英语听力精选进阶版 6053
时间：2019-01-25 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力精选进阶版
It’s Easter in the UK and the shops are full of Easter eggs, hot-cross buns and Easter bunnies.
Although Easter is widely seen as a Christian 1 festival which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, its origins pre-date Christianity and many of its symbols come from the earliest civilisations.
Our modern festival’s roots lie in ancient seasonal 2 rituals which marked the transition from the "death" of winter to the new life and rebirth of spring.
These days we give chocolate eggs as gifts at Easter but eggs have been symbols of fertility for thousands of years.
The ancient Persians gave each other painted eggs for the festival of Nowrooz, a celebration held at the spring equinox which marked the start of Persian New Year. The tradition continues to this day.
Centuries ago the early Saxon people marked buns with a cross to honour their goddess Eostre, whose name some people believe to be the origin of the word Easter. It is believed that early Christians 3 incorporated such pagan festivals into their religion.
Some experts say the Easter bunny was originally a hare as this animal represented fertility and growth in pagan mythology 4 due to its capacity for reproduction. Moreover, in some ancient cultures the hare was also a symbol of the moon, which is significant as the date of Easter changes each year depending on the lunar cycle.
The Easter bunny has become an important symbol of Easter all over the world. But nowadays not everybody treats such symbols with respect.
Pranksters in the Austrian town of Villach have stolen a giant Easter Bunny from the town square. Local police say it should not be too difficult to spot as it is two metres tall and weighs 60kg.
GLOSSARY 词汇表
Easter eggs 复活节彩蛋
hot-cross buns 十字小面包(复活节的特色面包)
Easter bunnies 复活节兔子
resurrection 耶稣的复活
symbols 符号，象征
seasonal rituals 季节性的仪式
rebirth 重生
symbols of fertility 繁殖力的象征
ancient Persians 古代的波斯人
spring equinox 春分，春分点
Saxon 撒克逊人
buns 小面包
goddess 女神
pagan 异教徒
hare 野兔
mythology 神话
ancient cultures 古老文明
pranksters 恶作剧者
lunar cycle 月亮运转的周期
to spot 发现
- They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
- His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
- The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
- The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。
- Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
- His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。