會在鎮(zhèn)上鬧事，打破窗戶，互相毆打。

"Football hooligans", supporters of rival teams, sometimes clash before, during and after matches and occasionally run riot through the town, breaking windows and beating each other up."

一些球迷在臉上畫畫，唱足球歌曲，這就不難想象他們的勇士祖先。

Some football fans paint their faces and sing or chant football songs and it is not too difficult to imagine their warrior-ancestors.

雖然足球暴力受到了很多關注，但在預計會有麻煩的大型比賽之前，警察會在街道上巡邏，足球場地附近的酒吧會關門，商店也會鎖門和關上窗戶。

While football violence gets a lot of attention, before big matches when trouble is expected police patrol the streets, pubs near the football grounds are closed, and shops lock their doors and shutter their windows.

門票的銷售、體育場的座位安排以及總體上的安保都受到了更嚴格的控制，并且盡一切努力確保數(shù)以百萬計的觀眾能夠坐下來享受比賽

The selling of tickets, the seating in stadiums and security in general are more strictly controlled and every effort is made to ensure that spectators can just sit down and enjoy the game, which they do in their millions.

每個賽季都有超過2000萬張的足球協(xié)會(FA)比賽門票出售。

Over 20 million tickets are sold to Football Association (FA) games each season.

英足總?是主要球隊為獲得足總杯冠軍而競爭的聯(lián)盟或協(xié)會。

The FA is the league or association that the major teams compete in, for a trophy title known as the FA Cup.

網(wǎng)球是一項較為溫和的運動，它是夏季到來的明確標志。

"Tennis

A more gentle sport that is a sure sign that summer has arrived is the popular game of tennis.

溫布爾登，實際上是倫敦郊區(qū)，是世界上最好的球員的聚集地

Wimbledon, actually a London suburb, is where the world's best players

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它們在草地球場上比賽。

gather to compete on grass courts'2.

它是英國體育日歷上的主要賽事之一，也可能是世界上最著名的網(wǎng)球賽事。

It is one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.

除了觀看網(wǎng)球比賽之外，與“溫網(wǎng)兩周”密切相關的其他活動還有吃草莓和奶油、喝香檳以及祈禱不要下雨。

Besides actually watching the tennis matches, other activities closely associated with the "Wimbledon fortnight" are eating strawberries and cream, drinking champagne and hoping that it doesn't rain3.

網(wǎng)球是英國人發(fā)明的，它的起源實際上要歸功于教會。教會的記載表明，在15世紀中期，人們開始把球從當?shù)亟烫没虼蠼烫玫膫让鎻椫幕貋?，開始用手拍，后來用球拍拍。

Tennis was invented in Britain and it owes its origins, literally, to the Church.14 Church records indicate that by the mid-fifteenth century, people were making a game of bouncing a ball off the side of their local churches or cathedrals, first using the hand, and later a racquet.

板球運動是英國最早有組織規(guī)則并在全國范圍內(nèi)按照相同規(guī)則進行的團體運動之一。

Cricket

Cricket was one of the very first team sports in Britain to have organised rules and to be played according to the same rules nationally'.

到1787年，規(guī)則就確定了下來，比網(wǎng)球、橄欖球和足球等其他運動的全國通用規(guī)則確定下來整整早了一個世紀。

By 1787 the rules were fixed, a full century before national rules were fixed for other sports like tennis, rugby and football.

(在其他體育項目中，當?shù)孛總€村或縣的比賽規(guī)則不同。)

(In other sports, each local village or county played by different rules.)

板球之所以這么早就采用了固定的規(guī)則，原因是金融方面的:貴族們喜歡在板球比賽中下注，如果人們要在一場比賽中冒險，他們希望確保比賽公平進行。

The reason that fixed rules were applied to cricket so early on was a financial one: aristocrats loved betting on cricket matches and if people were going to risk money on a game, they wanted to ensure that the game would be played fairly.

在維多利亞時代以前，各行各業(yè)的人都打板球，但在19世紀，板球成為一項與上流社會有關的運動。

Before the Victorian era, people from all walks of life played cricket, but in the 19th century, cricket became a sport associated with the upper classes.

這是上公立學校的男孩子們玩的一種“勢利”游戲

It was a kind of a "snob" game played by boys who attended public schools. ?

板球運動在一些公立學校系統(tǒng)得到改進的地方也變得流行起來，比如在澳大利亞、新西蘭、印度和巴基斯坦的殖民地。

Cricket also became popular in places where the public school system was adapted, like in the colonies of Australia, New Zealand, India and Pakistan.

隨著幾代公立學校的男孩長大后成為英國及其殖民地的公務員和統(tǒng)治者，板球與一套道德價值觀聯(lián)系在一起，尤其是“公平競爭”的理念，這是英國政府的特點。（自吹自擂不要臉）

As generations of public school boys grew up to become the civil servants and rulers of the UK and its colonies, cricket became associated with a set of moral values, in particular the idea of "fair play" which characterised British government."

上世紀80年代的高級公務員蘭班克羅夫特爵士(Sir lan Bancroft)記得，當他在白廳(Whitehall位于倫敦的英國政府各機構的代稱)開始自己的職業(yè)生涯時，有一天，他的政府部長非常生氣，把電話扔向了他。

Sir lan Bancroft, a high level civil servant in the 1980s, remembered that when he began his career in Whitehall, one day his government minister was so angry that he threw the telephone at him.

蘭爵士說，他很清楚該如何回應:“打過板球后，我能接住球，并禮貌地把球還給他?！?/p>

Sir lan said he knew exactly how to respond: "Having played cricket I was able to catch it and hand it back to him politely."

英式英語中仍然有許多令不熟悉英式英語的人感到困惑的短語和典故

British English is still full of phrases and references which those not familiar with the game will be baffled by.

“on a sticky wicket”表示面臨困難:“throw a googly”表示行為不可預測

To be "on a sticky wicket" is to face difficulties: ??to "throw a googly" is to act unpredictably.

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如果有人告訴你你在做"not cricket"，意思是你在某種情況下行為不道德或不體面，而如果你在"playing with a straight bat"，你是一個誠實的人。

And if someone tells you that what you are doing is

"not cricket" it means that you are not behaving ethically or honourably in a situation, whereas if you are "playing with a straight bat", you are an honest person.

板球的規(guī)則和語言一樣晦澀難懂。

The rules of cricket are as obscure as the language.

對于大多數(shù)體育運動，你只需看一段時間就能明白發(fā)生了什么，但板球卻不是這樣。

With most sports, you can understand what is going on by simply watching for a while, but with cricket this is not the case.

然而，無論你是否理解比賽，觀看比賽都是一種享受。

However, whether you understand the game or not, it is enjoyable to watch.

這是一項很有特色的運動:運動員穿著白色褲子，顯得很正式。

It is a very distinctive sport: the players wear white trousers and appear quite formally dressed.

觀眾們圍坐在“綠地”(一個巨大的場地)的椅子上，享受著陽光，喝著飲料，觀看球隊的比賽。

Spectators gather around the "green," a large field, in chairs, enjoying the sun, sipping drinks and watching the teams play.

板球另一個不同尋常的地方是，比賽不會只持續(xù)幾個小時。

Another unusual thing about cricket is that matches do not last just a few hours.

它們可以持續(xù)好幾天。

They can go on for days.

Golf 高爾夫是由蘇格蘭發(fā)明的,今天在世界各地狂熱的高爾夫球手的夢想是在著名和古老的高爾夫球場——圣安德魯斯球場上玩, 這離愛丁堡不遠，蘇格蘭人認真對待他們的娛樂:16世紀,高爾夫已經(jīng)流行,以至于圣安德魯斯大主教被允許保留他的兔子洞，條件是這不會影響人們在球場上玩。

Golf The game of golf was invented by the Scottish and today avid golfers around the world dream of playing on the famous and ancient golf course at St Andrews, not far from Edinburgh.22 The Scots took their recreation seriously: by the sixteenth century, golf was already so popular?that the Archbishop of St Andrews was only allowed to keep his rabbit warrens on the links (golf course) as long as his rabbit-raising activities didn't interfere with people who wanted to play golf.

雖然許多英國歷史專業(yè)的學生都聽說過蘇格蘭的瑪麗女王，這位悲劇而美麗的女王在16世紀的王位繼承爭議中被斬首，但很少有人知道她喜歡打高爾夫球。

And while many students of British history have heard of Mary Queen of Scots,24 the tragic and beautiful queen who was beheaded in the sixteenth century during a controversy over the succession to the throne, few know that she liked to play golf.

事實上，她成為了流言和批評的對象，因為她在第二任丈夫死亡后不久就出現(xiàn)在了球場上。

Indeed, she became the object of gossip and criticism because she was seen out on the links shortly after the death of her second husband.

賽馬、狩獵和馬術

英國國王(和女王)真正的運動不是高爾夫，而是賽馬。

Horse Racing, Hunting and Equestrianism

The true sport of British Kings (and Queens) is not golfing, but horse racing.

有組織的國家賽馬在英國已經(jīng)有幾百年的歷史了。

Organised national horse races have been held throughout Britain for hundreds of years.

馬是中世紀生活的核心，是權威和財富的象征，是旅行、狩獵和戰(zhàn)爭的必需品。

At the heart of medieval life was the horse, a symbol of authority and wealth and necessary to travelling, hunting and warfare.

英國騎士時代充滿了故事、歌曲、詩歌和對騎在馬上的勇敢騎士的描寫。

The age of English chivalry is full of stories, songs, poems and depictions of the brave Knight on his steed.

事實上，對于穿著厚重鐵甲的騎士來說，賽馬并不是一項好的運動。

In fact, racing was not a good sport for knights who were clad in heavy iron armour.

中世紀的比武大會通常有一些活動來展示騎士的勇敢和軍事實力，比如比武。

Medieval tournaments more commonly had activities to show off the bravery and military prowess of the knights, such as jousting.

涉及騎馬的運動仍然被認為是勢利或貴族的運動，因為普通英國家庭買不起馬。

Sports which involve the riding of horses are still

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considered rather snobbish or aristocratic sports because the average British family cannot afford to own a horse.

不過，這里也有出租馬匹的馬廄，并以合理的價格提供騎馬課程。

However, there are stables which rent horses and offer riding lessons at affordable prices.

當然，幾乎每個人都能時不時地在賽馬上下注。

And of course just about everyone can afford to place a bet on a horse race now and then.

賽馬有兩種:一種是平地賽馬，馬匹和騎手在平坦的橢圓形跑道上比賽;

There are two kinds of horse racing: flat racing, where horses and riders compete on a flat, oval track;

還有障礙賽跑，即在鄉(xiāng)村中奔跑，或者繞著代表你在鄉(xiāng)村中可能遇到的障礙(樹籬、池塘、小山等)的賽道奔跑。

and steeplechase, which is racing either across the countryside, or around a course designed to represent the obstacles you might encounter in the countryside (hedges, ponds, hills, and so on).

全國越野障礙賽是世界上最著名的障礙賽。

The Grand National2 is the world's most famous steeplechase.

成立于1837年的全國大賽馬近年來因其危險性而引起越來越多的爭議。

Established in 1837, in recent years the Grand National has become increasingly controversial because of the dangers involved.

例如，每年都會有一些馬(和騎手)在試圖跳過障礙物時受傷。

Every year some horses (and riders too) can be injured in trying to negotiate a jump for example.

受到嚴重傷害的馬通常會被射殺，動物愛好者認為僅僅為了我們的享受而傷害或殺死動物是不可接受的

Badly hurt horses are usually shot, and animal lovers find it unacceptable that animals should be hurt and killed just for our enjoyment.

現(xiàn)在，國家大賽事被設計得足夠困難，讓人興奮，但不會太難到造成嚴重的傷害。

Now the Grand National course is designed to be difficult enough to be exciting, but not so difficult as to cause serious injuries.

雖然賽馬是國王的運動，但國王和平民都喜歡賭馬。

While it is the sport of kings, kings and commoners alike enjoy betting on the horses.

在任何城鎮(zhèn)中心，你都可以走進一家投注站，對比賽下注。

In any town centre you can go into a betting shop and place a bet on the horses.

與賽馬有關的最大的社交活動是英國皇家賽馬大會（阿斯考特，離倫敦不遠的一個小鎮(zhèn)），人們盛裝出席，展示自己有多時髦，同時觀看賽馬和下注。

The biggest social event associated with horse racing is Royal Ascot , where people dress up and go to show off how fashionable they are as well to watch the races and place their bets.

尤其是女性，她們戴著非常精致和有異國情調(diào)的帽子，比賽結束后，電視和報紙經(jīng)常會有報道，介紹她們戴的帽子和穿的衣服的種類。

Women especially wear very elaborate and exotic hats, and after the races the television and newspapers will often have stories featuring the sorts of hats and outfits that were worn.

另一項與貴族和馬有關的運動是馬術，這項運動包括跳躍表演、駕馬車以及速度等騎馬技巧。

Another horsy sport associated with the aristocracy is equestrianism, sports which can involve riding skills such as show jumping and carriage driving, as well as speed.

打獵起源于生存需要，但在中世紀的英國，它發(fā)展成為一種娛樂活動。變得流行，以至于大貴族們在他們的房子周圍都建了鹿園，在那里他們可以很方便地打獵。

Hunting for wild game was born of necessity, but it developed into a recreational pursuit in medieval England.29 It became so popular that great lords surrounded their houses with deer parks where they could go hunting conveniently.

他們有時會安排仆人把鹿趕到公園的一個角落里，這樣即使是嬌弱的貴族女士也能拿起弓箭，獵殺一只鹿作為晚餐。

They sometimes arranged for the servants to herd the deer into a corner of the park so that even the delicate aristocratic ladies could take their bows and arrows and bag a deer for dinner.

在英國，許多你仍可以參觀的古老莊園里都有成群的鹿群，盡管現(xiàn)在這些鹿群更多的是用于點綴而不是用于運動。

Many of the ancient manor houses you can still visit in Britain have their herds of deer, although now these are more for decoration than for sport.

比在封閉的公園里狩獵更常見的是騎馬在鄉(xiāng)間追逐動物，帶著矛、箭，還有狗和仆人幫忙。

More common than hunting within an enclosed park was chasing an animal across the countryside on horseback, with a spear, arrows, and dogs and servants to assist.

在中世紀，野豬是人們最喜愛的獵物，后來狼也是。

30 In the Middle Ages, the boar was the favourite quarry, and later the wolf.

Both

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它們被捕殺到幾近滅絕

were hunted into near extinction.

如今，現(xiàn)代獵人通常追捕狐貍:中世紀的英國人會嘲笑獵殺這樣一種微不足道的小獵物。

Modern hunters usually chase foxes nowadays: their medieval forebears would sneer at such an insignificant quarry.

許多英國動物愛好者也不贊成獵狐貍和兔子。

Hunting foxes and rabbits is also disapproved of by many British animal lovers.

觀看狩獵比賽是一件非常令人興奮的事情:男獵人和女獵人騎著馬，傳統(tǒng)上穿著紅色夾克，白色馬褲和高統(tǒng)靴。

A hunting meet is a very exciting thing to watch: huntsmen and women mounted, traditionally clad in red jackets, white jodhpurs and high boots.

他們騎著漂亮的馬，在狂吠、興奮的獵狗和焦慮的仆人的簇擁下，沖過鄉(xiāng)間的綠色田野和樹籬。

On their beautiful horses surrounded by barking, excited hunting dogs and anxious servants, they charge across the green fields and hedgerows of the countryside.

但是，所有這些活動的原因都是為了追逐和殺死一只小兔子或狐貍，動物權利組織發(fā)現(xiàn)，對于一個本應是文明的社會來說，這是一種不可接受的娛樂活動。

But as the reason for all this activity is to chase and kill a tiny rabbit or fox, Animal Rights groups find this an unacceptable recreation for a society that is supposed to be civilised.

最近有人試圖在議會通過法律來禁止這些血腥的運動。

There have been recent attempts to pass laws in Parliament to ban these blood sports.

這些立法都以微弱的票數(shù)失敗了。

These attempts have been defeated by narrow margins.

由于許多下院議員和上議院議員都來自愛好狩獵的富裕家庭，他們傾向于投票反對禁止他們的娛樂活動。

Since many MPs and Lords are from wealthy families that enjoy hunting, they tend to vote against these efforts to ban one of their pastimes.

節(jié)假日

了解一點關于英國節(jié)日、習俗及其起源的知識，可以很好地了解英國人在生活中關心的內(nèi)容。

Holidays and Festivals

Knowing a little bit about British holidays and customs and their origins is a good way of understanding what Britons find important in their lives and communities.

一年中，英國人慶祝的許多節(jié)日都反映了他們國家的宗教、歷史、社會和文化多樣性。

Throughout the year the British celebrate many holidays which reflect the religious, historical, social and cultural diversity of their country.

一些節(jié)日在全國各地慶祝，紀念基督教歷上的重要事件。

Some holidays are celebrated throughout the country and mark important events of the Christian calendar.

其他的節(jié)日是基于當?shù)氐牧曀缀蛡鹘y(tǒng)，反映了不同地區(qū)的各種經(jīng)歷。

Other holidays are based on local customs and traditions which reflect the variety of experience in different regions.

幾乎所有的節(jié)日都有一個共同點，無論是本地的、地區(qū)的還是全國的，那就是他們?yōu)榧胰撕团笥烟峁┝艘粋€機會，聚在一起串門、吃飯、送上良好的祝愿，享受彼此的陪伴和熱情好客。

What almost all of the holidays have in common whether they are local, regional or national - is that they provide an opportunity for families and friends to get together to visit, eat, exchange good wishes and enjoy each other's company and hospitality.

宗教節(jié)日

盡管英國仍是一個以基督教為主的國家，但大多數(shù)英國人并不定期去教堂，也不參加基督教禮拜。

Religious Holidays

Although Britain remains a mainly Christian nation, most Britons do not go to church regularly or engage in Christian worship.

由于移民和信仰的變化，世界上大多數(shù)宗教都存在于英國，其中有相當多的印度教徒、猶太人、穆斯林和錫克教徒以及許多較小的團體

Because of immigration and changing beliefs, most of the world's religions are practised in Britain, with sizeable Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities and numerous smaller groups.32

其結果是，盡管許多基督教節(jié)日被慶祝，但它們已經(jīng)被改造為了適應現(xiàn)代世俗社會的節(jié)日。

The result is that although many Christian festivals are observed they have been adapted to fit the

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needs of a modern, secular society.

非基督徒和基督徒一起參加圣誕節(jié)和復活節(jié)的一些活動并不罕見。12月25日的圣誕節(jié)是英國最大、最受歡迎的節(jié)日。

It is not unusual to find non-Christians as well as Christians participating in some of the activities surrounding Christmas and Easter.3 Christmas, December 25th, is the biggest and best loved British holiday.

學校放假，商店和公司也放假，所以人們可以和家人待在家里。

Schools close for the holiday period, as do shops and offices, so people can spend time at home with their families.

雖然圣誕節(jié)有基督教的意義——它紀念耶穌基督的誕生——但慶祝冬至的活動自古就有，而一些“基督教”的傳統(tǒng)，如用冬青和常春藤等常綠植物裝飾房屋，或在槲寄生樹枝下接吻，實際上是凱爾特或異教徒的傳統(tǒng)。

While Christmas has a Christian meaning - it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ - celebrations of the Winter Solstice have taken place since ancient times and some "Christian" traditions such as decorating the house with evergreen plants like holly and ivy, or kissing under a twig of mistletoe, are actually Celtic or pagan traditions.

如今，大多數(shù)英國人通過交換禮物和圣誕卡、準備節(jié)日食品、用彩燈、圣誕樹和裝飾品裝飾家里和工作場所來慶祝圣誕節(jié)。

Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments.

有三個圣誕傳統(tǒng)是英國特有的:一個是圣誕啞劇，一種喜劇音樂劇。

There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly British: one is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.

“啞劇”通常基于傳統(tǒng)兒童故事，如灰姑娘，寫一些歌曲和笑話，大人和孩子都喜歡。

The "panto" is usually based on a version of a traditional children's story like Cinderella, written to include songs and jokes which can be enjoyed by adults and children.

男主角——“男主角”——由一名年輕女子扮演。

The main male character - the "principal boy" — is played by a young woman.

在那個女人穿長裙的年代，看到一個女人穿著露腿的衣服出現(xiàn)會被認為是很調(diào)皮的

In the days when women wore long skirts, it was considered rather naughty to see a woman appear in an outfit revealing the shape of her legs.

主要的女性角色是一個中年丑陋的女人，被稱為?夫人“Dame”。

The main female character is a middle-aged, often ugly woman called "the Dame."

夫人 由男性扮演，通常是著名演員或運動員。

The Dame is played by a man, often a famous actor or sportsman.

當他化著濃妝，穿著裙子和女鞋出現(xiàn)時，人們會認為這很幽默。

When he appears in heavy make up, skirts and woman's shoes, it is considered very humorous.

觀眾被鼓勵為英雄歡呼，當惡棍出現(xiàn)時發(fā)出噓聲。

The audience is encouraged to cheer the hero on and boo when the villain appears.

英國的另一個圣誕傳統(tǒng)是通過電視和廣播聽女王向全國人民發(fā)表圣誕致辭。

Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.

英國女王也是其他國家的女王，比如加拿大和澳大利亞，以及許多較小國家的女王，因此她的信息會通過廣播傳遞給全世界數(shù)百萬臣民。（已經(jīng)沒了，換成大家都討厭的查爾斯講話了）

The British Queen is also the Queen of other nations, like Canada and Australia, and a large number of smaller countries, and so her message is broadcast to her millions of subjects throughout the world.

她通常會談論過去的一年，表達她對未來的希望。

She usually talks about the year that has passed and expresses her hopes for the future.

第三個英國傳統(tǒng)是節(jié)禮日(Boxing Day)，也在受英國傳統(tǒng)影響的國家中被慶祝。節(jié)禮日在圣誕節(jié)的第二天。

A third British tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, is Boxing Day, which falls on the day after Christmas.

傳統(tǒng)上，人們會在節(jié)禮日給他們的員工或仆人圣誕禮物或錢。

Traditionally, it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.

現(xiàn)在，大多數(shù)英國人都沒有仆人，這一習俗也就不復存在了，大多數(shù)人甚至不能告訴你節(jié)禮日應該做什么。

Now that most British people do not have servants, this custom is no longer observed and most people cannot even tell you what one is supposed to do on Boxing Day.

然而，一種新的節(jié)禮日習俗出現(xiàn)了，至少在城市里是這樣:購物。

However, a new Boxing Day custom has emerged, in the cities at least: shopping.

商店開門出售所有的圣誕裝飾品、食品、卡片和禮物。

Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations, food, cards and gift items at low prices.

但對大多數(shù)人而言

But for most

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然而，節(jié)禮日是人們出行、吃飯和放松的日子。

people, however, Boxing Day is a day for visiting, eating and relaxing.

對于常去教堂的人來說，復活節(jié)是是基督教最重要的節(jié)日，而不是圣誕節(jié)。

For church-goers it is Easter, not Christmas, which is the most important Christian festival.

復活節(jié)是為了紀念耶穌基督的受難和復活。它發(fā)生在春天，學校和大學會放假。

Easter commemorates the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. ?It occurs in the spring, when schools and universities close for a break.

雖然基督徒在復活節(jié)期間參加許多教堂禮拜，但對大多數(shù)人來說，復活節(jié)的主要象征是復活節(jié)彩蛋，這最初是基督教中新生命的象征。

While Christians attend many church services over the Easter period, for most people the main symbol of Easter is the Easter egg, originally a Christian symbol of new life.

現(xiàn)在人們互相贈送巧克力或糖果復活節(jié)彩蛋，這些彩蛋通常非常大、精心制作和昂貴的。

Nowadays people give each other chocolate or candy Easter Eggs, which are often very large, elaborate and expensive.

圣誕節(jié)和復活節(jié)也有非基督徒參與和慶祝，他們強調(diào)節(jié)日的世俗性的一面而非宗教方面。

Christmas and Easter have been adopted and celebrated by non-Christian people who emphasise the secular rather than the religious aspects of the holidays.

還有許多不同信仰的人慶祝的非基督教節(jié)日，許多學校和工作場所會允許這些人休假，讓他們慶祝這個特殊的日子。

There are also many non-Christian festivals which are observed by people with different beliefs and many schools and workplaces will allow such people to take time off to allow them to celebrate a particular special day.

例如，2017年英國有超過330萬穆斯林，而且這個數(shù)字還在增長。

For example, there were over 3.3 million Muslims in Britain in 2017, and the number is still growing.

他們中的大多數(shù)人會慶祝傳統(tǒng)的伊斯蘭節(jié)日，比如齋月。齋月是一種持續(xù)29天的禁食，從黎明到黃昏期間不能吃任何東西或喝任何東西，并以一個節(jié)日結束。

Most of them observe traditional Islamic festivals such as Ramadan, a fast which lasts 29 days during which nothing can be eaten or drunk between dawn and nightfall, and ends with a festival.

還有猶太人、印度教徒、錫克教徒、佛教徒，甚至異教徒團體都慶祝對他們的群體重要的日子。

There are also, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and even Pagan groups which observe days important to their communities.

在倫敦，海外華人社區(qū)以舞龍、煙花、游行和家庭活動慶祝中國新年。

In London, the overseas Chinese community marks Chinese New Year with dragon dances, fireworks, parades and family celebrations.

國家節(jié)日

英國最令人印象深刻、色彩最豐富的節(jié)日之一是每年6月的第二個周六，屆時在倫敦白金漢宮周圍舉行的“皇家軍隊閱兵儀式”，正式慶祝女王的生日。

National Holidays

One of Britain's most impressive and colourful festivals happens on the second Saturday in June when the Queen's Birthday is officially celebrated by "Trooping the Colour" around Buckingham Palace in London.

與大多數(shù)國家不同，英國沒有“國慶日”，但圍繞女王檢閱軍隊的盛大儀式吸引了大批民眾。

The UK, unlike most countries, does not have a "national day", but the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Queen inspecting her troops draws large crowds of people.

這一儀式源于古老的軍事傳統(tǒng)，即在君主面前檢閱軍團旗幟。

The ceremony derives from old military traditions in which regimental flags were paraded before the monarch.

在18世紀，這樣的慶典每天都有，但在維多利亞統(tǒng)治早期，人們決定只有在君主的生日時才舉行這種慶典。

In the 18th century such pageantry used to occur daily, but early in Victoria's reign it was decided that this ceremony should only be held on the sovereign's birthday.

在國外的英國外交官通常會舉辦特殊的派對或活動來慶祝女王的生日。

British diplomats abroad will often have a special party or event to celebrate the Queen's birthday.

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四部分的節(jié)日

在英格蘭、威爾士、北愛爾蘭和蘇格蘭的地方節(jié)日中，可以看出聯(lián)合王國中四個民族獨特的文化和政治身份。

Holidays in the Four Nations

It is in the local festivals of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland that the distinctive cultural and political identities of the four nations of the United Kingdom can be seen.

，許多節(jié)日和習俗是在沖突時期被發(fā)明、流行和用于政治或宗教目的的。

Many festivals and customs have been invented, adopted and used to serve political or religious functions in times of conflict.

比如17世紀新教徒和天主教徒之間的戰(zhàn)爭中歷史性戰(zhàn)役。

For example the historic battles.

在英格蘭和北愛爾蘭，通常以象征性的甚至是真正的暴力來紀念。（指的是奧蘭治游行“Orangewalk”，紀念博因河戰(zhàn)役）

between the Protestants and Catholics in the 17th century are commemorated, often with symbolic or even real violence, in England and Northern Ireland.

蘇格蘭和威爾士的特殊節(jié)日以他們獨特的語言和文化展示了他們的民族自豪感，并提醒我們，英國不僅僅是“英格蘭”和“英格蘭人”。

Special days in Scotland and Wales demonstrate their national pride in their unique languages and cultures and remind us that there is much more to the UK than "the English" and "England.

英國人不慶祝他們的著名作家、戰(zhàn)爭或守護神，盡管他們擁有所有這些東西。

"England

The English do not celebrate their famous writers or battles or patron saints, although they have all these things.

然而，一個真正的英國節(jié)日是篝火之夜，有時也被稱為蓋伊?？怂怪?，在初秋慶祝。

However, one truly English holiday is Bonfire Night sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night - celebrated in the early autumn.

1605年11月5日晚上，有人計劃炸毀英國議會，殺死信奉新教的國王，然后用信奉天主教的國王取而代之。

On the evening of November 5, 1605, a plan to blow up the British Parliament, kill the Protestant King and replace him with a Catholic king was discovered.

陰謀者之一蓋伊·?？怂?Guy Fawkes)在威斯敏斯特的地窖中被發(fā)現(xiàn)攜帶了火藥。

One of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was found in the cellars of Westminster with gunpowder.

他和他團伙的其他成員被逮捕、拷打和處決。

He and the other members of his gang were arrested, tortured and killed.

新教政治家認為火藥陰謀失敗了，因為上帝希望新教徒繼續(xù)統(tǒng)治英格蘭。

Protestant politicians decided that the Gunpowder Plot had failed because God wanted the Protestants to continue to rule England.

議會通過了一項法律，要求在事件周年紀念日舉行“對揭露陰謀的全能上帝的公眾感恩”。

Parliament passed a legal act calling for a "Public Thanksgiving to Almighty God" for revealing the plot, to be held on the anniversary of the event.

如今，英國人仍然用傳統(tǒng)的方式來慶祝這一節(jié)日。

Nowadays, English people still celebrate this event in the traditional way.

11月初，成群結隊的小孩子出現(xiàn)在英國街頭，他們通常帶著一個叫做“蓋伊”的稻草人。

In early November, gangs of small children appear on British streets, often with a straw effigy called the "Guy".

最大的篝火之夜慶祝活動在中世紀小鎮(zhèn)劉易斯舉行，火炬游行穿過狹窄的街道。

The biggest Bonfire Night celebration is held in the small medieval town of Lewes, where torchlight parades wind through the narrow streets.

游行者身著盛裝，手持長矛上的人頭模型，代表新教的敵人。

The paraders wear costumes and carry models of severed heads on pikes, which represent Protestantism's enemies.

當游行隊伍到達篝火廣場時，煙火被用來模擬天主教徒和新教徒之間的戰(zhàn)斗。

When the paraders reach the Bonfire, fireworks are used to fight mock battles betweenCatholics and Protestants.

在這些戰(zhàn)斗的最后，教皇和蓋伊·福克斯的巨型雕像會被煙花炸上天。

At the end of these battles, giant effigies of the Pope and Guy Fawkes are blown up with fireworks.

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北愛爾蘭

另一個源自17世紀天主教徒和新教徒之間的戰(zhàn)爭的節(jié)日是1690年7月12日新教徒慶祝他們在博因河戰(zhàn)役(Boyne Battle)中勝利的節(jié)日。

Northern Ireland

Another festival which comes from the 17th century battles between Catholics and Protestants is the Protestant celebration of their victory at the Battle of the Boyne (July 12) in 1690.

信奉天主教的國王詹姆斯一世于1688年被迫下臺。

The Catholic King James Il was forced off the throne in 1688.

奧蘭治的威廉，被親切地稱為比利國王，被邀請登上王位，詹姆斯被流放。

William of Orange, affectionately known as King Billy, was invited to take the throne and James was driven into exile.

在法國和愛爾蘭這兩個天主教國家的幫助下，詹姆斯試圖奪回王位，但他的軍隊在基爾代爾郡的博因河岸邊被國王比利打敗，基爾代爾郡現(xiàn)在是愛爾蘭的一部分。

With the help of the French and the Irish - both Catholic nations James tried to retake the throne but his forces were defeated by King Billy on the banks of the Boyne River in County Kildare, now a part of Ireland.

12日是游行活動的高潮，新教的“奧蘭治黨”會戴著傳統(tǒng)的圓頂禮帽、黑色西裝和橙色腰帶走上街頭，唱歌、敲鼓和在行軍樂隊中演奏，穿過街道。

The Twelfth is the high point of what is known as the Marching Season,42 when Protestant "Orangemen"43 take to the streets wearing their traditional uniforms of bowler hats, black suits and orange sashes, marching through the streets singing, banging drums and playing in marching bands.

當奧蘭治黨試圖在天主教社區(qū)游行時，他們經(jīng)常與天主教徒發(fā)生沖突——口頭上、法律上，有時甚至是暴力沖突，這象征著他們對愛爾蘭的持續(xù)統(tǒng)治。在奧蘭治黨游行期間，大批警察和軍隊駐守在游行隊伍周圍，氣氛可能會非常緊張。

The Orangemen often clash - verbally, legally or sometimes violently - with the Catholics as they attempt to parade through Catholic neighbourhoods, symbolically asserting their continued dominance over the Irish.44 During Orange Marches there is a massive police and army presence surrounding the parades and the atmosphere can be very tense.

北愛爾蘭天主教徒在每年的3月17日慶祝愛爾蘭守護神圣帕特里克的生日。

Northern Irish Catholics celebrate the birthday of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, on March 17 each year.

帕特里克是一位生活在5世紀的天主教主教，他被認為是將基督教帶到愛爾蘭的人。

Patrick was a Catholic bishop who lived in the 5th century and is thought to have brought Christianity to Ireland.

他住在英國，但在16歲時被愛爾蘭入侵者抓獲，帶到愛爾蘭做了奴隸。

He lived in Great Britain, but at the age of 16 was captured by Irish raiders, taken to Ireland and made a slave.

他最終逃脫，回到了英國，在那里他做了一個夢，愛爾蘭人懇求他回來。

He eventually escaped and returned to Britain, where he had a dream in which the Irish begged him to return.

盡管他在愛爾蘭多年的奴隸生活讓他猶豫不決，但他聽從了這個召喚，并展開了非常成功的傳教士生涯。

Although his memories of years of slavery in Ireland made him hesitate, he followed this call and had a very successful missionary career.

根據(jù)流行的傳說，圣帕特里克把蛇(基督教中邪惡的象征)趕出了愛爾蘭。

According to popular legend, St Patrick drove snakes (the Christian symbol of evil) out of Ireland.

在另一個傳說中，據(jù)說他用三葉草向愛爾蘭人異教徒解釋基督教的三位一體(父、子和圣靈)。在圣帕特里克節(jié)佩戴三葉草是一種流行的象征，穿綠色的衣服也被認為是非常幸運的。

In another legend it is said that he used the three leafed clover, or shamrock, to explain the Christian trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) to the pagan Irish.45 The shamrock is a popular symbol to wear on St Patrick's Day, and it is also considered very lucky to wear something green.

蘇格蘭

雖然大多數(shù)英國人以聚會的方式歡迎新年的到來，但在蘇格蘭，新年前夜被稱為Hogmanay，是冬季的主要慶祝活動

Scotland

While most British people welcome the coming of the New Year with parties, in Scotland, New Year's Eve called Hogmanay - is the major winter celebration, and

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超過了圣誕節(jié)，圣誕節(jié)則是一個非常安靜的節(jié)日。

overshadows Christmas, which is a very quiet affair.

慶祝Hogmanay的方式在蘇格蘭各地各不相同，但有一個廣泛實行的習俗是“第一個進門”。

How Hogmanay is celebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practised custom is "first footing".

有迷信的說法，新年第一個跨進家門的人會帶來好運和繁榮:一個年輕的，最好是黑頭發(fā)和英俊的男人被認為是特別幸運的。

There is a superstitious belief that the first person to cross the threshold of a household in the New Year can bring luck and prosperity: the appearance of a young, preferably dark haired and handsome man is considered particularly lucky.

進門者通常會帶一瓶烈酒、酒精、一塊煤或一塊泥炭作為禮物，并會得到“一小杯威士忌”作為回報。

First footers often bring a bottle of spirits, alcohol, a lump of coal or a peat as a gift and are given a "dram of whisky" as their reward.

每年，世界各地的蘇格蘭人都會在他們最喜愛的民族詩人羅伯特·彭斯的生日(1月25日)前后舉辦彭斯晚餐，通常被稱為彭斯之夜，來慶祝他的生日。

Each year Scottish people all over the world celebrate their most beloved national poet, Robert Burns, by holding a Burns supper, commonly known as Burns Night, on or near his birthday (January 25).

彭斯主要用蘇格蘭方言寫作，他的詩歌借鑒了蘇格蘭民歌和故事的古老傳統(tǒng)，因此具有廣泛的大眾吸引力。

Burns wrote mainly in the Scots dialect and his poems drew on older traditions of Scottish folk songs and stories and so have a wide popular appeal.

萬圣節(jié)是蘇格蘭的一個節(jié)日，它來自異教凱爾特人的盛大宴會，標志著一年中的冬天的到來。

Halloween is a Scottish festival that comes from the great feast of the pagan Celts which marked the arrival of the winter half of the year.

萬圣節(jié)以展示凱爾特習俗中黑暗、超自然的一面而聞名——與死者交流、惡作劇、算命和化妝舞會是常見的做法。

Halloween is notable for showing the darker, supernatural side of Celtic custom - communion with the dead, mischief, fortune-telling and masquerades are common practices.

孩子們制作“蘿卜燈籠”。

Children make "turnip lanterns".

把蘿卜挖空，挖洞做成眼睛、鼻子和嘴巴。

Turnips are hollowed out and holes are cut to make eyes, nose and mouth.

然后把蠟燭放在蘿卜里，再把蘿卜放在窗戶上，用來嚇跑巫婆和其他邪惡的靈魂。

Then candles are placed inside the turnip and it is set in the windows to scare away witches and other evil spirits.

威爾士

威爾士

擁有歐洲最古老、最豐富的文學、音樂和詩歌傳統(tǒng)。

Wales

Wales has some of the oldest and richest literary, musical and poetic traditions in Europe.

用傳統(tǒng)威爾士語言和風格寫的詩歌受古老的法典和慣例的支配，這些法典和慣例可以追溯到德魯伊教，他們制定了嚴格的寫作規(guī)則，以幫助他們正確地記憶和傳唱詩歌和故事。

Poems written in the traditional Welsh language and style are governed by ancient codes and conventions which can be traced back to the Druids, who instituted rigid rules of composition to help them to correctly memorise and pass on poems and stories.

在14世紀前的威爾士，成為吟游詩人需要多年的學習，被認為是一種職業(yè)，就像法律或醫(yī)學一樣。

In pre-14th century Wales, to become a bard required years of study and was considered a profession, like law or medicine.

這種詩歌傳統(tǒng)已經(jīng)在eisteddfod中慶祝了幾個世紀，eisteddfod是一個威爾士詞，意思是人們背誦詩歌和唱歌的聚會。

This poetic tradition has been celebrated for centuries in eisteddfod, a Welsh word meaning a gathering where people recite verses and sing songs.

1536年，威爾士正式并入英格蘭(它已經(jīng)被英格蘭控制了數(shù)百年)，英語成為國家語言。

In 1536 Wales was officially joined with England (it had been controlled by England for hundreds of years) and English became the national language.

說威爾士語被視為一件壞事。

Speaking Welsh was seen as a bad thing.

在19世紀，威爾士學生說威爾士語可能會受到懲罰。

As recently as the 19th century, Welsh schoolchildren could be punished for speaking Welsh.

威爾士語開始消亡，但說威爾士語的人努力保存它

The Welsh language began to die, but Welsh speakers fought hard to preserve it.

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他們實現(xiàn)這一點的方法之一是每年8月舉辦大型的藝術節(jié)Eisteddfod來慶祝他們的文化和語言，這將提醒全英國的人們，威爾士有特殊的文化遺產(chǎn)

One way they accomplished this was to celebrate their culture and their language each August with a really large Eisteddfod which would remind people throughout the UK of Wales' special cultural heritage.

Eisteddfod現(xiàn)在是歐洲最受歡迎的音樂創(chuàng)作和詩歌創(chuàng)作的節(jié)日。

The Eisteddfod is now the largest popular festival of music making and poetry writing in Europe.

在Eisteddfod，帳篷和涼亭圍繞著一個大的開放空間:在不同的帳篷里舉行比賽，得出最好的唱詩班、翻譯、散文家和詩人。

At the Eisteddfod, tents and pavilions are erected around a big open space: in the different tents competitions are held to find the best choirs, translators, essayists and poets.

最精彩的部分是為兩位詩人舉行的頒獎儀式，他們都是此次慶典中最優(yōu)秀的詩人。

The highlight is the crowning of the two bards who have written the best poems of the festival.

結論

英國日歷充滿了節(jié)日，這些節(jié)日展示了組成英國的人們的不同文化和歷史。

Conclusion

The British calendar is full of holidays and festivals which demonstrate the different cultures and histories of the people who make up Britain.

節(jié)日習俗隨著時代的變化而變化。

Holiday customs have changed as times have changed.

隨著英國成為一個基督教國家，古老的異教傳統(tǒng)被教會改編。

Ancient pagan traditions were adapted by the church as Britain became a nation of Christians.

現(xiàn)在，基督教會的影響力不像過去那么大了，基督教節(jié)日和習俗再次發(fā)生了變化，因此，無論背景和信仰如何，全國各地的人們都可以分享這些節(jié)日和習俗。

Now that the Christian church is not as influential as it was in the past, Christian holidays and customs have changed again so they can be shared by people throughout the country whatever their backgrounds and beliefs.

威爾士人可以慶祝伯恩斯之夜，倫敦人可以在中國新年看舞龍，穆斯林可以享受巧克力彩蛋，基督徒可以在節(jié)禮日購物。

Thus Welsh people can celebrate Burns Night, Londoners can watch Dragon dances at Chinese New Year, Muslims can enjoy chocolate Easter eggs and Christians can go shopping on Boxing Day.

這樣的節(jié)日提醒我們文化是如何變化和相互影響的;

Such holidays remind us of how cultures change and influence each other;

他們也讓我們有機會分享英國豐富的文化遺產(chǎn)。

they also give us an opportunity to share in the rich cultural heritage of the United Kingdom.

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