EZCNN 易英网

The Cheesiest Race on Earth 滚滚滚──追逐起司大赛

课文朗读

课文讲解

課文.pdf      繁體中文譯本

British people love cheese. From Cheddar, Cheshire, and Red Leicester to Stilton, Wensleydale, and Double Gloucester, UK citizens can’t resist a big hunk of cheese on a cracker. ___1___ a soft spot for delectable dairy products with a pinch of English eccentricity, and what do you get? A cheese-rolling race, of course!

英国人喜欢起司，从切达、柴郡、红列司特、斯提尔顿、文斯勒德、双重格洛斯特，英国人无法抗拒脆饼加上一大块的起司。对美味乳制品没有抵抗力的弱点再加上一点英国人的古怪行径，结合起来会是什么呢？当然就是追起司大赛啰！

___2___ a few-centuries-long history, Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling has only recently found modest global fame. The annual event takes place at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, and it has been growing in ___3___ in recent years. The cheese-chasing race that was not long ago just a bit of fun for the locals now attracts 15,000 people to the site, and millions of viewers online.

虽然库珀山的追起司大赛已有几百年历史，此比赛在最近才在世界上获得些许名声。这一年一度的比赛在格洛斯特郡，布罗克沃思的库珀山上举行，该比赛这些年越来越受欢迎。这个不久前原本只是当地人有趣活动的追逐起司竞赛现在则吸引了1万5千人到场并有几百万人在在线观看。

So, what’s all the fuss about? What exactly is cheese rolling? ___4___, twenty or so participants gather, often in fancy dress, at the start line on top of a very steep slope. An eight-pound round of Double Gloucester cheese is released, and the enthusiastic competitors ___5___ it ___5___ the precipitous hillside. Reaching speeds of more than 100 km/h, the cheese won’t be ___6___. However, the first person to cross the finish line will win the Double Gloucester.

那么到底有什么好大惊小怪的呢？追起司到底是什么呢？基本上二十几个穿着华丽的参赛者聚集在非常陡峭的山坡顶上的起跑点，一个8英磅重的双重格洛斯特起司向下滚动时，兴奋热情的竞争者便从险峻的山坡追着它向下跑。起司滚动的速度高达时速100公里，所以根本没办法抓到，但是第一个跨越终点线的人将可赢得这个双重格洛斯特起司。

Don’t think though this is simply a question of running down a slope. The gradient of Cooper’s Hill is so steep that it’s practically impossible to stay ___7___! Tumbling, head over feet and out of control, at breakneck speeds, these participants are likely to get injured, and it’s a good job the ambulances are on hand to cart them off to the hospital. Spectators know to stand back, because woe betide anyone who tries to come between an Englishman and his cheese!

但可别认为这只不过是跑下山坡而已。库珀山的坡度非常斜，让人几乎没有办法站直。这些参赛者会头下脚上、无法控制地以飞快的速度向下滚动，因此很有可能受伤，还好救护车随时待命将他们送去医院。观众都知道要站远一点，因为任何人若阻挡英国人追逐起司就得遭殃了！

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

hunk [hʌŋk] n. 大块，大片；厚块

cracker [ˋkrækɚ] n.（淡或咸的）薄脆饼干

delectable [dɪˋlɛktəb!] adj. 好吃的，甘美的

pinch [pɪntʃ] n.（一）撮，少量

eccentricity [͵ɛksɛnˋtrɪsətɪ] n. 古怪的行为或习惯

modest [ˋmɑdɪst] adj. 不太大（或多）的

fuss [fʌs] n. 忙乱；大惊小怪；小题大作

fancy [ˋfænsɪ] adj. 别致的；花俏的；花式的

precipitous [prɪˋsɪpətəs] adj. 陡落的

gradient [ˋgredɪənt] n. 坡度，倾斜度

tumble [ˋtʌmb!] v. 滚下；坠落

breakneck [ˋbrek͵nɛk] adj. 非常危险的；极快的

ambulance [ˋæmbjələns] n. 救护车

cart [kɑrt] v. 粗野地（或强制地）运送

Idiom

片语发音

a soft spot for 【口】偏爱某人/某事物 to feel a lot of affection for someone or something, often without knowing why

on hand 在手边，在近处 present; available

stand back 后退, 靠后  stay clear of, avoid

woe betide someone 某人将要倒霉(或遭殃) misfortune will befall someone

woe [wo] n. 困难；灾难；不幸

betide [bɪˋtaɪd] v. 降临于

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2012

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2009

Answer