BBC雙語小常識 Flashcards
The Paralympic Games closed in a spectacular ceremony in the Olympic stadium, marking the end of an era for London 2012. The Games have been widely cited as the most successful in history, with many world records broken throughout the fortnight. Seb Coe, chairman of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, said last night: “We will never think of disability in the same way.”
残奥会在奥林匹克体育场举行的壮观闭幕式中落下帷幕, 标志着一个时代的结束。2012年伦敦奥运被广泛视为历史上最成功的一次，两周内有许多世界纪录被打破。伦敦奥运会和伦敦残奥会主席, 科尔昨晚说: “我们将永远不会再以同样的方式去看待残疾和缺陷了。”
Melody Yang is the daughter of Fan Yang, the founder of Canadian theatre group, ‘The Gazillion Bubble Show’. As a family, they have broken numerous world records for their bubble displays, most recently for encapsulating 181 people in a 50 metre long soap bubble. Fan advises that to make good bubbles, you need to mix dishwasher liquid, baking soda and glycerine with clear water.
Melody Yang 是加拿大戏剧演出团 The Gazillion Bubble Show 创办人Fan Yang 的女儿。作为一个家庭表演队，他们打破了多项泡泡世界纪录， 最近的一项纪录是用一个50米的气泡装下了181个人。 Fan 告诉大家要想吹出理想的大泡泡，需要把洗碗液，小苏打粉，甘油和清水均匀混合。
A ‘French window’ is actually a type of door, but one which has many small panes of glass so that it can let light through. As well as France, they are very common in Italy.
所谓“落地窗”在英语里就是 a ‘French window’, 是由很多小块玻璃镶嵌构成的，可以让光线通过。它们在法国和意大利都非常普遍。
London Fashion Week takes place every September and is one of Europe’s biggest fashion events, alongside the Paris and Milan shows. In 2012, there were 62 catwalk shows, showcasing 100 fashion designers over a five day period. The UK fashion industry supports around 800,000 jobs and is the largest employer of all the creative industries.
伦敦时装周每年在九月份举行，是同巴黎和米兰时装周并列的欧洲最大的时装展示活动。2012年的伦敦时装周为期五天，有62场时装表演，展示了100名时装设计师的新作。英国时装业提供80万人的就业机会，是英国最大的一支创意产业。
Honaria is the capital of the island of Guadalcanal, the largest isle of the Soloman Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Papuan-speaking settlers are believed to have inhabited these islands as long as 30,000 years ago. The islands are part of the Commonwealth of Nations and this week the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
霍诺利亚是南太平洋所罗门群岛中最大的瓜达康纳尔岛的首都。 据信， 讲布亚语的土著民族已经在这个岛上居住了长达三万年之久了。这些岛屿均属英联邦。本周剑桥公爵和公爵夫人前去访问，这也是英国女王伊丽莎白二世登基60周年钻石大庆纪念的活动之一。
Each year, approximately 70,000 people with asthma and other breathing difficulties attend a meeting in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. They each swallow a small live fish, which is believed to help cure breathing problems.
每年有大约7万名哮喘和其他有呼吸困难疾病的患者前来印度南部城市海德拉巴,参加一个会议。会议期间每个患者都会活吞一条小鱼，据信这种方法有助于治疗呼吸困难。
The spark of lightning can reach over five miles in length and can raise the temperature of the air by 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightning doesn’t only occur in thunderstorms, but also in forest fires, volcanic eruptions and even snowstorms. One of the most dangerous places to stand during a thunderstorm is under a tree, and talking on the phone isn’t a good idea either!
雷电的闪光可长达5英里同时可提高气温华氏 50000 度。闪电并不只发生在雷雨之际,也会发生在森林火灾，火山爆发和甚至暴风雪期间。在雷雨来临之际一个最危险的地方就是站在树下，另外使用电话也不是一个好主意。
The photo above won the ‘animal behaviour’ category in the 2012 British Wildlife Photography competition. Amanda Hayes took this picture in Northumberland, in north east England. The photographer spent a week trying to photograph gulls stealing the sand eels from puffins. Luckily for the puffin, it managed to free itself from the gull’s grasp.
上面的照片在 2012 年的英国野生动物摄影比赛中赢得“动物行为”类别大奖。阿曼达•海耶斯是在英国东北部的诺森伯兰郡拍下的这张照片。摄影师花了一星期的时间来拍摄这张银鸥从海鸭那里偷取沙鳗鱼的照片。幸运的是海雀设法摆脱了海鸥的攻击。
Built adjacent to the Olympic Stadium is the ArcelorMittal Orbit, a 115m sculpture and observation tower. Created specifically for the London 2012 Olympics, it is Britain’s largest piece of public art. It was designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond and part-funded by the steel magnate, Lakshmi Mittal. Kapoor was inspired to design a tower that had a spiral, coiling form and was influenced by the painting, ‘The Tower of Babel’ by the Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
同奥林匹克体育馆毗邻的阿塞洛-米塔尔瞭望塔是一座高 115米，看上去疯狂扭曲的巨型雕塑。是专门为 2012 年伦敦奥运会设计的, 也是英国大型的公共艺术作品。由建筑师 Anish Kapoor，Cecil Balmond 设计建造，由钢铁大亨 Lakshmi Mittal 提供部分赞助。这座螺旋形扭曲高塔的设计者是从佛兰德斯艺术家 Pieter Bruegel the Elder 的著名绘画“巴别塔”得到灵感的。
The gesture of thumbs up is often believed to originate in ancient Rome following gladiatorial combat when the fate of a defeated warrior was decided by spectators watching the event. They would gesture either with thumbs downturned - to mimic the stabbing motion of a dagger - to indicate the warrior be executed, or if the warrior had fought well, an upturned thumb - or thumbs up - would signify the warrior could be spared.
拇指朝上的这个动作可能源于古罗马时代角斗士的武斗。那个时候的角斗士如果输了，他的命运将由观众决定。观众做出拇指朝下的手势，就像是一把匕首向下插的样子，这就意味着角斗者会被处死。如果观众认为角斗者表现很好，做出拇指朝上的手势，表示可以饶他一命。
Early surfing boards were made out of solid wood and were extremely difficult to steer. In the 1930s American surfer Tom Blake made a lighter, hollow board and added a fin under the tail, which meant that surfers could control the board better. Since then, new materials like fibreglass have been used to gradually make boards lighter and more manoeuvrable.
早期的冲浪板都是实木制作的，所以非常难驾驭。在上世纪 30 年代时，美国冲浪者 Tom Blake 制造了一款空心体轻的冲浪板，并在尾部底加了一个鳍，这样有助于冲浪者对冲浪板的控制。从那以后，不断有新的材料用于冲浪板的制作，比如玻璃纤维让冲浪板更加轻巧和容易受控。
The Notting Hill Carnival is Europe’s biggest street festival and takes place every summer. The streets of West London come alive with parades of colourful costumes and thousands of spectators. The Caribbean-inspired carnival started in 1964 and is now in its 48th year.
诺丁山狂欢节是欧洲最大的街头游行盛会，每年夏天在伦敦举行。多姿多彩和色泽鲜艳的狂欢队伍及前来凑热闹的人们密布于伦敦西部的许多大街小巷。这个受加勒比海启发的狂欢节开始于 1964 年，这已经是第 48 个年头了。
Lake Ammersee in the region of Bavaria is the sixth-biggest lake in Germany, covering an area of almost 50 square kilometres. The lake developed from melting glaciers which were in the area during the ice age. It is a popular destination for people who enjoy water sports.
位于Bavaria 地区的Ammersee 湖是德国第六大湖，大概有50平方公里。这个湖是因为冰河时代大冰川的融化而形成的。 如今这里是许多水上运动爱好者的理想目的地。
The common rubber balloon was invented by Michael Faraday in 1824. Faraday made his balloons by cutting around two sheets of rubber and pressing the edges together. They were originally used in experiments with hydrogen, but soon became popular with the general public when they were sold at circuses and parks in America.
我们常见的橡皮气球是科学家迈克尔•法拉第Michael Faraday 在1824年发明的。Faraday 当时把两片橡皮剪成圆形，然后把圆边压在一起。最初气球的用途是氢气实验，后来当这些气球出现在美国马戏团和游乐公园时，很快被大众接受，非常受欢迎。
Post boxes around the UK have been painted gold in the home towns of every gold medal-winning athlete from Team GB. This is the first time that post boxes have changed colour since 1874, when the iconic red colour was chosen. It took ten years to paint all of the UK’s post boxes, which were originally green to blend in with the landscape.
英国金牌获得者所在家乡的邮政信箱都被涂上了金色。这是一百多年来的首次邮箱改色。1874年英国改选红色为全国邮箱的统一标志性颜色。当时用了十年的时间完成各地邮箱的刷红工程。在那儿之前，英国的邮箱全部为同自然融为一体的绿色。
There has been a fall in the proportion of A-levels awarded an A or A* grade for the first time in over two decades. This summer’s results show 26.6% of A-level entries achieved the top two grades - down from 27% last year. About 335,000 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been receiving their results - with many finding out whether they have made the grade for university.
英国高考成绩中A 和 A*成绩的比例在过去20年来首次降低。
今年夏季公布的成绩中26.6% 的考分达到了这两个最高分，而去年的比例则是27%。
大约有 335,000 名英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰的高中毕业生这两天陆续收到了自己的高考成绩单，大多数学生也将由此得知是否达到了报考大学的分数线。
The Miss World beauty contest is a well-known international beauty pageant that takes place every year. After the first contest in 1951, the bikini was banned and replaced by more modest swimwear. This year, Yu Wenxia became China’s second Miss World winner. The second-place contestant is Sophie Moulds of Wales, while Jessica Kahawaty of Australia came third.
世界小姐选美比赛是全球闻名的一年一度的选美盛会。1951 年第一次比赛后，三点式泳装被禁止，参赛者须穿较含蓄的泳装参赛。今年评出的世界小姐是来自中国的选手于文霞，这也是中国选手第二次赢得世界小姐的桂冠。获得本次比赛第二名和第三名的选手分别是来自威尔士的 Sophie Moulds 和来自澳大利亚的 Jessica Kahawaty.
There is evidence that Egyptians practised swimming as early as 2500 BCE. In Greece and Rome swimming was an important part of martial arts training. It was only in the 19th century that swimming became a very popular sport and in 1896 it was included in the Olympic Games.
有证据显示，早在公元前 2500 年埃及人就开始练习游泳了。在希腊和罗马游泳是武术训练中的一个重要组成部分。而这项运动仅仅是在 19 世纪时才成为流行运动，并在 1896 年列入奥运比赛项目。
During Ramadan, Muslims around the world conduct a period of fasting and spiritual reflection. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day celebration to mark the end of Ramadan and is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations – the other follows the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. During Eid al-Fitr, people wear their finest clothes and decorate homes with lights and ornaments. Gifts are also offered to children, as charity and generosity forms a significant part of the festivities.
在斋月期间，世界各地的穆斯林教徒们将进行一段时间的禁食和精神反思。Eid al-Fitr 是一个为期三天的庆祝活动，以纪念斋月的结束，这也是伊斯兰教最重要的庆典活动之一，另一个为遵循麦加朝圣。在Eid al-Fitr 庆典期间，人们身穿最隆重的服装，用彩灯和各种装饰来装点自己的家。孩子们也会收到礼物，因为慈善和慷慨的表现都是庆典活动重要的一部分。
Although the phrase ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ means people in general, the picture above is, of course, not any Tom, Dick or Harry but Prince Harry whose official title is HRH Prince Henry of Wales. He is third in line to the British throne (after his father Prince Charles and older brother William, the Duke of Cambridge).
A U.S. website recently caused a stir by publishing naked photos of Prince Harry partying in a private Las Vegas hotel room. The Prince is a Captain in The Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the British Army Air Corps. He served in Afghanistan for more than two months in 2007 and is now training to be a helicopter pilot.
虽然短语 ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ 的意思是随便什么人，但图中的这个人可不那么简单，他是英国皇室的哈里王子，他的头衔是 HRH Prince Henry of Wales 威尔士亨利王子殿下, 是排列第三的英国王位继承人 （在他父亲查尔斯王子和长兄威廉王子之后）。
一家美国网站发布的照片最近引起了轰动，图中显示哈里王子在美国拉斯维加斯的一家酒店中被人抓拍到裸体照。哈里王子是英国陆军航空队的一员，担任The Blues and Royals骑兵团队长的职位。他曾于2007年在阿富汗服役2个多月，如今正在参加直升飞机驾驶员的培训。
The existence of nearly all life on Earth is thanks to the rays of light emitted by the sun. The sun’s rays, in moderation, are beneficial to the human body, which produces vitamin D. A lack of sunlight, however, can sometimes lead to a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a mood illness which can lead to depression.
几乎地球上所有的生命都必须依靠太阳发射出来的光才能生存下去。适度的太阳光有益于人体制造维生素D。 然而缺少阳光有时候会引起季节性情障碍症(SAD), 这是一种情绪疾病容易导致抑郁症。
Scotland has almost 800 offshore islands which are divided into four main groups: Shetland, Orkney and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Almost 100 of the islands have people living on them. The largest island is Lewis and Harris, which is over 2000 square kilometres.
苏格兰有大约 800 个沿海岛屿，总体划分为四大地区:设得兰群岛, 奥克尼群岛，内赫布里底群岛和外赫布里底群岛。其中近100个岛屿是有人居住的群岛。苏格兰最大的岛是刘易斯和哈里斯，面积超过 2000 平方公里。
Clowns from Central America, South America and the Caribbean have been getting together every year for the last four to exchange ideas and attend workshops. This year’s congress is being held in Guatemala City. Clowns have been a feature of societies around the world for centuries. The oldest recorded clowns were from Egypt 5,000 years ago.
来自中美洲、南美洲和加勒比海地区的小丑们过去四年来每年聚集一起，进行交流和讨论。今年的大会在危地马拉市举办。多少世纪来小丑的角色始终是社会的一部分。有关小丑的最早记录来自5000年前的埃及。
A tall ship is a large traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Every year a Tall Ships race takes place in seas around Europe consisting of two racing legs of several hundred nautical miles. More than half of the crew of each ship participating in the races must consist of young people. This year’s race takes in Portugal, Spain, France and Ireland.
所谓高船是指传统的带有桅杆的帆船。欧洲每年举行一次高船比赛，比赛包括两个阶段，航程共几百海里。参赛的船队必须保证一半以上的海员是年轻人。今年的比赛将在葡萄牙、西班牙、法国和爱尔兰举行。
