2018-11-05

英国迎来篝火节之夜

11月5日是英国一年一度的篝火节，也被称作“盖伊·福克斯之夜”（Guy Fawkes Night）。篝火节源于17世纪初，因为不满英国国王詹姆士一世的宗教迫害，一个叫盖伊·福克斯的人带着一群极端天主教徒，提出一个“火药阴谋”：他们把36桶黑火药秘密运入国会大厦相邻房子的地下室，打算在11月5日国王召开会议时引爆火药，炸毁国会大厦，杀死国王和议会政要们。

结果事情败露，福克斯在11月4日被捕，之后与其同谋一起被处死。为了纪念这个恐怖阴谋的粉碎，每年一到11月5日，各地都会焚烧福克斯的模拟像，燃放烟花庆祝。时至今日，篝火节早已不再是反对天主教的活动，而逐渐变成了英国人玩篝火、看烟花的好机会，福克斯的模拟肖像每年也都会被玩 high 的英国人烧一回。不过英国的初冬也倒因为有了这些篝火变得温暖起来。本篇课程首发于2018年11月5日难度系数：

无用系数：

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

① "Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. We see no reason, why gunpowder treason, should ever be forgot!"

② In England, every 5th of November we remember the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - a thwarted act of terror in which a gang of Catholic conspirators planned to blow up the English Parliament to rid England of King James I.

③ They managed to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder into a cellar beneath the House of Lords - enough to completely destroy the building.

④ Their plan backfired when the gunpowder was discovered and the conspirators were all executed in a rather gruesome manner. Well, they did try to kill the King and blow up Parliament.

⑤ The plot is commemorated every autumn with the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes, the plot's mastermind.

⑥ It's a peculiar English 'celebration' which includes fireworks (representing the gunpowder), sparklers and toffee apples.

⑦ The memory of the Gunpowder Plot lingers in British politics to this day: the Yeoman of the Guard still peer into the cellars beneath the Houses as part of the state opening of Parliament to check for gunpowder.

▍生词好句

gunpowder /ˈɡʌnˌpaʊdə, ˈɡʌnˌpaʊdər/: n. 火药

treason /ˈtriːzən/: n. (叛国) 罪

plot /plɒt, plɑːt/: n. 阴谋；秘密计划

forget /fəˈɡet, fərˈɡet/: vt. 忘记 (过去分词 forgot/forgotten)

barrel /ˈbærəl/: n. 桶

cellar /ˈselə, ˈselər/: n. 地窖；地下室

execute /ˈeksɪkjuːt/: vt. (依法) 处决/处死

gruesome /ˈɡruːsəm/: adj. 恐怖的；可怕的

commemorate /kəˈmeməreɪt/: vt. 纪念；缅怀

effigy /ˈefədʒi/: n. (尤指被憎恨人的) 模拟像/画像/雕像

peculiar /pɪˈkjuːliə, pɪˈkjuːliər/: adj. 特有的

firework /ˈfaɪəwɜːk, ˈfaɪəwɜːrk/: n. 烟花

sparkler /ˈspɑːklə, ˈspɑːrklər/: n. (手拿的) 小烟花棒

Yeoman of the Guard /ˈjəʊmən/: 皇家卫队

▍词汇拓展

1. conspirator /kənˈspɪrətə, kənˈspɪrətər/: n. people who conspire to do something, usually something bad, usually against the king, against the state

2. thwart /θwɔːt, θwɔːrt/: vt. if you thwart something, you stop something from happening, or you stop someone from doing something

The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison.

卫兵阻止了他越狱。

Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain.

因为下雨，我们要去野餐的计划泡汤了。

The police thwarted the robber's plan.

因为警察的出现，劫匪的计划没能得逞。

3. smuggle /ˈsmʌɡəl/: vt. to take things or to move items or people illegally, usually from one place to another, from one country to another

Oh, there is a sign in the cinema which says no food or drink allowed. But sometimes I smuggle a hamburger into the cinema, and I eat it during the film.

电影院规定不能带零食和饮料，但有时候我会偷偷带个汉堡包进去，然后在看电影的时候把它解决掉。

I cheated during the exam. I smuggled my notebook into the exam room under my jacket.

我考试作弊了，我把笔记本藏在外套里偷偷带进了考场。

Oh, last night at the party. Well, my friend didn't have a ticket, so I smuggled her into the party through the back door.

昨天晚上的聚会，我有个朋友没票，所以我就从后门把她偷偷带进去了。

4. backfire ˌbækˈfaɪə, ˈbækfaɪr/: vi. if a plan backfires, it has the opposite result from the one you wanted

· 主语可以是 strategy/situation/experiment 等

5. mastermind /ˈmɑːstəmaɪnd, ˈmæstərmaɪnd/: n. someone who plans a very difficult activity, often a crime

The mastermind behind the robbery was never caught.

那桩抢劫案的主谋至今依然逍遥法外。

The advertising manager is the mastermind behind our new marketing policy.

广告经理策划了我们这次新的营销策略。

6. linger /ˈlɪŋɡə, ˈlɪŋɡər/: vi. if something lingers, it takes a long time to disappear, it stays with us for a long time

The beautiful music is still lingering in my ears.

那美妙的音乐仍在我耳边萦绕。

The wine has a delicious lingering flavour.

这酒的香味令人回味无穷。

▍责任编辑

李焕、陈鑫悦、章晓丹